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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.
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  • by Joseph Delaney
    £7.99

    This is a fabulous collection of stories based on many of the witches from Joseph Delaney's Spooks books. Ever wondered why the Spook doesn't trust girls who wear pointy shoes? Or why Grimalkin became the Assassin for the Malkin Witch clan? Find out all this and more in this dark and eerie collection. You don't have to know the Spook's books to enjoy the stories. They're all standalone and absolutely haunting. A perfect introduction to the world of The Spook's Apprentice. But for any fans of the series out there, this collection will be a must-have.

  • by Adrienne Kress
    £9.49

    Enter the mind of Joey Drew in this exclusive memoir, sure to captivate fans of the hit horror video games Bendy and the Ink Machine and Bendy and the Dark Revival!

  • by Joseph Delaney
    £7.99

  • by Kazu Kibuishi
    £9.49

    Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission. After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

  • - Book 1
    by Joseph Delaney
    £7.99

    The Spook's Apprentice is the first book in Joseph Delaney's terrifying Wardstone Chronicles over 3 million copies sold worldwide! Someone has to stand against the dark. And you're the only one who can For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe from evil. Now his time is coming to an end, but who will take over? Many apprentices have tried. Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Just one boy is left. Thomas Ward. He is the last hope. But does he stand a chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County?

  • by Lemony Snicket
    £7.99 - 8.99

    A story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leaches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain and a doll named Pretty Penny.

  • by Joseph Delaney
    £7.99

    Slither is not human. Far from the Spook-protected County, he preys upon humans, sneaking into their homes to gorge upon their blood while they sleep. When a local farmer dies, it's only natural that Slither should want to feast on his lovely daughters.

  • by Kristin Cast & P.C. Cast
    £7.99

    A spin-off series from the House of Night series. What happens when worlds clash and powers that should be left alone are awakened? Will Darkness extinguish Light and leave our heroes broken, hopeless, and forgotten?

  • by Laura Ellen Anderson
    £6.99

  • by Laura Ellen Anderson
    £7.99

  • by Joseph Delaney
    £6.99

  • by Margaret Mahy
    £7.99

    A brand-new edition of the Carnegie Medal-winning THE HAUNTING - written by internationally bestselling author, Margaret Mahy. 'Strong and terrifying . . . The novel winds up like a spring. A psychological thriller' - Times Literary Supplement

  • by Stephanie Perkins
    £7.99

    A thrilling YA novel from The New York Times-bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss, Stephanie Perkins

  • by Derek Landy
    £7.99

    The third book in Landy's fantastically imaginative and illustrious series about our favourite dead detective. With all the characters read once again by Rupert Degas 'The Faceless Ones' will enchant, enthral and keep you gripped as they take you through another adventure in this brilliant series.

  • by Derek Landy
    £7.99

    Just when you think you've saved the world...

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    Darren Shan has been made a half-vampire by Mr Crepsley, but the Cirque Du Freak holds more unpleasant surprises for the vampire's assistant.

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    The first part of the chilling Saga of Darren Shan, the ordinary schoolboy plunged into the vampire world.

  • by Diana Wynne Jones
    £7.99

    In the mind of a lonely, imaginative girl, who can tell where fiction ends and reality begins? An epic fantasy, spanning nine years...The fire and hemlock photograph above Polly's bed sparks memories in her that don't seem to exist any more. Halloween; nine years ago; she gatecrashed a funeral party at the big house and met Thomas Lynn for the first time.Despite the fact that he's an adult, they struck up an immediate friendship, and began making up stories together - stories in which Tom is a great hero, and Polly is his assistant. The trouble is, these scary adventures have a nasty habit of coming true...But what has happened in the years between?Why has Tom been erased from Polly's mind, and from the rest of the world as well? Gradually Polly uncovers the awful truth and, at Halloween nine years on, realises that Tom's soul is forfeit to demonic powers unless she can save him.

  • by Bram Stoker
    £6.99

    "Awareness of Dracula" as a masterly gothic thriller has increased ever since its publication in 1897, and the novel is regarded as one of the most seminal horror stories of ever written, having inspired countless copycat tales and literary spin-offs. The tale of young Englishman Jonathan Harker's journey to Transylvania, into the very heart of Count Dracula's evil realm, is compelling, but it is perhaps the journey of the vampire to England, and the dangers he poses to Jonathan's beloved Mina, that is the more horrifying.

  • by P.C. Cast
    £8.99

    The moment Other Kevin returns to his world trouble begins... Back in Tulsa, things have settled down since Zoey closed the tear between worlds.But Zoey knows the truth. In the Other World her brother is using Old Magick, unaware of the dangers it holds. She knows she must help him - after all, he's her little brother.Though, in doing so, she may just have to lose those she loves... From the bestselling authors of The House of Night series comes a new series following the kick-ass heroine that is Zoey Redbird.

  • by P.C. Cast
    £8.99

    The world won't stay safe for long... Reunited in Tulsa after a year apart, Zoey and the Nerd Herd are ready to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. But it seems nothing at The House of Night is ever as quiet as it seems. With rabid red vampyres closing in, the friends must come together again. But a year is a long time. Have they grown too far apart? When the world fractures and allies become enemies, will darkness devour friendships or will light save those Zoey loves? From the bestselling authors of The House of Night series comes a new series following the kick-ass heroine that is Zoey Redbird.

  • by Christopher Maynard
    £7.99

    First published in 1977, this cult classic has been reissued for a new generation of ghost-hunters. This book is for anyone who has shivered at shadowy figures in the dark, heard strange sounds in the night or felt the presence of a mysterious `something' from the unknown.

  • by Joseph Delaney
    £6.99

    A spooky horror-fantasy series from the author of "The Spook's Apprentice". An old enemy returns to give Crafty a disturbing warning. Presents a world familiar in relation to our own.

  • - 50 Tales to Make Your Spine Tingle
    by Angela McAllister
    £11.99

    Get ready for Halloween with this child-friendly collection of spooky stories from all over the world.

  • by Sue Wallman
    £7.99

    Sue Wallman's most spine-tingling thriller yet! Every winter, three families gather in an old house in the country to celebrate the New Year. This year, 15-year-old Leah and the other two teens discover that the house has a dark past: a deathbed confession led the police to the buried body of a teenage girl earlier in the year, who had gone missing 50 years before. As the teens investigate the morbid history, terrible things start happening around the house. And if Leah isn't careful, this New Year might be her last.

  • by E E Richardson
    £9.49

    It was just a bit of fun, a local legend. The Devil's Footsteps: thirteen stepping stones, and whichever one you stopped on in the rhyme could predict how you would die. A harmless game for kids - and nobody ever died from a game. But it's not a game to Bryan. He's seen the Dark Man, because the Dark Man took his brother five years ago. He's tried to tell himself that it was his imagination, that the Devil's Footsteps are just stones and the Dark Man didn't take Adam. But Adam's still gone. And then Bryan meets two other boys who have their own unsolved mysteries. Someone or something is after the children in the town. And it all comes back to the rhyme that every local child knows by heart: Thirteen steps to the Dark Man's door, Won't be turning back no more . . .

  • - Wound Tale
    by Nisioisin
    £11.99

  • by Mary Shelley
    £6.99

    This timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.

  • by Alvin Schwartz
    £6.99

    Are you brave enough for Scary Stories?Some boys and girls were at a party one night. There was a graveyard down the street, and they were talking about how scary it was."Don't ever stand on a grave after dark," one of the boys said. "The person inside will grab you.""A grave doesn't scare me," said one of the girls. "I'll do it right now. . . ."Welcome to the macabre world of Scary Stories. Inside, you'll find alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and the supernatural, with spine-tingling illustrations by renowned artist Brett Helquist.

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. 

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