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A Storytelling of Ravens
British actress Callie Crossley is kidnapped and dumped outside a cabin at the edge of Whispering Woods. All she has is a scrawled message: DEAD TO ME; and two unexpected housemates: a former sitcom star (who looks like hell) and a girl in a wheelchair (who is full of hell).
When film producer Torbin Thurston, a man Callie knows personally, turns up at the cabin, Callie has no idea who she can trust anymore. She seems to be the only one who can hear strange whispering and it's not long till she realises that there's something dangerous lurking outside in the woods.
But are the rumours about Whispering Woods true? Do the trees really talk? And, for those listening, does what they say lead to blood-lust and madness?
One way or another, Callie must find a way out before she is consumed by the darkness of Whispering Woods.
When film producer Torbin Thurston, a man Callie knows personally, turns up at the cabin, Callie has no idea who she can trust anymore. She seems to be the only one who can hear strange whispering and it's not long till she realises that there's something dangerous lurking outside in the woods.
But are the rumours about Whispering Woods true? Do the trees really talk? And, for those listening, does what they say lead to blood-lust and madness?
One way or another, Callie must find a way out before she is consumed by the darkness of Whispering Woods.
- GenresHorror
284 pages, Paperback
Published June 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 2, 2018
A STORYTELLING OF RAVENS is the second book I have read by author R.H. Dixon. This story starts off with a bang and never lets up as far as the suspense and anticipation are concerned. We begin with teenaged Sarah Jane and her cousin, Pollyanna, being taken on a secret getaway by Roxanne--with strict instructions not to tell Sarah Jane's father. The man they meet--a scarred war veteran--she refers to as "Uncle Dean". At one point he takes them on a long drive to a secret cabin of his--one far away from civilization.
". . . The trees sometimes talk . . . And anyone that can hear them . . . will go slowly and irreversibly mad."
After a cryptic beginning, a Hollywood actress finds herself outside a decrepit cabin surrounded by dark, menacing woods with no idea who would have kidnapped and dumped her there.
". . . The cabin seemed to regard . . . with quiet menace from the black windows of its tower room, like it knew . . . "
Callie eventually finds herself sharing the cabin with three other, unlikely--and equally trapped--people.
". . . It's Whispering Woods . . . this place keeps me here."
One of the things I love about Dixon's writing style is how well she builds up her characters' personalities in the readers' minds. There's no "information dumping" here, only an evenly captivating understanding, given by brief comments/thoughts, and by the actions we witness from the characters, themselves. I was completely entranced by this group of people. Their differences, and likewise, their similarities, gave a great contrast to the reader, and much to think about in regards to what could have gotten them all stranded there.
". . . Nobody owns this place, stupid. It owns you."
While Callie emerges as the most "take charge" type, each individual plays a crucial roll in this psychological puzzle. Right down to the Whispering Woods, themselves, nearly everything in this place is an enigma. Dixon doesn't just hand you the answers to any part of this intriguing novel. Rather, we are forced to rely upon the observations fo the characters, and our own imaginations, to try and make sense of this complex and horrifying drama unfolding.
. . . ravens chattered in the ash tree, their deep caws provoking thoughts of graveyards and death . . ."
Personally, this tactic always seems to work the best for myself. When I am pushed into "mentally participating" in the details of a book, it makes the story that much more real and compelling to me. It forces me INTO the world created by the author--a silent, but crucial, element to solving the mystery behind the unfolding events.
. . . some dreadful intuition told her that by looking into this blackness she had alerted something of her presence."
Aside from the predicament of the main characters, there are . . . other . . .peculiarities about the woods and surrounding areas. It was said that not everyone can hear the whispering of the trees, but for those that can, an entirely new level of psychological hell opens up.
"Whispering Woods. Once it gets into your head it won't let go."
Overall, this novel had me from first to last page. Even when I thought I had a clue as to where things were headed, another twist would present itself. these were never "intrusions" on the natural flow of the story, but rather felt--after their development--as the course that was always meant to be.
". . . EVERYONE has a spider inside of them . . . "
This is an author whose style I immediately took to, and I will eagerly be devouring each new work she comes up with.
"Optimism's for idiots."
Highest recommendation!
". . . The trees sometimes talk . . . And anyone that can hear them . . . will go slowly and irreversibly mad."
After a cryptic beginning, a Hollywood actress finds herself outside a decrepit cabin surrounded by dark, menacing woods with no idea who would have kidnapped and dumped her there.
". . . The cabin seemed to regard . . . with quiet menace from the black windows of its tower room, like it knew . . . "
Callie eventually finds herself sharing the cabin with three other, unlikely--and equally trapped--people.
". . . It's Whispering Woods . . . this place keeps me here."
One of the things I love about Dixon's writing style is how well she builds up her characters' personalities in the readers' minds. There's no "information dumping" here, only an evenly captivating understanding, given by brief comments/thoughts, and by the actions we witness from the characters, themselves. I was completely entranced by this group of people. Their differences, and likewise, their similarities, gave a great contrast to the reader, and much to think about in regards to what could have gotten them all stranded there.
". . . Nobody owns this place, stupid. It owns you."
While Callie emerges as the most "take charge" type, each individual plays a crucial roll in this psychological puzzle. Right down to the Whispering Woods, themselves, nearly everything in this place is an enigma. Dixon doesn't just hand you the answers to any part of this intriguing novel. Rather, we are forced to rely upon the observations fo the characters, and our own imaginations, to try and make sense of this complex and horrifying drama unfolding.
. . . ravens chattered in the ash tree, their deep caws provoking thoughts of graveyards and death . . ."
Personally, this tactic always seems to work the best for myself. When I am pushed into "mentally participating" in the details of a book, it makes the story that much more real and compelling to me. It forces me INTO the world created by the author--a silent, but crucial, element to solving the mystery behind the unfolding events.
. . . some dreadful intuition told her that by looking into this blackness she had alerted something of her presence."
Aside from the predicament of the main characters, there are . . . other . . .peculiarities about the woods and surrounding areas. It was said that not everyone can hear the whispering of the trees, but for those that can, an entirely new level of psychological hell opens up.
"Whispering Woods. Once it gets into your head it won't let go."
Overall, this novel had me from first to last page. Even when I thought I had a clue as to where things were headed, another twist would present itself. these were never "intrusions" on the natural flow of the story, but rather felt--after their development--as the course that was always meant to be.
". . . EVERYONE has a spider inside of them . . . "
This is an author whose style I immediately took to, and I will eagerly be devouring each new work she comes up with.
"Optimism's for idiots."
Highest recommendation!
July 2, 2018
Four people end up in an abandon cabin, which is surrounded by Whispering Woods, and a lake. No one has a memory of how they got there. The group is made up of Pollyanna, a fourteen year old girl, who had an accident and can't walk. Callie, is British actress, Smiler, is an actor also, and Thorbin, is a film director, who knows Callie. It is said that Whispering Woods is haunted and the trees talk. Callie, takes over as the group leader and insists, they she and Smiler, travel into the nearest village, to look for help. Smiler, tries to tell Callie, there is no one in the village but she doesn't listen. Once they arrive in the village, they notice all the building were gutted and painted white. It looks like no one has lived in this village, for a very long time. The village, does have a church and two cemeteries. The gravestones are warn and faded and can't be read. It is starting to get dark and Smiler suggest that they head back to the cabin. It is rumored, that some type of creature, inhabits the woods at dusk. While heading back towards the cabin, Callie and Smiler, hear something following them. Not taking any chances, the pair begin to run for the cabin. They out run the night creature but they return to the cabin, just in time, to see hundreds of Raven, surrounding the cabin. Callie swears that she can hear a woman's
voice but the other three can't. Callie doesn't know, who she can trust. Each one of the four have their own dark side. Will the four escape the hold that Whispering Woods has on them or will they be doomed forever? The story has a lot twists and turns along the way. It always kept me guessing, what would happen next. This is a powerful story, with an ending, that I did not see coming. This story would have made a great Twilight Zone episode. I highly recommend this book.
voice but the other three can't. Callie doesn't know, who she can trust. Each one of the four have their own dark side. Will the four escape the hold that Whispering Woods has on them or will they be doomed forever? The story has a lot twists and turns along the way. It always kept me guessing, what would happen next. This is a powerful story, with an ending, that I did not see coming. This story would have made a great Twilight Zone episode. I highly recommend this book.
August 1, 2017
Uncaged Book Reviews
This is one tricked out story. We start out with a couple separate storylines, but don’t worry, they will merge together quickly. At the base of the story, is four people that are “hostages” in a cabin – where there is a ghost town nearby and things that live in the forest and come out only at night. None of these people have anything in common, except they are all stranded and can’t leave. But do they really have nothing in common?
This book never slows down, and you will be in for quite a ride. Even though I guessed about half way in parts of it, the author twists and turns the plot so well, that you begin to doubt your own conclusions. I don’t know that this is a “typical” horror book, it read more like a psychological thriller to me, but the result is still the same. As the characters struggle to find answers, you will be engaged right along with them – and the writing is excellent. The author will toss in a great twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. And did I mention there are ravens? Terrific read. Reviewed by Cyrene
This is one tricked out story. We start out with a couple separate storylines, but don’t worry, they will merge together quickly. At the base of the story, is four people that are “hostages” in a cabin – where there is a ghost town nearby and things that live in the forest and come out only at night. None of these people have anything in common, except they are all stranded and can’t leave. But do they really have nothing in common?
This book never slows down, and you will be in for quite a ride. Even though I guessed about half way in parts of it, the author twists and turns the plot so well, that you begin to doubt your own conclusions. I don’t know that this is a “typical” horror book, it read more like a psychological thriller to me, but the result is still the same. As the characters struggle to find answers, you will be engaged right along with them – and the writing is excellent. The author will toss in a great twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. And did I mention there are ravens? Terrific read. Reviewed by Cyrene
June 14, 2017
Intriguing!
An intense horror story that brings the reader right in the middle of the Whispering Woods. Callie struggles to survive, and doesn't know who to trust. I enjoyed the story and it was well written. The story surprised this reader, and you could feel the intensity of the unknown, and what may be lurking on the next page. A great read, and I enjoyed it. One of those stories that will stick with you, especially if you're in the woods.
An intense horror story that brings the reader right in the middle of the Whispering Woods. Callie struggles to survive, and doesn't know who to trust. I enjoyed the story and it was well written. The story surprised this reader, and you could feel the intensity of the unknown, and what may be lurking on the next page. A great read, and I enjoyed it. One of those stories that will stick with you, especially if you're in the woods.
August 11, 2017
Surprise twists & great writing - love it!
This book was in my "recommended for me" list on my kindle - so far amazon has been "en pointe" with those, plus who doesn't love ravens in horror stories? Loved the cover, too. This book starts by introducing its characters within a couple of different storylines, none of which drag out at all - these storylines quickly merge to bring everyone together. Four people each arrive at an abandoned cabin, all at different times. No one has a memory of how or why they are there. This cabin is located in a place called Whispering Woods, which is said to be haunted with "whispering trees" known to cause madness to those who can hear them. The kitchen contains mysterious sustenance in the form of the same few random (and reappearing) food items in the cupboard, and has working electricity & appliances. Upon exploration of their surroundings, they discover this cabin is miles from civilization & they can't contact the outside world. Abandoned roads and a ghost town add to the eerie setting (LOVE ghost towns), and every single store/building/house in the town is inexplicably empty - no furniture, no belongings, and the inside of each house or building has been gutted and painted completely white. I found this creepy for whatever reason, as it made me think of a play or movie set, which then causes the reader to question if this town was ever even real, or was it some facade set up for some unknown reason? To add to the anticipation, there are at least a couple of giant predators in the woods that appear at night, solidifying the feeling of entrapment in the cabin, where it's "safe." Great writing and continuous action combine with characters - each is sympathetic enough and likeable (some more than others), but each of them is also just "off" enough to force the reader to maintain some suspicion as to each person's true intentions and why they are all truly there. The four main characters try to figure out how to go about leaving the seclusion of Whispering Woods without losing their sanity in the interim, or worse, their lives. I loved it and couldn't it it down, definitely recommend it & I'm going to look for more books by this author!
This book was in my "recommended for me" list on my kindle - so far amazon has been "en pointe" with those, plus who doesn't love ravens in horror stories? Loved the cover, too. This book starts by introducing its characters within a couple of different storylines, none of which drag out at all - these storylines quickly merge to bring everyone together. Four people each arrive at an abandoned cabin, all at different times. No one has a memory of how or why they are there. This cabin is located in a place called Whispering Woods, which is said to be haunted with "whispering trees" known to cause madness to those who can hear them. The kitchen contains mysterious sustenance in the form of the same few random (and reappearing) food items in the cupboard, and has working electricity & appliances. Upon exploration of their surroundings, they discover this cabin is miles from civilization & they can't contact the outside world. Abandoned roads and a ghost town add to the eerie setting (LOVE ghost towns), and every single store/building/house in the town is inexplicably empty - no furniture, no belongings, and the inside of each house or building has been gutted and painted completely white. I found this creepy for whatever reason, as it made me think of a play or movie set, which then causes the reader to question if this town was ever even real, or was it some facade set up for some unknown reason? To add to the anticipation, there are at least a couple of giant predators in the woods that appear at night, solidifying the feeling of entrapment in the cabin, where it's "safe." Great writing and continuous action combine with characters - each is sympathetic enough and likeable (some more than others), but each of them is also just "off" enough to force the reader to maintain some suspicion as to each person's true intentions and why they are all truly there. The four main characters try to figure out how to go about leaving the seclusion of Whispering Woods without losing their sanity in the interim, or worse, their lives. I loved it and couldn't it it down, definitely recommend it & I'm going to look for more books by this author!
March 25, 2018
A Storytelling of Ravens
By R.H. Dixon
Review
By Larry Sells
A Storytelling of Ravens is a haunting book which reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe’s Raven. Four people, Pollyanna, Callie Crossley, Miles Golden alias Smiler, and Thurston appeared at this remote cabin where it stood surrounded by woods and a lake. Oh, yeah, can’t forget about the armies of black ocean of ravens.
What I believe to be a mystery that never is solved. You have three people who appear out of nowhere. Smiler said he appeared in the cabin. Callie found in the trunk tied up in engineless car that just appeared. Thurston appeared during a thunderstorm. Then, Pollyanna tells her family left her behind during a vacation in the cabin.
Part of the power of the story is Whispering Woods the name of the cabin. The cabin earned its name because of the woods. The woods could talk, and if you listened to them long enough, you will go insane.
That is only part of the mystery the reader will discover as they read this book of horror and mystery. R.H. Dixon wrote a book that made me look at remote cabins in a different angle. Before I read this book, it was something I wanted to rent. Now, I think I will not rent or purchase a remote cabin. A Storytelling of Ravens is written in layers, which makes it a powerful book. I enjoy reading it and I recommend it.
By R.H. Dixon
Review
By Larry Sells
A Storytelling of Ravens is a haunting book which reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe’s Raven. Four people, Pollyanna, Callie Crossley, Miles Golden alias Smiler, and Thurston appeared at this remote cabin where it stood surrounded by woods and a lake. Oh, yeah, can’t forget about the armies of black ocean of ravens.
What I believe to be a mystery that never is solved. You have three people who appear out of nowhere. Smiler said he appeared in the cabin. Callie found in the trunk tied up in engineless car that just appeared. Thurston appeared during a thunderstorm. Then, Pollyanna tells her family left her behind during a vacation in the cabin.
Part of the power of the story is Whispering Woods the name of the cabin. The cabin earned its name because of the woods. The woods could talk, and if you listened to them long enough, you will go insane.
That is only part of the mystery the reader will discover as they read this book of horror and mystery. R.H. Dixon wrote a book that made me look at remote cabins in a different angle. Before I read this book, it was something I wanted to rent. Now, I think I will not rent or purchase a remote cabin. A Storytelling of Ravens is written in layers, which makes it a powerful book. I enjoy reading it and I recommend it.
January 17, 2021
Do you know any stories?
No spoilers. 4 stars. A trip to a secluded lakeside cabin in the Whispering Woods on a windy, rainy night...
Do you know any stories? The children ask...
... Uncle Dean tells the legend of old Mally Murgatroid by firelight just before bedtime...
Others begin to arrive at the Whispering Woods cabin: an actress, a has-been teen idol, a movie producer who, coincidentally, looks like Uncle Dean...
There is no escaping the woods; it rains continually or is haunted by fog... their car is not running...
There is an unlimited supply of potatoes, tuna, chocolate & cigarettes which are mysteriously stocked each day...
There is a red & white swan room... and a locked tower room without a key...
... and there are ravens...
Two people in the group decide to leave the cabin and go through the woods for help. They follow a dirt forest access road to a deserted village...
The ravens follow...
There are other things out there... It isn't safe after dark in the Whispering Woods away from the cabin...
This atmospheric novel from the UK would be a good read for Halloween night. It is not bogged down with dreary backstory and filler. It flows swiftly and easily.
No spoilers. 4 stars. A trip to a secluded lakeside cabin in the Whispering Woods on a windy, rainy night...
Do you know any stories? The children ask...
... Uncle Dean tells the legend of old Mally Murgatroid by firelight just before bedtime...
Others begin to arrive at the Whispering Woods cabin: an actress, a has-been teen idol, a movie producer who, coincidentally, looks like Uncle Dean...
There is no escaping the woods; it rains continually or is haunted by fog... their car is not running...
There is an unlimited supply of potatoes, tuna, chocolate & cigarettes which are mysteriously stocked each day...
There is a red & white swan room... and a locked tower room without a key...
... and there are ravens...
Two people in the group decide to leave the cabin and go through the woods for help. They follow a dirt forest access road to a deserted village...
The ravens follow...
There are other things out there... It isn't safe after dark in the Whispering Woods away from the cabin...
This atmospheric novel from the UK would be a good read for Halloween night. It is not bogged down with dreary backstory and filler. It flows swiftly and easily.
November 19, 2017
This is a creepy and kafkaesque story set in a cabin in an isolated Scottish forest. It centres around Sarah Jane Miller, a neurotic and self-obsessed teenager who reminds me of Amy in Gone Girl, who has an obsessive crush on her mum's new boyfriend.
More and more people are drawn into a nightmare sequence of events which get more and more sinister and unreal as the characters try to discover why they are trapped here.
It is a skilfully written book which you immediately have to read again to fully understand the clues as to what is going on. Highly recommended!
More and more people are drawn into a nightmare sequence of events which get more and more sinister and unreal as the characters try to discover why they are trapped here.
It is a skilfully written book which you immediately have to read again to fully understand the clues as to what is going on. Highly recommended!
July 31, 2017
Unusual and unique
I actually really enjoyed this and did not see the twist at the end which though might be pretty out there was interesting. Ill definitely be reading more from this author
I actually really enjoyed this and did not see the twist at the end which though might be pretty out there was interesting. Ill definitely be reading more from this author
August 17, 2018
Though the premise, once you find out what it is, is fairly interesting, the unfolding is dull and I was able to skim read page after page, missing nothing that advanced the plot. When I - finally - arrived at the end to see the essential idea unfold, it all seemed a bit silly really.
August 15, 2017
Creepy!! This story had all the right stuff. Thought I had it figured out but my mind did not go there!
August 28, 2017
True thriller
I couldn't stop reading till the very last word. Amazing talent painting images and scenes. It was as if I were there.
I couldn't stop reading till the very last word. Amazing talent painting images and scenes. It was as if I were there.
October 6, 2017
Excellent read.
August 18, 2018
Great horror/creep factor through the book, but the ending wasn't as strong as the rest of the book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews