This series is the perfect Halloween Read for everyone!

Rotten RootsBlurb

Faces of the dead lurk in the cemetery trees, whispering to one another, worried as an otherworldly force seeks its way in past the sandstone walls. Graveyard Keeper Sven and his ghost dog, Fi, venture out on a late-night journey through a haunted town, seeking the source of the disruption.

Fels is a town with a fair bit of history, the trouble could come from many places. All Sven knows is that the rot always starts at the roots.

An exploration of smalltown history and liminal spaces, Rotten Roots is set in modern-day Germany, like the Order of the Strawberry Circle series, but follows a different main character and can be enjoyed as a standalone. Rotten Roots is intended for mature audiences.

My Review

I had previously beta read an adult fantasy book by this author and had loved it, but since I’m a scaredy cat, I didn’t dare touch any of the ones that were focussed on horror themes.

Till I picked up this book. It’s a very small story, but I loved it. The opening grabbed me and the book didn’t let me go till I was done. It was atmospheric, reminding me of books by Edgar Allen Poe and the short stories by Bram Stoker.

The book revolves around Sven, a graveyard keeper in the small German town of Fels, who has a ghost dog called Fi. When he notices something amiss with the supernatural elements in town, Sven goes to investigate, only to find that the whole stemmed at an unexpected place, and he’s trapped with no way out.

Honestly, this book gave me the chills. I know this is a spin off, that Sven is probably a minor character in the main series, but I loved him and the whole atmosphere of the town and the book.

I’m definitely going to read the main series now.

If you love classic horror, and books that cause that delicious spine tingling fear instead of jumpscares, you would love this book.

Also, that information about Strawberry Circles working the same way as Mushroom Circles was very interesting!

Find Rotten roots on Bookbub and Goodreads

Bad GrainsBlurb

Eleven-year-old Jo loves Halloween and all things horror, but she doesn’t believe anything bad could ever happen in Fels, her small German hometown. When Hektor, her annoying older brother, disappears on his way home from school, Jo assumes he is playing a prank on her. But then both her father and grandma forget Hektor’s name, and his stuff mysteriously disappears from his room.

With the adults of no help whatsoever, Jo starts an investigation of her own, uncovering an old legend that has haunted the children of Fels for centuries. A monster lives in the rye fields, and draws children into its world under the roots. With two days until the gate between their worlds closes, and only Hektor’s obnoxious best friend to help her, Jo must figure out a way to rescue her brother, or lose him forever.

My Review

As I said, I picked this up, because Rotten Roots had me all curious about the series. The series is a Middle Grade one, and while I usually don’t like or read books with younger protagonists, I adored this one.

Jo is eleven and obsessed with all things spooky like Halloween. She tries hard to fit in at school, though she’s pretty much a loner. Her mother works abroad which has engendered some abandonment issues in her.

One day, on the way back from school, her annoying older brother Hektor and two of his friends take a short cut through a rye field, only to vanish. Though Jo initially thinks nothing of it, she starts getting concerned when her father and grandmother forget Hektor and all his things mysteriously disappear from his room. To add to her growing terror, the rye field appears to have been harvested weeks ago.

Jo meets Nele, who is taking a survey of the rye field, and Nele introduces her to the Order of the Strawberry Circle who monitor and deal with the supernatural. But they’re unable to help Jo since the rye mother who has taken him is visible only to children.

Determined to get Hektor back, Jo ventures into the rye field herself with a turnip lantern for a guide and the accidental accompaniment of Daniel, Hektor’s friend. But the rye field is not a rye field, and the rye mother is more dangerous than she thought.

I just loved Jo. Her declaration that the adults are useless is pretty much true since the only thing they can do is wash their hands off the whole. Instead of trying to even find a solution, they expect Jo to accept that her brother is gone.

I loved Jo’s tenacity, and how she was ready to fight for Hektor even when no one remembers him. At first I wondered why she was so insistent, but the small instances in her memory of Hektor is enough to understand that he may have been annoying, but also protective and caring, and that’s the brother she wants to save.

There’s no blood or gore in this, the horror is from the theme and atmosphere, and since I was able to read it without getting nightmares, it’s pretty much safe for everyone.

Even if you don’t love horror, you will enjoy this book, and if you’re a fan of horror, you shouldn’t miss this book.

I loved all the odd bits of life in rural Germany, which isn’t something we get to see often in English books.

The book was a SFINCS semifinalist and a BBNYA finalist, which are no surprises!

Find Bad Grains on Bookbub and Goodreads

WhiteoutBlurb

11-year old Jo has finally managed to make a friend at her new Rani, the girl who runs like the wind. Together, Jo and Rani are planning the perfect winter cookie baking, caroling, and ice skating at the local pond.
But when the Fels Christmas market is vandalized and strange symbols are found on the stalls, Jo starts to worry that the chilling prophecy made by the monster who kidnapped her brother in the fall might be coming true after all, threatening the safety of all of

“The price for peace in blood is paid, pay it now or pay it soon, only higher if you wait…”

To protect her family, Rani, and her no-longer-quite-so-boring hometown of Fels, Germany, Jo turns to the Strawberry Circle, the secret order monitoring supernatural activity in the area. Together, can they chase off the spirits that haunt the time between the years? Or will Fels pay the blood price after all?

Join Jo on a frosty and frightening adventure and explore the rich winter lore of Germany in the sequel to BBNYA finalist Bad Grains!

My Review

Having finished Bad Grains, I had to read this one as well.

In this Jo has made friends with the other loner in her school, Rani. It’s almost Christmas and Jo and Daniel are now part of The Order of the Strawberry Circle, who warns them that whatever sacrifice they interrupted when they rescued Hektor could open the Blue door they saw and unleash the Wild Hunt upon Fels.

Hektor remembers nothing, and no one but Jo and the rest of the strawberry circle knows what happened. But they’re watchful since the time before and during Christmas is the most dangerous.

Jo and Rani are attacked by a beast and Rani also gets to meet and is inducted into the Order. Jo is envious of Rani’s proficiency in physical training and the ease with which she gets along with everyone, but she has no room for anything but fear when a mysterious lady pays her a visit and wants to claim her in return for helping her rescue Hektor.

The Order advises Jo to stay indoors, but when Rani goes missing, Jo decides, once again, that it’s up to her to rescue her friend. But what she faces is much more dangerous this time around, and she stands to lose more than a friend if she fails.

Again, loved Jo. Loved even her petty envy of Rani, which is so relatable in a child that age, and also, how that doesn’t prevent her from trying to save her. She’s guilty about her jealousy and able to put things in perspective when she learns of Rani’s home situation.

This was like the first one, more an adventure than strictly horror and the horror elements come from the atmosphere and the local lores that permeates Fels. Once again, I found the German traditions quite interesting, and the recipes at the end of the book were really needed because I may not be able to get everything to make them here, but I still wanna try!

Eagerly awaiting the rest of this amazing series. If you and your child love books, don’t miss out on these ones!

Find Whiteout on Bookbub and Goodreads

Both Bad Grains and Whiteout are part of the Halloween Flash Sale on Itch-io!