This beautiful keepsake is a love letter to the Appalachians a beautiful blend of people, and their beliefs, and customs. This rich history includes superstitions, stories, and even a recipe for buttermilk biscuits. I loved reading about the plants and herbs, and folk magic. This book will be enjoyed by all.

An interesting read for someone with limited knowledge but unlimited curiosity of the Appalachian region.

Great pictures in easy to read sections.

Description:
A book nominally about the folklore of appalachia, but actually mainly about cryptids and ghosts… which is a fairly significant subset, I suppose.

Liked:
The illustrations were good, and the general layout looked professional.

Disliked:
The text is dross. It’s hugely repetitive - there are at least two separate sections on coins (coin omens and coin superstitions) for example, which are almost exactly the same, and a full page each. Many of the superstitions are obvious across the western world, rather than unique to Appalachia (e.g. Appalachian’s think Friday the 13th and broken mirrors are unlucky… woah!) and introductions to each section recycle the same piece about the coming together of Native American, European Settler and Enslaved African tradition ad infinitum. Even in the descriptions of the ghosts and cryptids, where the author obviously has a bit more interest, there was tonnes of padding. Lots of fluff, repeated anecdotes etc. Even then, the author somehow manages to do a terrible job of describing what these things are meant to look like (particularly the cryptids) and I get the impression the illustrations are nicked from elsewhere rather than custom-made for this book, so they don’t really help - for example, a creature that is said to haunt crossroads would have an illustration of a forked path rather than the creature itself.

I’m irritated at this book for wasting my time. Definitely would not recommend. I would not be at all surprised if this was mainly written by AI.

I will always pick up a book about the Appalachians, I’m so intrigued by all things that go along with it. With this one not only do you get folklore and legends, you also get background into some of the culture.

Thank you NetGalley and Wellfleet Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off the book is beautiful. The pictures throughout add such a great extra layer to the experience. They did make it a bit hard to read digitally so I would definitely recommend getting this book in a physical copy. It was a quick read that I enjoyed but overall I did tend to find it repetitive, especially in the “omens” and “superstitions” chapters. I also really wanted a bit more history and fact to really give great background for the folklore tales, but found a good amount of the factual elements to be really vague and nonspecific and nothing I wasn’t already at least vaguely aware of. So overall an enjoyable book worth the quick read time but I’m not overwhelmed.

A nice little overview over Appalachian folklore. For someone (like myself) who doesn't know a lot about the region itself or its folklore I found it to be a nice introduction, and I always enjoy learning new folklore. It's the curse of being an ethnologist, I guess.

The book has different chapters focusing around different aspects of folklore making it easy to follow and understand.

Very fun dive into the subject. Definitely had more information than I thought it would about some things and still gave the info on the topic I had expected. High recommendation if you have an interest in folklore.

Book Review: Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills by Darkness Prevails & Carman Carrion

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills by Darkness Prevails and Carman Carrion, and it was absolutely fascinating! As someone who has always had a soft spot for folklore, especially from the Appalachian region, this book felt like a treasure trove of stories and insights waiting to be uncovered.

From the get-go, the authors invite you to step into a world that’s as rich in culture as it is cloaked in mystery. They guide readers through the dense forests and winding trails of Appalachia, revealing ghostly encounters, eerie creatures, and the paranormal phenomena that shape this uniquely American landscape. Each chapter peels back layers of history and cultural influences—be it Indigenous, colonial European, or African American—giving you a holistic view of the folklore that has permeated this region.

What I particularly enjoyed was how the book doesn’t just stick to traditional ghost stories like those of the Wampus Cat or Spearfinger (which, by the way, are chilling in their own right), but also dives into the everyday life and cultural practices of the Appalachian people. There are fascinating tidbits about omens observed in nature, delightful recipes like classic buttermilk biscuits, charms, plant superstitions. even insights into basket weaving, pottery, quilting, and more—each page brimming with the essence of Appalachian life.

The illustrations throughout the book are a beautiful addition that really brings these tales to life. It makes flipping through the pages a visually engaging experience, and I found myself lingering over the art almost as much as I did over the text.

Overall, Appalachian Folklore Unveiled serves as a wonderful introduction for anyone eager to learn more about this captivating culture. It strikes a lovely balance between being informative and entertaining, making it a perfect read for both folklore enthusiasts and casual readers alike. If you're curious about what haunts the Appalachian mountains or just want to enrich your understanding of its traditions, I highly recommend giving this book a try!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a dive into the myths and folklore in the Appalachian Mnts. I’ve heard of several of these but done were new to me. This is a fun read if you’re into cryptids, ghosts and the like.

As someone native to the Appalachian region, this book feels close to my heart. I grew up at the base of the mountains, feeling connection to the environment with my native heritage. This book is filled with wonderful folklore and traditions from the area. There are pages on omens in nature, recipes for our classic buttermilk biscuits, and information on basket weaving. There's protection charms, superstitions for the moon phases, and animal signs. I will absolutely be purchasing a hardcover copy of this to cherish forever and share with my children.

Well that was FASCINATING. I've always been interested in Appalachian folklore, and this was a great overview and introduction for someone who wants to learn more. You get not just insight into the folklore and legends of the area, you also get a bit of background on the culture too, which I loved.

Well done, fantastic book and I really enjoyed reading it!

This is informative and engaging. I am generally new to the Appalachian Folklore, hence this gives me a lot of information.
Though I cannot exactly pinpoint why it was a 4 star experience than a perfect one, I suppose I expected a little more depth and detail in some parts, a slightly different presentation. This may be very subjective, and I believe this is a great book for those interested in the Appalachian Folklore.

I chose to read this book, because I'm fascinated by the area, history, and legends and I was not disappointed. Nicely written, very well researched, each section comes with beautiful illustrations. I then found out that it was written by podcasters, so I went on to hear them and nowonder the book is so good! Definitely recommend it to Appalachia area and folklore fans! Finished it within hours, so very easy read too.

This was such an interesting read! Great for urban legends and ghost stories around a campfire. One to bring to a gathering for sure.

I've always enjoyed reading and listening to anything related to the Appalachian Mountains/trail.
Its vastness, the mysterious events and happenings that surround it, all things related always piqued my interest. So, naturally this book title caught my eye.

Much like the previous book(Freaky Folklore), the art work in this one is also well done. It dives deep into Appalachian culture and folklore, not just focusing on the spooky and terrifying tales. I learned a few things from this book and even picked up a biscuit recipe.

However, after a while this book felt a bit repetitive and I lost interest due to that. I did enjoy the section that featured the cryptids though. They were a few I never heard of before.

Overall, it was an interesting read that I was able to learn a few things from. If I didn't feel as though I were reading the same dialogue several times, I'd have rated it a bit higher. Still, not a bad book by any means.

Thank you to Netgalley, Quarto Publishing an the authors for my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Appalachian Folklore Unveiled comes out on October 8th 2024