Gorse

Gorse. Gorse, a type of shrub that thrives in marshy areas on the Atlantic coast, e.g. in Cornwall. Here lies the sleepy village of Mirecoombe; a few farms, a chapel, a tavern and the house of the Keeper of this enchanted landscape - and far below the moor, the Other World, the world of gods, spirits and fairies who occasionally stray into the gorse. Pelagius Hunt, the Keeper, together with his foster daughter Nancy Bligh cares for this land. In recent years though, unusual, deadly incidents have been occurring on the moors. Most of the villagers, under the influence of the Christian village priest, agree that the murders are the result of the fact that so many people here still believe in the Other People. But what do Piskys, Spriggans and the gods of the Other World really have to do with the murders? And why is the Wild Hunt appearing on the edge of the horizon? You can tell from my description of this historical dark fantasy with a murder mystery element that I can't stop raving about it. For me, everything here was just right and interlocked perfectly: The writing style was dense, atmospheric and incredibly immersive. It can be a bit unwieldy at times when the detailed setting is described using ‘old’ words; the eReader's ‘translate’ function was helpful for me as a non-native English reader. Horton often starts scene changes by ‘zooming in’ from far away, so that you are really sucked into the setting. The characters - I reckon if you like the mentor-student trope, you'll be well served here. It doesn't rewrite the page, but the dynamic between the old, grumpy druid Pel and the young, ambitious and magic-wielding Nancy was lovely to read. Nancy in particular grew on me. As a changeling, she is an outsider in the village; little by little, she learns to trust herself and her powers. There is also a queer and neurodivergent subtext through her character In the world building, you can expect rich Celtic and Cornish folklore, monsters and gods and the belief in these beings in competition with the Christian faith - however, nothing in Gorse is all good or evil, black or white. It is darker in the atmosphere rather than in gruesome scenes - but there are still a few explicit parts. This is definitely not a cosy romantic fairy tale. A few references to gothic literature round off this well researched folk horror. What could have been better? Probably the plot itself - it was a little predictable, and there will probably be no surprises here for savvy murder mystery fans. A tighter story would have benefited to that. Also, I would have liked a glossary at the end (although idk if there is a glossary in the finished copy). To be honest, that doesn't detract from my rating. It's the dark historical folk fantasy of my dreams - 6/5 and a favourite of the year ⭐

Usually I don’t like saying this book is like these other two books thrown together, but in this case I think it’s really fitting to say that this is like a dark(er) mix of The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, set in 18th century Cornwall. It’s moody with a strong female lead and it has many fae-like creatures, some wholesome, some very gruesome. Its prose is lyrical and beautifully written, perfect for autumn. Unfortunately I somehow found it very difficult to focus on this book, even though I can say that it’s objectively very well written. But it’s a slow read, you have to pay attention to appreciate its beauty, and as I had a lot of stuff going on, I wasn’t really able to give it the full attention it deserves. Apart from that (solely personal) problem, I enjoyed this book a lot. The setting is amazing and the moor so well-described that pictures immediately appear in your mind. The various creatures and characters make for an interesting cast, although I sometimes found it hard to remember names or keep people apart. The plot is simple; not boring, the focus just is more on the atmosphere and the confrontations between characters. The conflict of pagan and christian beliefs and how they can maybe coexist reminded me a lot of The Winternight Trilogy, but more grown-up. I find it to be a very interesting topic and liked how it was portrayed here. This is not a cozy book, it’s brutal and gory at times, but even though I’m not the typical horror-reader, I wasn’t too grossed out, apart from a few paragraphs which I skimmed. From my rambling you can probably deduct that this book is difficult to describe, but if you like moody gothic horror novels, strong female leads and a host of faerie creatures, good and evil, then you’ll definitely like this book! It’s the perfect read for a foggy autumn afternoon and to evoke a craving to visit England and all its rural, hidden corners. Thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for the eARC!