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Agony's Lodestone
A grave could be visited. Ashes could be scattered.
But simply vanishing?
That ripped a hole in the world the size of a life, and through that hole sighed a terrible wind repeating a single note:
Gone.
For years, Aggie had forgotten the real Joanne, the way her sister had laughed, fought, been.
But now that the videotape made her real again—no matter how many times the recording changed, no matter how terrifying the flickering images—it was all Aggie wanted. To trade the Gone for the One. She owed Joanne that much. To say she was sorry. That it had been her fault.
It had been all their faults.
But simply vanishing?
That ripped a hole in the world the size of a life, and through that hole sighed a terrible wind repeating a single note:
Gone.
For years, Aggie had forgotten the real Joanne, the way her sister had laughed, fought, been.
But now that the videotape made her real again—no matter how many times the recording changed, no matter how terrifying the flickering images—it was all Aggie wanted. To trade the Gone for the One. She owed Joanne that much. To say she was sorry. That it had been her fault.
It had been all their faults.
116 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2023
7 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
About the author
Laura Keating
9 books31 followersLaura Keating is a horror writer from St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
Her short fiction has been published by Grindhouse Press, Cemetery Gates, Ghost Orchid Press, and others. She authors stories about monsters both human and unnatural, traditional creep-fests, and contemporary quiet horror filled with dread.
Her debut novella, AGONY'S LODESTONE is available now. A collection of her short fiction, THE TRUEST SENSE, is out June 11, 2024.
She Lives in Nova Scotia with her husband, son, and two cats.
To learn more, please follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Her short fiction has been published by Grindhouse Press, Cemetery Gates, Ghost Orchid Press, and others. She authors stories about monsters both human and unnatural, traditional creep-fests, and contemporary quiet horror filled with dread.
Her debut novella, AGONY'S LODESTONE is available now. A collection of her short fiction, THE TRUEST SENSE, is out June 11, 2024.
She Lives in Nova Scotia with her husband, son, and two cats.
To learn more, please follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
May 25, 2023
Agony's Lodestone is a 116-page novella encompassing grief, loss, sibling dynamics, horror and survival. Beautifully written by Laura Keating, it is a highly emotional and eerie tale. It vibrantly portrays New Brunswick's rugged coastline, high tides, chilly ocean, cliffs, and forest.
There is speculation that a creepy, supernatural element may be connected with magnetic forces, but this is only the characters' desperate attempt to understand what is happening. There are unsettling disruptions in the physical forces in time and place manifested in continuous loops in reality. Past and present blend together, and paths in the forest continue to lead back to their start.
The characters are compelling, all reacting to the loss of a sister twenty years earlier. They try to reconcile grief and blame in a frantic effort to survive and learn the truth.
There is speculation that a creepy, supernatural element may be connected with magnetic forces, but this is only the characters' desperate attempt to understand what is happening. There are unsettling disruptions in the physical forces in time and place manifested in continuous loops in reality. Past and present blend together, and paths in the forest continue to lead back to their start.
The characters are compelling, all reacting to the loss of a sister twenty years earlier. They try to reconcile grief and blame in a frantic effort to survive and learn the truth.
April 24, 2023
In this absorbing horror novella, Laura Keating explores family grief and reconciliation in a manner much less harrowing than, say, Ari Aster in Hereditary. Still, Agony’s Lodestone plumbs its characters’ depths with no less a commitment to emotional truth. Aggie, Alex and Bailey Neilson are siblings who have still never fully come to terms with the disappearance, years before, of their eldest sister Joanne. A teen swimming champion, Joanne’s athletic gifts made her the family’s golden child in their New Brunswick town. But privately, she was your typical sullen teenager angry over the expectations placed on her as well as her parents’ lack of faith that her swimming skills could lead to an actual career. One day, after a family row, Joanne took the dog for a walk. The dog came home on his own. Joanne never did.
The surviving siblings now live with unhealed scars and resentments. Youngest brother Bailey has alienated both sister Aggie and brother Alex by parlaying his role as a grieving brother into a media career, pitching a true crime/unsolved mysteries show to a major producer. This hasn’t gone as well for him as hoped. The story opens as he reconnects with Aggie and Alex over a surprising discovery. He has a videotape from a security camera at a nature preserve which appears to show Joanne the day she vanished. Bizarrely, the footage seems to loop many times over while the timecode stamp clearly shows the minutes and seconds ticking by normally. And Joanne looks a little different each time she appears.
Naturally this is everyone’s cue to venture out to the location, a forest near the Bay of Fundy, a body of water with some of the most powerful tidal activity in the world. Keating makes positively brilliant use of the geography of the area to evoke a sense of looming dread. There are things in this forest, just not the kinds of things you’d expect. Without revealing too much about what our characters confront in this haunted wilderness, suffice it to say the story called to mind some of the nature-themed horror of filmmaker Ben Wheatley, particularly his films A Field in England and In the Earth. There’s a similar hallucinatory quality to the way Keating’s characters come to realize that time, space, and reality itself are malleable things, and that forgiveness and redemption only come from committing to permanent change. Written with passion and heart and very real fear, Agony’s Lodestone is a fever dream of a debut that will pull you all the way in.
The surviving siblings now live with unhealed scars and resentments. Youngest brother Bailey has alienated both sister Aggie and brother Alex by parlaying his role as a grieving brother into a media career, pitching a true crime/unsolved mysteries show to a major producer. This hasn’t gone as well for him as hoped. The story opens as he reconnects with Aggie and Alex over a surprising discovery. He has a videotape from a security camera at a nature preserve which appears to show Joanne the day she vanished. Bizarrely, the footage seems to loop many times over while the timecode stamp clearly shows the minutes and seconds ticking by normally. And Joanne looks a little different each time she appears.
Naturally this is everyone’s cue to venture out to the location, a forest near the Bay of Fundy, a body of water with some of the most powerful tidal activity in the world. Keating makes positively brilliant use of the geography of the area to evoke a sense of looming dread. There are things in this forest, just not the kinds of things you’d expect. Without revealing too much about what our characters confront in this haunted wilderness, suffice it to say the story called to mind some of the nature-themed horror of filmmaker Ben Wheatley, particularly his films A Field in England and In the Earth. There’s a similar hallucinatory quality to the way Keating’s characters come to realize that time, space, and reality itself are malleable things, and that forgiveness and redemption only come from committing to permanent change. Written with passion and heart and very real fear, Agony’s Lodestone is a fever dream of a debut that will pull you all the way in.
Read
March 7, 2023An old wound, caused by the disappearance of an older sister, is ripped open with the discovery of an old security tape. The surviving siblings follow the bread crumb trails that eventually exposes the harsh truths, tough family dynamics, and possible redemption for these survivors whose grief has forever changed them.
Stitching a combination of found footage horror, true crime mystery, and earth-rumbling survival horror, Laura Keating has woven a masterfully unnerving tale of complicated family dynamics and the slippery, looping promise of redemption. As macabre as it is compelling!
Stitching a combination of found footage horror, true crime mystery, and earth-rumbling survival horror, Laura Keating has woven a masterfully unnerving tale of complicated family dynamics and the slippery, looping promise of redemption. As macabre as it is compelling!
February 15, 2023
Haunting, eerie and immediately intriguing. Beautifully written
March 26, 2023
Originally published at Cosmic Horror Monthly.
In our little corner of literary fandom, it’s a common thought that shorter is better. Horror has always benefited from brevity. One of our progenitor’s, Poe, wrote almost exclusively in the short story format. Fast forward, and Lovecraft, Blackwood, James, Chambers, and more are names thrown about as key participants of the genre’s development—all of them, of course, are primarily known for their short fiction. Horror readers, in contrast to other speculative genres like fantasy, love lean, mean tales meant to be read in a single sitting.
But what about the novella?
The novella has a parallel history in horror. While not quite as pervasive as the short story (or eventually, post-King, the novel), it has existed quietly, content to influence on its own terms. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Carmilla, The Willows, At the Mountains of Madness, We Have Always Lived in the Castle—make no mistake, the history of the horror novella is rich with arresting fiction.
Recently, this form has made a resurgence and it’s no surprise why. Novellas are shorter than novels and longer than novelettes. They can be read in one or two sittings and allow the reader to be more fully immersed in their worlds, while also offering lean pacing and less time investment from the author. The last point isn’t a knock, rather a tip of the hat to what makes short fiction so special—it’s experimental nature. Similar to shorts, novellas allow a safe space for authors to play with new ideas and concepts, without taking on the burden of a 60,000+ word novel (which also bears the chip on its shoulder, that somehow, ultimately must be sellable—which makes experimentation a gamble).
But small presses, like Tenebrous Press, have taken up the slack. They, and many others, are giving the novella the spotlight it deserves. Their latest offering, Agony’s Lodestone by Laura Keating, is an example of the modern weird horror novella exploring new, convoluted territory—interrogating genre tropes under new lenses and angles, without losing the sense of heart that makes stories a distinctly human phenomenon.
Agony’s Lodestone is a novella about grief, but also patterns. Years ago, siblings Aggie, Alex, and Bailey lost their sister Joanne to mysterious circumstances. One day, she just disappeared. Years later, estranged, ambitious, and eternal fuck-up Bailey, comes back into Aggie and Alex’s lives to share a new clue in their sister’s disappearance. What comes to us is the first taste of found footage that the back cover promises—a bizarre VHS tape with a looping image. An artifact that is at once eerie, but becomes more important—and central—to the plot as we go on.
The story itself recalls shades of The Blair Witch Project, Primer, and The Willows. It’s a reality bending mash-up that Keating pulls off well with impressive amounts of detail and pathos despite the short form. The central weird conceit is one that we see a lot in horror fiction as an afterthought, but here it’s given center stage. What for some would be spooky set decorations, Keating serves as the main event.
Reality-bending, time and space hypnotics, alternate paths, and looping timelines are at the heart of Agony’s Lodestone, but one of the greatest tricks Keating pulls off in her narrative is that for the most part, despite the quantum gymnastics, it all makes sense. She does excellent work grounding the story in its characters (who mirror the weird conceit in a variety of ways), and allows them to be the laymen we need to get a firm grip on any strange phenomenon.
The characters themselves are drawn well and immediately distinguishable, and much of the tension from the story is born from the siblings’ interactions and their competing goals and values. Agony’s Lodestone uses weird horror as an accelerant for big emotions already primed by a tragic history. And it’s this sense of shared history that makes the central character’s relationships so compelling. Yes, this is a novella about grief, to a degree, but it’s mined for something that doesn’t feel nearly as perfunctory as other works. I’m of the opinion that grief has become a crutch in horror, an easy ledge to grab onto in the mad-dash to become elevated. But Keating’s treatment of grief is built into the bones of her story. There is no lip service here. There are deep wounds, dealt with in the way we all deal with them—routine. We fall into roles, we become new people in the wake of tragedy. Agony’s Lodestone takes a step beyond the usual lip service and becomes a story about survival in the wake of loss, but also an examination of the myriad ways we protect ourselves.
Agony’s Lodestone is an incredible novella, simultaneously fast-paced and detailed; thematically deep and immediately entertaining. It’s a reminder that the form is vital, electric and in endless conversation with itself. These conversations, these intertextual sparring matches, push the genre forward. They’re weird and difficult and different than anything we’ve ever read, but to grow and howl and allow others to howl back—they only need the right form. Here it is, folks, a call to our own history, revised, challenged, revamped, and re-assessed. Found footage meets the reality-threshing world of Weird fiction—all in Agony’s Lodestone, a novella.
In our little corner of literary fandom, it’s a common thought that shorter is better. Horror has always benefited from brevity. One of our progenitor’s, Poe, wrote almost exclusively in the short story format. Fast forward, and Lovecraft, Blackwood, James, Chambers, and more are names thrown about as key participants of the genre’s development—all of them, of course, are primarily known for their short fiction. Horror readers, in contrast to other speculative genres like fantasy, love lean, mean tales meant to be read in a single sitting.
But what about the novella?
The novella has a parallel history in horror. While not quite as pervasive as the short story (or eventually, post-King, the novel), it has existed quietly, content to influence on its own terms. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Carmilla, The Willows, At the Mountains of Madness, We Have Always Lived in the Castle—make no mistake, the history of the horror novella is rich with arresting fiction.
Recently, this form has made a resurgence and it’s no surprise why. Novellas are shorter than novels and longer than novelettes. They can be read in one or two sittings and allow the reader to be more fully immersed in their worlds, while also offering lean pacing and less time investment from the author. The last point isn’t a knock, rather a tip of the hat to what makes short fiction so special—it’s experimental nature. Similar to shorts, novellas allow a safe space for authors to play with new ideas and concepts, without taking on the burden of a 60,000+ word novel (which also bears the chip on its shoulder, that somehow, ultimately must be sellable—which makes experimentation a gamble).
But small presses, like Tenebrous Press, have taken up the slack. They, and many others, are giving the novella the spotlight it deserves. Their latest offering, Agony’s Lodestone by Laura Keating, is an example of the modern weird horror novella exploring new, convoluted territory—interrogating genre tropes under new lenses and angles, without losing the sense of heart that makes stories a distinctly human phenomenon.
Agony’s Lodestone is a novella about grief, but also patterns. Years ago, siblings Aggie, Alex, and Bailey lost their sister Joanne to mysterious circumstances. One day, she just disappeared. Years later, estranged, ambitious, and eternal fuck-up Bailey, comes back into Aggie and Alex’s lives to share a new clue in their sister’s disappearance. What comes to us is the first taste of found footage that the back cover promises—a bizarre VHS tape with a looping image. An artifact that is at once eerie, but becomes more important—and central—to the plot as we go on.
The story itself recalls shades of The Blair Witch Project, Primer, and The Willows. It’s a reality bending mash-up that Keating pulls off well with impressive amounts of detail and pathos despite the short form. The central weird conceit is one that we see a lot in horror fiction as an afterthought, but here it’s given center stage. What for some would be spooky set decorations, Keating serves as the main event.
Reality-bending, time and space hypnotics, alternate paths, and looping timelines are at the heart of Agony’s Lodestone, but one of the greatest tricks Keating pulls off in her narrative is that for the most part, despite the quantum gymnastics, it all makes sense. She does excellent work grounding the story in its characters (who mirror the weird conceit in a variety of ways), and allows them to be the laymen we need to get a firm grip on any strange phenomenon.
The characters themselves are drawn well and immediately distinguishable, and much of the tension from the story is born from the siblings’ interactions and their competing goals and values. Agony’s Lodestone uses weird horror as an accelerant for big emotions already primed by a tragic history. And it’s this sense of shared history that makes the central character’s relationships so compelling. Yes, this is a novella about grief, to a degree, but it’s mined for something that doesn’t feel nearly as perfunctory as other works. I’m of the opinion that grief has become a crutch in horror, an easy ledge to grab onto in the mad-dash to become elevated. But Keating’s treatment of grief is built into the bones of her story. There is no lip service here. There are deep wounds, dealt with in the way we all deal with them—routine. We fall into roles, we become new people in the wake of tragedy. Agony’s Lodestone takes a step beyond the usual lip service and becomes a story about survival in the wake of loss, but also an examination of the myriad ways we protect ourselves.
Agony’s Lodestone is an incredible novella, simultaneously fast-paced and detailed; thematically deep and immediately entertaining. It’s a reminder that the form is vital, electric and in endless conversation with itself. These conversations, these intertextual sparring matches, push the genre forward. They’re weird and difficult and different than anything we’ve ever read, but to grow and howl and allow others to howl back—they only need the right form. Here it is, folks, a call to our own history, revised, challenged, revamped, and re-assessed. Found footage meets the reality-threshing world of Weird fiction—all in Agony’s Lodestone, a novella.
March 17, 2023
Every time I see one of Tenebrous Press’ ARC copies appear in my inbox I start internally screaming in delight because I know I’m in for something special. The kind of horror Matt and Alex publish is always top notch, and Agony’s Lodestone is no exception.
You walk into this book and you’re immediately captured by Laura’s voice. Her descriptions are simple but artful, and instantly pull you into the flow of the narration. Her story is woven together so skillfully it’s easy to get lost in Cannon Park right along with her characters. There isn’t a single pause for breath in this tale, and honestly, you don’t want one.
The aspects of found footage and family dynamics twine together with twisted realities and past experiences, to create a tapestry you can’t get enough of until the last thread comes together at the end.
And all that praise is just focused on the mastery of the writing. The story is a thing of beauty all its own. You open the cover to this expecting The Blair Witch Project or The Ring, and close it on an experience you could never have expected.
Agony’s Lodestone is an example that every character doesn’t have to die to make a story horror. That a book can be terrifying, but still leave you with a satisfying ending that makes you THINK. This is the best of honor, and the best of a survival story where you rediscover family and come to realize your choices matter. Will you be the monster? Or the person?
I cannot say enough how much I love this book. I devoured it in a day and left wishing for more. Definitely want to see what else Laura will be writing.
You walk into this book and you’re immediately captured by Laura’s voice. Her descriptions are simple but artful, and instantly pull you into the flow of the narration. Her story is woven together so skillfully it’s easy to get lost in Cannon Park right along with her characters. There isn’t a single pause for breath in this tale, and honestly, you don’t want one.
The aspects of found footage and family dynamics twine together with twisted realities and past experiences, to create a tapestry you can’t get enough of until the last thread comes together at the end.
And all that praise is just focused on the mastery of the writing. The story is a thing of beauty all its own. You open the cover to this expecting The Blair Witch Project or The Ring, and close it on an experience you could never have expected.
Agony’s Lodestone is an example that every character doesn’t have to die to make a story horror. That a book can be terrifying, but still leave you with a satisfying ending that makes you THINK. This is the best of honor, and the best of a survival story where you rediscover family and come to realize your choices matter. Will you be the monster? Or the person?
I cannot say enough how much I love this book. I devoured it in a day and left wishing for more. Definitely want to see what else Laura will be writing.
April 4, 2023
3.5/5
I have a preference for melancholy horror and this definitely fit the bill. Overall I quite enjoyed this read though I feel like I might need to re-read it to really understand what was happening or maybe that’s the whole point.
A sister goes missing, never to return. 20 years later the siblings come across a tape they had never seem before of their sister the day of the disappearance. A scene repeating over and over and they go to investigate the area. What they come across is a phenomenon I couldn’t possibly explain to you but that kept me reading.
This was an extremely heart-felt & emotional read of family and forgiveness. The horror aspect is supernatural in nature and Keating does a great job creating an incredibly creepy atmosphere as the siblings try and navigate what is happening to them in the middle of the woods they can’t find their way out of.
I have a preference for melancholy horror and this definitely fit the bill. Overall I quite enjoyed this read though I feel like I might need to re-read it to really understand what was happening or maybe that’s the whole point.
A sister goes missing, never to return. 20 years later the siblings come across a tape they had never seem before of their sister the day of the disappearance. A scene repeating over and over and they go to investigate the area. What they come across is a phenomenon I couldn’t possibly explain to you but that kept me reading.
This was an extremely heart-felt & emotional read of family and forgiveness. The horror aspect is supernatural in nature and Keating does a great job creating an incredibly creepy atmosphere as the siblings try and navigate what is happening to them in the middle of the woods they can’t find their way out of.
March 7, 2023
Exceptional shorter horror novel that manages to be terrifying and heart wrenching at the same time.
JoAnne disappeared twenty years ago but her siblings have a new clue and they go out to the forest where she disappeared to investigate on their own.
But things get...weird. Pretty soon, they find themselves trapped in the woods, walking for hours but never going anywhere.
While this seemingly supernatural event is happening, the siblings have to come to terms with themselves, their separation over the years, their guilt about the night their older sister went missing, and their past transgressions.
This is book that gets you from the start and doesn't let go until the end. I recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
JoAnne disappeared twenty years ago but her siblings have a new clue and they go out to the forest where she disappeared to investigate on their own.
But things get...weird. Pretty soon, they find themselves trapped in the woods, walking for hours but never going anywhere.
While this seemingly supernatural event is happening, the siblings have to come to terms with themselves, their separation over the years, their guilt about the night their older sister went missing, and their past transgressions.
This is book that gets you from the start and doesn't let go until the end. I recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2023
Family. Dread. Mysterious.
This novella drips and drips then opens the dam of dread and emotion until its end. The author expertly builds the mysterious nature of events, introduced through a videotape but that’s just the beginning. The atmosphere and character development through family relationships are top notch. The story maintains an entertaining pace throughout. Loved it. Add Laura Keating to the growing list of Tenebrous Press authors you should always keep up with.
I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This novella drips and drips then opens the dam of dread and emotion until its end. The author expertly builds the mysterious nature of events, introduced through a videotape but that’s just the beginning. The atmosphere and character development through family relationships are top notch. The story maintains an entertaining pace throughout. Loved it. Add Laura Keating to the growing list of Tenebrous Press authors you should always keep up with.
I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 10, 2026
Review: 4 stars.
Agony's Lodestone reads very much like the author watched Blair Witch (2016), and thought: "I could definitely write something more interesting using these same ideas." And while that probably isn't the case, regardless, she succeeded.
Agony's Lodestone reads very much like the author watched Blair Witch (2016), and thought: "I could definitely write something more interesting using these same ideas." And while that probably isn't the case, regardless, she succeeded.
April 9, 2023
Full text review: https://jamreads.com/reviews/agonys-l...
Do you know that sensation that you have while reading a novella that makes exceptional use of your favourite elements in the horror genre? That was exactly what I had while reading Agony's Lodestone, by Laura Keaton, a novella that shows great potential.
Joanne disappeared twenty years ago, a wound that is opened after her siblings found a tape that can give new clues about this mystery. In what seems an homage to the found footage genre, the tape only creates new questions that they should answer by traveling to the place those images were taken.
And in the travel to the Canadian coast is where Keating shows her skill at creating an oppressive atmosphere during the trail toward the forests, weaving a sense of cosmic horror that works in an excellent way in combination with the structure used for those chapters.
Dividing them onto two parts, one remembering the past of the family, how the wound was created; and a second that goes more about the trip and how it is becoming a terrific experience that at the same time is working as a catharsis over the traumatic disappearance.
The atmosphere created by Keaton is excellent, being oppressive with a touch of cosmic horror that works perfectly, that feels pretty similar to the one present in Blair's Witch Project. The fact that characters can redeem themselves instead of having to suffer a painful end is a good novelty, showing that not necessarily horror needs a bad ending.
I loved Agony's Lodestone, it feels like an homage to my favourite elements in the horror genre, and the way the chapters are structured works pretty well, making the pacing excellent. If you like speculative horror, give this novella a try, because you will certainly enjoy it.
Do you know that sensation that you have while reading a novella that makes exceptional use of your favourite elements in the horror genre? That was exactly what I had while reading Agony's Lodestone, by Laura Keaton, a novella that shows great potential.
Joanne disappeared twenty years ago, a wound that is opened after her siblings found a tape that can give new clues about this mystery. In what seems an homage to the found footage genre, the tape only creates new questions that they should answer by traveling to the place those images were taken.
And in the travel to the Canadian coast is where Keating shows her skill at creating an oppressive atmosphere during the trail toward the forests, weaving a sense of cosmic horror that works in an excellent way in combination with the structure used for those chapters.
Dividing them onto two parts, one remembering the past of the family, how the wound was created; and a second that goes more about the trip and how it is becoming a terrific experience that at the same time is working as a catharsis over the traumatic disappearance.
The atmosphere created by Keaton is excellent, being oppressive with a touch of cosmic horror that works perfectly, that feels pretty similar to the one present in Blair's Witch Project. The fact that characters can redeem themselves instead of having to suffer a painful end is a good novelty, showing that not necessarily horror needs a bad ending.
I loved Agony's Lodestone, it feels like an homage to my favourite elements in the horror genre, and the way the chapters are structured works pretty well, making the pacing excellent. If you like speculative horror, give this novella a try, because you will certainly enjoy it.
Read
April 14, 2023Memories and perception are malleable- what if time was, too? Siblings burdened by guilts real and imagined must reckon with their grief- & reality becoming unmoored- in this fantastic, unique debut by Laura Keating where the past is now present and the future, fragile.
April 15, 2023
This was an eerie, emotional read! Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this story to provoke so much emotion from me, but Keating did such an incredible job of writing sibling dynamics that I could easily see me and my siblings in the characters’ places.
Although this novella is full of horror and mystery, it really focuses on the unbreakable bonds some siblings can have, how far people are willing to go for their loved ones, and what grief can look/feel like. I found Aggie to be a very relatable main character and everything was so eloquently written that you can tell how much thought was put into this book with every line you read.
The concept was extremely creepy and intriguing. It reminded of Grave Encounters mixed with Coherence, but also with the setting and aspects of The Blair Witch Project. I LOVED it. The creepy vibe was kept up until the end and the plot moved along so quick - I really didn’t want the story to end!
Overall, this was a fantastic read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Keating’s work!
Thank you Tenebrous Press for providing me with the eARC!
Although this novella is full of horror and mystery, it really focuses on the unbreakable bonds some siblings can have, how far people are willing to go for their loved ones, and what grief can look/feel like. I found Aggie to be a very relatable main character and everything was so eloquently written that you can tell how much thought was put into this book with every line you read.
The concept was extremely creepy and intriguing. It reminded of Grave Encounters mixed with Coherence, but also with the setting and aspects of The Blair Witch Project. I LOVED it. The creepy vibe was kept up until the end and the plot moved along so quick - I really didn’t want the story to end!
Overall, this was a fantastic read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Keating’s work!
Thank you Tenebrous Press for providing me with the eARC!
June 15, 2023
Rocks have memories.
“It was hard to grieve for a missing person, when hope keeps insisting they are alive.”
Phew. Boy, this got to me. It hit me and it hit me hard. The last quarter of the book was a sprint, leaving me gasping for breath and my jaw dropping lower and lower. I had to pause to give my mind a break and settle down. I was hollowed out but I went forth to read the final chapter. Tears welled up and my heart…oh, my heart…
The dynamics of this book are incredibly well done; the writing, the characters, the settings, and the relationships. I appreciate the extra time that Laura Keating took to properly do first aid (you never know what will impress someone😆)
This book is so much about family relationships and what siblings mean to each other. I got so much out of this.
Agony’s Lodestone reminded me of a song by Touché Amoré called Flowers and You -the chorus goes:
“I took inventory of what I took for granted
And I ended up with more than I imagined
I've kept it bottled up and to myself
Kept for my ever changing mental health”
I gave myself a day of book hangover to process what I read before starting this review. Looking back over my highlights, I started making connections, stuff from the beginning of the book making more sense having read the ending. I think this is going to be even better when I read this again.
“It was hard to grieve for a missing person, when hope keeps insisting they are alive.”
Phew. Boy, this got to me. It hit me and it hit me hard. The last quarter of the book was a sprint, leaving me gasping for breath and my jaw dropping lower and lower. I had to pause to give my mind a break and settle down. I was hollowed out but I went forth to read the final chapter. Tears welled up and my heart…oh, my heart…
The dynamics of this book are incredibly well done; the writing, the characters, the settings, and the relationships. I appreciate the extra time that Laura Keating took to properly do first aid (you never know what will impress someone😆)
This book is so much about family relationships and what siblings mean to each other. I got so much out of this.
Agony’s Lodestone reminded me of a song by Touché Amoré called Flowers and You -the chorus goes:
“I took inventory of what I took for granted
And I ended up with more than I imagined
I've kept it bottled up and to myself
Kept for my ever changing mental health”
I gave myself a day of book hangover to process what I read before starting this review. Looking back over my highlights, I started making connections, stuff from the beginning of the book making more sense having read the ending. I think this is going to be even better when I read this again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2023
This is a lovely, creepy, and eerie novella with an ambitious premise as footage on an old videotape reopens wounds for a family who have never recovered from the unsolved disappearance of the eldest daughter. Determined to follow this new lead, the three surviving siblings put aside their differences to search the remote wilderness where their sister was last seen. Aggie, Alex, and Bailey are all well-drawn characters who have responded in very different ways to their family tragedy. The dynamics of sibling love, frustration, and rivalry are ones many readers will relate to.
I adored the evocative and poetic use of language and how the truly wild environment acts as a character all its own to contribute to the subtle yet increasingly horrific mood. The central premise reminded me of the novel/movie Picnic at Hanging Rock which explores similar themes of stepping in and out of time and place. The author does an expert job of creating a suffocating feeling of claustrophobia as the siblings find themselves possibly experiencing the same catastrophic phenomenon that befell their sister. Emotional and involving, this novella is a great find for lovers of quiet and melancholy horror who don’t mind not having every mystery neatly solved and tied up with a bow at the end. This one will definitely stick with me for quite a while.
I adored the evocative and poetic use of language and how the truly wild environment acts as a character all its own to contribute to the subtle yet increasingly horrific mood. The central premise reminded me of the novel/movie Picnic at Hanging Rock which explores similar themes of stepping in and out of time and place. The author does an expert job of creating a suffocating feeling of claustrophobia as the siblings find themselves possibly experiencing the same catastrophic phenomenon that befell their sister. Emotional and involving, this novella is a great find for lovers of quiet and melancholy horror who don’t mind not having every mystery neatly solved and tied up with a bow at the end. This one will definitely stick with me for quite a while.
May 5, 2023
Holy hell what an amazing novella this was. It was emotional, haunting, and terrifying. Centering around three siblings trying to find their missing sister decades after she went missing stumble into a time loop, space time shifting, pattern repeating, ghostly landscape and fight to get out while trying to overcome their grief and guilt about their missing sister.
I look forward to more from Laura Keating.
It has to be said that Tenebrous Press just keeps putting out absolute bangers of stories. All hail the 10p cult!
I look forward to more from Laura Keating.
It has to be said that Tenebrous Press just keeps putting out absolute bangers of stories. All hail the 10p cult!
March 26, 2024
This was a fantastic story. The concept was great, the writing, incredible. Some of the turns of phrase here were beautiful, and the descriptions were so specific which laid things out perfectly. The characters were so well written, which made me super anxious for these siblings as the plot progressed. There was a point where the main character changed directions and ahh, the feelings!! So invested in Aggie, Alex and Bailey, and devastated by some of the Horror pieces in the best way. Damn good book.
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November 13, 2023Really interesting conceit at play here. Love the mysteriousness of it and the rural oceanside setting. It just moved a bit too fast for the type of story it is, in my opinion. Wish the scenes had a little more space to breathe. But it was well written and the story was very easy to latch onto. Good book!
May 30, 2023
This short horror novel out of the east coast is a quick read. It has some body horror, but its scariness lives in dread. It feels like it addresses guilt, grief, family and what we do to ourselves when we cut ourselves off and suffer alone.
April 14, 2023
Tenebrous Press, as an independent publisher, first caught my attention with Valkyrie Loughcrewe’s debut, Crom Cruach. That debut novella managed to wow me beyond words. Seeing that this is what Tenebrous Press is coming out with, I soon signed up for their reviewers’ list, excited to see what ARC’s might come their way.
Agony’s Lodestone is one of the first advanced reading copies I received. As captivating as its blurb might be, the novella’s execution exceeds all expectations. Laura Keating’s debut book brings plenty to love: a well-developed protagonist, a terrifying premise, and beautiful prose.
Read the rest of the review here.
Agony’s Lodestone is one of the first advanced reading copies I received. As captivating as its blurb might be, the novella’s execution exceeds all expectations. Laura Keating’s debut book brings plenty to love: a well-developed protagonist, a terrifying premise, and beautiful prose.
Read the rest of the review here.
May 22, 2023
I really don't know what to write besides I loved this novella, because as per usual, I am worried about giving anything away. It is not what I expected, but it was what I wanted. And I just really dig this new trend of interior illustrations in adult books. Trevor Henderson's illustrations pair so beautifully with Laura's words.
April 11, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author
I started reading this and didn't put it down until I was done. A well done horror about grief and how it can change us, and how freeing letting go can be. The time loop, the branching paths, three siblings trying to find a way back again, all of it cumulated into a well done story. I loved the found footage aspect. How harrowing the journey is. There were times I thought they wouldn't make it at all. The ending was very satisfying.
I started reading this and didn't put it down until I was done. A well done horror about grief and how it can change us, and how freeing letting go can be. The time loop, the branching paths, three siblings trying to find a way back again, all of it cumulated into a well done story. I loved the found footage aspect. How harrowing the journey is. There were times I thought they wouldn't make it at all. The ending was very satisfying.
March 21, 2023
This is a fantastic story! I could not put it down, a slow burn-at first-then heart pumping just impossible to put down. Ten stars! Great plot, beautifully written, gut punch, heart wrenched, satisfying read. What a talent! Highly recommend.
April 25, 2023
Captivating, eerie and character driven; this was a story I couldn't put down.
December 24, 2025
3.5 stars
December 8, 2023
Twenty years ago, 18-year-old Joanne Neilson, local celebrity for her feats on the swim team, left the house to take the family dog on a walk through the woods. The dog came home; Joanne did not. Now, the remaining Neilson siblings - loner Aggie, family man Alex, and Bailey - estranged from the others due to his plans for a true crime docuseries about the disappearance - are led back to those same woods by a videotape showing an impossible recording of the day their family was broken apart.
Keating imbues this novella with a fantastic sense of place. This is a region Keating knows well, and she blends that knowledge with a clear love of nature and an inventive streak. The weird woods of Cannon Park - so named for the regular booming of the tide in the caverns beneath - are realised with enough grounding and clarity that the emergence of clearly unnatural phenomena becomes truly unsettling. Mixing in real-world strange landmarks, like magnetic hills, is inspired, blurring the distinction between what is natural and what is, distinctly, unnatural.
More than the landscape, though, the core of this story is the family dynamic, explored between their contemporary interactions and a series of flashbacks to when the siblings were children. They seem at first like loose sketches - the dedicated father who tries to be there for his sister too, the shut-in who tolerates her brother checking in on her for his sake as much as for hers, the tearaway screwup. But through the way they act and speak with one another, the memories they share and the old arguments they rehash, they emerge as well-realised portraits of people in tension between their past pain and their present struggles, their love for one another and all the distance that has built between them.
Keating's prose is effective, and at points truly brilliant. I think through these reviews I'm learning that I enjoy a more stylised mode of writing than is on display here, but I can't deny the beauty of some of the powerful turns of phrase Keating employs to evoke grief, turmoil, intense emotion and inner revelation. Combined with the skillful portrayal of family relationships, her writing creates a strong emotional anchor that makes the weirdness much weightier, and drives the reader towards a climax that fits perfectly.
Agony's Lodestone is a strong piece of emotionally powerful and very creepy horror writing, and I'll certainly look forwards to Keating's future work.
I can't let you go, though, without mentioning that the novella is dotted with illustrations by Trevor Henderson, which are true to form - that is, eerie, unsettling, and imaginative. But I probably didn't need to tell you that.
Keating imbues this novella with a fantastic sense of place. This is a region Keating knows well, and she blends that knowledge with a clear love of nature and an inventive streak. The weird woods of Cannon Park - so named for the regular booming of the tide in the caverns beneath - are realised with enough grounding and clarity that the emergence of clearly unnatural phenomena becomes truly unsettling. Mixing in real-world strange landmarks, like magnetic hills, is inspired, blurring the distinction between what is natural and what is, distinctly, unnatural.
More than the landscape, though, the core of this story is the family dynamic, explored between their contemporary interactions and a series of flashbacks to when the siblings were children. They seem at first like loose sketches - the dedicated father who tries to be there for his sister too, the shut-in who tolerates her brother checking in on her for his sake as much as for hers, the tearaway screwup. But through the way they act and speak with one another, the memories they share and the old arguments they rehash, they emerge as well-realised portraits of people in tension between their past pain and their present struggles, their love for one another and all the distance that has built between them.
Keating's prose is effective, and at points truly brilliant. I think through these reviews I'm learning that I enjoy a more stylised mode of writing than is on display here, but I can't deny the beauty of some of the powerful turns of phrase Keating employs to evoke grief, turmoil, intense emotion and inner revelation. Combined with the skillful portrayal of family relationships, her writing creates a strong emotional anchor that makes the weirdness much weightier, and drives the reader towards a climax that fits perfectly.
Agony's Lodestone is a strong piece of emotionally powerful and very creepy horror writing, and I'll certainly look forwards to Keating's future work.
I can't let you go, though, without mentioning that the novella is dotted with illustrations by Trevor Henderson, which are true to form - that is, eerie, unsettling, and imaginative. But I probably didn't need to tell you that.
May 12, 2023
Ever since The Face on the Milk Carton, I’ve been a sucker for missing persons stories: narratives that start with a disappearance. Disappearances are never simple; they’re mysterious by nature, and unlike murders, they offer no closure. A body, at least, indicates death, but disappearances stretch into endless hope, however meager. Laura Keating plays with that in Agony’s Lodestone, expected April 14th from Tenebrous Press. Aggie’s eighteen-year-old sister, a superstar swimmer, went missing just before the Olympic Games. Twenty years later, a tape appears which seems to depict Joanne on the night of her disappearance.
But Aggie’s younger brother is still riding that disappearance’s tide through reality TV. Her older brother Alex is trying to live as normal a life as possible, and Aggie has walled herself off from the world at large. The three take the mysterious tape back to the coastal trails near their childhood home, where they find themselves in a shifting landscape—one which changes as they move. They’re trapped in the forest which swallowed their sister, and it seems that something is following them . . .
Like all decent horror, Agony’s Lodestone isn’t about horror. It’s not a monster, or a labyrinthine forest, or even its creeping sense of dread. The novel tells a story of a family fractured by loss. It’s about sibling relationships: how do we find our place in a family, and how does that place affect who we are and what we become? There’s tension; there’s an exquisite landscape—Keating’s vivid setting almost becomes a character—but the novel’s heart is a study in sibling relationships.
Agony’s Lodestone moves quickly, and it’s an easy read. Keating’s setting does a lot of heavy lifting: the area’s geological history even plays a part in how the novel comes together—and it sticks its landing. If you like missing persons stories that tangle into something greater, this novel’s great characterization, fast plotting, and complex relationships pay off. Mind the compound fractures.
But Aggie’s younger brother is still riding that disappearance’s tide through reality TV. Her older brother Alex is trying to live as normal a life as possible, and Aggie has walled herself off from the world at large. The three take the mysterious tape back to the coastal trails near their childhood home, where they find themselves in a shifting landscape—one which changes as they move. They’re trapped in the forest which swallowed their sister, and it seems that something is following them . . .
Like all decent horror, Agony’s Lodestone isn’t about horror. It’s not a monster, or a labyrinthine forest, or even its creeping sense of dread. The novel tells a story of a family fractured by loss. It’s about sibling relationships: how do we find our place in a family, and how does that place affect who we are and what we become? There’s tension; there’s an exquisite landscape—Keating’s vivid setting almost becomes a character—but the novel’s heart is a study in sibling relationships.
Agony’s Lodestone moves quickly, and it’s an easy read. Keating’s setting does a lot of heavy lifting: the area’s geological history even plays a part in how the novel comes together—and it sticks its landing. If you like missing persons stories that tangle into something greater, this novel’s great characterization, fast plotting, and complex relationships pay off. Mind the compound fractures.
March 13, 2023
Fans of found footage, weird fiction, and cosmic horror: Agony’s Lodestone is the book for you! As for me, I absolutely loved this book.
Right away, the novel grabs you by the throat with the awkward reunion of the siblings, along with a mysterious video tape, then it doesn’t let go. Broken up by flashback chapters, the novel is fast paced and ripe with dread.
I loved the found footage introduction at the very beginning, which hooked me immediately. I mean, a mysterious VHS? Who doesn’t love that?
From that point on, Agony’s Lodestone doesn’t let go. Keating skillfully weaves in the natural landscape of the Canadian coastal area, folklore, and grief to create a weird, twisting horror tale like none other.
One of the strongest aspect of this novel is Keating’s use of atmosphere and the landscape, you can practically feel the woods around you, feel the ancient stone beneath the scrub and grass, and hear the booms of the distant sea. Also making appearances are some natural (though rather unsettlingly unnatural-seeming) landscape features of that region. (Also peep the call-out to my hometown, Winnipeg!)
The characters, as well, form a powerful focal point of this book. Each of the siblings shoulder their own traumas surrounding the loss of their sister, and their own methods of coping. After twenty years, they are forced to face these traumas and their own relationships head-on surrounded by a hostile landscape. Aggie, especially, is such a compelling character.
Fans of The Blair Witch Project and The House of Leaves, should definitely check Agony’s Lodestone out!
Right away, the novel grabs you by the throat with the awkward reunion of the siblings, along with a mysterious video tape, then it doesn’t let go. Broken up by flashback chapters, the novel is fast paced and ripe with dread.
I loved the found footage introduction at the very beginning, which hooked me immediately. I mean, a mysterious VHS? Who doesn’t love that?
From that point on, Agony’s Lodestone doesn’t let go. Keating skillfully weaves in the natural landscape of the Canadian coastal area, folklore, and grief to create a weird, twisting horror tale like none other.
One of the strongest aspect of this novel is Keating’s use of atmosphere and the landscape, you can practically feel the woods around you, feel the ancient stone beneath the scrub and grass, and hear the booms of the distant sea. Also making appearances are some natural (though rather unsettlingly unnatural-seeming) landscape features of that region. (Also peep the call-out to my hometown, Winnipeg!)
The characters, as well, form a powerful focal point of this book. Each of the siblings shoulder their own traumas surrounding the loss of their sister, and their own methods of coping. After twenty years, they are forced to face these traumas and their own relationships head-on surrounded by a hostile landscape. Aggie, especially, is such a compelling character.
Fans of The Blair Witch Project and The House of Leaves, should definitely check Agony’s Lodestone out!
June 28, 2023
The #sfnovellaofthemonth for June 2023 is Agony's Lodestone by Laura Keating, published in April 2023 by Tenebrous Press.
A lot of the most effectively terrifying horror I have read comes from a place of engagement with the devastation of losing someone important. Agony's Lodestone is a perfect example of how frightening it is to contemplate the shape of life carved out by loss. Each of its central characters has, in their own way, lived their entire adult life around the hollow space where their lost sister, Joanne, once lived. The near-tangible presence of that hollow makes it uncommonly easy to believe in each character's choices--both before and after the present-day events of this shockingly eerie novella.
Contributing to the effectiveness of Agony's Lodestone is its beautifully immersive landscape. Keating's descriptions of the coastal New Brunswick setting provide just enough information for readers to easily picture--and smell--the mysterious, gorgeous, and uncanny backdrop to the adventure Joanne's siblings find themselves on when they set out to chase down a new clue about her long-ago disappearance. Agony's Lodestone offers atmosphere in spades, perfectly calibrated to serve the story without obscuring any of the plot's emotional impact.
Agony's Lodestone is quite a stunning exploration of things remembered, forgotten, and warped by guilt and grief. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and I recommend it to anyone who likes reading about complex relationships and the horror that may be found just under the surface even in the midst of natural wonders.
A lot of the most effectively terrifying horror I have read comes from a place of engagement with the devastation of losing someone important. Agony's Lodestone is a perfect example of how frightening it is to contemplate the shape of life carved out by loss. Each of its central characters has, in their own way, lived their entire adult life around the hollow space where their lost sister, Joanne, once lived. The near-tangible presence of that hollow makes it uncommonly easy to believe in each character's choices--both before and after the present-day events of this shockingly eerie novella.
Contributing to the effectiveness of Agony's Lodestone is its beautifully immersive landscape. Keating's descriptions of the coastal New Brunswick setting provide just enough information for readers to easily picture--and smell--the mysterious, gorgeous, and uncanny backdrop to the adventure Joanne's siblings find themselves on when they set out to chase down a new clue about her long-ago disappearance. Agony's Lodestone offers atmosphere in spades, perfectly calibrated to serve the story without obscuring any of the plot's emotional impact.
Agony's Lodestone is quite a stunning exploration of things remembered, forgotten, and warped by guilt and grief. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and I recommend it to anyone who likes reading about complex relationships and the horror that may be found just under the surface even in the midst of natural wonders.
March 21, 2023
Thanks to Tenebrous Press for the ARC. This is a haunting, scary, disorienting read. A meditation on the trauma, guilt, and anger that survivors hold onto when bad things happen to other people. And about the ties that bind family together, for good or ill.
Aggie lost her sister Joanne 20 years ago when Joanne vanishes in the woods. Twenty years later, her brother thinks he may have found her. So against her better judgment, Aggie joins her older and younger brother on a trip to see if they can find more clues and get some closure. The trip brings long-simmering pain, anger, and guilt to the surface, while the siblings must also deal with a forest that isn't quite as it seems, full of malevolent forces, time slips, and perhaps their missing sister.
Laura writes sharp, incisive prose, insightful and layered characters, and scary, suspenseful plot details. The result is a creepy and devastating story that will leave you wanting more. Loved this. Highly recommend!
Aggie lost her sister Joanne 20 years ago when Joanne vanishes in the woods. Twenty years later, her brother thinks he may have found her. So against her better judgment, Aggie joins her older and younger brother on a trip to see if they can find more clues and get some closure. The trip brings long-simmering pain, anger, and guilt to the surface, while the siblings must also deal with a forest that isn't quite as it seems, full of malevolent forces, time slips, and perhaps their missing sister.
Laura writes sharp, incisive prose, insightful and layered characters, and scary, suspenseful plot details. The result is a creepy and devastating story that will leave you wanting more. Loved this. Highly recommend!
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