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Veštica
Approx. 86 pages / This is a horror story inspired by Serbian folk tales and Balkan history. VEŠTICA was originally written for the Tiny Terror Anonymous Chapbook Competition organized by Tiffany Koplin with Kate Forsman and judged by Clay McLeod Chapman, Ruthann Jagge, Jonathan Janz, and RJ Joseph. The judges chose VEŠTICA for Best Cover and runner-up for Best Story (Part III of this novella is the chapbook from the competition).
Approx word count 20,100 words
Approx word count 20,100 words
- GenresHorror
92 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2025
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 27, 2025
Veštica Reveals Dark Truths and Heartbreaking Sacrifices Behind Old Stories and Superstitions
Review: Veštica – B.S. Miller (Brittany Cekus)
My Verdict: An amazing blend of old-world fairytales, magical realism, and elements of gritty, period-piece, domestic thriller.
Boy, oh, boy, do I owe Miller an apology. One, I was given this story as an ARC, and I am well past the release date. Two, my first attempt at the story did not go well under unfair conditions, resulting in my first impressions of the story being that I did not care for it very much. Under duress to say something about the book, I made a post essentially calling it a werewolf story (not exactly my bag), expressing what positivity I could since I had really enjoyed the overall vibe when I had been able to (we’ll get to that soon).
I think I said, “This would be great for somebody who likes werewolf stories,” and listen, while that is not entirely untrue, I would say that what is going on in Veštica is a lot more about legends, the truths behind those legends, and the lengths we go to in order to protect the ones we love. To be frank, I don’t think there are any actual werewolves at all, though there is something akin to that, just cooler.
That first time I was trying to read Veštica, I was on my lunch break at work. I put my headphones in while I ate at my desk, letting the Kindle app on my phone read it to me. When I am out walking or even driving, doing errands, this method for taking in a book is usually pretty rad. Not quite as good as a real audiobookread by a human being, but a fair enough experience. This day, however, I was getting interrupted on my lunch break to help people press the power button on their printer or whatever other tech problem that needed my assistance. I don’t think I got to listen to Veštica for more than a minute or two at a time without getting sidetracked.
I tried to remedy this by pushing through and listening while I worked. It was under these circumstances that I decided a few things. The book’s opening was pure magic. I was impressed right away and pulled into the scene without a problem. That part is still true. I also concluded it was a werewolf fairytale, with possible romance vibes (I genuinely don’t know how I came to that conclusion). This claim was mostly untrue.
Miller ended up winning a Poe collection from a little contest I held, and in gracious return she sent me a signed copy of Veštica, which I was more than thrilled to have, seeing as the cover is gorgeous (I heard it won awards). So, one weekend, I sat down and started the story again, from the beginning. The opening is still magic. The thing is, so is the rest of the story.
By the time it was over, I had experienced a wide range of emotions, not the least of which was fear, that had me lingering in a bittersweet melancholy for a while afterwards.
The opening scene takes you to a campfire somewhere in the damp, dark woods. You are but a wee one, scampering about as one of the elders tells tales. I could see clearly the flicker of the fire against the impenetrable blackness. Smell the wet earth and acrid smoke. Miller does this magic trick several times. Once later, during a scene with some men waiting and gossiping, again, I could feel the cold mud caking my boots, making them heavy, soaking into the itchy wool of my vestments. Much of the time, I felt the same atmosphere and weight one feels while watching Egger’s The VVitch or The Lighthouse. By the time it was over, it was every bit as dark as either of those films.
Veštica is a story told in three acts. The first is what appears to be a true folktale. A story told to both scare the young ones and make them feel protected at the same time, of a beastly, yet aged and wise, guardian known as Dabog, who lives near the border of our world and the darker world of the night, protecting us and holding balance between light and dark.
This is where I am going to digress to say: Much of the folklore contained in Veštica is unknown to me, yet strangely familiar to other concepts I know from other stories and folktales. I am likely to get some of the details wrong. I would like to read the book again. Also, I do not know how much of this is directly lifted from pre-existing folktales, nor how much of it is Miller’s own creation. I suspect it might be a mix of the two, leaning toward using real characters from existing lore.
The second act, seemingly unconnected to the first, serves to familiarize us with more figures from the lore. Here, Evica, a young woman with spiritual gifts, experiences the astral plane during a ritual near the mouth of a cave. She meets a spirit guide of sorts, but her magic, both a gift and a curse, attracts an evil force as well. This leads to her being exposed as a veštica (you’ll have to read to find out), forcing her to go into hiding. This is a sacrifice she is willing to make to protect those she loves.
The third act is the original story. Miller explained that Act III was the short that accompanied the cover in the very same contest where it won awards. Acts I and II were added for this release. It was when I read the final bit that everything came together. Veštica was a book that I didn’t fully understand until I was finished with it, or rather, should I say, until it was finished with me.
My main complaint about this book is that it can be confusing sometimes. As a guy who likes a confusing narrative, this isn’t so much a complaint as a warning. I am willing to let go, just let a scene happen, and not try to force everything to make sense from moment to moment. I like putting a puzzle together. Until Act III, I wasn’t sure how everything was relevant. At the end, I didn’t have any questions about that.
The final third takes everything we’ve learned and ratchets up the tension and effect. The real-life horror and danger are very present here. I chalk this all up to another trick that Miller has pulled. The first act was almost fully magical. A literal story for children, albeit a hardcore one. The second part straddled the line between a more real-life story and a magical world just on the other side. The third act stays far more rooted in the real-life part, with the magic operating on the boundaries and in unexpected and sinister ways.
I was gripped through the ending third that plays out like a domestic drama where the myths and the superstitions around them can be used like weapons to cover up atrocities and punish the innocent. The horror here is human. The darkness, in the hearts of men. Though I was initially confused by the opening parts, by the time it was over, I understood that Miller had been setting the table with the necessary players and ideas all along so that the ending could knock the wind out of me. Well done.
In conclusion, I am sorry that I underestimated this dark little book. Yes, it is a fairy tale. Yes, it is actually quite scary. Yes, it will hurt you.
(Okay, also. This whole book gives spooky October vibes. Bye.)
Review: Veštica – B.S. Miller (Brittany Cekus)
My Verdict: An amazing blend of old-world fairytales, magical realism, and elements of gritty, period-piece, domestic thriller.
Boy, oh, boy, do I owe Miller an apology. One, I was given this story as an ARC, and I am well past the release date. Two, my first attempt at the story did not go well under unfair conditions, resulting in my first impressions of the story being that I did not care for it very much. Under duress to say something about the book, I made a post essentially calling it a werewolf story (not exactly my bag), expressing what positivity I could since I had really enjoyed the overall vibe when I had been able to (we’ll get to that soon).
I think I said, “This would be great for somebody who likes werewolf stories,” and listen, while that is not entirely untrue, I would say that what is going on in Veštica is a lot more about legends, the truths behind those legends, and the lengths we go to in order to protect the ones we love. To be frank, I don’t think there are any actual werewolves at all, though there is something akin to that, just cooler.
That first time I was trying to read Veštica, I was on my lunch break at work. I put my headphones in while I ate at my desk, letting the Kindle app on my phone read it to me. When I am out walking or even driving, doing errands, this method for taking in a book is usually pretty rad. Not quite as good as a real audiobookread by a human being, but a fair enough experience. This day, however, I was getting interrupted on my lunch break to help people press the power button on their printer or whatever other tech problem that needed my assistance. I don’t think I got to listen to Veštica for more than a minute or two at a time without getting sidetracked.
I tried to remedy this by pushing through and listening while I worked. It was under these circumstances that I decided a few things. The book’s opening was pure magic. I was impressed right away and pulled into the scene without a problem. That part is still true. I also concluded it was a werewolf fairytale, with possible romance vibes (I genuinely don’t know how I came to that conclusion). This claim was mostly untrue.
Miller ended up winning a Poe collection from a little contest I held, and in gracious return she sent me a signed copy of Veštica, which I was more than thrilled to have, seeing as the cover is gorgeous (I heard it won awards). So, one weekend, I sat down and started the story again, from the beginning. The opening is still magic. The thing is, so is the rest of the story.
By the time it was over, I had experienced a wide range of emotions, not the least of which was fear, that had me lingering in a bittersweet melancholy for a while afterwards.
The opening scene takes you to a campfire somewhere in the damp, dark woods. You are but a wee one, scampering about as one of the elders tells tales. I could see clearly the flicker of the fire against the impenetrable blackness. Smell the wet earth and acrid smoke. Miller does this magic trick several times. Once later, during a scene with some men waiting and gossiping, again, I could feel the cold mud caking my boots, making them heavy, soaking into the itchy wool of my vestments. Much of the time, I felt the same atmosphere and weight one feels while watching Egger’s The VVitch or The Lighthouse. By the time it was over, it was every bit as dark as either of those films.
Veštica is a story told in three acts. The first is what appears to be a true folktale. A story told to both scare the young ones and make them feel protected at the same time, of a beastly, yet aged and wise, guardian known as Dabog, who lives near the border of our world and the darker world of the night, protecting us and holding balance between light and dark.
This is where I am going to digress to say: Much of the folklore contained in Veštica is unknown to me, yet strangely familiar to other concepts I know from other stories and folktales. I am likely to get some of the details wrong. I would like to read the book again. Also, I do not know how much of this is directly lifted from pre-existing folktales, nor how much of it is Miller’s own creation. I suspect it might be a mix of the two, leaning toward using real characters from existing lore.
The second act, seemingly unconnected to the first, serves to familiarize us with more figures from the lore. Here, Evica, a young woman with spiritual gifts, experiences the astral plane during a ritual near the mouth of a cave. She meets a spirit guide of sorts, but her magic, both a gift and a curse, attracts an evil force as well. This leads to her being exposed as a veštica (you’ll have to read to find out), forcing her to go into hiding. This is a sacrifice she is willing to make to protect those she loves.
The third act is the original story. Miller explained that Act III was the short that accompanied the cover in the very same contest where it won awards. Acts I and II were added for this release. It was when I read the final bit that everything came together. Veštica was a book that I didn’t fully understand until I was finished with it, or rather, should I say, until it was finished with me.
My main complaint about this book is that it can be confusing sometimes. As a guy who likes a confusing narrative, this isn’t so much a complaint as a warning. I am willing to let go, just let a scene happen, and not try to force everything to make sense from moment to moment. I like putting a puzzle together. Until Act III, I wasn’t sure how everything was relevant. At the end, I didn’t have any questions about that.
The final third takes everything we’ve learned and ratchets up the tension and effect. The real-life horror and danger are very present here. I chalk this all up to another trick that Miller has pulled. The first act was almost fully magical. A literal story for children, albeit a hardcore one. The second part straddled the line between a more real-life story and a magical world just on the other side. The third act stays far more rooted in the real-life part, with the magic operating on the boundaries and in unexpected and sinister ways.
I was gripped through the ending third that plays out like a domestic drama where the myths and the superstitions around them can be used like weapons to cover up atrocities and punish the innocent. The horror here is human. The darkness, in the hearts of men. Though I was initially confused by the opening parts, by the time it was over, I understood that Miller had been setting the table with the necessary players and ideas all along so that the ending could knock the wind out of me. Well done.
In conclusion, I am sorry that I underestimated this dark little book. Yes, it is a fairy tale. Yes, it is actually quite scary. Yes, it will hurt you.
(Okay, also. This whole book gives spooky October vibes. Bye.)
July 30, 2025
I’m blown away. Speechless. I actually have to type this review while I have the fresh depth of emotion.
Okay so first I was drawn in immediately because I am Serbian/Romanian and the opening reminded me of all the times me and my cousins sat at my Maica and Taica’s house and listened to some of my aunts and uncles tell stories around the fire. The traditional head scarf and description of the baba really reminded me so much of my maica. The story of babaroga was told to me by my dad who grew up in a remote village in Serbia as he knew my love for all things dark and morbid.
Secondly, the atmosphere and character building was superb. The story of the Dabog and the misunderstanding between the old and new world’s beliefs was fantastic. This story was both deeply heartbreaking for Mira and the convenient setup from guilt from an awful villager, and greatly justified.
The lore and gore were perfectly balanced. Doses of understandable history and lore coupled with the right amount of goriness is a folk horror dream. I loved the woods and underlying messages of respecting one’s heritage and culture.
I’m obsessed with this book and now I need to own the physical copy to keep next to my bottles of Rajka and opanci. Definitely top 5 reads of all time.
Okay so first I was drawn in immediately because I am Serbian/Romanian and the opening reminded me of all the times me and my cousins sat at my Maica and Taica’s house and listened to some of my aunts and uncles tell stories around the fire. The traditional head scarf and description of the baba really reminded me so much of my maica. The story of babaroga was told to me by my dad who grew up in a remote village in Serbia as he knew my love for all things dark and morbid.
Secondly, the atmosphere and character building was superb. The story of the Dabog and the misunderstanding between the old and new world’s beliefs was fantastic. This story was both deeply heartbreaking for Mira and the convenient setup from guilt from an awful villager, and greatly justified.
The lore and gore were perfectly balanced. Doses of understandable history and lore coupled with the right amount of goriness is a folk horror dream. I loved the woods and underlying messages of respecting one’s heritage and culture.
I’m obsessed with this book and now I need to own the physical copy to keep next to my bottles of Rajka and opanci. Definitely top 5 reads of all time.
August 12, 2025
Dark Serbian mythos is rich, provocative, fresh and ripe for horror. It also happens to align with my upbringing and Serbian heritage, so the story hit on many emotional levels.
An 86 page novelette (with an Author’s Note at the end you shouldn’t miss), Vestica explores themes of Feminine Rage and much more. Dipping into the annals of a violent and rarely written about Balkan history, cultural beliefs, superstition and lore, made for a fascinating and frightening journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one written by BS Miller!
While shorter in length, the care of details, the author’s immersive and excellent writing skills, the creepy tale of Vesticas, Serbian Witches, Dabog, Evil Men and unnatural elements, delivers. The plot steeps in a bubbling cauldron of supernatural folklore, conjured from cautionary oral traditions, bleeds dread from the page.
Vestica may be diminutive in size, but it’s fierce and mighty.
An 86 page novelette (with an Author’s Note at the end you shouldn’t miss), Vestica explores themes of Feminine Rage and much more. Dipping into the annals of a violent and rarely written about Balkan history, cultural beliefs, superstition and lore, made for a fascinating and frightening journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one written by BS Miller!
While shorter in length, the care of details, the author’s immersive and excellent writing skills, the creepy tale of Vesticas, Serbian Witches, Dabog, Evil Men and unnatural elements, delivers. The plot steeps in a bubbling cauldron of supernatural folklore, conjured from cautionary oral traditions, bleeds dread from the page.
Vestica may be diminutive in size, but it’s fierce and mighty.
January 8, 2026
This was quite different. I'm a lover of folklore horror, but this was a different experience. Feminine rage and folk horror isn't something you normally fuse. However, in this one it works well. It's a reminder to make sure you respect your ancestors because you never know.
The biggest part I enjoyed was the lore. I knew nothing about Serbian folklore, so it was awesome to get a behind the scenes look at it. I'm a huge lover of lore and this one had plenty of it.
I enjoyed this one. Not only was it a fun read, I actually learned something.
The biggest part I enjoyed was the lore. I knew nothing about Serbian folklore, so it was awesome to get a behind the scenes look at it. I'm a huge lover of lore and this one had plenty of it.
I enjoyed this one. Not only was it a fun read, I actually learned something.
July 10, 2025
FYI, this is actually 85 pages vs 36 stated on Goodreads.
Anyway, I love folk stories and this one was pretty darn good. The atmosphere was worded beautifully and the sense of respecting the woods and it's inhabitants was strong. Take away respect and expect a bloodbath.
That being said I think this was a good short read. Not over the top creepy but a dark atmospheric story that brought a smile to my face.
I'll be keeping an eye on this author.
Anyway, I love folk stories and this one was pretty darn good. The atmosphere was worded beautifully and the sense of respecting the woods and it's inhabitants was strong. Take away respect and expect a bloodbath.
That being said I think this was a good short read. Not over the top creepy but a dark atmospheric story that brought a smile to my face.
I'll be keeping an eye on this author.
August 30, 2025
I really loved the message in this story! I, too, grew up listening to the Eastern European folklore of the Baba, an evil old witch who ate babies in the woods.
No spoilers, but Vestica is dedicated to the Babas " who protect us and our daughters" and all the women who were killed as witches across Europe! Love this! Definitely want a paper copy of this for my library. Vestica is a new favorite!
No spoilers, but Vestica is dedicated to the Babas " who protect us and our daughters" and all the women who were killed as witches across Europe! Love this! Definitely want a paper copy of this for my library. Vestica is a new favorite!
July 6, 2025
I didn't know what to expect from my first folk horror book but let me tell you. There was blood, there was history, there was character building & nature. So much was built into this little book, I'm damn impressed. Dad always said, "Dynamite comes in small packages." This package was absolutely that!
July 11, 2025
This was different than I'm used to (folklore) but oh my! It was so good! A bit of gore but also very spiritual. A reminder to respect your ancestors! My favorite quote that was repeatedly said "defend yourself, defend others when you are able"
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews