I found this absolutely absorbing and intriguing. Even after finishing it, I can't place it in a particular genre, except that it has dark leanings. Threads of horror, fantasy and mystery create something unique here. Well worth reading. ( )

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure how to review this one, other than to say it's very good, that it would make an outstanding book for discussion in a book club or high school English class, and that Tim Lebbon has quickly become one of my favorite writers. ( )

This book was so different from what I expected - I was completely and cleverly misguided by the words apocalyptic and dystopian used in the book's description. Naively expecting another end-of-the-world scenario, I was absolutely not prepared for what I got.

Throughout the whole book I was repeatedly thinking "what is going on here?" and still had not clue whatsoever. Only at the end the unexpected truth is revealed and I was blown away. Never would I have guessed the outcome, and I was stunned at the elegance and simplicity of it. Suddenly, everything fell into place and made perfect sense, however sad and devastating it may be.

Expertly written in a quiet but haunting prose, this story still reverberates in my mind, obviously taking up permanent residence in some dark corner. Lurking in the shadows, it makes some silent appearance now and then, bringing with it a sad and spooky vision of a hopefully unlikely, but still possible fate.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review) ( )

A novella which is technically horror, I think, although it's psychological.

Mary has lived alone in an isolated valley for 16 years, after being banished there by her husband, who rules a nearby city. She has built a good life for herself, with a comfortable cabin, lovely gardens, and crops and livestock which provide for her survival needs. She is content. One day a visitor arrives to tell her her husband has decreed that she is free and should leave the valley, something she doesn't want to do. But the visit begins to erode the peace of the valley. More visitors come, with tales of horrors in the city. Each succeeding visitor is more and more afflicted by whatever evil has taken hold in the city, and several die while in the valley. Monstrous dogs appear and begin to threaten Mary and the visitors. Mary has to consider leaving the valley to find out what is happening.

The ending is a surprise, which I loved. Well-written, engrossing, and recommended. ( )