The House Without A Summer

by DeAnna Knippling

The last thing Marcus wants to do is be responsible for Penderbook; he wants only to spend the rest of his life playing cards, drinking, and seducing other men’s wives. But even the responsible life of an heir escapes from his grasp, as his brother’s body disappears, his father turns violent, and pale monsters horrify the countryside.

A tale of gothic, cosmic horror.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Cthulhu Mythos, Fiction

ebook

First published March 2, 2020

About the author

DeAnna Knippling is a professional freelance writer, ghostwriter, and editor. She has a browser history full of murder, gore, and Victorian street maps. She writes across many genres, but has a soft spot for all things crime, horror, and gothic. Her latest book is the Gothic horror novel The House Without a Summer. You can find her in Colorado with her husband and daughter, on her website at www.WonderlandPress.com, or on Facebook.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcus returns home back to Penderbrook from fighting in the war only to discover that his brother Barnabas is missing and his father the Earl of Penderbrook isn't as he once was. To make matters worse, a mysterious red fungus has invaded the family home and is making everyone crazy. Can he save Penderbrook, his friend Lucy, and stop the red fungus before it infects everyone else? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good gothic horror and HP lovecraft type story. If you enjoy these types of stories, be sure to check this ebook out now on Amazon.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

So superb! THE HOUSE WITHOUT SUMMER is excellent historical Weird Fiction with resonances of H. P. Lovecraft, Ann Radcliff, and Gregory Lewis. The elements of Cosmic Horror are--totally terrifying! There are evil humans (I thought of the 18th Century London Hellfire Club), evil that is not and never was human, and a Cosmic Otherness that echoes Lovecraft 's worst nightmares! For my mycological sensitivities, there is an implacable, constantly spreading, inescapable, Red Fungus! There is a Mad Scientist [Barnabas], an Evil Earl, a wise neighbor who is also an aspiring author [Lucy], the wild oats-sowing soldier brother matured by the Napoleonic Wars [Marcus], faithful retainers [butler Barton, and Cook], and many more. I totally devoured this book and would like to give it about 36 Stars!

[Rebecka · Rating 3 out of 5]

FAST FANCIFUL FIX

• I found myself quite intrigued by many aspects of the book
• Lucy was a character I very much enjoyed
• Marcus made for a good, flawed character
• The setting was really atmospheric
• I've never read a book set in 1816, so it was a good experience for me (and I was prompted to do some research about the real historical period which was fascinating)
• Unfortunately, that independent research is probably my favourite take away from the book
• The ending was a bit disappointing, felt like it went in a very strange direction
• Honestly, trying to sum up this book is difficult, it was a very strange combining of different concepts
• I believe it was several chapters too long
• There were a number of mistakes in the book, which I can normally ignore, however sometimes names were mixed up, which led to some confusion until I figured out the mistake
• Despite the mistakes, I quite liked the writing style

☆☆☆

[Sabetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, I picked this book up because of it's cover. It gave me a Cthulhu vibe, that I thought would fill the book as well. So if that is why you're also thinking about reading this book, I will just state here at the beginning, Cthulhu isn't in this book, or any creature of the likes.

With that being said, the story does have a very Lovecraft vibe going on leaving me with a 'the real monster is always men/humans' message as my final thoughts.

The story takes place in 1816 with flash forwards to the late 1800's, and the dialogue and actions of the characters all draw you into that time period very well. I enjoyed the format, timeshifts, and POV shifts. They added to the unsettling nature of the tale.

I wrap up was a bit lackluster for me, or I guess didn't really work/wasn't foreshadowed well? But I did love the flash forwards, they really tied the whole story together well.

I received this book via Hidden Gems Books

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reality Folds on Itself

This is a strange tale of the summer in England that never happened. The main characters are two brothers, their childhood playmate and their associated families. When Marcus is called back from the Napoleonic wars,he returns to a family estate that drags him down. Before the story has ended, the characters switch through time and space. They struggle with monsters, both human and supernatural. The writing makes great mental images, and it keeps the effects of the unusual weather in the foreground through the entire book. The words define unique locations and creatures. The reader is drawn in on many levels of suspense. I received a copy of this book through Authorsxp.

[Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I stumble on a book that leaves me speechless, but DeAnna Knippling's The House Without A Summer is almost impossible for me to describe. Here's what I can tell you: it's an absolutely gorgeous book. At times, I had to put the book down because the language was so beautiful. While I've read many Gothic horror novels, I'm guilty of sometimes skipping over the long-winded descriptions of crumbling manor houses and misty English moors and all the rest. But Knippling has a true gift for describing the horrific and occult; she can make the countryside roads leading from Penderbrook (and what a character that house is!) to the mill town churn with suspense and tension. Her language feels so authentic to the type of book she's emulating here: works by Ann Radcliffe and Henry James and Mary Shelley and Robert W. Chambers. If you enjoy that style of writing, then you'll enjoy The House Without A Summer.

Surprisingly, it's also a glorious pastiche of classic science-fiction/horror films. Knippling pulls out the best ideas from The Thing and Blade Runner and even Godzilla to create a book that simultaneously feels antiquated and completely contemporary. There's even a creepy Soylent Green moment that's clearly telegraphed to the reader beforehand but ends up being no less disturbing for that fact. While most Gothic horror novels are unsettling without ever actually being frightening, Knippling manages to get the best of both worlds. Don't get the wrong idea: while Knippling draws from familiar works, she has a real knack for coming up with fantastical characters and scenarios that are entirely her own. At times, I literally set the book aside and marveled at the things she'd come up with. There's a ton of creativity on display here, and it's nothing short of a joy to read.

And Penderbrook! What a literary invention! It stands its own ground against other heavy-hitters like the Castle of Otranto and Hill House and the Navidson-Green House. A House Without A Summer is, at its heart, a novel about homes and the families that fill them. I know that some readers were disappointed by the ending, but I thought it was a captivating way of depicting cycles of abuse. The players in this domestic drama — Marcus; Barnabus; James, Earl of Penderbrook; Mr. Abbott — are all doomed to repeat their roles until the universe literally collapses in on itself. But thanks to the decency of the players involved (or some of them at least), they're able to close this cycle off so that, while they can't save themselves, they also don't perpetuate it on innocent bystanders like Lucy. Lucy herself seems to realize she's been tainted by the cycle; however, her means of control becomes her sterility and determination not to marry. If I were still teaching high school today, I can honestly say I'd be tempted to add A House Without A Summer to my curriculum in lieu of some more classic Gothic texts. I feel like it's culturally relevant and genuinely frightening while still capturing what made those nineteenth-century novels so special.

I've never read any books by Knippling before, but if this is any indication of what she's capable of, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her work. Probably the best book I've read in 2020 to date.

[Laura Ruetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very thoughtful gothic horror. This is a subtle horror that creeps up on you as you read it and deeper you follow Marcus in the mystery of Penderbrook (and what happened to his brother), the more the horror feels tangible. It goes from a feeling of unsettled unease to otherworldly horror and I loved it!

Returning to his home, Marcus finds his brother dead and his father seemingly gone insane. With his brother's fiancee, Marcus tries to find the answers he seeks, not only about what happened to his brother but the nature of the red fungus that has permeated everything.

I was drawn into this story. With a subtle feeling of something not being right, to the outright horrors that come later on, this is a gothic horror worthy of a read. I enjoyed this book greatly. I highly recommend it.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat compelling, but terribly fragmented and amateurish.

[NoNo JoJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This book was a bit of a first for me - I've always had a passing interest in Lovecraft-esque horror, but rarely actually dive into it. I took a chance, though, and I'm glad I did. This book was delightfully horrific and disturbing. For the most part, it's a very atmospheric, creeping sort of horror, but as the implications and possibilities continue to build, it becomes genuinely very tense. There's a sort of gloomy dread to it that's perfect for the setting - the infamous year without summer.

The characters are strong and likable. I really liked Marcus as a protagonist, but the main girl (Lucy, maybe?) was good too. I found myself rooting for them and fearing for their safety. Even most of the minor characters, though still not incredibly deep, were likable.

The horror elements were strong and ever-present, even when they weren't directly on-screen. The main villain felt a bit lackluster at times, but that's expected from this sort of thing. My one big gripe was that this story went the way most existential horror novels do in the end, where it became disjointed, unfocused, and a bit hard to understand...but, again, that's kinda the point.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this read, and would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a moody gothic horror story and this meets all requirements. The Earl of Penderbrook has invited something horrifying to the manor and the adjacent village, an otherworldly fungus that spreads and takes over the area. His sons, Barnabus and Marcus, along with their childhood friend Lucy must stop their father before the world as they know it is lost.

Reminiscent of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, people are infected by the fungus which seems to come from another realm. They cease to be human as they morph into tall, pale wraiths that shelter in the Earl’s textile mill. Animals in the forest disappear as even the trees are affected.

When Barnabus succumbs, Marcus is called home from the war in France to take over the estate. With the help of Lucy and her father, he discovers the Earl’s evil plot. But can they stop the spread of the fungus and save the town and estate?

The atmosphere of this story is gloomy and the characters prim and proper, two must haves for a gothic novel. You can taste the fear that permeates the manor house as Marcus and Lucy try to make sense of Barnabus’ death. A dark horror novel that will keep you glued to your reading chair.

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I liked the characters and the style of the author but still it didn’t manage to quite grip me. The story from about half of the book starts to become more vague and even confusing in some points, and although I think this is by choice and adds to the „lovecraftian“-feel of the book I felt like I didn’t get quite enough details to be captivated by the story. There were some nice ideas that unfortunately weren’t developed further. I think this is a pretty hard genre to write, the author managed to captivate the general feeling of lovecraftian horror quite well, all the usual tropes are there, but something was missing for me. In the end it left me wishing the author would just have written a book in the same historical setting with less lovecraft because the general setting and characters appealed to me quite a lot.

[Tonya OK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rounded up from 1.5. The story started out well enough and built with reasonable suspense and all due creepiness for a while. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and found them almost alien in their personalities and interactions, but the story was atmospheric and true to the gothic horror genre. Until just past the half-way point. I honestly can’t make sense of what happened in the second half of the book. It felt like reading something written during a bad acid trip. Out of that incoherent nonsense, I think i managed to get a general idea of what happened, though I am not entirely sure I am not making it up. Also, while there is a lot of talk of “why,” I couldn’t tell you if you held a gun to my head. But end of the book, I was left exhausted and somewhat concerned about my own sanity.

[Mark Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird book and that's what kept me going: a gothic fairy tale with some Arthur Machen and Lovecraftian effects and a decent writing style. The historical context at the beginning was great. The characters never quite became interesting, but the chaotic story was fun enough, if a bit slow at moments. Really this book probably deserves two stars on quality alone but I'm giving it a third because its unexpected turns into strangeness were, if not always worthwhile enough as a narrative, at least full of the unexpected. If you can get it cheap and are looking for some horror that's not quite like the horror you've read before, give it a try. If you want some fantastically good horror reading, I'd say look elsewhere.

[Lala (Daily Dose of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire review is on my blog: https://dailydoseofbooks.wixsite.com/...
I came across this book by mistake, and when I saw the title, I was intrigued. I have always been a fan of historical fiction but never read a horror book, so this novel over here was about to be a surprise to me! 'The House Without A Summer' is the sort of volume you don't get over quite effortlessly!

Before continuing I have to say this I received a free copy of the book from the author.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other reviews and blurbs advertised this as a Gothic story of Lovecraftian flavor. And I get it, I do. There is enough universal horror in here to fill several of HP‘s short story. However, what makes Lovecraft so great - namely being afraid of what we do not know or understand - is unfortunately lacking here. The (body) horror is fairly straightforward, and the protagonists go about trying to explain everything that is going on. While understandable, it just didn‘t grip me as much as I‘d hoped.

I‘d give this story a 3.5; it‘s just not quite a 4-star-story for me.

[Leslie Wiederspan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange and well written tale about... monsters and time travel? Alternate realities? It has so much to offer, it is really difficult to fit it into one category. I can just suggest to read it and decide for yourself! Chapter 10 and 11 were a bit confusing, just to forewarn. A few names were switched around. It was not Barnabas at the bottom of the stairs; it was Barton. Barnabas is dead. Or something like it. (Not a spoiler.)

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfactory story telling

I love this kind of gothic story. Everything was really cool until I could not distinguish which one was the real happening and which one was the imaginary after life effort to defeat the evil.
After that i got more and more lost since the dead return as if they were still alive and possessed full control over their modified bodies. This last part of the story was confusing as an ending.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has twist after twist and proved to be very hard to put down. I loved the Gothic and Lovecraftian feel. The story draws you ever deeper into the mystery and weirdness. This is the authors re imagining of a historical event. I look forward to reading more of this author.

[Donna Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovecraftian Regency Horror

Change a few words, and this could easily have been part of the Cthulhu mythos - the creeping horror, the Goat of a Thousand Young, and all the rest. Definitely worth a read for horror fans.

[Tamera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually someone who reads horror,, and this book was included in a collection I bought. Wow! I was sucked into the story immediately, the pacing was great, and it was a very smooth read. I struggled putting it down when bedtime came. That's always a sign of a great story.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not my usual genre but the storyline was very.....intriguing.

[Scoobydrewz · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

[Scott Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first part was excellent. The last third of the book or so was terrible.

[Roy DeRousse · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @25%. The premise was interesting, but it was so SLOW 25% into the book. I didn't know much more then than I did at the start of the book. Maybe I'll pick it up again at some later date.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling story, but structured awkwardly and got a bit too ridiculous towards the end.

EDIT: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a much better book with similar themes.