The Warning Signs

Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy

Fiction - Suspense
181 Pages
Reviewed on 04/24/2021
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Loyal to its title, The Warning Signs: Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy by M. Ainihi is simply that, ranging from the familiar and beloved horror themes to the fantastical and grim tales from the past, present, and of the near future. Part I is One-Shot Shorts, a delightful buffet of stories for supernatural fans. In Perception, a new teen in town, Joey, befriends a girl who has been living there her whole life but people seem to steer clear of her. Unfortunately, Joey finds out why. In The Warning, siblings Elisa and May experience strange events in their new house that foreshadow a fatal event. A buried past is unearthed and releases ancient, dangerous beings into the world once again in The Felling.

Part II: Tales from Sumir gears toward the fantasy concept. Cultivating Wrath is an origin tale of the world and the goddesses who created them. It continues in Bavmordia Part One and Two, focusing on an arcane wizard who tests their power in the human realm. In Part III: Day 32,854, Amma is a young woman who escapes her enclosed village after an attack and finds herself exploring the island for the first time before she encounters a mermaid. The story alternates between the two characters, revealing their disturbing past and the truth about the place that has been home to both of them. Solid characterization and justified by intriguing plots, the stories of The Warning Signs are undeniably compelling. As a horror fan, I found the stories have full merit to be expanded into a novel, particularly the ones in Part I. Spooky and thought-provoking, this is an excellent horror anthology from M. Ainihi.

K.C. Finn

The Warning Signs: Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy is a work of fiction in the anthology story collection, horror and fantasy sub-genres, and was penned by author M. Ainihi. The work is intended for the mature reading audience and contains some tense and uncomfortable situations, but no graphic or explicit content. In this fantastic and inviting collection, the author takes readers on a journey of what truly captivates and terrifies the human soul, from adventures of derring-do to impress a sweetheart, through to persistent spirits from the other side and watery beasts lurking in the deep. What results is a highly engrossing short story collection that is sure to keep readers turning pages from cover to cover.

Author M. Ainihi has crafted an engaging, varied, and reliably consistent collection of short dark stories, with plenty of intriguing characters and perplexing situations to offer readers. Sitting nicely in the niche of horror which is commercially readable and never over the top with its gore or grossness, the fantasy touches to the tales lift the work into an elevated and really enjoyable read whatever your genre preferences. I was very intrigued by the selection of tales from the author’s Sumir world, particularly the psychologically chilling ‘Cultivating Wrath’, and would love to read more set in this vein. I also admired the commitment to vivid narration and lively characters, who I could really emote along with during their darkest hours and most difficult trials. Overall, I would highly recommend The Warning Signs: Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy to fans of short sharp fiction and for horror readers everywhere.

Jessica Barbosa

The Warning Signs: Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy is a collection of short, dark horror stories by M. Ainihi. From seemingly haunted houses to mysterious entities that hide in the night, or under the cover of human skin, discover new stories to keep you up at night and maybe constantly checking outside the window or under your bed. In this book, experience the stories of different entities that lurk in the night and of the humans who fear them or become them. Immerse yourself in this collection of mysterious, mesmerizing, and thrilling short tales! A young girl shunned by her own town for inheriting ‘bad blood’, a fascinating story of how mythical creatures came to be, and twisted tales of fantasy and bone-chilling horror. This book also features three short stories from The Blood Inheritance Novels. Truly a worthy read!

Horror, suspense, and mystery, there are endless possibilities and various distinctive plots to every story once you open The Warning Signs by M. Ainihi. This book offers a variety of stories that leave you wanting more or curious as to what happens next. The stories range from a first-person to third-person point of view and not only delve into horror stories but also dark myths and unique fantasy regarding supernatural beings. I feel that this collection would satisfy those who love supernatural mystery, adventures, and thrills. Ainihi’s horror fiction successfully grasped my attention from the very first story: Perception. A young boy wanders around the dark woods with a girl who is seemingly hated by an entire town. I was also enthralled by the Tales From Sumir, which focused on the origin of supernatural creatures, the chapter: Cultivating Wrath. I was fascinated by the story of creation involving the three sisters, Sophia, Mia, and Akila. The settings and different plots of this book are otherworldly and built with a dark, secretive tone that constantly had me anticipating what happens next and wondering what twists the next story would bring. I truly enjoyed The Warning Signs and I can see myself reading it again when I wish to immerse myself in the world of dark fantasy. It is clear that this book is a labor of love and I look forward to other works done by M. Ainihi.