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murinius's review
5.0
I read this anthology because I had always been curious about life in the polar regions, and I loved the authors' exploration of the Arctic not only as a physical place, but also as a place of memory. The cultures of the north knew these places intimately not merely to survive, but to live and to thrive, and create such beautiful stories and artworks that they are known for all over the world. (I wanted to let the authors know that they're being read in South America. Hello!)
Each story had a distinctive mood, but my favourite was "Utiqtuq" by Gayle Kabloona, in which the horror of the settler-colonial state is as great as that of any monster or creature. I hope that she writes more! The other two that I liked very much were "Strays" by Repo Kempt and "Revenge" by Thomas Anguti Johnston. The latter was written with more traditional themes in mind in a way that reminded me of the stories I'd read before in "Inuit Stories of Being and Rebirth," featuring the stories of the elders of Igloolik as told to Bernard Saladin D'Anglure.
Other people have summarised these stories in better ways that I could, but I wanted to leave a review too saying that I'm happy that I read this!
Each story had a distinctive mood, but my favourite was "Utiqtuq" by Gayle Kabloona, in which the horror of the settler-colonial state is as great as that of any monster or creature. I hope that she writes more! The other two that I liked very much were "Strays" by Repo Kempt and "Revenge" by Thomas Anguti Johnston. The latter was written with more traditional themes in mind in a way that reminded me of the stories I'd read before in "Inuit Stories of Being and Rebirth," featuring the stories of the elders of Igloolik as told to Bernard Saladin D'Anglure.
Other people have summarised these stories in better ways that I could, but I wanted to leave a review too saying that I'm happy that I read this!
vixvoncroz's review
5.0
A wonderful collection of Indigenous writers sharing scary legends and lore from the Arctic. What more could you ask for?
sprainedbrain's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sunflowerjess's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was soooo incredible; I discovered several new authors I want to read more of, and reaffirmed my love of authors I've already read.
motobart's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nelemon's review
4.0
I loved this collection! It’s a variety of stories, all horror or horror-adjacent. Some were quite scary, some more atmospheric, and all of them set in the far North, which is one of my favorite settings. I think all or at least most of the authors are Indigenous and most of the stories have that perspective. It’s short and sweet and I would really recommend this collection.
The Haunted Blizzard 5★
Scary blizzard🌨️
The Door 5★
Do not open 🙅♀️
Wheetago War II: Summoners 5★
Monsters 😱
Revenge 3★
Story of a lone man 🐻❄️
Lounge 3★
Sci-fi in a mine😮
Utiqtuq 5★
Zombies 🧟
Sila 4★
Ice fishing 🎣
The Wildest Game 5★
A cannibal‘s letter 🥩
Strays 4★
A traveling veterinarian up north 🐶
michelleemme's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Taaqtumi is a great chilling (haha) horror anthology. When I picked up the book, I intended to read one story a night but somehow finishing the whole thing it a night. Couldn’t put it down. The longest story in the anthology was a little confusing and I got a bit lost, but that may have been because it was toward the end of the book and I was losing steam. Overall - Great read and 100% recommend for horror and short fiction readers!
wanderinggoy's review
2.0
This is a beautifully edited volume, but unfortunately the content doesn’t really match the cover. Of the 9 stories inside, I would say 2 are good, 4 are OK, and the remaining 3 are just bad. Also most stories aren’t really horror stories at all. The good ones I would say are fantasy/sci-fi and psycho-crime, respectively.
christinaj1021's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As with many anthologies, it's hard to give a rating. I would say on average I enjoyed 80% of what I read, hence the 4 stars!
Similar to many other reviewers, the longest piece was my least favourite. It hung clearly on the side of sci-fi in my mind, rather than horror or thriller. It also was a little confusing in the world-building.
Loved the variety of stories. Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard, and also Utiqtuq were the standouts for my tastes!
Similar to many other reviewers, the longest piece was my least favourite. It hung clearly on the side of sci-fi in my mind, rather than horror or thriller. It also was a little confusing in the world-building.
Loved the variety of stories. Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard, and also Utiqtuq were the standouts for my tastes!