Book Review: World of Lore: Dreadful Places by Aaron Mahnke

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The latest instalment in the ‘Lore’ series, this follows the stories that surround the dark and sinister places in our lore. As usual it’s easy to read, with a friendly and familiar writing style that lends itself well to these types of stories. It’s as though the writer is talking around a camping fire with old friends, relaying spooky stories - which is exactly how these tales should be told.

The stories and places covered range from New Orleans, Scottish castles, the American colonies and ghost ships and it’s very good at dipping the readers toe into this range of stories and folklore that can then be followed up in greater depth by the reader if they want to. It never lingers too long on one story or subject, offering an introduction and background to the tale and a brief outline before moving on. This meant that if one story didn’t intrigue me, I was quickly swept up into the next one, and the next. I was particularly taken with the sections on New Orleans and ghost ships. These areas were deeply atmospheric and creepy, with unexplained tales that were genuinely chilling.

The first section is very ‘America’ centric, and I was a little less interested in these stories because of their lack of richness and history. America itself is a relatively new country in my eyes, and somewhat lacks the magical and ethereal elements that more ancient cultures have in abundance. I also found it was quite flippant at times in its portrayal of slavery and the associated atrocities.

However, the later chapters do branch out into the wider world and this is where the book came into its own as it allowed for a broader scope in stories. Folklore is so fascinating, and so unique to each culture and local area that I felt it was necessary to do this. It’s an organic thing, that evolves and changes with the people, as well as helping to join a community together through socialisation and the author does well to get this across here. It’s evident he has a passion for the subject, and a need to spread these stories like our ancestors did. It’s a way of keeping the tales alive.

Another great addition to the ‘Lorek series. I really enjoy these books, and this is perfect to read at this time of year for a creepy little night in.

 - 4 stars