We a good story
Quick delivery in the UK

Horror

In this section you will find over 3.861 exciting and thrilling books about Horror. At Tales we have all types of good Horror books for each individual to enjoy, whether you want some of the classics, new or children’s horror books. We all need a little scare in our lives, to learn how to deal with the real world and acknowledge the fact that it is indeed okay to be scared. Scary stories also teach kids that Monsters are terrifying, but at the same time they’ll have an understanding of scary situations, and learn how to cope with them. Take a chance and let the mystery begin here.
Show more
Filter
Filter
Sort bySort Popular
  • by Anne M Kelley
    £17.49

    In a town where cryptids roam the streets, ancient gods hover just out of sight, and everyone has powers, seventeen-year-old Ash has the ability to see everything happening in the present. When she isn't hanging out with her friends or attending football games, she's helping protect Veil Haven with her omniscience.Until her powers fail and her best friend dies.When everyone she trusts lies to her about the tragedy, Ash begins pulling the threads that hold Veil Haven together in hopes of discovering the truth. But in a place where knowledge is more dangerous than the cryptids stalking her, will the secrets Ash unearths be enough to save her friends?***The first book in the series, Veil Haven is a thrilling mystery of the paranormal urban fantasy genre, intended for young adult readers. With horror elements, monsters, ghosts, drama, and comedy, you'll be delighted by the twists you can't see coming in this harrowing adventure. Veil Haven has a diverse cast and LGBTQ+ characters. The Appalachian Mountains are the inspiration for the setting of Veil Haven.Ash was raised by oppressive government leaders in a small town surrounded by the Void where nothing changes. In this close-knit community, Ash is an outsider because of her ties with The Watchers, the secret military organization that controls their town from the shadows. Ash's omniscient superpower allows her to act like the narrator of her home, witnessing events all over town simultaneously. When a new family moves to town, Ash is shocked, not only because the government never allows anything to change but also because she didn't witness the event-something that shouldn't be possible because of her power.Befriending the new kid is simple enough, but Ash can't ignore the gut feeling that something is wrong about his family. Then, everything changes when her best friend is found dead without her witnessing what happened. Sent spiraling to a place between grief and rage, Ash decides to team up with her found family in order to learn what really happened to their friend.Meanwhile, the ancient god of the woods is calling out to Ash. The cryptid god, known as the Forest Eye, helped Ash control her ability when she was young, but after a terrible fight, Ash left the woods and vowed never to speak to the deity again. Until the Forest Eye starts teasing information about her friend's death and the arrival of the new family.Even though Ash was told she can see everything, it seems as though everyone else suddenly knows more than her, and it's driving her to the edge.Between cryptids, ghosts, cults, and mysteries, Ash and her friends uncover dangerous truths about their now-changing town. But do the ends justify the means? Will Ash be able to stomach the consequences of her actions? And will she be able to save her friends and her town before it's too late?¿¿Ash is more than just a teenager or a kid, despite what her parental figures tell her. She was raised to protect her small mountain town, her superpower makes her act as the narrator, but between panic attacks, migraines, and her unspoken ADHD, our female protagonist has met her match with this harrowing adventure and daring paranormal mystery.

  • Save 11%
    by Cindy L Otis
    £7.99

    "High school junior Quinn Calvet gets caught up in the disappearance of kids in a nearby town, soon beginning to suspect more to the story than anyone understands, and it is up to her to figure out what's going on"--Provided by publisher.

  • Save 14%
    by Kate DiCamillo
    £9.49

    It's the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium. Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris's mother's chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world. And Charisse, Ferris's grandmother, has started seeing a ghost in the doorway to her room - which seems like an alarming omen given that she is feeling unwell. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans - wild, impractical, illuminating plans. How can Ferris satisfy a spectre with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons?As Charisse likes to say, "Every good story is a love story,? and Kate DiCamillo has written one for the ages: emotionally resonant and healing, showing the twice Newbery Medallist at her most playful, universal and profound.

  • by Matti Charlton
    £19.99

    In the haunting world of Featherdale, a cursed duck community finds itself trapped in an ancient feud between the Western Shores and Eastern Marsh clans. The source of their misery lies in the cursed drake, Simon, whose malevolent influence unleashes unending nightmares, discord, and despair. Sinister moonbeam visions plague the dreams of the Eastern Marsh ducks, while the Western Shore ducks suffer torment under sinister sunbeam revelations. As the feud intensifies, hope diminishes, and the ducks are ensnared in twisted compromises and haunting omens.Amidst the turmoil, a dark spirit named Angel Dream emerges, possessing ethereal abilities to traverse the haunting dreamscape. Angel Dream becomes the malevolent tormentor, fueling the pursuit of misunderstanding and perpetuating the eternal strife that envelops Featherdale. The haunted banshee's chilling melodies echo through the forsaken night, as ghostly apparitions and vengeful spirits roam the cursed pond.Featherdale's fate remains veiled and twisted, as the ducks' broken wings and haunted feathers bear witness to the abyss of despair. The relentless onslaught of nightmares leaves the tortured souls forever writhing in agony. In the macabre night, a prophecy unfolds, and the webbed foot of the feud tightens its grip on the feuding clans.As the sinister presence looms, Featherdale's legacy becomes one of maleficent disunity, shattering the veneer of tranquility. The desolate meadows witness the ominous reflection of their doom, and the once-hopeful ducks face a doomed fate. But within the haunting melodies, a glimmer of redemption emerges, as the ducks must confront the enigmatic curse that has banished unity from their realm.In the shadowy embrace of Featherdale, the haunting chorus of souls yearns for liberation from the cursed pond. Amidst the haunting feathers and moonlit waters, the quest for peace becomes a prophecy to fulfill. The malevolent drake's legacy is destined to be shattered by the ethereal abilities of Angel Dream. Will the haunting dreams reveal the path to salvation, or will the abyss of despair consume them all?'The Angel Dream of Featherdale' weaves a tragic ballet of feuding flocks and enigmatic curses, haunting readers with its malevolent presence and relentless pursuit of redemption. Dive into the eerie symphony of this mesmerizing tale, where every shadow holds a secret, and every feather quivers with anticipation. Dare to step into Featherdale's haunted realm and unloc

  • by Lord Herobrine
    £13.49 - 19.49

  • Save 11%
    by A. J. Clack
    £7.99

    A dark, reality-TV based YA thriller, perfect for fans of The Traitors. 10 strangers trapped in a television studio. 42 remote cameras. One rule: Trust no one. Kass has been tricked into appearing on TV show Lie or Die. She must find the murderous Agents hidden among the innocent Players. But someone is playing for real...

  • Save 10%
    by Robin Jarvis
    £8.99

    A new edition of the classic children's fantasy adventure set in a world of mice and rats inthe sewers of Deptford

  • Save 10%
    by Kosoko Jackson
    £8.99 - 16.49

  • by Amelie Fajardo
    £16.49

    BLY is a refreshing coming of age story in the modern world as narrated by a girl named Nellie Bly based on her everyday existence. It is a brilliant storytelling with the author's very unique style of capturing and representing the very complex thoughts and emotions of the youth today as they deal with life's mysteries and complexities involving family, school, friendship as well as the social issues in a fast paced changing world. The book is enlightening in a way that allows you to understand and empathize with the joys and tribulations of today's young adults and in the process bridges the gap between the past and present generations. From start to finish, this book is thought provoking, funny and intriguing all at the same time. This is the author's first published book, and as a kid herself, Amelie Fajardo, has truly expressed the voice of her generation loud and clear; it's a must read for both the young and old alike.

  • by Jeni Conrad
    £14.99

    After Rose takes something deeply important to Hanna, the Seer is determined to hunt the tricky magic user down, no matter what. Hanna pools all her resources together, tugging on any string she can think of, including going to the necromancers and employing the help of a surly ghost named Frank.When Hanna discovers the necros are also hunting Rose and if they kill her all the enslaved spirits will be trapped forever, she must find the witch first or else risk losing everything that means anything.Unable to get reliable help from a suspiciously busy Caleb, Hanna turns to the arcanist Phoenix for answers, hoping that the magic user will be able to give at least a hint of where she should go next. Instead, she ends up trapped with the matron of the coven in a bleak spell while Rose is being hunted by necros and free to eat any other ghosts she deems necessary-including a certain sarcastic skater boy.

  • by J. Mercer
    £10.49 - 19.99

  • by Arthur Slade
    £11.49

    Can two modern-day kids solve the mystery of the ghost that haunts the old hotel--or will they be trapped in the past forever?Walter Biggar Bronson (a.k.a. Wart) and his friend Cindy meet a ghost one night after school. The small, mournful boy leads them across the Broadway Bridge to the gracious Bessborough Hotel. After a strange incident in the elevator, they find themselves still in the hotel-but back in 1936.Some spooky things are going on. The room numbers are all mixed up. The library on the mezzanine is filled with hundreds of copies of the same book. And out on the street, the cars are all the same-vintage Studebakers.Back in the present, Wart and Cindy follow their motto-"Gather, identify, solve"-as they attempt to crack the case, with help from Wart's distinctly odd parents and the loan of his mother's time-travel-proof cell phone.If they fail, they may be trapped in the ghostly past forever . . .

  • by Arthur Slade
    £10.49

    Terror stalks the halls of St. Wolcott School . . .When Daphne's sixth-grade teacher, Miss Vindez, plummets from the belfry of St. Wolcott School, Daphne and her friends Nick and Peach are plunged into a mystery that includes a long-ago fire that left behind twelve dead schoolchildren, tiny ghosts with nowhere to go, and an ancient evil just dying to break through into modern-day Moose Jaw.Miss Vindez survives her fall, but things just aren't the same-she's spouting gibberish, and both Principal Peterka and the school janitor are definitely not themselves at all any more.Determined to get to the bottom of what's going on, Daphne, Nick, and Peach dig up the troubled history of Grudstone, the school that used to stand where St. Wolcott is now. They uncover evidence of a crime so terrible it can hardly be believed. Worse, the terrifying perpetrator of that crime isn't done yet-he has more horrible plans in mind. And all that stands in his way are three Moose Jaw school kids.

  • by Julie Boglisch
    £20.49

    Ever since their mother's disappearance, Aiden and Noah, 13-year-old twins, have been moving from place to place with their detective father, Roger Raven. While Aiden is not too happy about it, Noah sees it as an opportunity to meet new friends.That is, until they arrive in the town of Herisdell for their father's work, a seeming ghost town where its almost always raining.The boys soon find themselves wrapped up in the mysteries of the town including the disappearances of the residents, a boy at school who seems to have a connection to one of the missing people and the strange girl who appeared outside their window within hours of them settling in when no one should have known they had arrived yet.Aiden and Noah are going to have to learn quickly what is going on. For it seems there is more to the town then meets the eye and it's even more dangerous for them then they could have ever imagined.

  • by Rob Renzetti
    £7.99

    Eleven-year-old Zenith journeys into a bizarre, macabre world within a mysterious bag where he struggles to save his older sister from a living hairball and survive a trio of bloodthirsty mouths, a sentient sawdust-stuffed giant, and other horrors.

  • Save 11%
    by Lemony Snicket
    £7.99 - 8.99

  • Save 11%
    by Romina Garber
    £7.99

    A deliciously dark gothic romance from New York Times bestselling author Romina Garber!THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY...After a mysterious attack kills both of her parents, Estela Brálaga is forced to accept an invitation to live with her estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, La Sombra.Beneath its gothic façade, La Sombra harbours a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect that the answer to her parents' deaths may be found in the twisting corridors of the castle.When Estela crosses paths with a silver-eyed vampire called Sebastian, the pair soon realise that they are bound by unknown forces, as well as an intense attraction, and must work together to discover the truth that lies at the dark heart of La Sombra.???????

  • by Carlos Medrano
    £11.99

    Un caserón de libros, Una niña huérfana, Una habitación que oculta un misterio Si te gustan las novelas de fantasía con misterios llenos de suspenso y giros inesperados, Leer Un Poco Para NO dormir es la novela perfecta para mantenerte atrapado desde el inicio hasta el final. Es una lectura llena de misterio, magia, intriga y personajes interesantes que hará que te desconectes de tu rutina y te metas en la historia. (Imágenes al interior entre capítulos generadas por inteligencia artificial)"Cree solo la mitad de lo que ves y nada de lo que oyes"Edgar Allan Poe

  • by Noelle Strommen
    £13.49 - 18.49

  • by Stevie Tisius
    £14.49

    C is for Cryptid, is a fun and fascinating way to teach your kiddo about the alphabet, extended vocabulary, and the often-mysterious world of cryptozoology. Learn along with your child as they explore the A-to-Z list of both familiar and unfamiliar creatures!

  • by Andrea Vanryken
    £11.49 - 20.49

  • by Romain Esquerre
    £18.49

    Il existe en France un domaine très mystérieux avec un incroyable manoir hanté et de nombreuses créatures, l'agitation règne en permanence dans ce lieu. Mais la bande de créatures vivant au manoir va aussi connaître beaucoup d'aventures au cours de ses voyages.Ce livre contient trois histoires. C'est une trilogie drôle et loufoque sur les étranges habitants d'un manoir hanté.

  • Save 19%
    by Joshua Ulrich
    £12.99

  • Save 20%
    by Leon Kemp
    £11.99

    Perfect for fans of Ace of Spades and The Taking of Jake Livingston, this young adult horror debut follows a group of teens as they visit an abandoned reform school--and then return two years later to confront the supernatural evil they awoke there. Two years ago, four friends went into the abandoned religious reform school Dominic House.Only three came out.Riley still bears horrific scars from that night. He doesn't speak to his friends anymore. And he's haunted by the truth: Riley's boyfriend, Ethan, didn't disappear...Something in that house took him.Now, alongside TV's most famous ghost hunter, Jordan Jones, Riley is returning, determined to find out what happened to Ethan.But as the night wears on, Riley realizes he isn't just revisiting the most terrifying night of his life--he's reliving it. And this time, whatever lives in Dominic House will make sure they all stay.With an eerily elegant voice, dual timelines that slowly unravel a chilling ghost story, themes of religious trauma, and secrets in every corner, Trespass Against Us is the kind of horror story that will keep you up long into the night.

  • by R.L. Stine
    £7.99

    A brand new Goosebumps series is comingprepare to be scared like never before! From the delightfully twisted mind of R.L. Stine comes a fresh new vision for the fan-favorite brand. Mario Galagos is joining his best friends Todd and Jewel on their annual holiday visit to snowy Vermont. Everything looks picture perfect at first. But then Mario finds a small statue of a strange, ugly creature in the garden and brings it inside. Little does he know the stone creature is actually a real, live goblin. By bringing it inside, Mario has just started a war with all of its hideous goblin friends! This exciting new Goosebumps series will have the same humor and terrifying tone that millions of readers love, but will be bigger, bolder, funnier, and scarier! Goosebumps is soon to be a major Apple TV series The perfect spooky read for 8+ readers

  • - Hullabaloo at Camp Croak!
    by Taylor Dolan
    £6.99

  • by Jeni Conrad
    £13.99

    After Halloween night reveals a death close to Hanna, she has to use her ghost powers to rescue some kids from school. While there, she runs into a tall stranger who she later finds out is Mr. Tyler's nephew, Gryphin.Mr. Tyler and Gryphin enlist Hanna's help to find a dead werewolf from their pack. It is one thing for Hanna to talk to ghosts when she meets them, it's quite another for her to go hunting for a specific ghost.With all the extra time Hanna is spending with the wolves, including the muscled Gryphin, Brandon starts having feelings that threaten to change the nature of their relationship in a terrifying way. Hanna will have to learn to balance using her powers to help ghosts with not neglecting the people she loves.

  • by J. R. Andrews
    £13.99 - 22.49

  • by Judith Silverthorne
    £10.99

    Mysteries abound at Saskatchewan's Government House, and Sam and J.J. are once again tasked with solving them - before it's too late. Things aren't as they appear at Government House, as Sam and J.J. discover on a field trip when they find themselves at the turn of the 20th century discussing mushroom growth with George Watt, the gardener of the property. In an attempt to uncover what happened, the girls find themselves back in the present, face-to-face with the ghost of a woman who simply mouths the word "watch" to them. Who is this mysterious woman, and what does she want? In order to solve the mystery, Sam and J.J. must navigate the grounds of Government House (both past and present). And with only the faintest idea of how to return to their time, their forays into the past become dangerous. Can they figure out what the ghosts wants before they are stuck in the past for good?

  • by Joe Wilson
    £16.49

    Bethany loves Bunny and Bunny loves Bethany, and that is enough to get them through anything! Even if Bunny is a zombie.A story to teach children the value of imagination, responsibility, and accepting others.

The Horror Genre
Horror is a cultural genre that is meant to scare, shock and repulse its audience. An important thing to remember about this type of genre is that it elicits a dreadful sense in the reader through frightening and terrifying themes, situations and descriptive images. When we read a horror book, everything is important, such as the storyline, characters and the whole atmosphere. It is meant to provoke and shock the reader with its exploration of the unknown. The depreciating value that horror has, will help us understand why something is indeed scary. Look at it this way, once you see the monster come into the light, and you see it for what it truly is, it will help you to be less afraid. This genre also has several sub-genres, some of them consist of; Gothic, Science fiction, Survival, Occult, Dark fantasy, Paranormal, etc. Each has its own distinct characteristics. 

Classic Horror books
If we think about some of the popular classic horror books, the first author that will pop up is most likely the gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. The gothic novel is a subgenre under horror that specifically has a focus on death, originated in the 18th century and is mastered by him. In the 19th and 20th century the horror writers focused on something completely different, such as tales involving occult ideas, and the popular books Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Dracula by Bram Stoker came into the picture and still kept their relevance today. Frankenstein is a classic story about a scientist who accidentally creates a monster when his experiment goes horribly wrong. And Dracula is a gothic novel about a vampyre who has a desire to spread the undead curse to as many mortal humans as possible. These two popular stories are well known worldwide and they will never lose their relevance, no matter how old they get. That is the magic of being a classic.  

New Horror books
As for the newer horror books, 2019-2021 had been some epic years for horror fiction. It is an ever-evolving genre and so many new voices blossomed. Most of the popular horror stories today involve crime writing, especially serial killers, slashers, and the ghost of the past. Something about newly written gothic stories that take place in the Victorian-era is so thrilling to read about, here we find books like the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalo. The author incorporates themes of equality and social justice which takes the mystery of the infamous murderer to a whole new level. The main character Audrey Rose, eschews polite society for the very scandalous pastime of learning burgeoning science of forensic medicine. While she spends her time being captivated by science, there’s a serial killer on the loose. There’s nothing more thrilling and entertaining than reading about an inspiring heroine who solves mystery crimes. 
Children’s horror books are also important to address. Here we find Nightmares by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, where the younger audience can explore dark territory but at the same time be comforted. It is a book that’ll reassure you how to overcome the power of fear. The main character Charlie’s and his friends’ adventure in the Netherworld is harrowing, because they’re in constant danger, but together they try to face their fears and conquer their nightmares. 

Join thousands of book lovers

Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.