The Deer Stalker Stories invites readers into a world where moon phases shape destinies and the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur. Each tale, from The Road Not Taken to The Strange Conversation, echoes with mystery, folklore, and eerie symbolism. What stands out is the careful interweaving of the lunar cycle with pivotal moments in the characters' lives, as if the moon itself is a silent narrator, influencing fate and guiding—or misleading—their choices.

The moon phases—Waning Crescent, First Quarter Moon, Full Moon—are not just time markers; they are characters themselves. They deepen the mood, reflect internal struggles, and act as silent witnesses to the hidden dramas unfolding. The Mysterious Curse – Full Moon stands as a haunting reminder of how time and fate can shift under the full glow of the moon’s power, while The Last Goodbye – Waning Crescent Moon 1636 delivers a poignant finality, capturing the tension of endings.

Stories like The Fated Meeting and The Bloody War – New Moon unfold with an almost ritualistic cadence, as if the characters are being drawn into an inevitable clash with fate. These tales, woven together across the centuries, come alive with vivid imagery and rich historical depth, making every encounter feel weighted with the gravitas of something far greater than mere chance.

The unpredictable blend of history and supernatural suspense captivates in The Unwanted Child – Quarter Moon 1623, while The Grave News – Waxing Gibbous Moon takes readers to the cusp of revelation, where secrets are unearthed with chilling finality. Each story feels like a chapter in an ever-unfolding mystery, drawing on the lore of ancient times while speaking to universal truths of human nature.

The Deer Stalker Stories is a collection of darkly atmospheric tales, where every moon phase casts its shadow on lives teetering between reality and the unknown. It’s a reading experience where mystery and history dance in the pale light of the moon, and the stories linger long after the last page is turned.

Interesting story drawing a lot on fairy tales, as it promised. Filles with little symbolism and references, mystery and lunar cycle. There a few stories in there, the main one and earlier ones, used as tools to help us understand and get the atmosphere to settle in. For people very used to fairy tales and who have a read a lot of modern variation, the book won't be suprising or that new. Nonetheless, it works for what it wants to do, with a nice prose and enough characters and complicated relationships to keep a certain level of interest.

I struggled a bit with connecting to the characters, or caring for the story. Not that it's not interesting or well done, but something in the narration kept me at a distance.

All in all, a good fantastical historical novel, building slowly with a great atmosphere.

This would appeal to upper-middle grade and YA readers, as well as fantasy (in a more real world setting) readers.

I thought there would be more of a horror aspect to this book, so it was a little disappointing when it wasn't. The story did however flow quite well, minus a few tidbits that pulled me out a little bit.
Not much to complain about though! It was a cozy story of family and connection, about loving people not despite, but including what might be seen as "flaws".
The writing felt stiff in some places, but it wasn't so bad that I had difficulty continuing to read it, it was just a little startling.

In a land far, far away, there lived a boy, burdened with a curse, in a tiny village where everyone despised him… until he found people that valued him.
This story had such a nice fairytale vibe to it that I could excuse some of the clunky dialogues at the beginning. This luckily evens out very fast, and you end up with a fairly flowy writing style.

Once upon a time, the cursed boy met another boy, someone who looked at him differently. But that didn't help the wrath of the villagers that hated him…. And who had really interesting second names.
If you know German, you will notice how a lot of the side characters will be referred to only by their second name, which is always the German word for their occupation, which felt very hilarious at times. Aside from those stylistic choices, I enjoyed the found family aspect of this story a lot, even if it takes almost half the book to finally meet them.

And they lived happily ever after… or did they?
At the end of this story, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions, like:
How does Wendell's curse actually work?
What is up with Jacques past? (They moved on way too quickly from one very, very important realization.)
But most importantly:
What now?

With the open-endedness of this story, it feels like there could follow a second book, but I have found nothing of the sort.
Regardless, „Deerstalker“ is a very atmospheric fairy tale with a hint of romance but a lot of found family that is worth reading if you can look past some unwieldy dialogue and an uncertain ending with unresolved questions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a strange, twisted, fairytale-like story that was full of folklore and curses. Set in 1600’s Europe (I believe Germany, although I don’t think it’s stated) it follows Wendell, a young man cursed to turn into a monster every new moon and to claim a ‘sacrifice’. When traveller Jacques passes through the cursed village, the monster almost kills him, but somehow he survives the attack and Wendell, back in human form and wracked with grief, vows to nurse the traveller back to health.

I loved the claustrophobic way the story is told; Wendell is prevented from leaving the village that he torments and he is hated by everyone who should hold him dear. Jacques is keeping secrets and is running away from a mysterious past… I enjoyed the addition of the ‘Inquisitors’ who initially sparked fear in Wendell and Jacques, but eventually became their salvation!

Rating this one was really hard… because on one hand I thought the concept was really interesting, I loved the way it felt dark and hopeless and creepy (someone else described it as ‘cosy horror’ and I absolutely agree) but equally I felt like it needed to have been developed a little further - the speech in places was extremely stilted (although I’m wiling to give it a pass as it’s set in the 1600s) and I thought the revelation about Jacques’ past needed way more information to make it make sense! You can’t drop that bombshell and be like ‘okay, moving on’ 😹 That being said, I found it an enjoyable read and once I’d come to terms with suspension of belief I was happy to overlook Jacques weirdness, so it gets 4* based on vibes alone but probably should only get 3* for technical writing. But y’know, reviews are about vibes and if you want a cosy horror with some co-dependent sweethearts looking after each other and battling a curse then give this one a go!

Read Deerstalker for:
✨ Cosy horror
✨ Human(??) x Cursed Monster
✨ Claustrophobic vibes
✨ Folklore and fairytales
✨ Curses and sacrifices
✨ 1600’s Europe
✨ Found family

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. It’s available on 15th April 2025.

what an amazing read
every twist and turn in the book made me keep on reading.
the darkness added to the story but it did have a few funny parts

This is a captivating dark fairy tale and fantasy that is definitely worth reading. The plot is rich with familiar elements, including forbidden love, a curse, and a fearsome evil creature that will leave a lasting impression on you. By the end, your perspective on the story may completely shift. While romance plays a role, it is the camaraderie and sense of gratitude among the characters that truly drive the narrative. The "Inquisitors" add an extra layer of intrigue to the story, and I hope there will be a sequel to this deliciously dark fairy tale in the future.

'deerstalker' by nicole m. zaunbrecher is a supernatural horror story with a romance subplot. it follows wendall, who is plagued by a curse that causes him to transform into a ravenous beast every new moon, claiming a sacrifice... until jacques comes along, managing to survive.

this story was very easy to read, and i quickly became invested. i liked the writing and often forgot i was reading. the characters were sweet (well, not all of them), and i appreciated the emotional bond between the two main characters, which made their love for each other believable and honest, not feeling forced. the cast of characters was diverse, and i particularly enjoyed the second half. i wonder if this will become a series, given how it ended... if it does, i’ll probably check out the next book :)

i do have to mention that the book felt a bit repetitive at times, especially in the beginning. it gave me the chance to get to know the characters more, but it also left me feeling a bit lost at times, not really sure where the book was headed. but, as i mentioned, the second half improved a lot, with new characters being introduced and more events unfolding.

i would’ve loved to see a deeper exploration of the main character's relationship with their sexuality. the book is set in a time when homosexuality isn’t accepted (as shown in the way other characters are treated), and i thought there was a great opportunity to explore themes of identity, self-love, expression, and acceptance. we didn’t really get any of that here, and the romance itself was pretty minimal. i'm curious whether this was intentional or something that may come in a potential continuation.

the message of the book, and the way it was conveyed, was excellent. it tells the story of a boy who is discriminated against and outcast for something he cannot control, which is something many people can relate to. overall, i definitely had fun reading this.

thank you to nicole m. zaunbrecher, indigo river publishing, and netgalley for an earc.

3.5, actually.

This was quite a pleasant read. Somehow, when I read the summary, I expected it to lean more into horror, but it actually turned out to be quite the cozy tale about a monster who ends up finding his true family.

The story is about Wendell, a young man who is cursed to become a deer-like-monster every month. While he is in that form, he has no control over what he does... and killings enssue. I liked a lot Wendell´s personality: He´s the kind of golden retriever kind of character who wouldn´t hurt a fly if it can be avoided (hated how his parents treated him, btw, I know plot wise it was necessarity but asdfghjkl).
Then we got Jacques, a traveler who came through the village and got attacked by Wendell in his Nightmare form. Things happen and Jacques, after some weeks of healing from his wounds, decides to stay at the village and help Wendell (who´s kind of a pariah in this society) to get rid of the curse.

So, basically, things that I liked:
- The story was pretty wholesome, overall.
- The Inquisition guys were lovely. I feared for a moment they were going to be villains, but I was pleasantly surprised to see they´re not.
- The premise was very interesting (maybe this is also on me, cause I like to see my characters suffer for a bit before being happy)

And also the things I didn´t like that much:
- I felt it lacked of a bit of character development. Specially in regards of Jacques (author, you cannot drop THAT bomb 2/3 into the novel and not give a proper explanaition besides, "he´s just like this")
- The ending also feels a bit rushed.

Other than that, it was a nice YA story with very light horror and fairy tale elements. I liked it, so I recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the premise and the potential, but the text itself read a little younger than my preference.