SECRETS OF THE FORSAKEN

INTO THE DEPTHS OF DREAD | Listen to Sample Stories

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EDS. J. Hobson, L. Shyba, J. Tailfeathers

The Secrets of the Forsaken book and audiobook plunges you into a realm of dark fantasy, supernatural terrors, and chilling horror. These tales of restless ghosts, vengeful poltergeists, and seductive, forbidden magic will leave you questioning what is real and what is ... otherworldly. From occult secrets and sinister rituals to haunting glimpses of the afterlife, and fearsome creatures of the forest, this collection captures the terrifying and the unexplainable.

Featuring original stories by Julian Hobson, Lorene Shyba, Jared Tailfeathers, Alex Soop, Cary Thomas Cody, and more, alongside chilling classics by Mary Shelley, Helena Blavatsky, Charles Dickens, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke and others, Secrets of the Forsaken book and audiobook immerse you into the depths of dread, mystery, and dark enchantment.

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Secrets of the Forsaken, Playlist

BIOS AND LINKS ABOUT THE AUTHORS, MUSIC, PERFORMERS

PART ONE: Secrets Unearthed. Original Writings from Living Authors

Ch. 1 The Knock of Damnation, Listen to an excerpt from "Knock of Damnation" >>
By Julian Hobson. Performed by Julian Hobson
In the mist-shrouded town of Ashwood, Thomas Wychwood’s mornings are ruled by an eerie compulsion he cannot explain. When a shadowy figure confronts him, Thomas is forced to face a truth darker than the night itself.

Ch. 2 The Beach, Listen to Lorene's full story >>
By Lorene Shyba. Performed by Lorene Shyba
Lara’s peaceful night on the beach takes a sinister turn when she is drawn to a shadowy house pulsing with dark energy. What waits inside is more than she ever imagined—and some doors, once opened, can never be closed.

Ch. 3 Rising Wolf, Listen to an excerpt from Rising Wolf >>
By Jared Tailfeathers. Narrated by Jared Tailfeathers
Deep in the mountains of Blackfoot territory, a group of hikers disrupts sacred ground, awakening ancient forces bound to the land. As the wilderness closes in and shadows take form, one man must confront the cost of ignoring the laws of the ancestors.

Ch. 4 Dead Hed
By Cary Thomas Cody. Performed by Cary Thomas Cody
On a desolate stretch of highway, trucker Jerry Hedfield answers the call of an alluring voice over the CB radio, luring him into the world of an Indigenous community’s haunted past. As buried sins claw their way to the surface, Jerry discovers that the echoes of injustice demand reckoning in the most chilling of ways.

Ch. 5 The Taltos
By Jessica Theroux. Performed by Jessica Theroux
Born with a full set of teeth and a connection to realms beyond the human world, a young girl struggles to reconcile her otherworldly nature with the weight of mortal existence. Spirited away by a mysterious seer, she embarks on a harrowing journey of disintegration and renewal, discovering that truth is the most profound magic of all.

Ch. 6 The Wisdom of Nahganne
By Raymond Yakeleya. Performed by John Heerema
Among the Sahtu Dene, Nahganne—the Sasquatch of the North—are more than elusive creatures; they are powerful, spiritual beings intertwined with the land and its stories. Through haunting encounters and sacred wisdom, this account delves into the mysteries of Nahganne and the lessons they hold for those who dare to listen.

Ch. 7 The Theatre of Sacrifice
By Maeve Wills. Performed by Maeve Wills
Lenaea is thrust into a harrowing ritual on a Greek stage where mortal defiance clashes with divine hunger. As her Shadow Sister emerges and the void beckons, Lenaea must face a terrifying truth: sacrifice is not an escape but the ultimate transformation.

Ch. 8 Rising Sun
By Alex Soop. Performed by Cary Thomas Cody
Searching for answers, a man checks into the eerie Rising Sun Hotel, chasing a connection that feels too good to be true. As the night unravels, he learns some loves are haunting in more ways than one.

Ch. 9 Threads in the Shadows
By Laurier Tiernan. Performed by Laurier Tiernan
A man finds himself entangled in the eerie legacy of his wife’s Japanese grandmother, a woman whose life was woven with secrets spun from unseen threads. As ancient forces stir, he discovers that some webs are not meant to be escaped, but understood.

Ch. 10 Tough Love
By Lynda Partridge. Performed by Lorene Shyba
Aliana, an Indigenous girl burdened by an invisible past, finds herself drawn to a mysterious dreamworld where guidance and truths await. As she navigates the threads between dimensions, she confronts questions of identity, survival, and the boundaries of her own strength.

Ch. 11 The Trainride
By Uche Umezurike. Performed by Julian Hobson
As a man navigates disconnection within his family and an unsettling world filled with strange encounters, he begins to sense something is profoundly off. When a chance encounter at a train station reveals a terrifying truth about his existence, the lines between reality and the afterlife blur, leaving him to grapple with his own haunting fate.

Ch. 12 Twisted into a Scapegoat
By John L. Hill. Performed by John Heerema
When Emile Theriault is wrongfully imprisoned for a brutal murder, he begins to unravel a chilling conspiracy tied to his small-town past. As the shadows close in, Emile faces a sinister force determined to keep its secrets buried at any cost.

Ch. 13 A Martyr’s Reckoning
By James R. Parker. Performed by Austin Andrews
Richard's unwavering belief in his mission leads him to a fateful act that shatters lives on all sides. As the aftermath unfolds, he is forced to confront haunting questions about justice, humanity, and the cost of blind loyalty.

PART TWO: Echoes of the Departed. Timeless Tales of the Forsaken

Ch. 14 Paranormal Encounters in the Uncharted North, Listen to this full story >>
By Samuel de Champlain et al. Performed by Lorene Shyba, Julian Hobson, Marcus Wills
In the frozen wilderness of the North, where European explorers charted new territories, the line between the natural and the supernatural often blurred. Through eerie journal entries and Indigenous oral histories, these tales reveal a land steeped in mystery, where strange lights, unearthly sounds, and spirits guarded the secrets of the untamed world.

Ch. 15 Frankenstein
By Mary Shelley. Performed by Lorene Shyba
In a feverish pursuit of knowledge and ambition, Victor Frankenstein breathes life into a lifeless form, only to recoil in terror at the grotesque creation he has wrought. As his obsession turns to dread, Victor must grapple with the monstrous consequences of playing God and abandoning his responsibility.

Ch. 16 A Haunted House
By Virginia Woolf. Performed by Lorene Shyba
Through lyrical prose, this story tells of a spectral presence moving through a house, steeped in mystery and timeless connection. The narrative unfolds with a haunting elegance, blending whispers of the past with the quiet pulse of the present.

Ch.17 In a Grove
By Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Performed by Laurier Tiernan
Through the testimonies of a woodcutter, a priest, a policeman, an old woman, a notorious robber, and even the victim himself via a medium, this fragmented tale explores a samurai’s murder and a woman’s dishonor. Each perspective casts doubt on the others, weaving a chilling exploration of truth, human fallibility, and the unknowable depths of morality.

Ch. 18 A Vision of Horror
By Helena Blavatsky. Performed by Lorene Shyba
Transported beyond the confines of her body and senses, a woman witnesses a series of harrowing events involving her family, culminating in irreversible tragedy and loss. In this chilling account, the boundaries between life, death, and consciousness blur, revealing an unsettling glimpse of powers beyond human understanding.

Ch. 19 A Ghost Story
By Mark Twain. Performed by Marcus Wills
In a deserted old building, a man encounters strange and unsettling phenomena that seem to grow more surreal with every moment. As the night unfolds, an unexpected visitor brings an eerie yet oddly poignant twist to the haunting.

Ch. 20 The Eyes of the Panther
By Ambrose Bierce. Performed by Maeve Wills
A young woman, haunted by a tragic family history and her own inexplicable fears, reveals a chilling connection between her lineage and a panther's ominous presence. In a tale where human and animal instincts collide, the boundaries between madness, love, and survival blur in the shadow of the wilderness.

Bonus Feature on the Audiobook. Ch. 21 The Signal-Man
By Charles Dickens. Performed by Julian Hobson
A chance encounter with a solitary railway signalman reveals his haunting experiences with mysterious warnings and spectral apparitions near a danger-light. As an unsettling tale of isolation and premonition unfolds, questions arise about fate, reality, and the weight of unseen forces.

BIOS AND LINKS ABOUT THE AUTHORS, MUSIC, PERFORMERS

Illustrations on this page, Julian Hobson