Frightful Folklore of North America

I’ll admit, I approached *Frightful Folklore* skeptical of yet another folklore compilation—until the first story, a reworking of the Jersey Devil myth, left me checking the locks. Bass’s writing strikes a rare balance: he respects the oral traditions these tales spring from, but he’s not afraid to twist them into something fresh. The standout? A chilling Inuit legend about a *qivittoq* (a vengeful, exiled spirit) that Lidert delivers with such understated menace, I actually paused to shake off the goosebumps. His performance is *that* effective—no over-the-top voices, just a measured cadence that lets the horror seep in. That said, the pacing isn’t flawless. A few mid-section tales (looking at you, ‘The Hodag of Wisconsin’) drag slightly, leaning too hard on exposition when the stronger entries let the dread speak for itself. And while the sound design is mostly brilliant, a sudden volume spike during ‘La Llorona’ nearly blew out my earbuds—an odd misstep in an otherwise polished production. Still, the highs far outweigh the quibbles. This isn’t just an audiobook; it’s a campfire you’ll want to huddle around, even as the shadows grow longer. Just maybe don’t listen alone in the woods.