Undead Folk by Katherine Silva

Undead Folk by Katherine Silva, A Horror Book Review by Mathew Gostelow

Katherine Silva’s Undead Folk drew me into its post-apocalyptic world, with evocative, almost lyrical prose, taking me on a compelling, mysterious journey with a young woman and her undead fox companion.

Weighing in around 70 pages, Undead Folk by Katherine Silva is a concise, snappy novella, written in a pacy, readable style. Although the book is short, the characters are well-rounded and relatable. I quickly came to care about the protagonist and her unusual sidekick, enjoying my time in their company immensely and wanting to know more about their lives. Their story takes place in a richly-drawn world and Silva outlines the magic and lore, the history of this place, deftly and satisfyingly, without becoming bogged down in unnecessary detail.

The author pulls off a wonderful balancing act with the emotion and tone of the story – evoking humour and grief, joy and sadness, horror and hope. I found myself haunted by the emotional resonance of the writing in Undead Folk by Katherine Silva, which doesn’t resort to mawkish tricks to evoke a response. Pleasingly meditative, thoughtful sections of the tale are punctuated by satisfying action sequences and the intrigue of the plot is well-paced, with a drip-feed of questions and answers from start to finish, constantly drawing the reader on.

Silva’s storytelling is masterful. Not a word in this short book is wasted. Each image, each encounter, each location the characters visit, pays off by the end – delivering a satisfying and poignant reading experience.

Undead Folk by Katherine Silva

Beyond the smoke-choked skies of an apocalyptic United States, a woman travels the desolate railroad tracks of a small town in search of revenge and a quiet place to settle. Her only companion is an undead fox: animated with backwoods herbal magic and the soul of a middle-aged father who died before the world fell into darkness.

Undead Folk is a short, harrowing tale of sacrifice, loss, and damnation.

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