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The Hollows
In a lonely village in the Peak District, during the onset of a once-in-a-lifetime snow storm, Constable Ellie Cheetham finds a body. The man, a local ne'er-do-well, appears to have died in a tragic accident: he drank too much and froze to death.
But the facts don't add up: the dead man is clutching a knife in one hand, and there's evidence he was hiding from someone. Someone who watched him die. Stranger still, an odd mark has been drawn onto a stone beside his body.
The next victims are two families on the outskirts of town. As the storm rises and the body count grows, Ellie realises she has a terrifying problem on her hands: someone – or some thing – is killing indiscriminately, attacking in the darkness and using the storm for cover.
The killer is circling ever closer to the village. The storm's getting worse... and the power's just gone out.
But the facts don't add up: the dead man is clutching a knife in one hand, and there's evidence he was hiding from someone. Someone who watched him die. Stranger still, an odd mark has been drawn onto a stone beside his body.
The next victims are two families on the outskirts of town. As the storm rises and the body count grows, Ellie realises she has a terrifying problem on her hands: someone – or some thing – is killing indiscriminately, attacking in the darkness and using the storm for cover.
The killer is circling ever closer to the village. The storm's getting worse... and the power's just gone out.
460 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2022
186 people are currently reading
3935 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Church
3 books34 followersDaniel Church is a British horror writer. His writing is inspired by a lifelong passion for the genre and its roots in folklore and a fierce connection with the underdog and the marginalised in society. He grew up in Lancashire and now lives in the Wirral with his wife, who is also a writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
June 21, 2023
My complete review of The Hollows is available at Grimdark Magazine.
A small village experiences big terror in The Hollows, the thrilling debut novel by British horror writer Daniel Church.
The Hollows is set in the Peak District, a sparsely populated upland region of middle England, which makes the perfect backdrop for horror.
As the book opens, a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm envelops the isolated village of Barsall. The town constable, Ellie Cheetham, is investigating the demise of a local deadbeat, who has apparently frozen to death after passing out drunk in the midst of the storm.
However, the circumstances of his death point to a more complicated explanation, as the dead man is found gripping a knife in an apparent attempt at self-defense. More oddly, a mysterious symbol is found drawn on a stone near the body of the victim. While the initial setup for The Hollows follows that of a traditional crime thriller, a sense of horror steadily builds throughout the novel, becoming the dominant mood for most of the book.
Although Ellie Cheetham is the main protagonist of The Hollows, the viewpoint shifts among three other strong female leads. Church paints convincing, multifaceted portraits of all four leads, each of whom has realistic flaws making them relatable and largely sympathetic characters.
Daniel Church grabs the reader’s attention from the first few pages and maintains a fast-paced plot throughout the book, steadily building suspense as the body count rises. The author’s crisp writing style is a perfect match for the brutal, wintry setting of the novel. The last hundred pages of the book are a romp, culminating with an epic climactic scene. Daniel Church kept me glued to the pages, unable to put the novel down until I arrived, reluctantly, at the end, leaving me thirsty for more.
I especially enjoyed the cultish folk horror aspects of The Hollows, but I wish the author had provided greater depth to the history of the village and its local legends. At the end of the novel, I was still left wondering why these urban legends were known only to a small sliver of the population, leaving others in ignorance.
One other minor complaint is that although The Hollows is full of action, there is a sameness to many of the action scenes. I was hoping for a bit more variety in the types of action experienced by the characters. But these are small criticisms in a book that is, overwhelmingly, a very exciting and thought-provoking read.
All in all, The Hollows is an extraordinary debut novel, establishing Daniel Church as an electrifying new voice in speculative fiction.
A small village experiences big terror in The Hollows, the thrilling debut novel by British horror writer Daniel Church.
The Hollows is set in the Peak District, a sparsely populated upland region of middle England, which makes the perfect backdrop for horror.
As the book opens, a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm envelops the isolated village of Barsall. The town constable, Ellie Cheetham, is investigating the demise of a local deadbeat, who has apparently frozen to death after passing out drunk in the midst of the storm.
However, the circumstances of his death point to a more complicated explanation, as the dead man is found gripping a knife in an apparent attempt at self-defense. More oddly, a mysterious symbol is found drawn on a stone near the body of the victim. While the initial setup for The Hollows follows that of a traditional crime thriller, a sense of horror steadily builds throughout the novel, becoming the dominant mood for most of the book.
Although Ellie Cheetham is the main protagonist of The Hollows, the viewpoint shifts among three other strong female leads. Church paints convincing, multifaceted portraits of all four leads, each of whom has realistic flaws making them relatable and largely sympathetic characters.
Daniel Church grabs the reader’s attention from the first few pages and maintains a fast-paced plot throughout the book, steadily building suspense as the body count rises. The author’s crisp writing style is a perfect match for the brutal, wintry setting of the novel. The last hundred pages of the book are a romp, culminating with an epic climactic scene. Daniel Church kept me glued to the pages, unable to put the novel down until I arrived, reluctantly, at the end, leaving me thirsty for more.
I especially enjoyed the cultish folk horror aspects of The Hollows, but I wish the author had provided greater depth to the history of the village and its local legends. At the end of the novel, I was still left wondering why these urban legends were known only to a small sliver of the population, leaving others in ignorance.
One other minor complaint is that although The Hollows is full of action, there is a sameness to many of the action scenes. I was hoping for a bit more variety in the types of action experienced by the characters. But these are small criticisms in a book that is, overwhelmingly, a very exciting and thought-provoking read.
All in all, The Hollows is an extraordinary debut novel, establishing Daniel Church as an electrifying new voice in speculative fiction.
September 10, 2022
My thanks to Angry Robot, Daniel Church and Netgalley.
I loved the way this story started out. Heck, I was for sure and certain that I'd be giving this a glowing review!
Beep. Beep! Yeah, back that up!
The premise was freaking awesome! Unfortunately, this story was repetitive as anything I've read and hated before.
The damned thing just seemed to go on and on.
By the end, I just didn't give a hairy rat's ass about any of it! I just wanted it to be over. It's nice to see other's rated this higher than me, but this is one long assed story that would have been better if it had at least 100 pages cut out. "Again, too repetitive."
No recommendations for this mess.
I loved the way this story started out. Heck, I was for sure and certain that I'd be giving this a glowing review!
Beep. Beep! Yeah, back that up!
The premise was freaking awesome! Unfortunately, this story was repetitive as anything I've read and hated before.
The damned thing just seemed to go on and on.
By the end, I just didn't give a hairy rat's ass about any of it! I just wanted it to be over. It's nice to see other's rated this higher than me, but this is one long assed story that would have been better if it had at least 100 pages cut out. "Again, too repetitive."
No recommendations for this mess.
October 20, 2022
Another Horror October read and another disappointment. *sigh*
This started off so great, especially when we're introduced to the Tatterskins, but then just rambled on for hundreds of pages and with a 460 page count that is no lie. I also felt like the constant one-liners and jokes really took me out of the story. It's hard to feel scared when everyone is wisecracking. The backwoods family didn't really do it for me either - the word c*nt had to have been used hundreds of times and as a person that has a bit of a potty mouth myself even I was sick of hearing it.
I don't really have much else to say if I'm being honest. This was a bust plain and simple. Onwards! 2 stars for a great idea that never really came to fruition!
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for my complimentary copy.
This started off so great, especially when we're introduced to the Tatterskins, but then just rambled on for hundreds of pages and with a 460 page count that is no lie. I also felt like the constant one-liners and jokes really took me out of the story. It's hard to feel scared when everyone is wisecracking. The backwoods family didn't really do it for me either - the word c*nt had to have been used hundreds of times and as a person that has a bit of a potty mouth myself even I was sick of hearing it.
I don't really have much else to say if I'm being honest. This was a bust plain and simple. Onwards! 2 stars for a great idea that never really came to fruition!
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for my complimentary copy.
January 17, 2023
"Board your window, keep on your light, when Tatterskin walks at night."
Guess who's waking up to celebrate the winter solstice?
As murders and strange disappearances rock a tiny village, one police officer finds herself pitted against not only a truly terrifying, heavily-armed family of ne'er-do-wells, but an ancient evil bent on wiping mankind from the face of the earth.
Okay, that's a bit overly dramatic, I suppose, but, DAMN! This involving horror/thriller has everything, from strong female characters, to creepy creatures, and even a rare instance of a small group of survivors that actually works together instead of squabbling among themselves. I found this one to be enjoyable, immersive, and vastly entertaining.
"You'll see. You'll all see. They'll come for you tonight. All of you."
A big thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for sharing this one.
Guess who's waking up to celebrate the winter solstice?
As murders and strange disappearances rock a tiny village, one police officer finds herself pitted against not only a truly terrifying, heavily-armed family of ne'er-do-wells, but an ancient evil bent on wiping mankind from the face of the earth.
Okay, that's a bit overly dramatic, I suppose, but, DAMN! This involving horror/thriller has everything, from strong female characters, to creepy creatures, and even a rare instance of a small group of survivors that actually works together instead of squabbling among themselves. I found this one to be enjoyable, immersive, and vastly entertaining.
"You'll see. You'll all see. They'll come for you tonight. All of you."
A big thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for sharing this one.
August 6, 2022
A truly creepy "creature feature" from Daniel Church - A small village cut off in winter where something evil lurks
The setting is descriptively chilling and the fear factor is high as an eclectic group of characters band together to survive the darkness.
The underlying tension stalks the reader throughout and it is both scary and entertaining.
Great writing and a modern take on classic horror, The Hollows is well worth a read if you are a fan of the genre. Great stuff.
The setting is descriptively chilling and the fear factor is high as an eclectic group of characters band together to survive the darkness.
The underlying tension stalks the reader throughout and it is both scary and entertaining.
Great writing and a modern take on classic horror, The Hollows is well worth a read if you are a fan of the genre. Great stuff.
March 26, 2024
The Hollows by Daniel Church is best described as folk horror. It's a chilling tale that takes place in England's Peak District. A huge winter storm has moved in right at Winter's Solstice and the small village of Barsall is under siege. Unable to raise contact with neighboring villages - or anyone from the outside world for that matter - Constable Ellie Cheetham does what she can to protect the village. From what? I'll let you read the book to discover that!
I felt a strong attachment to Ellie. She was a great strong female lead. My connection with her character may have been the fact that she was written to be very human in spite of her strength. She wasn't overly bold or doing unbelievably heroic things. She had her own struggles and doubts. Her character grew a bit throughout the story, which I also found endearing.
I found this book full of suspense. I read a lot of it on lunch breaks at work. It wasn't easy to set it down and get back to work when my lunch time was over! Many scenes had my adrenaline up and gasping or talking to the characters. A few times my husband had to ask me, "the book?" to make sure there wasn't something wrong with me.
In closing, there was a lot more going on in the pages of The Hollows than the main storyline. There were themes of community, belonging, family, and faith in something bigger than ourselves. There was some harm to animals - fair trigger warning there for those who need it. I ended up giving this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. This was a very strong novel right out of the gates for Daniel Church and I look forward to seeing what else he writes in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I felt a strong attachment to Ellie. She was a great strong female lead. My connection with her character may have been the fact that she was written to be very human in spite of her strength. She wasn't overly bold or doing unbelievably heroic things. She had her own struggles and doubts. Her character grew a bit throughout the story, which I also found endearing.
I found this book full of suspense. I read a lot of it on lunch breaks at work. It wasn't easy to set it down and get back to work when my lunch time was over! Many scenes had my adrenaline up and gasping or talking to the characters. A few times my husband had to ask me, "the book?" to make sure there wasn't something wrong with me.
In closing, there was a lot more going on in the pages of The Hollows than the main storyline. There were themes of community, belonging, family, and faith in something bigger than ourselves. There was some harm to animals - fair trigger warning there for those who need it. I ended up giving this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. This was a very strong novel right out of the gates for Daniel Church and I look forward to seeing what else he writes in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 17, 2022
3.0 stars
I love winter horror so the premise of this one certainly sounded up my alley. It hit on many of the classic elements and tropes of the genre, but I'll admit this one didn't have something that made it stand out within the subgenre. The characters were kind of annoying (which is a trope of survival horror) but it didn't work to keep me invested in the story. This was fine, but I wanted more. If you love survival winter horror and are looking for more, you may still want to check this one out.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I love winter horror so the premise of this one certainly sounded up my alley. It hit on many of the classic elements and tropes of the genre, but I'll admit this one didn't have something that made it stand out within the subgenre. The characters were kind of annoying (which is a trope of survival horror) but it didn't work to keep me invested in the story. This was fine, but I wanted more. If you love survival winter horror and are looking for more, you may still want to check this one out.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
October 13, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 8, 2022
“The Hollows” by British writer, Daniel Church, has to be on your Halloween 2022 read-list! It has everything- from frozen dead bodies, to a “ride or die” family from the wrong side of the tracks, to really creepy crawlies that are beyond your wildest nightmares. Church’s plot had me thinking of Stephen King, and considering King is one of my favourites, this is definitely high praise!
A dead body is discovered in the snow, literally frozen stiff. When Constable Ellie Cheetham recognizes the body as member of the local “wrong side of the tracks” family, she thinks the hardest part of her day is going to be notifying his powerful and angry mother of the discovery. But Cheetham’s day is just getting started. As a winter storm rages through her town, more dead bodies are found- all with strange charcoal markings near their bodies. When Ellie finally understands what’s behind the killings, it’s so unbelievable she almost can’t accept it. Until the storm gets worse, the lights go out, and the whole town is under attack.
Church’s novel takes place over the course of a few days right before Christmas. In an isolated, lonely town, one would expect quiet as the residents prefer for a brutal winter storm and the upcoming holidays, but they are, indeed, faced with the very opposite. A gripping and chilling (yes, I went there) novel with a powerhouse plot, “The Hollows” literally gave me goosebumps.
The story is narrated by Ellie for the most part, although other townspeople start to share their stories as the plot unfolds. It is always very clear who is speaking and with a wide variety of likable characters, I was interested in each and every one.
Church weaves a horror tale like a true master, pulling in readers from the very first page with his lonely, barren setting and mysterious “Tatterskins” (“terrifying” being the only word I can use that describes these wretched non-human creatures) and the ending provided enough answers to satisfy my curiousity, but still left just enough to pick up a sequel, if Church is so inclined (PLEASE be so inclined!)
I love when I find new horror authors to discover, and I highly recommend taking a chance on Church, if you haven’t already!
Expected publication date: November 8, 2022
“The Hollows” by British writer, Daniel Church, has to be on your Halloween 2022 read-list! It has everything- from frozen dead bodies, to a “ride or die” family from the wrong side of the tracks, to really creepy crawlies that are beyond your wildest nightmares. Church’s plot had me thinking of Stephen King, and considering King is one of my favourites, this is definitely high praise!
A dead body is discovered in the snow, literally frozen stiff. When Constable Ellie Cheetham recognizes the body as member of the local “wrong side of the tracks” family, she thinks the hardest part of her day is going to be notifying his powerful and angry mother of the discovery. But Cheetham’s day is just getting started. As a winter storm rages through her town, more dead bodies are found- all with strange charcoal markings near their bodies. When Ellie finally understands what’s behind the killings, it’s so unbelievable she almost can’t accept it. Until the storm gets worse, the lights go out, and the whole town is under attack.
Church’s novel takes place over the course of a few days right before Christmas. In an isolated, lonely town, one would expect quiet as the residents prefer for a brutal winter storm and the upcoming holidays, but they are, indeed, faced with the very opposite. A gripping and chilling (yes, I went there) novel with a powerhouse plot, “The Hollows” literally gave me goosebumps.
The story is narrated by Ellie for the most part, although other townspeople start to share their stories as the plot unfolds. It is always very clear who is speaking and with a wide variety of likable characters, I was interested in each and every one.
Church weaves a horror tale like a true master, pulling in readers from the very first page with his lonely, barren setting and mysterious “Tatterskins” (“terrifying” being the only word I can use that describes these wretched non-human creatures) and the ending provided enough answers to satisfy my curiousity, but still left just enough to pick up a sequel, if Church is so inclined (PLEASE be so inclined!)
I love when I find new horror authors to discover, and I highly recommend taking a chance on Church, if you haven’t already!
August 28, 2022
3.5 stars. Review to come closer to publication date.
December 24, 2025
Dnf 16%
Animal cruelty. Absolutely not
Animal cruelty. Absolutely not
December 5, 2022
The Hollows is a fantastic exploration of good and evil. It’s a stark picture of folk tales and reality, like a Russian Doll the nightmares continue to keep revealing themselves.
Are you looking for a wintery read that gives you chills, not only from the seasonal weather but also from the chokehold of an ancient evil that begs to be awakened? If the answer is yes, then The Hollows by Daniel Church will be right up your street. The author proves that horror is a genre for any season, not just Halloween.
Horror is my lifeblood. I need it to continue breathing. Some people have shopping, some have gaming, and I have horror. I couldn’t imagine my life without those novels that make you think twice about whether that door was locked or whether you can risk sleeping with the light off. I’ve read so many books lately that offer that hit for me, but The Hollows was something unique, something so refreshing I sat stunned when that final page had been laid to rest. Usually, I can see twists coming but I was thrown for a loop with this one. The Peak District in my experience has been an underutilized location for horror but one that oozes with malintent (in the right light, of course.)
The Hollows is built around isolation and the dangers that come with the dark. Ellie, a small-town police officer is still dealing with the fallout from her own life falling apart – a grieving mother and the resulting collapse of her marriage has left her feeling without purpose, just going through the motions. The loss of her son has her wrapped up tight, the surrounding storm threatens to engulf her completely. The author captures this sense of emptiness beautifully.
A body is found – Tony Harper, a member of the infamous Harper family. Ellie finds him frozen in the snow. On first inspection, it appears that he didn’t make it home due to intoxication, but his dead body still grips a knife, a man in defense, but of what? There are strange markings etched in stone near his corpse and it puzzles Ellie who as a police officer always deals with facts. Meanwhile, the weather is closing in, and no roads in or out of this village are passable. She needs to make the dreaded trip to The Harpers family farm to deliver the news of Liz Harper’s son.
The Harper Family is a great structural support to the story arc. It brought more danger to the fray. They are unhinged, inbred, and care for only themselves, and then not all of them. Liz the Matriarch is a horror of a woman. She behaves disgustingly towards her only daughter, Jess. A young mother with young baby Joel, who has been fathered by dubious means. The other live wire is Keira, who is in a relationship with one of the sons. She’s trigger-happy and has had her eyes set on Ellie for a while. A menacing family that knows Tony’s death is the penultimate switch to far greater deeds to come, something their family bible has foretold.
The first night of carnage sees the destruction of the local pub, and many houses. Whoever did this takes the occupants because they vanish into thin air. The author gives you just enough information to be intrigued whilst spinning an event that will come to the fore in further chapters. It’s like small drops of rain falling on your window, he scatters hints as to where this is leading. The shadows are lurking awaiting the moment of glory. Ellie witnesses her world getting all the ever darker.
Are you looking for a wintery read that gives you chills, not only from the seasonal weather but also from the chokehold of an ancient evil that begs to be awakened? If the answer is yes, then The Hollows by Daniel Church will be right up your street. The author proves that horror is a genre for any season, not just Halloween.
Horror is my lifeblood. I need it to continue breathing. Some people have shopping, some have gaming, and I have horror. I couldn’t imagine my life without those novels that make you think twice about whether that door was locked or whether you can risk sleeping with the light off. I’ve read so many books lately that offer that hit for me, but The Hollows was something unique, something so refreshing I sat stunned when that final page had been laid to rest. Usually, I can see twists coming but I was thrown for a loop with this one. The Peak District in my experience has been an underutilized location for horror but one that oozes with malintent (in the right light, of course.)
The Hollows is built around isolation and the dangers that come with the dark. Ellie, a small-town police officer is still dealing with the fallout from her own life falling apart – a grieving mother and the resulting collapse of her marriage has left her feeling without purpose, just going through the motions. The loss of her son has her wrapped up tight, the surrounding storm threatens to engulf her completely. The author captures this sense of emptiness beautifully.
A body is found – Tony Harper, a member of the infamous Harper family. Ellie finds him frozen in the snow. On first inspection, it appears that he didn’t make it home due to intoxication, but his dead body still grips a knife, a man in defense, but of what? There are strange markings etched in stone near his corpse and it puzzles Ellie who as a police officer always deals with facts. Meanwhile, the weather is closing in, and no roads in or out of this village are passable. She needs to make the dreaded trip to The Harpers family farm to deliver the news of Liz Harper’s son.
The Harper Family is a great structural support to the story arc. It brought more danger to the fray. They are unhinged, inbred, and care for only themselves, and then not all of them. Liz the Matriarch is a horror of a woman. She behaves disgustingly towards her only daughter, Jess. A young mother with young baby Joel, who has been fathered by dubious means. The other live wire is Keira, who is in a relationship with one of the sons. She’s trigger-happy and has had her eyes set on Ellie for a while. A menacing family that knows Tony’s death is the penultimate switch to far greater deeds to come, something their family bible has foretold.
The first night of carnage sees the destruction of the local pub, and many houses. Whoever did this takes the occupants because they vanish into thin air. The author gives you just enough information to be intrigued whilst spinning an event that will come to the fore in further chapters. It’s like small drops of rain falling on your window, he scatters hints as to where this is leading. The shadows are lurking awaiting the moment of glory. Ellie witnesses her world getting all the ever darker.
December 2, 2022
DNF at 50 %.
This had so much promise! A small town cut off from the rest of the world by a snow storm. Mysterious creatures attacking its inhabitants. A lone policewoman trying to keep order and make sure as many people survive this as possible... Yup, the description was right up my alley, so I went into this book with a certain amount of excitement.
And the beginning was good. Ellie discovers a body and realizes it's one of the residents. Apparently he froze to death and there are strange markings next to his body. That's creepy. The introduction to the monsters was also creepy and frankly terrifying. Those are the stuff of nightmares, alright. I wouldn't want to see one of them outside my window at night.
But that's about where the positives end for me. The book is way too long for its own good. It drags. The story meanders at a leisury pace when it should be rushing along revving up the suspense. I mean I quit reading right after our first real glimpse of the Tatterskins, and that was at 50% if the book. And I would have tried to stay with the story if the constant distractions were useful to deepen the character relationships or tell us more about the town. But it really doesn't.
My second problem, and the one that ultimately made me call it quits, is the fact that all characters are caricatures of themselves. The bad people are so villainous, they don't even feel like real people, like that one inbred family at the farm. The good ones are good, but one-dimensional. I couldn't tell you what Ellie looks like or what her story is. Yes, there is mentions of her loosing her son, but never in much detail. Other villagers just blend into one indistinctive mass of people.
But what made me throw the towel was how the wife of the second cop was portrayed. I understand that we aren't supposed to empathize with her. I understand that the protagonist doesn't like her. But why did she have to be portrayed as an arrogant screeching harrigan who cares more about her car being totaled and tearing Ellie a new one than the fact that her husband is missing and presumed dead? Unless she is so heartless that she was planning her husband's murder and the monsters just happened to hasten things, this is an extremely unnatural reaction. That was so jarring to me that I closed the book and never looked back.
There is a good story somewhere in there, it's just buried under excessive wordcount and poor characterization.
PS: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This had so much promise! A small town cut off from the rest of the world by a snow storm. Mysterious creatures attacking its inhabitants. A lone policewoman trying to keep order and make sure as many people survive this as possible... Yup, the description was right up my alley, so I went into this book with a certain amount of excitement.
And the beginning was good. Ellie discovers a body and realizes it's one of the residents. Apparently he froze to death and there are strange markings next to his body. That's creepy. The introduction to the monsters was also creepy and frankly terrifying. Those are the stuff of nightmares, alright. I wouldn't want to see one of them outside my window at night.
But that's about where the positives end for me. The book is way too long for its own good. It drags. The story meanders at a leisury pace when it should be rushing along revving up the suspense. I mean I quit reading right after our first real glimpse of the Tatterskins, and that was at 50% if the book. And I would have tried to stay with the story if the constant distractions were useful to deepen the character relationships or tell us more about the town. But it really doesn't.
My second problem, and the one that ultimately made me call it quits, is the fact that all characters are caricatures of themselves. The bad people are so villainous, they don't even feel like real people, like that one inbred family at the farm. The good ones are good, but one-dimensional. I couldn't tell you what Ellie looks like or what her story is. Yes, there is mentions of her loosing her son, but never in much detail. Other villagers just blend into one indistinctive mass of people.
But what made me throw the towel was how the wife of the second cop was portrayed. I understand that we aren't supposed to empathize with her. I understand that the protagonist doesn't like her. But why did she have to be portrayed as an arrogant screeching harrigan who cares more about her car being totaled and tearing Ellie a new one than the fact that her husband is missing and presumed dead? Unless she is so heartless that she was planning her husband's murder and the monsters just happened to hasten things, this is an extremely unnatural reaction. That was so jarring to me that I closed the book and never looked back.
There is a good story somewhere in there, it's just buried under excessive wordcount and poor characterization.
PS: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2022
I do a lot of freelance copyediting/proofreading for a variety of publishers but I rarely list those on Goodreads because I consider them to be work rather than reading, and also if I were to list them all I might be less favourable towards some titles which would be wholly unprofessional of me. Suffice to say, I've decided to only list books which I believe I would have sought out and enjoyed independently of 'work'.
In that regard, "The Hollows" is absolutely deserving of mention. A folk horror novel set in the Peak District with believable characters who perform believable actions where even the unbelievable is rendered believable, this richly detailed, page-turner hits all the right spots. Its main strength is the interplay between the characters, each are multi-faceted with individual flaws and motivations, and at no point did they fall into the horror trope traps of doing things that no one in their right mind would do. This thoughtful, intelligent book treads well-worn paths respectfully but not without surprises, presenting the reader with a variety of 'what would I do' scenarios that makes us feel part of the plot as opposed to bystanders. The denouement is effective, the final chapter particularly chilling. No doubt the best horror novel I will read this year.
In that regard, "The Hollows" is absolutely deserving of mention. A folk horror novel set in the Peak District with believable characters who perform believable actions where even the unbelievable is rendered believable, this richly detailed, page-turner hits all the right spots. Its main strength is the interplay between the characters, each are multi-faceted with individual flaws and motivations, and at no point did they fall into the horror trope traps of doing things that no one in their right mind would do. This thoughtful, intelligent book treads well-worn paths respectfully but not without surprises, presenting the reader with a variety of 'what would I do' scenarios that makes us feel part of the plot as opposed to bystanders. The denouement is effective, the final chapter particularly chilling. No doubt the best horror novel I will read this year.
February 9, 2023
When you have one hours left to listen to and you really, really just want the book to end. Yeah, kind of regret picking this book. There are plenty of people out there that enjoyed this book so, however I did not and to be honest I should have stopped listening but I was stubborn and suddenly I was halfway through the book, and perhaps it will get better. It did not...
October 9, 2022
I’m trying to read as much horror as I can this October, I’m a huge fan of reading thematically and seasonally. And while this folk horror frightfest is perfectly suitable for October, it would also make a great fit for Christmas since the story takes place around and on Winter Solstice.
So whenever you’re choosing to read it…here’s my two cents.
First and foremost, it’s an impressive tome: in sheer volume, in quality of writing, in haunting terror of it all.
The concept isn’t the most original thing, but then again, what in genre is? You have your nightmarish creatures that sleep most of the time and sometimes wake up to demand sacrifices and wreak havoc on a small community. You have your heroic locals and your villainous locals and the epic battle between good and evil. And all that. So far so familiar.
And like I always say, if you can’t reinvent the wheel, make sure to spin it well. That the author does. He spins his yarn well, expertly. Perhaps, too intensely so?
By this I mean, it’s detailed. It’s exhaustively detailed. It reads nearly real time…sometimes, it reads longer than real time. Every action, every thought, is described with a precision of a clockmaker. It’s what accounts for much of the book’s considerable bulk. And it’s ultimately what served as the main detractor for me with this otherwise very good book.
But it stands to mention, this is a very personal preference. I do not like fat books and I cannot lie. I find them (mostly) indulgent and overdone. I believe in streamlining the narrative. I also don’t necessarily need every single thing in the story to be described so minutely. For me it drags the reading experience down. Makes it kind of a slog. Which is crazy because this is by nature a very dynamic book chock loaded with action.
Is that action fun? Yes, absolutely. Did it need to be described with such play-by-play precision? Not for me.
But aside from that not-inconsiderable aside, the book gets a lot right. From a nice mythology-steeped backstory to strong exciting characters. The latter are pretty much all women. The author obviously knows what sells these days, but whatever happened to diversity? Don’t want to mix it up with some Y chromosome?
No, not really, all women, the heroes and the villains. And good ones, too.
And there are some really great intense scenes in the book that actually work due to or in spite of the overdetailing.
So, overall, a well written, atmospheric, exciting literary horror, albeit at times much too long and over-rendered for this reviewer. In recognition of all that's right here, I'm even going to round up my rating. Thanks Netgalley.
So whenever you’re choosing to read it…here’s my two cents.
First and foremost, it’s an impressive tome: in sheer volume, in quality of writing, in haunting terror of it all.
The concept isn’t the most original thing, but then again, what in genre is? You have your nightmarish creatures that sleep most of the time and sometimes wake up to demand sacrifices and wreak havoc on a small community. You have your heroic locals and your villainous locals and the epic battle between good and evil. And all that. So far so familiar.
And like I always say, if you can’t reinvent the wheel, make sure to spin it well. That the author does. He spins his yarn well, expertly. Perhaps, too intensely so?
By this I mean, it’s detailed. It’s exhaustively detailed. It reads nearly real time…sometimes, it reads longer than real time. Every action, every thought, is described with a precision of a clockmaker. It’s what accounts for much of the book’s considerable bulk. And it’s ultimately what served as the main detractor for me with this otherwise very good book.
But it stands to mention, this is a very personal preference. I do not like fat books and I cannot lie. I find them (mostly) indulgent and overdone. I believe in streamlining the narrative. I also don’t necessarily need every single thing in the story to be described so minutely. For me it drags the reading experience down. Makes it kind of a slog. Which is crazy because this is by nature a very dynamic book chock loaded with action.
Is that action fun? Yes, absolutely. Did it need to be described with such play-by-play precision? Not for me.
But aside from that not-inconsiderable aside, the book gets a lot right. From a nice mythology-steeped backstory to strong exciting characters. The latter are pretty much all women. The author obviously knows what sells these days, but whatever happened to diversity? Don’t want to mix it up with some Y chromosome?
No, not really, all women, the heroes and the villains. And good ones, too.
And there are some really great intense scenes in the book that actually work due to or in spite of the overdetailing.
So, overall, a well written, atmospheric, exciting literary horror, albeit at times much too long and over-rendered for this reviewer. In recognition of all that's right here, I'm even going to round up my rating. Thanks Netgalley.
December 8, 2022
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/12/08/...
I went into The Hollows without knowing much about the book beyond that it was a horror set in a remote English village in the middle of a snowstorm. What I expected was something more in line with a psychological suspense, but instead what I got reminded me very much of 30 Days of Night with a dash of Midnight Mass—a claustrophobic pulse-pounding thriller with a paranormal component and featuring religious themes of good versus evil in a war as old as time.
In the sleepy town of Barsall, it isn’t too uncommon to find a few bodies frozen in the snow every winter, usually of lost travelers who wandered too far from the trail or underestimated the dangers of the bitter cold. But the latest one Constable Ellie Cheetham is called in to investigate is something of a mystery. For one thing, the victim is a local named Tony Harper, a member of the village’s most notorious family of troublemakers. He also died close to home, clutching a knife in one hand as if he’d spent his final moments trying to fend off an attacker. And finally, Ellie finds a strange symbol etched in charcoal near his corpse, possibly a ritualistic marking.
Instead of answers, a visit to the Harper household only leads to more questions. Tony’s mother, the matriarch Liz Harper, was predictably angry and grief stricken when informed of her favorite son’s death, but in the older woman’s eyes, Ellie also thought she saw a flash of terror. Liz Harper appears to know more than she lets on about what killed Tony, and of the strange charcoal marking and what it means.
As you can imagine, because I went into The Hollows blind, I was thrown for a loop at how things turned out. It was definitely the best way to experience this book, to be surprised and thrown off guard by the revelations of what was plaguing Barsall. Cosmic horror combined with demonic forces made this one a more unique and intriguing experience than I was expecting.
The setting also did not disappoint. I love tales of terror of suspense set in cold remote places cut off from civilization or any chance of rescue when the shit hits the fan. It’s the main reason I jumped at the chance to read this book with nary a clue of its plot or premise. I’m happy to say author Daniel Church nailed the homely atmosphere of Barstall, where everyone knows each other’s business and barely any secrets can be kept. Despite the mundane nature of life there, it’s a down-to-earth and cozy existence, making the horror that befalls its citizens later in the book feel so much worse.
Speaking of which, most of the characters are stereotypical figures you’d find in a small-town story, but they’re well-written and memorable. Ellie is the no-nonsense, capable cop on the job, who takes her duties to serve and protect rather seriously. Keeping her on her toes is the Harper family out at the Barrowman Farm, led by the vile Liz Harper and her older sons who are little more than her thuggish henchmen. As horrible as they were, the Harpers hold the key to the story’s mystery, and I was fascinated to learn of the role they played in the overall conflict.
The writing was also impressive, if no literary masterpiece. Church’s prose is a good match for the genre and tone of the story, written in a cinematic style that proved effective especially in the final chapters. With action happening in several places all at once and the perspectives moving between all the different POV characters in quick succession, I could imagine the words on the page playing out like a movie in my mind. Some of the sequences were so lengthy and intense, in fact, that it was almost mentally exhausting.
If you’re looking for a snowbound horror that’s equal parts thrilling and entertaining though, The Hollows has got you covered. A gripping chiller for the winter season, it’s even better when you don’t know what’s coming.
I went into The Hollows without knowing much about the book beyond that it was a horror set in a remote English village in the middle of a snowstorm. What I expected was something more in line with a psychological suspense, but instead what I got reminded me very much of 30 Days of Night with a dash of Midnight Mass—a claustrophobic pulse-pounding thriller with a paranormal component and featuring religious themes of good versus evil in a war as old as time.
In the sleepy town of Barsall, it isn’t too uncommon to find a few bodies frozen in the snow every winter, usually of lost travelers who wandered too far from the trail or underestimated the dangers of the bitter cold. But the latest one Constable Ellie Cheetham is called in to investigate is something of a mystery. For one thing, the victim is a local named Tony Harper, a member of the village’s most notorious family of troublemakers. He also died close to home, clutching a knife in one hand as if he’d spent his final moments trying to fend off an attacker. And finally, Ellie finds a strange symbol etched in charcoal near his corpse, possibly a ritualistic marking.
Instead of answers, a visit to the Harper household only leads to more questions. Tony’s mother, the matriarch Liz Harper, was predictably angry and grief stricken when informed of her favorite son’s death, but in the older woman’s eyes, Ellie also thought she saw a flash of terror. Liz Harper appears to know more than she lets on about what killed Tony, and of the strange charcoal marking and what it means.
As you can imagine, because I went into The Hollows blind, I was thrown for a loop at how things turned out. It was definitely the best way to experience this book, to be surprised and thrown off guard by the revelations of what was plaguing Barsall. Cosmic horror combined with demonic forces made this one a more unique and intriguing experience than I was expecting.
The setting also did not disappoint. I love tales of terror of suspense set in cold remote places cut off from civilization or any chance of rescue when the shit hits the fan. It’s the main reason I jumped at the chance to read this book with nary a clue of its plot or premise. I’m happy to say author Daniel Church nailed the homely atmosphere of Barstall, where everyone knows each other’s business and barely any secrets can be kept. Despite the mundane nature of life there, it’s a down-to-earth and cozy existence, making the horror that befalls its citizens later in the book feel so much worse.
Speaking of which, most of the characters are stereotypical figures you’d find in a small-town story, but they’re well-written and memorable. Ellie is the no-nonsense, capable cop on the job, who takes her duties to serve and protect rather seriously. Keeping her on her toes is the Harper family out at the Barrowman Farm, led by the vile Liz Harper and her older sons who are little more than her thuggish henchmen. As horrible as they were, the Harpers hold the key to the story’s mystery, and I was fascinated to learn of the role they played in the overall conflict.
The writing was also impressive, if no literary masterpiece. Church’s prose is a good match for the genre and tone of the story, written in a cinematic style that proved effective especially in the final chapters. With action happening in several places all at once and the perspectives moving between all the different POV characters in quick succession, I could imagine the words on the page playing out like a movie in my mind. Some of the sequences were so lengthy and intense, in fact, that it was almost mentally exhausting.
If you’re looking for a snowbound horror that’s equal parts thrilling and entertaining though, The Hollows has got you covered. A gripping chiller for the winter season, it’s even better when you don’t know what’s coming.
August 31, 2022
I liked the sound of this one but, while it started strong, I found that it dragged quite a bit. A few pages could be skimmed and not much had happened. Before long, I found my attention wandering. I thought it was a horror but from the beginning it seemed more like a crime book as a lot was put into the crime scene etc. It also seemed to have that slight jovial tone such as with The Chalk Man or books by T Kingfisher which is not my preference for creepy books. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.
September 24, 2022
Halloween 2022 Read #12
A frozen body is discovered and absolute chaos follows. And by chaos, I mean, your nightmares coming to life. The setting was unique and added a chilling atmosphere. Literally.
Monsters and mayhem are so expertly executed in this entertaining tale. The suspense is never ending. There were, however, a few things that were too farfetched for my liking. They pulled me from the story for sure.
A frozen body is discovered and absolute chaos follows. And by chaos, I mean, your nightmares coming to life. The setting was unique and added a chilling atmosphere. Literally.
Monsters and mayhem are so expertly executed in this entertaining tale. The suspense is never ending. There were, however, a few things that were too farfetched for my liking. They pulled me from the story for sure.
April 5, 2023
3.8 stars
Not a bad read to pass the time. Nothing new or groundbreaking but that doesn't have to be a bad thing now does it? Tropes are tropes for a reason, because we love them. While I feel about 100 pages could have been cut I still enjoyed the time I spent reading this novel. For anyone looking for a "small town versus an old supernatural force that wakes up" with a bunch of British slang thrown in then you can't pick a better novel.
Not a bad read to pass the time. Nothing new or groundbreaking but that doesn't have to be a bad thing now does it? Tropes are tropes for a reason, because we love them. While I feel about 100 pages could have been cut I still enjoyed the time I spent reading this novel. For anyone looking for a "small town versus an old supernatural force that wakes up" with a bunch of British slang thrown in then you can't pick a better novel.
January 14, 2025
Дивная зимняя книга! Не "Террор", конечно, но недурно
January 21, 2024
Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars, rounded down
This specific brand of folk-horror tends to be hit or miss for me, and The Hollow was somewhat of a mixed bag of both, but the misses weighed a little heavier on my heart than I hoped they would.
On a story-level, it’s pretty much the definition of a 3-star read for me: I enjoyed myself just fine, but nothing truly stood out to me as exceptional. The characters are mostly flat but serve their purpose, the plot is interesting enough would’ve benefited from a tighter edit to shave 50-100 pages off its length, and the writing was decent but unmemorable.
In the horror-elements, the highs and lows are a bit more pronounced. It follows many typical beats of the folk-horror-genre, some of which I love and some of which I hate. In short:
Effective folk-horror elements:
- tight small-town-atmosphere, laced in paranoia.
- very strong opener, with a body discovered under strange circumstances in the snowy hollows surrounding said town.
- characters used to relying on their small-community’s survival skills, and being overall genuinely capable. This always helps me suspend my disbelieve in situations where characters take matters into their own hands instead of calling authorities etc.
- genuinely creepy creature/entity-features, with a slight Lovecraftian twist, the descriptions of which actually made my skin crawl a bit.
Ineffective folk-horror elements:
- excessive swearing, crude jokes and constant mentions of piss and shit as if that somehow adds to the “rawness” of your horror. It doesn’t…
- irredeemably detestable, one-dimensional hill-Billy characters. Bonus-points subtracted for having the main hill-billy family have a history of violence and incest, the product of which is a child with physical deformities who is constantly called “retarded, misshapen, a failure, etc.”. . I don’t care for the argument that “it’s to show the characters are unlikable”. You can do that without slurs and dehumanization. When horrible opinions like this are expressed time after time and never questioned on page, it makes me fear like maybe the author actually agrees with just them just a little bit, deep down…
Call me petty, but I am knocking off a star for this, considering it was far to big a point in the book to completely overlook.
- relying on the ever-played-out trope of . I feel like we’ve milked that cow to death by now…
I don’t regret reading this book. I had a decent time regardless and it helped me solidify my feelings on some elements of this subgenre, that will help me pick my next read. Your enjoyment might boil down to your ability to just enjoy the ride, even if some details aren’t top-notch.
This specific brand of folk-horror tends to be hit or miss for me, and The Hollow was somewhat of a mixed bag of both, but the misses weighed a little heavier on my heart than I hoped they would.
On a story-level, it’s pretty much the definition of a 3-star read for me: I enjoyed myself just fine, but nothing truly stood out to me as exceptional. The characters are mostly flat but serve their purpose, the plot is interesting enough would’ve benefited from a tighter edit to shave 50-100 pages off its length, and the writing was decent but unmemorable.
In the horror-elements, the highs and lows are a bit more pronounced. It follows many typical beats of the folk-horror-genre, some of which I love and some of which I hate. In short:
Effective folk-horror elements:
- tight small-town-atmosphere, laced in paranoia.
- very strong opener, with a body discovered under strange circumstances in the snowy hollows surrounding said town.
- characters used to relying on their small-community’s survival skills, and being overall genuinely capable. This always helps me suspend my disbelieve in situations where characters take matters into their own hands instead of calling authorities etc.
- genuinely creepy creature/entity-features, with a slight Lovecraftian twist, the descriptions of which actually made my skin crawl a bit.
Ineffective folk-horror elements:
- excessive swearing, crude jokes and constant mentions of piss and shit as if that somehow adds to the “rawness” of your horror. It doesn’t…
- irredeemably detestable, one-dimensional hill-Billy characters. Bonus-points subtracted for having the main hill-billy family have a history of violence and incest, the product of which is a child with physical deformities who is constantly called “retarded, misshapen, a failure, etc.”. . I don’t care for the argument that “it’s to show the characters are unlikable”. You can do that without slurs and dehumanization. When horrible opinions like this are expressed time after time and never questioned on page, it makes me fear like maybe the author actually agrees with just them just a little bit, deep down…
Call me petty, but I am knocking off a star for this, considering it was far to big a point in the book to completely overlook.
- relying on the ever-played-out trope of . I feel like we’ve milked that cow to death by now…
I don’t regret reading this book. I had a decent time regardless and it helped me solidify my feelings on some elements of this subgenre, that will help me pick my next read. Your enjoyment might boil down to your ability to just enjoy the ride, even if some details aren’t top-notch.
November 9, 2022
A small village is cut off in Winter and now it begins. A creature feature that was the best bit of this book. Something evil has awakened and hunts at night. Folklore or urban legend the reader has to decide. It was chilling in places and atmospheric but the main character was so annoying her boss was Lily livered and got his just desserts. This book could have been a truly out and out horror but all i got was a damp squib.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
December 29, 2024
Folk horror survival story amidst a winter storm.
I’ve read several stories along this line, so I had a certain set of expectations about how the story would progress, and there were no surprises here. It was what I expected going in, so that was ok. What separates the usual from the amazing in books like this is the writing and the characters, and this was pretty much the usual.
There are some good moments for sure, and some partially developed interesting characters are hinted at, but overall there was just too much repetition and running around. Probably the story could have been improved by some winnowing down, because again, nothing unexpected happens. In such a case repeating the same events but not building on other parts of the story makes things drag a bit.
In the end this one was just ok for me. It took me way longer to read than a horror/survival thriller reasonably should have if was truly horrific and thrilling.
I’ve read several stories along this line, so I had a certain set of expectations about how the story would progress, and there were no surprises here. It was what I expected going in, so that was ok. What separates the usual from the amazing in books like this is the writing and the characters, and this was pretty much the usual.
There are some good moments for sure, and some partially developed interesting characters are hinted at, but overall there was just too much repetition and running around. Probably the story could have been improved by some winnowing down, because again, nothing unexpected happens. In such a case repeating the same events but not building on other parts of the story makes things drag a bit.
In the end this one was just ok for me. It took me way longer to read than a horror/survival thriller reasonably should have if was truly horrific and thrilling.
dnf
December 27, 2025DNF 30%
Задумка наче непогана.
Щось накшталт "Пагорби мають очі", але більш паранормальна зимова версія. Ізольоване британське селище та чудовиська, що з'являються зі снігом в день зимового сонцестояння.
Але дуже повільний темп розповіді і багато зайвого тексту.
+ головні герої — місцева бидлота і я не вивезу майже 500 сторінок їх товариства.
Задумка наче непогана.
Щось накшталт "Пагорби мають очі", але більш паранормальна зимова версія. Ізольоване британське селище та чудовиська, що з'являються зі снігом в день зимового сонцестояння.
Але дуже повільний темп розповіді і багато зайвого тексту.
+ головні герої — місцева бидлота і я не вивезу майже 500 сторінок їх товариства.
October 23, 2022
Folk horror meets ancient gods in a remote snowbound Peak District town where several murders take place…
Less of the folk horror and more of the thriller type book.
I was really looking forward to reading this and found myself to be quite disappointed.
I'm no prude and don't mind offensive language but the over use of c**t just lowered the tone a little too much.
The in jokes and wise cracks felt totally out of place.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Less of the folk horror and more of the thriller type book.
I was really looking forward to reading this and found myself to be quite disappointed.
I'm no prude and don't mind offensive language but the over use of c**t just lowered the tone a little too much.
The in jokes and wise cracks felt totally out of place.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
October 24, 2022
The Premise: A large snowstorm is approaching a remote village where a vile family holds a secret knowledge. A body is found. By all appearances, the man died scared and watched. Constable Ellie Cheetham launches an investigation into the family that gets hot real fast. Just in time for the storm. That night, people go missing. It’s the beginning of something vastly destructive for all.
The Review: This is a difficult review to write. I hate giving any book a score below 3 out of 5, but I really did not enjoy this book at all. My verdict below reflects my experience coupled with the potential this novel has for others to enjoy it. I think there’s definitely a market for readers that will devour this story and enjoy every last drop. I just wasn’t part of that market (though I should have been, seeing as I usually like small town horrors). There were just too many choices made by the author I did not like. The language was very distracting. The characters all blended together, except for those at Wakeman Farm—I couldn’t stand them, but at least several of those names stood out on their own, like Liz and Jess. I also found the action sequences severely lacking in the monstrous violence that should have come from them. Had this book been cut down from 450 pages to 200, I think I could have enjoyed it a lot more. But everything is drawn out and takes too long.
Drawbacks: None of the characters made an impression. Ellie is the one with the most depth, but she still seemed like a one-dimensional heroine (despite her lightly touched upon backstory). // The family of Wakeman Farm are atrocious. I know that’s the point, but scenes focused on them made me cringe so much that I didn’t want to read them. I’ve known families like this and cannot stand them. And their foul language was too much. That’s saying something because I curse a lot. // The scenes in which the monsters are attacking people around the village and killing/taking them were surprisingly very, very weak. There was practically no violence “on screen” during these sequences. The author missed big opportunities by writing those attacks the way he did. // The book is too long, in general. The finale is far too drawn out, specifically. It felt like a hundred pages, and I was constantly distracted by other things that held my attention far better. Even with its action, I was relatively bored.
Highlights: The premise is not original, but it is a fun one. I really like small town horror stories. I like tales of isolation and terror coming together. // The monsters were cool, even though I thought their yellow rat teeth detracted from the visual I had in my mind when reading. The idea of large spider-like creatures is always frightening. // The big gods underground brought to mind Cabin in the Woods, which is a fantastic movie. I like the idea of having monstrous gods beneath our feet just waiting to wake and destroy us all. // Some of the visuals underground were haunting, especially the salt mines with human remains.
Verdict: 3
The Review: This is a difficult review to write. I hate giving any book a score below 3 out of 5, but I really did not enjoy this book at all. My verdict below reflects my experience coupled with the potential this novel has for others to enjoy it. I think there’s definitely a market for readers that will devour this story and enjoy every last drop. I just wasn’t part of that market (though I should have been, seeing as I usually like small town horrors). There were just too many choices made by the author I did not like. The language was very distracting. The characters all blended together, except for those at Wakeman Farm—I couldn’t stand them, but at least several of those names stood out on their own, like Liz and Jess. I also found the action sequences severely lacking in the monstrous violence that should have come from them. Had this book been cut down from 450 pages to 200, I think I could have enjoyed it a lot more. But everything is drawn out and takes too long.
Drawbacks: None of the characters made an impression. Ellie is the one with the most depth, but she still seemed like a one-dimensional heroine (despite her lightly touched upon backstory). // The family of Wakeman Farm are atrocious. I know that’s the point, but scenes focused on them made me cringe so much that I didn’t want to read them. I’ve known families like this and cannot stand them. And their foul language was too much. That’s saying something because I curse a lot. // The scenes in which the monsters are attacking people around the village and killing/taking them were surprisingly very, very weak. There was practically no violence “on screen” during these sequences. The author missed big opportunities by writing those attacks the way he did. // The book is too long, in general. The finale is far too drawn out, specifically. It felt like a hundred pages, and I was constantly distracted by other things that held my attention far better. Even with its action, I was relatively bored.
Highlights: The premise is not original, but it is a fun one. I really like small town horror stories. I like tales of isolation and terror coming together. // The monsters were cool, even though I thought their yellow rat teeth detracted from the visual I had in my mind when reading. The idea of large spider-like creatures is always frightening. // The big gods underground brought to mind Cabin in the Woods, which is a fantastic movie. I like the idea of having monstrous gods beneath our feet just waiting to wake and destroy us all. // Some of the visuals underground were haunting, especially the salt mines with human remains.
Verdict: 3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2022
The best way to describe the feel of this book, is to say it’s like sitting in a small dark room as the walls crowd in on you. It is purely un-put-downable from the first sentence to the last. The fact that this is a debut novel seems absolutely mind boggling to me, as it has none of the kinks I often see in early novels. The pacing is absolutely perfect, and keeps a nail biting friction and tension throughout while interspersing truly laugh out loud humor and soft moments for intermission on what would otherwise be a 400 page heart attack. The characters were so distinct and developed that I could even picture the way they spoke and their particular mannerisms. Even the descriptions of the “villains” made my skin crawl because I saw so much humanity in them. And then there’s the end, which was so satisfying and heavy, full of a raw kind of hope that only this book could cultivate. Truly an incredible work of fiction, and undoubtedly marks the beginning of an amazing new author’s career.
Thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC!
Thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC!
August 24, 2022
The best folk horror novel I’ve ever read. Read this book if you enjoy the following: strong female characters, isolation, survival in extreme weather, creatures, folklore and religious themes. Not to mention, gore, bones and tons of blood. I loved this so much; it stressed me out and made me anxious because I wanted my favorite characters to survive, but it was an entertaining ride none the less. I was a bit overwhelmed when I initially saw how large the novel was, but looking back, I believe that all the back story and character development was completely necessary. This reminded me a lot of “The Watchers” by A.M. Shine, but only because of some of the lore. Per the setting, I think November is going to be perfect for this books release. 10/10 stars haha
September 12, 2025
I welcome new scary creatures with open arms! And the creatures here aren’t as scary as some of the players. (Looking at you, Liz.)
Lovable characters with colloquial charm. Quirky good fun.
“Tatterskin” is name that draws you in….but best to keep your distance.
Can recommend.
Spoilers below:
Ok so the baddies wear the skins of their victims? Why is that? Not sure we ever got an answer. A dormant ground dweller who hibernates for decades doesn’t really need a thermal layer. I need some clarity here.
And a creature with no eyes…no vision whatsoever… completely blind….is repelled by light? A flashlight even? This was a stretch for me. Guess we have to overlook that continuity issue.
The story can get a bit preachy in places. Religious angst is given a lot of lines.
Lovable characters with colloquial charm. Quirky good fun.
“Tatterskin” is name that draws you in….but best to keep your distance.
Can recommend.
Spoilers below:
Ok so the baddies wear the skins of their victims? Why is that? Not sure we ever got an answer. A dormant ground dweller who hibernates for decades doesn’t really need a thermal layer. I need some clarity here.
And a creature with no eyes…no vision whatsoever… completely blind….is repelled by light? A flashlight even? This was a stretch for me. Guess we have to overlook that continuity issue.
The story can get a bit preachy in places. Religious angst is given a lot of lines.
February 5, 2024
Although this has a raft of so-so reviews, I really enjoyed it and couldn't wait to get back to it when I wasn't reading, hence the high rating. Yes, some characterisation is a bit iffy, and there was some 2D stereotyping, but it's folk horror people - we all know the tropes. It is a relatively long read for a folk horror tale, but I didn't have a problem with the pacing.
4.5⭐️ Rather enjoyable folk horror/cosmic horror.
4.5⭐️ Rather enjoyable folk horror/cosmic horror.
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