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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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  • Save 10%
    by Martin Stewart
    £8.99

  • by Dr. Seuss
    £6.99 - 7.99

    A very special, spooky story from Dr. Seuss - with glow-in-the-dark ink!

  • Save 11%
    by Danielle Paige
    £7.99

    In this dark, action-packed fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series, Amy Gumm travels from Oz to the twisted land of Ev, where she fights to free Oz from evil once and for all. My name is Amy Gumm. When a tornado swept me away to the magical land of Oz, I was given a mission: Dorothy must die.

  • by Susan McNally
    £6.99

    Talitha Mouldson's family have buried their secrets for decades but now it's time for the truth to come out.

  • Save 11%
    by Derek Landy
    £7.99

    THE EPIC NEW THRILLER BEGINS.The creator of the number one bestselling SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT series returns with the story of a girl on the run from everything she loves... and the monsters that await her.

  • by Susan McNally
    £6.99

    Talitha Mouldson's family have buried their secrets for decades but now it's time for the truth to come out.

  • by Kristina Ohlsson
    £7.99

    Billie is forced to leave the only home she's ever known when her mother decides they should move to a new house in a small town. But her mother thinks Billie is making it up With the help of her new friend Aladdin, Billie desperately tries to uncover the house's dark, tragic history .

  • Save 14%
    by Ginger Ly
    £9.49

    Strange things start happening in Outskirtsville when Suee's shadow comes to life, and it's up to Suee to find out why before it's too late!

  • Save 17%
    by Helen Grant
    £9.99

    Seventeen-year-old Veerle is bored with life in suburban Brussels. But a chance encounter with a hidden society, whose members illegally break into unoccupied buildings around the city, soon opens up a whole new world of excitement - and danger. When one of the society's founding members disappears, Veerle suspects foul play.

  • by Penny (Penny Bates) Bates
    £6.49

    Ben is bullied at school. Then his bullies find out about Crow Law.

  • by John Townsend
    £6.49

    Mysterious omens, a couple trapped in time and secrets in the snow.

  • by Chris Priestley
    £7.99

    Not for the faint-hearted, Tales of Terror from the Black Ship is a novel packed with chills, thrills, nail-biting suspense and heart-stopping revelations. With a brand new story and an exciting commercial jacket treatment

  • Save 10%
    - Horace and the Ghost Dog
    by Sally Magnusson
    £8.99

    When the moon is full and the sky lights up with fire, beware the Ghost Dog. Pity nobody told Horace the Haggis. When he sets off to the Secret Loch to teach the accident-prone Professor Nut the bagpipes, our hair-gelled hero has no idea what is lurking among the dark trees.

  • by Susan McNally
    £6.99 - 10.99

    Talitha Mouldson's family have buried their secrets for decades but now it's time for the truth to come out.

  • Save 14%
    by Amy Meredith
    £9.49

    Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side . . . dating a demon? Pure hell!

  • Save 14%
    by Charlie Price
    £9.49

    Murray doesn't have many friends at school. A quiet loner with a troubled family life, he spends all his time down at Forest Grove cemetery, speaking to the dead and listening to their stories. When he hears a terrified new voice pleading for help, Murray is convinced it is Nikki, a popular young cheerleader who went missing over a month ago.

  • by Mary Shelley
    £4.49 - 7.99

    HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

  • Save 15%
    by Claudia Gray
    £10.99

    A lonely girl, a beautiful boy and a load of terrifying vampires. Think you've seen it before? Well get ready for a shock, because this is paranormal romance with a twist... and a razor-sharp bite.

  • by Michael Dahl
    £7.49

    Destroyer of Evil, Champion of Good, Full-time Librarian. Enter the Library of Doom, where the librarians exploits merge heart-pounding tales for less-confident readers with high quality illustrations. Includes discussion questions and writing prompts.

  • by Michael Dahl
    £7.49

    Destroyer of Evil, Champion of Good, Full-time Librarian. Enter the Library of Doom, where the librarians exploits merge heart-pounding tales for less-confident readers with high quality illustrations. Includes discussion questions and writing prompts.

  • by Michael Dahl
    £7.49

    Destroyer of Evil, Champion of Good, Full-time Librarian. Enter the Library of Doom, where the librarians exploits merge heart-pounding tales for less-confident readers with high quality illustrations. Includes discussion questions and writing prompts.

  • by Michael Dahl
    £7.49

    Destroyer of Evil, Champion of Good, Full-time Librarian. Enter the Library of Doom, where the librarians exploits merge heart-pounding tales for less-confident readers with high quality illustrations. Includes discussion questions and writing prompts.

  • by Chris Priestley
    £7.99

    The spine-chilling third title in the brilliantly received series of ghost stories by Chris Priestley

  • Save 14%
    by Dean Vincent Carter
    £9.49

    When young magazine journalist Ashley Reeves receives an intriguing letter he leaves his London office in the hope of reporting on an unusual species of insect - the Ganges Red. That evening he arrives on Aries Island and encounters the writer of the letter - Reginald Mather. His life is in danger . . and Mather is not his only enemy .

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    This is the fifth title in the compelling and chilling saga of Darren Shan, but the second part in a new trilogy, following Darren's initiation into the vampire clan.

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, is forced to march to Vampire Mountain where he will be judged by the vampire princes.

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    Darren Shan, Mr Crepsley and Vancha Marsch, are the hunters of the dusk. Their quarry - the Vampaneze Lord. But friends old and new may stand in their way...

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    Darren Shan, the vampire's assistant, must clear his name and avenge the death of Gavner Purl. Can a half-vampire outwit a Vampire Prince?

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    The allies of the night prepare for the final, deadly confrontation. Darren and Mr Crepsley will get more than they bargained for when they come face to face with the Vampaneze Lord.

  • by Darren Shan
    £7.99

    Darren Shan and Evra Von follow a trail of corpses and confront a foul creature of the night. A new enemy or Mr Crepsley?

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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