Enthusiasts of folk horror and sinister short stories will find this anthology to be a vital addition to their reading list. A wonderful collection of dark stories from a talented storyteller.

What Protects Our Heritage and Other Aberrations is an anthology of chilling horror stories inspired by Icelandic folklore and human darkness. The last one of the collection What protects our heritage is a novelette about a search-and-rescue team trapped in a snowstorm, encountering horrors beyond their imagination. The other shorter stories have a variety of themes, from post-apocalyptic survival to vampiric office encounters, which ensures there’s something for everyone. 🤩

My favorites were The Yule lads are coming (my personal number 1! 🥰) Hell of a ride and What protects our heritage. All three solid and awesome tales which stood out of the rest according to me.

The girl with the hooves 4⭐️
Survival of the fittest 3.75⭐️
They came from the rocks 4.25⭐️
Tupperware party 4⭐️
Hell of a ride 5⭐️
All you can drink buffet 4.5⭐️
The hag’s gift 4.5⭐️
The Yule lads are coming 5🌟
The perfect time 3,5⭐️
What protects our heritage 5⭐️

This anthology is a must-read for fans of folk horror and sinister short stories. I loved to read about Iceland’s rural landscapes and the folkloric creatures combined with horror elements, which gave the book a wild, mystical and menacing vibe. Each creature is mysterious and interesting and I definitely want to read more about them, so please give me more books like this! 🥰 4.5⭐️

Thank you so much @fangs.and.light and @netgalley for the given chance to read this book. 🙏🏻✨

I’m not the biggest short story collection fan but the premise of this one intrigued me. However, it was kind of mid for me. I found more stories to be just okay then I did great and there was a lot of strange choices made. I would still give it a go as there were some great stories.

This was my first ever time reading a collection of short stories, and I fully consider it to be a success! I thought the length was perfect overall, as well as the lengths of the individual stories. All the stories were interesting, and unique in their own right and kept me on my toes through the entire read. I enjoyed the different cultures and mythologies, especially the Icelandic ones. It was such a welcome change from the usual horror plots and settings.

For the page length we got I was happily surprised to find great detail and no lack of uneasiness within the stories. They were all individual in nature but kept with the overarching themes of the collection. This is the ideal collection of stories to start off winter with.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Brigids Gate Press for a digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I admit that what attracted me to this title was that amazing cover. I mean, just look at it, it's stunning, so my hearty compliments to the cover artist.

What Protects Our Heritage and Other Aberrations by Villimey Mist is a collection of nine short stories and one longer short story from which the title of the volume is taken. Overall, I think this was a collection of interesting tales, although the stories that focus on Icelandic folklore held more interest for this reader than the few of the other stories that were more general horror. My favorites included "The Girl with the Hooves," "They Came from the Rocks," and "Hell of a Ride." I also enjoyed the titular longer story from which that amazing cover art is taken, and which follows a volunteer search and rescue team looking for some lost tourists at the site of an old airplane wreckage. What they end up encountering is much worse than the hapless sightseers they expected to find.

The biggest issue with this collection, I must say, is that the writing and grammar could definitely use the polishing of a good editor. There are editing mistakes and odd turns of phrase that jarred me out of the stories on a few occasions. There also isn't much depth to be found in the characters and the dialogue in most instances is odd and stilted. Overall, though, if you are at all interested in Iceland and it's folklore and don't mind a lack of nuance and some bumpy writing, I would recommend What Protects Our Heritage as a quick and easy read.

What Protects Our Heritage and Other Aberrations is an okay short story collection. I found the collection to be a bit befuddling as I was expecting Iceland to be the common theme, but 3 stories took place in other countries, and it was a bit jarring.

I found the inclusion of the American in Japan to be downright silly, saying he learned Japanese through anime and that he was surprised by the amount of overtime they were working. Americans work copious amount of overtime -- not as much as the Japanese, but most American workers would be used to the concept -- so I felt that making him American actually detracted from the point.

I did love the final story about the cryptid shell bear. That was a fantastic short story and was engaging and spooky. The description of the shells whistling in the wind was awesome! I think SAR stories are always gripping regardless of the inclusion of actual monsters, so I was already on board.

Overall, the collection was just okay. I think a couple of stories were added to pad the length and shouldn't have been included. It ruined the flow for me personally. Most of them weren't that interesting and were downright silly.

A wonderful collection of dark stories from a talented storyteller. The original twist on Icelandic folklore is present throughout the stories. I actually bought the book after reading the ARC from NetGalley (thank you!) because I enjoyed them so much.
However, there are numerous spelling and grammatical errors - it appears that the book has not been proofread. They don't hinder meaning, though.

Fabulous batch of grim short stories showcasing several classics from Icelandic folklore, including Grýla, tilberi, nykur, the Yule Lads and Skeljaskrimsli, to name but a few, as well as just some out and out dark tales, dripping with intrigue and blood! Villimey handles them all with imaginative aplomb, and this is the perfect time of year to enjoy a little chill down the spine in the dark nights with Yule approaching, when you're cosied up safely at home.... but maybe best read with all the lights on!

Thanks Netgalley for the early ARC!

This is an immensely enjoyable short story collection. Creepy, Lovecraftian, and bleak as the Icelandic landscape. Some stories felt too short, almost unfinished. But part of that criticism is just me wanting them to be longer. Which is also a compliment. If you love Scandinavian landscapes and folk horror, this might be the collection for you.

If the author publishes a novel in future, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.

As is the case with many short story collections there were some gems mixed in with more average stories.

Inspired by Icelandic mythology, this book draws on the horrors of folklore and the mundane, which gives each story an interesting flavour.

With that said, there were parts I struggled to engage with, and sometimes I struggled with the author's style and framing.

Whilst not a bad book, I don't think it particularly excelled either.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC.

This is a bone chilling collection of horror stories which mainly take place in Iceland and the dark disturbing legends of that country.

I love mythology in various culture's. And Iceland seems to be full of pretty gruesome lore of terrifying creatures and dark urban legends. This author takes some of those and turns them into nightmare fuel.

An origin story about a girl with sharp teeth and hooves instead of feet kicks things off. Even though this mythical creature is a fearsome man eating monster of legend, I felt a certain amount of sympathy for her as she was rejected by those who should have loved her.

Nature's evil side is highlighted when a drilling crew encounters some.... things underground. This one is told through a series of emails and gave it an extra creepy vibe as the horrific events unfolded.

A Tupperware party turns into a blood bath in this slashery tale of revenge amongst a group of friends.

Oh, whatever you do, DO NOT piss off the Yule Lads. Yikes!

The titular story is an atmospheric action packed story about a search and rescue team in a blinding snowstorm who are looking for some missing tourists. What they find is absolutely horrific. The cryptid in this one makes Bigfoot and The Jersey Devil look like cuddly pets.

A vampire living in a post nuclear world struggles to find untainted blood. This story is actually heart breaking and adds a bit of feels to a vampire story.

Plus there are many more stories to enjoy in this fantastic collection. I highly recommend it.

Way more than just another horror collection. It's an unsettling journey that digs deep beneath mythological monsters, revealing that the real terrors often walk around in our everyday shoes. Mist has an incredible talent for bringing out the horror hidden behind normality, turning seemingly simple stories into psychological experiments in the dark.
The stories move with surprising ease: from "Survival of the Fittest", a post-apocalyptic tale that leaves a knot in your stomach, to "They Came from the Rocks", a story that sends chills down your spine. Each story is a tiny universe of its own, where horror is never quite what it seems.
The variety is truly impressive. One moment you're immersed in Icelandic legends, the next you're in a bizarre Japanese buffet or at a Tupperware party that turns into a nightmare. The author switches from gloomy tones to moments of dark humor with a confidence that immediately grabs the reader.
Sure, not all stories hit the mark perfectly. Some feel less impactful, and the pacing isn't always consistent. But the overall quality remains high, with Mist proving she can orchestrate horror like few others.
The real stroke of genius? Making us understand that the most terrifying monster isn't the one with fangs or claws, but the one that might be hiding inside each of us.

Villimey Mist's third short story collection contains nine shorts and one novella, plus story notes for each story. It's an impressive melange of dark fantasy, folk horror, creature feature, and weird horror. It's very much Icelandic in tone, since every story involves that country's lore and legends, and similarly both the cast and the setting are almost always Icelandic (with a couple of exceptions: one story, "All-You-Can-Drink Buffet," is about an American working in Japan, and another, "Tupperware Party," is a slasher set in the US). Mist's stories are wide-ranging, clearly written, quite atmospheric, and several times multilayered as well (often making some point indirectly about nature and tourism in Iceland, for example). For inspiration, Mist has drawn on horror films, manga comics, personal experience, and her own studies on Japan. There are tales about vampire-like creatures (giving strong Jungi Ito vibes), an e-mail exchange between a contractor and his boss about a drill operation gone horrifically wrong, a neighbor who's an evil witch, a Tupperware party massacre, and many tales about creatures, trolls and monsters in the snow and the cold. My favorite stories were the aforementioned "Buffet" story, the e-mail exchange, "They Came From The Rocks," and the heartbreaking tale of monsters and immortality, "Survival of the Fittest". The closing story, the titular novella that inspired Kristina Osborn's stunning cover, was a wonderful creature feature, but too tame and sweet for my taste. All the stories, however, are a delight to read, and the collection deserves high praise and wide recognition for its polished prose, interesting settings, and beautiful endings.

"Zombies weren’t real and the only serial killer Iceland had lived centuries ago. Good luck to any maniac who’d thought he could escape this hell of an island."



4.2✨
The Girl with the Hooves - 5✨
Survival of the Fittest - 3.65✨
They Came from the Rocks - 5✨
Tupperware Party - 5✨
Hell of a Ride - 4✨
All-You-Can-Drink Buffet - 5✨
The Hag’s Gift - 3.5✨
The Yule Lads Are Coming - 5✨
The Perfect Time - 2.5✨
What Protects Our Heritage: An Icelandic Cryptid Story - 4✨

💭Overall a brilliant short story collection bringing life to Icelandic Folklore. Lovely storytelling and prose and engaging characters. This one is worth checking out.
Some stories which stood out are grisly, primal and revolting. I also like the additional notes from the author which gives each story a brief summary of how or where the author got the ideas or inspiration from. One of my fave is the All You Can Drink Buffet which is heavily inspired by Junji Ito's manga. Nice to know that the author is also a fellow Junji Ito fan.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily .Expected Publication Date: November 26, 2024 🖤

A deliciously put together set of creepy short stories! I found every story to be very unique and also telling about Icelandic culture (some stories straying away from the location are sprinkled in there and are very good!) told from a locals perspective.
Villmey Mist masterfully captures the essence of heritage and folk stories in her writing. Most definitely for fans of the horror genre - you will enjoy!

Other upsides include:

• Trigger warnings are listed at the end of the book
• Every story is rounded out with a complimentary description of the author's intentions and ideas, which are clearly identifiable while reading, but it's still fun that the series or movie you thought about while reading the pieces turns out to be an influence on the author as well!
• The cover knocks it out of the park and ties in perfectly with the titular story! So beautiful!

ARC REVIEW

I’m so glad I was able to get this book early. It has a collection of 10 short stories all revolving around Icelandic folklore. This is my first time reading anything from this author but I will be checking out more of their work after this.

1. The Girl with the Hooves
2. Survival of the Fittest
3. They Came From the Rocks
4. Tupperware Party
5. Hell of a Ride
6. All-You-Can-Drink Buffet
7. The Hags Gift
8. The Yule Lads are Coming
9. The Perfect time
10. What Protects Our Heritage

My favorite stories out of these were ‘They Came From the Rocks’, ‘Hell of a Ride’, and ‘What Protects Our Heritage’. All of the short stories were enjoyable but those 3 stood out the most for me personally. ‘They Came From the Rocks’ definitely gave me the chills and I really enjoyed the way it was written in an email type format. ‘Hell of a Ride’ I enjoyed as an almost tragic story and how sometimes you can’t let go. ‘What Protects Our Heritage’ is the longest of the stories and it’s the last one, which I think does its job at summing up the story very well. Not only are these short stories fun, scary, and chilling but they’re also very atmospheric. Reading some of these made me really feel like I was in Iceland and I do think these are perfect for some winter reading. Also bonus points because the cover is so hauntingly beautiful!

What a KNOCK OUT cover by Kristina Osborn to accompany these fantastical and thrilling tales by Villimey Mist.

Iceland, its people, history, culture, natural beauty is near and dear to my heart. I’ve been there several times and would go again in a heartbeat. So, to see a horror collection of local cryptids and folklore immediately piqued my interest.

To be fair, not all the tales occur in Iceland, which I understand, but was still a bit bummed about. The ones that were based there just felt infused with more magic and mystery, like the island itself. “The Girl With The Hooves”, “They Came from the Rocks”, “The Yule Lads Are Coming” were my favourites.

The titular “What Protects Our Heritage” was fantastic- horrifying and mythical, with savage beasts and brutal weather. I felt like I was transported to a different realm (I’ve actually hiked in Iceland to the plane wreck in the story and it felt like being on another planet actually!).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Brigids Gate Press for a copy!

A fun collection of Icelandic and snowy horror.

The ones that really stood out for me were:

Tupperware Party - it starts off nice and innocent then really goes off the rails quickly.

All You Can Drink Buffet - creepy horror that makes you never want to go out with your coworkers again.

What Protects our Heritage: I’m a sucker for a kaiju or cryptid story. This had the feel of good old creature feature and the epilogue sealed it as a top story in the collection.

Thank you to Brigids Gate Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of What Protects Our Heritage and Other Aberrations.

Mist’s clever flip-flop between re-imagined Icelandic Folklore and folklore-adjacent strange stories renders a truly unique anthology. As with every anthology I read, I developed a preference for certain stories. Among my favorites were The Girl with Hooves, Survival of the Fittest, and They Came from the Rocks—each of which popped up relatively early in the anthology.

The Girl with Hooves acts as an origin story for one of Island’s most memorialized witches and is both brief and polished. It was the first story in the anthology and set the tone of the collection: eerie, but playful. Survival of the Fittest is a post-apocalyptic vampire retelling, which brought a medieval folktale into modernity. The main character was nihilistic and humorous—her dry commentary and blasé demeanor created an unserious yet believable tale. By far my favorite story was They Came from the Rocks, which took the folklore of the Huldefolk and thrust it into the private sector. Throughout each story, Mist captured the delicate line between man and monster. Often, I found myself picturing a human villain in these stories until little details crossed my path, hinting at the mythological.

By far my least favorite story in the anthology—and the culprit for the missing fifth star in this review—is the rather campy Tupperware Party story. This was the only tale that didn’t seem to fit amongst the rest. Such a jarring transition from folkloric and folklore-adjacent to modern slasher broke the illusion of the anthology at large. Though a minor problem by comparison, each short story also contained one or more typos. Nevertheless, Mist created one of the most entertaining anthologies that I have yet encountered, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants a taste of horror in bite-sized servings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was really excited to get into this book when I got approved for it. Icelandic horror tales, all different, and laced with a sense of heritage and mystery? Sign me up! I was all in for this to start with. There were some really good stories in this anthology - my absolute favourite would have to be 'They Came From The Rocks' which had the flavour of 'The Thing' mixed in with just a touch more dread, which was lovely. There were others in this book that were really good too, but some of them started and then stopped just that bit too quickly.

I found with quite a few of the stories that things petered out a bit, but that may also just be my thoughts. The mythology elements often started strong, but petered out and weren't explored as well as they could be, particularly from a lore perspective. European folk tales of every description are usually fascinating and really strong stories, so I was left a bit disappointed.

This book, I feel, could have just had a bit more detail and a little less jumping around in some of the stories, and it would have been perfect - but it was a bit of a miss for me.