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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 Kirsten Miller & Jason Segel
    £7.99

    Charlie Laird has a very bad feeling.1. There s a NEW GIRL at school, and Charlie and his friends have DEFINITELY seen her before. 2. He s been hearing strange noises after dark, which is NEVER a good sign.3. The nightmares are back, and they re WEIRDER THAN EVER.Not since he faced his fears has Charlie had so many bad dreams. Whenever he falls asleep, he finds himself in a Netherworld field, surrounded by a flock of CREEPY BLACK SHEEP.They're not counting sheep. They refuse to jump. In fact, they don't do much at all. EVEN EERIER, THOUGH, is that it s not Charlie s nightmare. Somehow he s trapped in someone else s bad dream. And he s pretty sure the twins ICK and INK are responsible.Charlie and his friends thought they d put the twins out of business, but it seems they didn t quite finish the job. Now the WOOLLY NIGHTMARES are closing in, and INK has shown up at Cypress Creek Elementary! Charlie s convinced that INK is up to NO GOOD. And if he s right, it could be a very long time before anyone s dreams are sweet again.

  • by Kirsten Miller & Jason Segel
    £7.99

    The sequel to the funny and scary bestselling novel Nightmares! by multi-talented actor, Jason Segel, and bestselling author, Kirsten Miller. You thought the nightmares were over? You'd better keep the lights on!Since Charlie escaped from Netherworld, the land of nightmares, he s been sleeping soundly once more. But he can't shake the feeling that something strange is going on his creepy stepmother's plant store is losing customers as everyone heads to the town of Orville Falls. Stranger still, Orvill Falls is suddenly full . . . of zombies? At least, they sure look like the walking dead . . . Could it be that the inhabitants of the town are also starting to lose sleep? Charlie knows one thing for sure: things are about to get weird again.

  • by Kirsten Miller & Jason Segel
    £7.99

    The first book in a terrifyingly spooktastic adventure series by Jason Segel!WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF NIGHTMARES!Sleeping has never been so scary.And now waking up is even worse!Charlie has just moved into the sinister purple mansion that overlooks Cyprus Creek with his dad and new wicked stepmother. He has terrible nightmares every night and now they are slipping into the waking world too. Can Charlie and his friends stop the nightmares taking over and conquer the creatures of the night?

  • Save 10%
    by Colin Dann
    £8.99

    There had been rumours for years about the wealth of old Mr Mackie. But when ben and Richard start snooping around the dead man's house, they're soon plunged into a web of terror. Whose dark face is at the window? Where are the strange footsteps coming from? And what is the secret of the blue ring wrapped in a blanket? Pursued by a villainous tramp, and haunted by ghastly visions, the two boys find themselves on a daring journey through darkest Wales, and into the unearthly territory of the ancient spirits.

  • Save 17%
    by Helen Grant
    £9.99

    A group of story-tellers are disappearing one by one.A young woman is haunted by her past.A serial killer has one target he is desperate to hunt down.Veerle is trying to lie low, to live as 'normal' a life as she possibly can. But when you've thwarted a serial killer, it's hard to do this. Especially when he wants revenge . . .

  • Save 17%
    by Helen Grant
    £9.99

    Veerle has moved to Ghent to start a new life with her father and his girlfriend, she's isolated and alone. But not as alone as she had thought . . .Veerle recognises a familiar face in the crowds one day, a face connected to a past that she has been fighting to get over, a past that involved murder.A spate of deaths hit the city but has Death followed Veerle to Ghent or is this something new?

  • Save 10%
    by Brian Jacques
    £8.99

    Dare you visit the vampire's tomb at midnight when the church bell tolls?Or descend to the fiery pits of hell with a boy who has sold his soul to the devil?If not, read no further. For these are strange and ghostly tales - gruesome, pitiful, spine-chilling . . .But don't be surprised to find that supernatural events can also be wickedly funny - and even raise a ghost of a smile!

  • Save 11%
    by Tony Bradman
    £7.99

    The floor shook. The tables and chairs shook. The children shook. Suddenly, the door creaked open... and a huge figure loomed over them. It was... The Frankenstein Teacher!Class 3F get a very unusual new teacher. Frankenstein! But although Frankenstein looks very very scary, he has a very big heart and Class 3 learn to see beyond his scary appearance to the real person beneath when the class hamster meets a very sticky end...

  • Save 14%
    by Chris Riddell & Paul Stewart
    £9.49

    Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and high-stacking around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. A fantastic romp through a Dickensian-style city, with a wonderful new hero in the guise of Barnaby. After collecting a strange parcel from a deserted ship in the fog of the docks, and delivering it to the local schoolmaster, Barnaby thinks he's earned a moment to sit on the rooftops and eat his favourite pasty. But soon he realises that all is not well at the school - but is the problem quite as he expects it? A gruesome tale of a school overrun by a terrible curse - who will survive?

  • by Chris Riddell & Paul Stewart
    £7.99

    Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and 'high-stacking' around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. In this first adventure, Barnaby is attacked one night by an enormous dog. He kills it - but that's not the end of this particular mystery . . . as Barnaby finds himself swept up in a world of crooked doctors, poor and ill-advised patients, strange tonics and very expensive furs... Could there be more to the seemingly respectable Dr Cadwallader and the tonics he doles out to the poor? Is there a link between the tonic and the huge dogs - or possibly wolves - that are roaming the city at night? When Barnaby's old acquaintance Benjamin goes missing, Barnaby fears the worst for him, and decides to dig deeper... A fantastic romp through a Dickensian-style city, with a wonderful new hero in the guise of Barnaby. This new series from the bestselling dream team of Stewart and Riddell is a must for all fans of the Edge Chronicles - but also for fans of Horowitz and Shan, as they move into new territory and deliver a brilliantly exciting thriller-horror for boys.

  • Save 10%
    by Pete Johnson
    £8.99

    When Daniel and his friends make up a ghost story about a terrifying dog what begins as a story turns into a nightmare... A spine tingling tale about a boy haunted by the monsterous creature he created in his own imagination.

  • by Robert Swindells
    £7.99

    Somebody was in there. Somebody - or some thing . . . There is no room thirteen in the creepy Crow's Nest Hotel, where Fliss and her friends are staying on a school trip. Or is there? For at the stroke of midnight, something peculiar happens to the door of the linen cupboard next to room l2. And something is happening to Ellie-May Sunderland, too - something very sinister . . . A gripping page-turner from a master of spooky suspense, award-winning Robert Swindells. Don't read this under the covers at midnight!

  • Save 10%
    by Pete Johnson
    £8.99

    On the back of the picture were two words which jumped right out at me: THE FRIGHTENERS... When Chloe starts at a new school, she gets off to a really bad start and no-one wants to be her friend - except Aidan. But everyone else seems scared of Aidan - scared of the pictures he draws. Chloe can't imagine why until she picks up one of his drawings of 'The Frighteners'. For now the Frighteners - horrifying monstrous creatures - won't leave her alone...

  • Save 14%
    by E E Richardson
    £9.49

    Justin hasn't ever really believed in the occult, even though his Grandpa Blake is an expert in it and has a house full of curious objects and old tattered books on magic. But when Daniel Eilersen, the class know-it-all, starts acting all high-and-mighty, Justin thinks he can scare him by performing a magic ritual from the ancient book he's stolen from his granddad's study. His friend Trevor, who always goes along with what Justin says and his little sister, Joy, complete the group. It's all about the atmosphere of course and Justin plans to give Eilersen a proper scare, but nothing will actually happen . . .Or will it . . .?On the old tennis court in the park, late one night, the four of them, unaware of the consequences of their actions, summon Dracherion, a malicious and dangerous spirit bent on revenge for being imprisoned in the ancient book by Grandpa Blake, years ago. Things go wrong and Dracherion breaks out of the circle designed to enclose him. The ritual has bound them to Dracherion and Justin, Joy, Trevor and Daniel know that the spirit will try and possess one of them so it can grow in strength and wreak its vengeance. A terrifying struggle follows as Dracherion grows stronger and stronger. It's a race against time to try and find a way of banishing the spirit out of this world. But how do they do that when one of them can't be trusted . . .?

  • Save 14%
    by Dean Vincent Carter
    £9.49

    Eight years ago, the Austrian emergency services were called to the scene of a bizarre car accident.Eight years ago two mangled bodies were found in the snow not far from the vehicle, clawed and chewed, it seemed, by some ferocious animal. Eight years ago something unspeakable took Gerontius Moore's parents from him, leaving him orphaned and alone... And now, that something, is back.Caught up in a hunt he was never meant to be a part of, and finding help from a most unlikely source, Gerontius must once more flee the clutches of an appalling beast, before it learns its business is unfinished.Full moon or not, the hunt is on.

  • by Pete Johnson
    £7.99

    Marcus was convinced that vampires didn't exist. He was very wrong . . . On his thirteenth birthday, Marcus Howlett is faced with a bombshell. His parents are half-vampire. And, although he hates the thought of it, he is about to become one too. But, as he secretly blogs about the horrors of his new fangs, bad breath and cravings for blood, Marcus is unaware that his life is in serious danger . . .

  • Save 14%
    by Amy Meredith
    £9.49

    Something is hunting. Something that will kill to get what it wants. And it isn't human. Eve knows that her supernatural powers are called for, but she'd rather focus on dating than demons and gorgeous Luke is, frankly, pretty distracting. He's already a friend - but could he be something more? Do Luke and Eve really have a future? And with demons on the hunt, will either of them live long enough to find out?

  • Save 11%
    - Book 2
    by Joseph Delaney
    £7.99

    The Spook's Curse is the second book in Joseph Delaney's terrifying Wardstone Chronicles over 3 million copies sold worldwide! By now the dark has noticed you and will be trying to hunt you down . . . It's the job of the Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, to protect the County from the dark. But deep in the catacombs beneath Priestown lurks a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat the Bane. As they prepare to battle it, yet another deadly enemy emerges to threaten Tom and his master.

  • by Melissa A Craven
    £21.49

    They claim he will be a great leader. They say he is the most powerful Immortal of his generation and the son of prophecy. But he''s still just a guy. A lonely, angry guy. Alienated by the power that sets him apart, Aidan McBrien suffers in silence, choosing to live behind a mask to protect himself, even from those he loves. He is desperate to connect with someone who understands, but Aidan fights a constant battle to control the gifts that threaten to push him over the edge, and he dreads the day his world will look to him to fulfill a prophecy he doesn''t even believe in. Allie Carmichael is dying inside and she doesn''t even realize it. Half a world away, she endures an isolation she doesn''t understand. As she forges a hesitant friendship for the first time in years, Allie sees a tiny glimmer of the life she wants, and the person she wants to be, but her instincts tell her the timing is all wrong.Allie and Aidan''s paths are about to converge. With others making decisions for them, will they ever truly understand the immense power they posses, Or the prophecy that might not be about Aidan after all?

  • - A Mystery
    by Steven Schatz
    £9.99

    The Ghost - Mattie died horribly nearly 100 years ago, swept away in a flood while her pa tried to kill her with a huge axe. Now she is stuck in the little town with buckets of water pouring over her all the time. She's not even allowed in the graveyard. She's spunky, pushy and has as much fun as she can - given her situation - being 11 years old forever.The Boy - Nate was dragged to live in the little, hick town by his mother. All he wants is to get back to his friends and his dad back in Boston. He doesn't have any friends here and doesn't want any.The Mystery - Mattie can't find her body. She only has eight days to find it or she is banished to the Badlands forever.The Weird Thing - Nate can see Mattie. He's the first person in a long time who can. He's not that thrilled about it. In fact, he refuses. Mattie knows he's her last chance to find her body. She rips half her face off and shakes it at him (ghosts can do things like that) to convince him to help. To make her stop, he agrees.The Others - A crazy, old cat lady, some old lady ghosts, a friendly librarian. Time is running out and Mattie's Pa is back from the grave, swinging his axe and trying to stop Mattie and Nate. WARNING: Your parents might get scared and worried that you are reading about gross and sometimes violent things. There ARE some scary and gross and really mean things in this book (but it is a made up story - so tell them not to get too scared).

  • by N a Davenport
    £10.49

  • by Cas E Crowe
    £16.49

    A girl with a morbid ability...In the middle of the centuries-fought war between casters and humans, teenage necromancer, Zaya Wayward, is sentenced to the filthy coal mines of Gosheniene for a murder she didn't commit.Necromancy is outlawed magic, and Zaya knows that revealing the true killer, a wraith fuelled by violence and rage, will result in her own execution.When Zaya is conscripted into service life at the Tarahik Military base, the ghost is waiting. Zaya's ability to see the dead is the key that could annihilate human existence, and sinister forces will go to unstoppable lengths to get it.Determined to find the link between her past and a puzzle that threatens the world, Zaya joins forces with Captain Jad Arden, the pair propelled into a breakneck chase across haunted wastelands, desolate ruins, and ravaged cities. But Jad has secrets of his own, and Zaya's feelings for him could be her undoing.One thing the wraith does ensure... the wrong choice will cost Zaya her life.

  • - and more tales of the supernatural
    by J K Findle
    £9.49

  • - and more tales of the supernatural
    by J K Findle
    £9.49

  • - and more tales of the supernatural
    by J K Findle
    £8.49

  • by Kristy Fairlamb
    £12.49

  • - Halloween Edition
    by Nicole Beil
    £8.99

  • by Tiffany Heiser
    £15.99 - 19.99

  • by Rita Monette
    £9.49

  •  
    £6.49

    When Septimus inherits a magical, treasure-finding Hairy Hand from his uncle, life suddenly becomes a lot more exciting - and dangerous!

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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