The Mark of Cain

Long Lankin #2

by Lindsey Barraclough

A spine-chilling companion to Long Lankin, here is the story of a wronged witch’s revenge, spanning generations and crossing the shadowy line between life and death.


In 1567, baby Aphra is found among the reeds and rushes by two outcast witches. Even as an infant, her gifts in the dark craft are clear. But when her guardians succumb to an angry mob, Aphra is left to fend for herself. She is shunned and feared by all but one man, the leper known as Long Lankin. Hounded and ostracized, the two find solace only in each other, but even this respite is doomed, and Aphra’s bitterness poisons her entire being. Afflicted with leprosy, tortured and about to be burned as a witch, she manages one final enchantment—a curse on her tormentor’s heirs. Now, in 1962, Cora and Mimi, the last of a cursed line, are trapped in an ancient home on a crumbling estate in deepest winter, menaced by a spirit bent on revenge. Are their lives and souls forfeit forever?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Gothic, Supernatural

496 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 2014

About the author

Lindsey Barraclough is the author of the acclaimed Long Lankin, a companion book to The Mark of Cain. "The story can be read independently of the first," she says, "although it continues the theme of long-ago horrors — particularly witchcraft and revenge — seeping unsettlingly into the future." Lindsey Barraclough lives in London with her family.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

Well this wasn't a wee bit creepy or anything!





The book starts out telling Aphra's tale. She was found by a couple of witches down by the river when she was a baby. Aphra grew up loving her two moms so to speak. She watched them practice healing for the folks but Aphra seemed to take a darker side. She learns the use of voodoo dolls to make people that harmed her to suffer, um, but she would take it a bit farther than the witches wanted.

Anyhoo, we all know the people of the village are going to come and put an end to the witches. Alphra escapes and has to live in the woods and forests. She meets Long Lankin in these woods, he is a leper that is supposedly really creepy as well. They stay in a little hut together for a bit until some unfortunate events break them apart.

Aphra goes to live in the big house with the Guerdon family. Lets just say things don't turn out really good there for a few people including Aphra and she puts a curse on the family.

Jump ahead to the future and we meet Cora and Mimi, two sisters that move to an old house with their dad and an aunt. Their other aunt Ida left the house to them.



The creepiness starts right off with voices, seeing things moving in the corner of your eye, to seeing things outside the window. These things get so bad the girls aunt up and leaves them and moves back to London! Just leaves a note for them to tell their dad! I mean really? Just leave them out there in the middle of nowhere with the closest home across the hill. So dad replaces her with a lady from the town.

There is also a sweet boy named Roger that hangs out with Cora and helps her with the problems she is having.

These two women always seem to be on the road to town when the girls head up there, they seem all creepy at first but they are not what they seem. Nothing in this book is what it seems, but it all comes out.

Someone takes off the protective barriers to keep Aphra's spirit out of the house and you can only image! Cora, Roger and a few others have to fight to get rid of Aphra before she kills everyone!

I found the book to be really creepy.. word of the day: CREEPY. I also loved how the author described all of the surroundings, I could picture every -->creepy<--- thing. Either way I enjoyed it. I didn't read the first book, but this one does just fine as a stand alone book so don't feel like you HAVE to start with the first one.

And remember, don't go creeping around out in the night either!!



*I would like to thank Random House Children's Books for a print copy of this book through The Reading Room in exchange for my honest review.*

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

‘I am bound here, for as long as there are Guerdons in the world, I must be in it. And they have returned to the marshlands – to me.’

It’s been four years since Cora and Mimi lived to tell the tale of Long Lankin. The two girls survived, however, the scars they acquired are hidden beneath their skin. After their father recently came into an inheritance, their Auntie Ida’s rundown mansion, he tells them that they’re moving to the village of Bryers Guerdon. Right back to where it all happened. Long Lankin may no longer be a threat, but he wasn’t the only one left to fear. 400 years prior, a woman by the name of Aphra Rushes loved a leper who was known by the name of Long Lankin. She was sentenced to death at a young age for murdering an infant and his mother, a spell with the intent to cure Lankin which had gone awry. With her dying breath she placed a curse on the Guerdon line, who were responsible for her death. Flash forward to the Halloween of 1962 and her ashes have risen up from the ground to fulfill the curse that she placed on the Guerdon family before she was covered in pitch and burned at the stake.

‘I am the dust of charred bones and ash.’

I’ve considered Long Lankin to be one of my all-time favorite gothic horror stories and news of a follow-up story had me most eager even if I didn’t understand the necessity. There’s a wonderful air of mystery to The Mark of Cain, a constant sense of impending catastrophe. The writing itself is eloquent and I delighted in the eerie events depicted: the old derelict mansion that was unsettling on its own yet the girls’ memories of their time spent there made it even more so, their temporary guardians that caused more discontent than comfort due to their forever absent father, and the strange items that they would find around the house like the bundle of twigs tied with red twine or the archaic symbols sketched on the doors. The pacing felt constantly off and I ultimately feel it should not have taken all 496 pages to reach the point we did. The slow-pacing could have been easily made up for if that sense of impending catastrophe was heightened just a smidge more.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Cora who is now fifteen years old and is struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy for her eight year old sister Mimi. The only trouble is, since Mimi was taken by Lankin she returned a changed child, able to see things normal people cannot. Including the current terror haunting them in their new home. Because we’re told this story from the POV of Cora, there’s a bit of a disconnect of knowledge that keeps the reader in the dark since Mimi refuses to discuss anything with Cora. What I’m assuming was intended was to add even more mystery to this story, but it only caused the story to falter leaving it feeling all very subdued as if Cora wasn’t actually experiencing it all firsthand. Regardless of the fact that Mimi is only eight years old, having the story told from her point of view would have been a vast improvement.

I’ve come a long way in the horror genre since I read Long Lankin back in 2012. In that review I even admit to being “a big weenie” which I definitely wouldn’t describe myself in terms of horror stories anymore. Back then it took some serious encouragement to read horror and now I’d consider it one of my favorite genres. Long Lankin was a most unsettling read, yet The Mark of Cain just didn’t manage to leave me with the same impression. I think it would be appropriate to actually describe this as more Gothic vs. horror for curious readers. This may not have completely worked for me, but this is a Gothic thriller that will no doubt please many.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is getting 3.5 stars from me. It's not as good as Long Lankin, but it was still an enjoyably creepy read with lots of atmosphere.

Long Lankin scared the crap out of me. The year I read that book I pushed it on anyone and everyone that I could. I'd still recommend it more than most books, especially if you are looking for a Gothic read, and I know Gothic books are getting more and more popular lately, it seems.

Psychological horror is my favorite, favorite thing, in movies and in books. I find the unknowable more terrifying than the knowable. That is to say, I don't find gory stuff scary at all, just gross. It's a very rare film or book that can pull off both. I should do a post on that at some point.

At any rate, The Mark of Cain is definitely more Gothic than horror as I didn't find it nearly as scary as LL. I still really liked it though because it brought back my favorite characters and a setting that has remained memorable in my mind for a very long time, especially the church.

I guess the reason I didn't really like it quite as much as because it didn't do as much for me emotionally. I definitely enjoyed the flashback scenes the most, because it created sympathy for the antagonist and Cain Lankin himself, and explained how the curse came to be. But I also sort of felt like LL didn't need a sequel, even though it was a fun read. It's not that I think it tarnished the original book's legacy or anything like that, but it was not quite up to that standard either. The story arc wasn't as good, and neither was the imagery. I had a hard time picturing where things were located, and that is not an issue I had with the first book.

Also, the fact that the girls had to move back to this estate where something horrible happened to them and their father just kind of shrugged it off and pretty much deserted them there felt sort of unrealistic to me. I'm find with the absentee parent trope, but this went a bit too far for me.

All that said, I still really enjoyed it and thought parts of it were creepy, and I liked the idea of the book and things like the witch bottles, and the flashback scenes, like I said, and I did enjoy the ending. So I do recommend it, but with reservations. You don't HAVE to read it if you don't want to.

[Dana Wallace - Not Enough Books, Not Enough Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on NOT ENOUGH BOOKS, NOT ENOUGH TIME

I am sad. Maybe I’ve overdone too many spooky reads but I just couldn’t get into The Mark of Cain. I read over 100 pages but had to leave it a DNF. This is very devastating because I absolutely adored Long Lankin. Not that The Mark of Cain was terrible, the writing is just as elegant and just as terrifying as the first book, but it almost felt like it was a repeat of the first. It’s a new tormentor but same setting. Same characters from the first. I liked the idea of the same characters, but I didn’t get how their father (who does seem a little airy and distant) could move his children back into the house where so much evil had occurred. This probably plays into the fear and suspense because Cora and Mimi are too young to leave, it’s against their will, etc.

I read 128 pages and don’t know if I’ll go back and read it. I did love Long Lankin so maybe this was just an overdose of spooky ghosts and goblins around Halloween. Who knows, but there’s always next year!

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uff.

I had a break from reading this as I went away on holiday, I was kind of struggling with it before then, and on my return just couldn't bring myself to pick it up again. I'm honestly not sure why, it's just not grabbing me at all. I'm half-way through and have just stopped caring. It's not even that it's bad writing or anything like that, and the early portion of the book did have me intrigued. I guess this one just isn't for me.

[Jaime]

This makes me very excited. Long Lankin was good and creeepy. I hope this book brings that same mood that Long Lankin brought. So glad that I found this!

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooooh. I think I might actually have found this scarier than Long Lankin?* I definitely enjoyed it more. Okay, there were a few things that bothered me -- like the superfluous description, and the kids conveniently overhearing people talking about Crucial Plot Points -- but I enjoyed seeing Cora and Roger as older teenagers, along with their burgeoning ~feelings~ for one another. (Which I'm really glad wasn't overdone, because this book didn't need an awkward teen romance.) Roger was as awesome as ever, AS IF THIS NEEDS SAYING. There's a line where Cora asks him to do something and he thinks to himself, "What's a chap to do?" because he can't say no to her. It made me laugh out loud and then want to hug him. I think he's adorable. The jolly-hockeysticks dialogue might not be to everyone's taste, but I love how authentically 1960s this book feels -- the village's disapproval of Mr Drumm's mistresses was kind of hilarious. Oh, and I also liked seeing Mimi as a person in her own right, although it was frustrating when she wouldn't talk to Cora. I wanted to see a lot more of Mimi! But I loved the glimpses we got of her -- her secrets and her strength.


* I was trying to pin down why exactly I found this book scarier, and I've come up with three reasons:

1) The setting. Winter, with rising icy flood waters and the roads blocked by snow, feels more claustrophobic than the sweltering summer heat in Long Lankin, keeping Cora and Mimi trapped inside the house where the danger is.
2) The different threat. Not knowing the witch bottles and marks were to protect the house, and not being able to keep Aphra from getting inside using physical barriers like they could with Long Lankin.
3) The lack of a proper guardian or adult to protect the children. HOW USELESS WAS THEIR FATHER??? And the woman who did look after them then became a threat in her own right, one that they couldn't fight -- definitely scary stuff.

[Stefan Bachmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this. I'm such a fan of Barraclough's writing. This one seemed a bit darker / more YA-ish than Long Lankin, and it's absolutely dripping with that damp and earthy English folklore atmosphere, which is pretty much my favorite sort of atmosphere to read about. Also, the historical flashbacks about a young witch are fantastic. You know the author's good when she makes the reader empathize with the villain, even after the villain has done many terrible things. Super excited for Barraclough's next book, and I so recommend this and Long Lankin to anyone in the mood for a very classy, well-written horror story.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A darkly excellent sequel to the amazing LONG LANKIN. Just as elegant and just as terrifying as the first book, THE MARK OF CAIN sucked me in and left me shivering.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Long Lankin, the book that preceded The Mark of Cain and really enjoyed it so I picked this one up when I saw it. The Mark of Cain serves as both a prequel and a sequel, as it were, to Long Lankin. It explains the history of Cain Lankin from the point of view of the woman who loved him, Aphra, and then jumps to the events that take place after Long Lankin. Cain and Aphra’s back story is so compelling that it makes the reader empathize with them even while realizing they are the villains in the end.

The transitions between points of view and time period is very clear and easy to follow. I will say that I am glad I read Long Lankin first because the characters were familiar to me and that was helpful. The writing is just excellent. This is English folk horror at its finest. Dripping, damp and earthy atmosphere riddled with references to ash groves, manikins, iron, witch bottles, runes, bone magic, and charms makes for a dark and moody read. Highly recommended for horror fans.

[Kalilah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It isn't a particularly necessary sequel to the first book, which I absolutely loved. It was too long, considering how many loose ends are left untied. It could easily have been a hundred pages shorter, and I think if it had I wouldn't've been so grumpy by the end of it. And I know problems aren't supposed to be solved immediately in stories -- or there wouldn't be much of a story to tell -- but I did think the "obstacles" in this one were very weak and eye-roll inducing.

[Emily Rozmus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't stop reading this book, and now that it is over, I can't stop wanting to read this book. I wanted to finish it, but I never wanted it to end. It is a creepy book. It's a companion to another creepy book that I read about a ghost/ghoul who steals small children in the marshy English moors. This one was about the witch who loved him in his living years, and the revenge she wrought after she was burned at the stake. It has the same characters from the first book, Long Lankin, but they are 4 years older. I love creepy books, but that really wasn't what kept me reading. I think more than anything it was the place and the time of the setting in the book, and really the growing relationship between Roger and Cora - the two friends who lived through the attack of the supernatural in the first book. It also reminded me of The Dark is Rising series because of the setting and the atmosphere of England's pagan past that is still very much a part of that island. What sealed it for me though, was the last paragraph that I read three times. It captured beautifully the moments in our lives that we remember and hold dear. A good read.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mark of Cain follows on from Long Lankin, and it is an even darker tale.
It tells the story of Aphra Rushes, a 17th century witch. She is a thoroughly unpleasant character, but her tale is a sad one, and she does evoke some sympathy for her life spent on the margins. Abandoned as a child, Aphra is brought up by two 'cunning women' who pass on their secrets. Always in opposition, Aphra is even more alienated from other people by the fear and cruelty of the villagers.
The Cora and Mimi from the first book have moved into the old house at Bryers Guerdon with their rather hopeless father who leaves them with other people as much as he can. Although they think that Cain Lankin has been put to rest, the evil in the place is persistent, and Aphra wants her revenge.
The book is just as creepy and rooted in folklore as the first, don't read it at bedtime!

[Melanie Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is confusing! The writing is convoluted and I had to reread frequently. There are lots of vague references to events that had happened prior, in the previous book I imagine. Usually when a book references events from a prior book in a series, they fill in details that the reader might not know. That isn't the case with this book. The plot is also extremely slow-moving. I finished the book, and was not sorry to see it end.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book richly packed with atmosphere, it builds up a mythos and a feeling. The book zings effectively with the opening, a beautifully dark and atmospheric recollection of Aphra Rushes foundling youth as she is raised by two witches who do not fully comprehend her connection to the darkness surrounding her. Yet, while she will later become the villain of the piece, Barraclough so richly details her beginnings and plight that, while a dark character, she maintains enough hardship to be passingly worthy of sympathy. To borrow from Vincent Price, who once quipped that he did not play villains; rather, he played men besieged by fate, Aphra is seemingly doomed from the beginning. Still, she makes dark and dreadful decisions along her path that careens to her initial end.

When the story becomes more recognizably modern as it jumps forward in time 400 years, I must admit some of the luster diminished. Barraclough's storytelling is still sharp, and there maintains a sense of dread in the places where Aphra's darkness pursues the family. Yet somehow, even though more identifiable in its modernity, the story feels less living, less permeated in dread, and there is a breathless sense of weight upon the world as the beginning possessed. While the story remains readable and engaging, one cannot help but feel more engaged when we return to "seeing" and "hearing" the world from Aphra's view as she pursues the family she has cursed.

This is an engaging work across the board, but Barraclough's work with atmosphere and a twisted yet oddly human villain is what ultimately won me over. I'll be pursuing her other works if this indicates what I will find.

[Drucilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to go with four stars because this sequel/companion does everything I liked from the first book and makes the villain even more sympathetic than she was in the first book even as they finally defeat her . That's impressive. Four years have passed from the first book and since the characters have aged, it allowed the author more freedom and I really liked how the events of the previous book have affected the characters. Pete, for example, just refuses to talk about what happen and doesn't like even being near Cora and Mimi. The funny (and realistic) dialogue was still there and was still a joy to read. If you liked the first book, definitely pick this one up.

[Sylvia Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very suspenseful and creepy. I highly recommend reading Long Lankin before reading this one. Its the same setting, and the same main characters, but I feel the atmosphere builds on the first book, and you would be missing out a little by jumping right into The Mark of Cain. The biggest surprise, for me, was Mimi, the little sister, and how the events in Long Lankin marked her for The Mark of Cain.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could just be that I’m in a different time/place in my life, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Long Lankin. It was fine. But here’s the thing. These two girls had a supernatural experience when they were young. And yet, they easily ignore that it is happening to them again. Most of this book is Cora acting like everything is normal when her past experience should have told her it wasn’t.

[Sezin Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in this series was one of the most terrifying books I've ever read, so I definitely approached the sequel with caution. While not as scary as the first, the story is still incredibly intense and the horrors all too real. I absolutely devoured this beautifully grotesque writing. Gothic horror at some of its best right here.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this one more than the first book. While it wasn't quite as creepy, the story itself flowed a lot better and it didn't feel as though there were as many lulls in the action. The plot kept progressing and there weren't a lot of moments that felt like filler. As with the first book, the last 50 pages or so were excellent.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the very beginning when it’s about Aphra’s point of view was interesting but then the rest of the book just seemed really repetitive and very very slow up until like the last 80 pages of the book. I feel like this book had potential and could’ve been more eventful, and more creepy but not much happened until like the end. Wasn’t bad but too slow for my personal liking.

[J.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Long Lankin, by Lindsey Barraclough. This story is darker than LL, which is not a bad thing, but I did miss the innocence of the young characters in the first book. I recommend both books.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry, any book that uses a baby for a blood sacrifice is not worth anyone's time. Is this seriously classed as YA? DNF

[Loren C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pacing was off but a decent creepy story.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 3 1/2. Still a great read but not quite as creepy as "Long Lankin". Still, I felt a lot of dread for Cora and Mimi

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first 'Long Lankin' book, but worth acquiring and reading.

[EmmieLouDraws · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
A lot of potential but it fell a little flat.

[Macy Leyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fear Factor: ⭐⭐⭐
Readability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thrill: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pace: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Would I recommend? Yes.

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved the first book, Long Lankin, and had high hopes for its companion. I was not disappointed. The witchcraft elements were really well researched, and all the usual tropes, cliches and stereotypes were avoided (which, as a practising witch and Pagan, I really appreciated). Again, the story was a slow burn just like its predecessor, but it was again full of suspense and little elements that take you by surprise. Lindsey Barraclough is a very talented writer, and I'm quite sad she hasn't written anything else, as I would love to read more. The conclusion was fantastically done, as were the cross-overs between the different characters' POVs. I also like the little paragraphs of the witch's thoughts dotted throughout the book. Aphra Rushes' back story actually had me rooting for her for a while, you know, until the whole infanticide thing. It's another 5-star read for me! I highly, highly recommend you read both Lonk Lankin and The Mark of Cain. Two fantastic page-turners. You won't want to put them down until you know how they end!

[Evie Oliva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I remember reading Long Lankin and thinking it was wonderfully creepy, giving just enough horror for the deep recesses of my mind to twist the images in the book and make them just that much more terrifying. When I learned there would be a second book, I waited impatiently for it to be released.

Unfortunately, The Mark of Cain didn't feel like a book from the same world as the first one. For one, there were too many loose threads left once the book was finished. Will there be a third? I will read it, no doubt, but if this is the end to the story, it needed more to finish it off. Which is saying something because somewhere around page 200, I started thinking this book was meandering around, giving pointless tidbits for no reason. As a result, the story felt a little empty.

And two, the characters frustrated me. It felt like Cora was dragging her feet throughout the whole book. How can a girl, after experiencing the events of the story in Long Lankin, still be so stupidly stubborn about ignoring what is going on around her? How can she still be so reluctant to ask for help? Even when things finally start moving along, Cora still sat there, unable to open her mouth and tell people who could help her what was going on. There was barely any development with Mimi, because Cora doesn't have a good relationship with her little sister, and while the book had Roger's point of view, it took way too LONG to finally put the three of them in one place again.

The development with Aphra is what helped boost this rating to 3.5 stars. She had the elements of the original story, the one that held my interest and kept the lights on while I read. Once the book focuses on Cora and Roger, the story just stalls, taking too long to really move anywhere until the big events that lead to the ending.

I am grateful there was a second book but I wanted more from it. If it indeed turns out there will be a third book, I will breathe a sigh of relief because then that means this book is just suffering from 2nd book syndrome. If not, then I'll be left wondering what will happen to these kids and their world forever. Almost makes me wish the story had been complete at the end of the first book. Here's hoping for more about Cora, Mimi and Roger in the future.

[A. J · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 273. I really liked the first 100 pages or so of the backstory. It was both well written and the main character was highly sympathetic. Aphra, who later becomes the haunting ghost of the story, is found by witches and everything goes downhill from there. I thought the story could be really cool as witches are a favorite of mine. But after the backstory finishes and we move to the present I found myself bored to tears. I did not like the characters, and the parts that were supposed to be creepy were cliche. I ended up just putting the book away because I didn't have time for something so boring.
1 star.