Five Rituals of the Forgotten: An Anthology

An interesting collection of 5 short stories. Mostly about evil books and people getting cursed for no reason other than it happens in these worlds.
It'll probably only take an hour or less to finishes these if you want something quick.
Scary stuff.

Five Rituals of the Forgotten is not a collection for casual horror readers. Its power lies not in cheap jump scares or frantic gore, but in slow ritualistic dread that lingers long after the final page. These stories creep under the skin, whispering in the silence and leaving the reader unsettled in the best possible way. At times it left me wanting more, more detail and more immersion, but that hunger speaks to the strength of the world Paert has built. A must read for fans of dark ritual driven horror and psychological decay in the face of the unknowable.

Five Rituals of the Forgotten by Gideon Paert is one of those rare collections that lingers with you long after the final page. Each story is steeped in atmosphere, blending folklore, mystery, and human fragility in a way that feels both timeless and deeply original. Paert has a gift for weaving together the mystical with the mundane—rituals that are at once strange and eerily familiar.

What struck me most was the diversity of tone across the anthology. Some stories are unsettling and dark, others poignant and reflective, yet all are tied together by themes of memory, loss, and the search for meaning in forgotten places. The imagery is vivid without being overbearing—you can practically feel the chill of abandoned halls, hear whispered prayers in empty fields, and sense the weight of unspoken histories.

It’s not a quick read, but it’s a rewarding one. Each piece feels carefully crafted, meant to be savored and contemplated. If you enjoy literary horror, folklore-inspired tales, or thought-provoking short fiction, this anthology will more than satisfy.

Highly recommended for readers who love stories that are as beautiful as they are unsettling.