Dark Fairy Tales | Viktor Wynd | Horror Anthology | Netgalley DRC Book Review

 

If your current book was a movie, would you watch it? If my current book was a movie, I’d definitely give it a try—especially if they keep the same dark, thrilling vibe. 👀🎬

Name of Book: Dark Fairy Tales

Author: Viktor Wynd

Publisher: Prestel Publishing

Publication Date: Sep 9, 2025

No. of Pages: 240

Format: Netgalley DRC

Viktor Wynd has always gravitated toward the weirder corners of folklore. On his extensive travels, he has amassed a trove of stories that refuse to play nice — filled with risqué twists, grotesque details, and endings that are surprisingly happy, though not always in the way one might expect.

Having entertained audiences around the world with these tales, he has now written down some of his favorites in a book as beautifully produced as it is macabre. The stories were collected in Wales, Ireland, Arabia, Germany, Norway, Papua New Guinea, and Borneo and include the adventures of a one-eyed troll; the feckless Paddy O’Dwyer; a changeling child; a girl who thinks she can outwit a witch; the doomed Sinbad the Traveler; shapeshifters; and a baby-eating pig.

Each chapter begins with Wynd’s personal account of how he came to learn these stories. Arresting and intricate illustrations by Transylvanian artist Luciana Nedelea perfectly balance the charming and grotesque. The book also includes a guide to the art of learning and recounting fairy tales. With foil accents and black-stenciled edges, this volume feels like a forbidden artifact plucked from a dusty cabinet of curiosities.

My Opinion

Dark Fairy Tales by Viktor Wynd is a collection of eerie fairy tales gathered from around the world. The stories carry that unsettling, haunting vibe you expect from traditional folklore, filled with witches, strange creatures, and mysterious fairies. However, many of them feel incomplete, almost as if they’ve been lifted from a larger narrative, leaving you wanting more depth and closure. Despite this, the book has a certain charm for readers who enjoy dark, whimsical tales. If you’re drawn to odd, magical worlds and slightly unsettling stories, this collection is still worth exploring at least once.