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Erosion: Of Friendship, Dreams and the Edge of a Cliff - A Novel
"It all began when we found the bones..." This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams. Alison wants to spend a glorious summer writing her novel, Asher wants to wow audiences with his comedy routines, Zoe wants to make a living as an artist, Jo wants to make the world a better place and Baz just wants to help his friends succeed, but the events that happen change all their plans. Death and destruction test the bonds of friendship, yet moments of beauty entwine with scenes of horror as a magical summer becomes an autumn of devastation.
Written by the Author of 'Pagan Portals - Candle Magic: A Witch's Guide to Spells and Rituals'
Written by the Author of 'Pagan Portals - Candle Magic: A Witch's Guide to Spells and Rituals'
176 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2024
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 28, 2024
In a rundown seaside town on the English coast in 1987, where the well to do use to frequent on holidays but has now become just a place for lower income people to hang their hat, Alice the main character of the story meets four friends who live on the island. The group ranges in a variety of endeavors . Alice is an aspiring writing, Asher a budding comedian, Zoe an artist, Baz has no particular ambition, but he does want to help his friends succeed in theirs and Jo, who is just a compassionate being. Alice is quickly introduced to Charlie. Her family has a history of knowing how to live off the land and engages in the supernatural. They all begin a journey of supernatural awakenings when they find a skull embedded into a crumbling seaside cliff.
This is when the journey begins with friendships, tragedy and a bit of magic.
The story was definitely a slow burn with no major twists and turns. The characters are likable with their own individualistic personalities. One thing I didn’t particularly like was Alice using many many references to classic novels. Unless you were familiar with the books, they meant nothing to me.
This book may not be for everyone, but I did enjoy it.
I just reviewed Erosion by Lucya Starza. #Erosion #NetGalley
This is when the journey begins with friendships, tragedy and a bit of magic.
The story was definitely a slow burn with no major twists and turns. The characters are likable with their own individualistic personalities. One thing I didn’t particularly like was Alice using many many references to classic novels. Unless you were familiar with the books, they meant nothing to me.
This book may not be for everyone, but I did enjoy it.
I just reviewed Erosion by Lucya Starza. #Erosion #NetGalley
May 10, 2024
Atmospheric, haunting, and stays the right side of suspenseful without tipping into horror. I got pulled in from the first chapter, and read it in one sitting. The characters were an eclectic bunch, and for once I actually liked the ambiguous ending: certainty would have spoilt this one.
In the interest of full disclosure, this was written by a friend of mine, but that didn't affect my review.
In the interest of full disclosure, this was written by a friend of mine, but that didn't affect my review.
July 1, 2024
This is my review of a book I have recently read from one of my favourite Pagan authors, Lucya Starza.
However, rather than being a book of spells or rituals, this is in fact Lucya’s first Novel!
“ It began when we found the bones. Or did it? Perhaps it really began before then I’ll go back further wind time back through that summer to June 1987”
EROSION , (of friendship, dreams, and the edge of a cliff) is one woman’s recount of her time living on the English coast back in 1987, the year of the great storm.
The story is told from the point of view of Alison, a perhaps unreliable narrator and a writer herself. She takes us back with her to her first summer after university, living on the Kent coast where she hopes to write her first novel.
Here she meets a ragtag group of bohemian friends but as the summer goes on the wind begins to change and their friendships are put to the test.
Obviously I don’t want to give the story away here but I was really sucked into these friends lives, they were wonderfully rounded and although there were a couple of parts that I fest like yelling at them, I guess that makes them more believable because just like real people, they too make mistakes.
Another fun aspect of the way that the book is written is that every chapter is named after an 80’s pop song which provides a wonderful Easter egg soundtrack to the book once you notice it.
And of course it would be remiss of me not to mention that this book still does touch on magick and the mystical. This coming from an author of many magickal books is dealt with in a very grounded fashion but is no less spooky at times than the most Hollywood of productions.
At its heart this is a modern gothic tale of personal relationships and the hand that fate plays in our lives
However, rather than being a book of spells or rituals, this is in fact Lucya’s first Novel!
“ It began when we found the bones. Or did it? Perhaps it really began before then I’ll go back further wind time back through that summer to June 1987”
EROSION , (of friendship, dreams, and the edge of a cliff) is one woman’s recount of her time living on the English coast back in 1987, the year of the great storm.
The story is told from the point of view of Alison, a perhaps unreliable narrator and a writer herself. She takes us back with her to her first summer after university, living on the Kent coast where she hopes to write her first novel.
Here she meets a ragtag group of bohemian friends but as the summer goes on the wind begins to change and their friendships are put to the test.
Obviously I don’t want to give the story away here but I was really sucked into these friends lives, they were wonderfully rounded and although there were a couple of parts that I fest like yelling at them, I guess that makes them more believable because just like real people, they too make mistakes.
Another fun aspect of the way that the book is written is that every chapter is named after an 80’s pop song which provides a wonderful Easter egg soundtrack to the book once you notice it.
And of course it would be remiss of me not to mention that this book still does touch on magick and the mystical. This coming from an author of many magickal books is dealt with in a very grounded fashion but is no less spooky at times than the most Hollywood of productions.
At its heart this is a modern gothic tale of personal relationships and the hand that fate plays in our lives
March 10, 2024
176 pages
4 stars
Allison “Alice,” a new graduate from university, dreams of writing a novel. Not wanting to return to her parents’ house, she heads for the English coast. She has a romantic notion that writing a novel while summering at the coast would be idyllic.
She quickly meets new friends who invite her to stay with them for the summer. Zoe and Jo are a couple and Baz and Asher live in the downstairs flat. Zoe is an artist, Jo is compassionate, Asher wants to be a comedian and Baz just wants to help his friends achieve their dreams.
The friends introduce her to Charlie, a woman who lives on an eroding outcropping nearby. It is debatable whether Charlie really is a witch or has precognition.
It all went sideways when they found the bones.
The groups’ friendships are sorely tested. Things begin to go wrong. Arguments ensue.
This book shows the reader the limits of friendship and the damage assumptions can do. There is a suggestion of horror, but I really wouldn’t label this a horror novel. There is some dabbling in the occult, which I found interesting.
This is a well written and plotted novel. It is easy to read and goes by quickly. I enjoyed reading it. This is my first Lucya Starza novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look at other books by this author.
I want to thank NetGalley and Collective Ink Ltd. / Moon Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this novel are solely my own.
4 stars
Allison “Alice,” a new graduate from university, dreams of writing a novel. Not wanting to return to her parents’ house, she heads for the English coast. She has a romantic notion that writing a novel while summering at the coast would be idyllic.
She quickly meets new friends who invite her to stay with them for the summer. Zoe and Jo are a couple and Baz and Asher live in the downstairs flat. Zoe is an artist, Jo is compassionate, Asher wants to be a comedian and Baz just wants to help his friends achieve their dreams.
The friends introduce her to Charlie, a woman who lives on an eroding outcropping nearby. It is debatable whether Charlie really is a witch or has precognition.
It all went sideways when they found the bones.
The groups’ friendships are sorely tested. Things begin to go wrong. Arguments ensue.
This book shows the reader the limits of friendship and the damage assumptions can do. There is a suggestion of horror, but I really wouldn’t label this a horror novel. There is some dabbling in the occult, which I found interesting.
This is a well written and plotted novel. It is easy to read and goes by quickly. I enjoyed reading it. This is my first Lucya Starza novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look at other books by this author.
I want to thank NetGalley and Collective Ink Ltd. / Moon Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this novel are solely my own.
April 2, 2024
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿, 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲!
It's June 1987 and Alison (21y/o), or Alice as her friends call her, just got her degree in Literature at the University.
Now she's living at 'Costa-Del-Dole', somewhere along the coast of Margate.
Alice meets new friends ther one night. Zoe, Jo, Asher, Baz and soon after a woman named Charlie. She moves in with Jo and Zoe at their flat in #4 Mill Lane, trying to live by herself as long as she can before she will eventually move back (in defeat) with her parents.
Over the summer this friendship with her new Cliqué is budding BUT around the Great Storm in autumn it is tested more than once since Alice has a brief obsession with a 'special Lady' and things in general aren't working out for everyone as they were hoping.
And it all starts with those bloody bones they found that summer.
¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦
The book was well written. It kept me engaged and I enjoyed reading it… but it was most definitely not Horror imho.
Young Adult and Supernatural might have been more fitting Genres for this.
One more thing, I loved that the Chapters were named after 80s songs.
My favourites were DM's Behind the Wheel, George Michael's Faith & Pet Shop Boys' It's a Sin. Very clever idea!!!
I would like to give this a 4.3 Stars Rating.
𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒉, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏.
It's June 1987 and Alison (21y/o), or Alice as her friends call her, just got her degree in Literature at the University.
Now she's living at 'Costa-Del-Dole', somewhere along the coast of Margate.
Alice meets new friends ther one night. Zoe, Jo, Asher, Baz and soon after a woman named Charlie. She moves in with Jo and Zoe at their flat in #4 Mill Lane, trying to live by herself as long as she can before she will eventually move back (in defeat) with her parents.
Over the summer this friendship with her new Cliqué is budding BUT around the Great Storm in autumn it is tested more than once since Alice has a brief obsession with a 'special Lady' and things in general aren't working out for everyone as they were hoping.
And it all starts with those bloody bones they found that summer.
¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦
The book was well written. It kept me engaged and I enjoyed reading it… but it was most definitely not Horror imho.
Young Adult and Supernatural might have been more fitting Genres for this.
One more thing, I loved that the Chapters were named after 80s songs.
My favourites were DM's Behind the Wheel, George Michael's Faith & Pet Shop Boys' It's a Sin. Very clever idea!!!
I would like to give this a 4.3 Stars Rating.
𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒉, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏.
September 23, 2024
Erosion is a gothic novel set in an English seaside town in the Summer of 1987. Alice is fresh out of University with big dreams of becoming a writer. Her desire for independence and some synchronicity leads her to meeting a new group of friends who become her roommates and a Summer job at a caravan (trailer) park. It is here that she hopes to find the inspiration to begin her first great novel. But things never quite go as hoped for. The discovery of a mysterious grave and the bones within sets the stage for the magic and darkness that follows. ''It all began when we found the bones.''
I was already an admirer of author Lucya Starza non-fiction titles and I was happy to hear she was writing a novel in one of my favourite genres. I bought a copy and waited until my own Summer vacation to give it a good read. Erosion did not disappoint. It has a dark foreboding atmosphere with a group of intriguing and relatable characters. I finished the book in two days as it's one of those stories that makes it nearly impossible to put down.
There are a few unanswered questions that I am left to ponder, which I dare hope may be revealed in a future novel? Hint, Lucya Starza ;)
If you are a fan of gothic mysteries, and especially if you feel a nostalgia for the 80s this novel is a fun read and I highly recommend it. 5+
I was already an admirer of author Lucya Starza non-fiction titles and I was happy to hear she was writing a novel in one of my favourite genres. I bought a copy and waited until my own Summer vacation to give it a good read. Erosion did not disappoint. It has a dark foreboding atmosphere with a group of intriguing and relatable characters. I finished the book in two days as it's one of those stories that makes it nearly impossible to put down.
There are a few unanswered questions that I am left to ponder, which I dare hope may be revealed in a future novel? Hint, Lucya Starza ;)
If you are a fan of gothic mysteries, and especially if you feel a nostalgia for the 80s this novel is a fun read and I highly recommend it. 5+
March 31, 2024
After graduating from college Alice decides to move to a run-down seaside village to write her first novel. Friendships form quickly between Alice and a small group of other young adults, plus an alleged witch who lives in a tiny wind-blown shack at the edge of a cliff. As the cliff erodes, the tiny shack is in danger of going over the edge. Also, as new relationships erode due to mistrust and suspicion the people involved are in danger of going over the edge. Finding a skull imbedded in the cliff side begins the erosion in the lives of the characters. Things go from precarious to dangerous as the small group, and especially Alice begin to communicate , and ask favors of, the spirit that belongs to the soul…a spirit they contact by holding a seance. Thrown into this mix are a tragic death, a suspicious death, a powerful storm, a giant spider and what is either a creature in the woods or a future pet.
I grew tired of the drama 0f young adults who are besties, and then want nothing to do with Alice, then love her again, then don’t trust her and this cycle repeats several times. The story was a little frenetic, choppy and felt rather scattered.
I thank #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #erosion.
I grew tired of the drama 0f young adults who are besties, and then want nothing to do with Alice, then love her again, then don’t trust her and this cycle repeats several times. The story was a little frenetic, choppy and felt rather scattered.
I thank #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #erosion.
March 19, 2024
This was a really enjoyab;le book, with none of the tropes usually attached to the genre.
And what is the genre? Supernatural? Occult? Creepy thriller? I'm not sure, but as an avid horror reader, I loved this book even though there was nothing typically horrific.
Our prtagonaist is a wannabe writer who moves to a shabby British seaside town after Uni, makes new friends and relationships develope. The gang hang around with the local eccentric who lives on a cliff edge house where they find some ancient bones that they protect.
Things then begin to go sideways in subtile (and not so subtle) ways. I love a small town setting. I love that some of it is set in a caravan park, which really spoke to my childhood.
The character arcs are beautifully written, the pace slow and steady and the creeping dread is very real. A wondefully chunky and smooth read that will keep you reading, and wanting more.
Full marks! 5 stars!
And what is the genre? Supernatural? Occult? Creepy thriller? I'm not sure, but as an avid horror reader, I loved this book even though there was nothing typically horrific.
Our prtagonaist is a wannabe writer who moves to a shabby British seaside town after Uni, makes new friends and relationships develope. The gang hang around with the local eccentric who lives on a cliff edge house where they find some ancient bones that they protect.
Things then begin to go sideways in subtile (and not so subtle) ways. I love a small town setting. I love that some of it is set in a caravan park, which really spoke to my childhood.
The character arcs are beautifully written, the pace slow and steady and the creeping dread is very real. A wondefully chunky and smooth read that will keep you reading, and wanting more.
Full marks! 5 stars!
April 11, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a quick read, and it definitely wasn't bad!
But the narrator in this felt like someone who was really loving descriptions and overly explanatory descriptions on things that don't necessarily warrant it, so I found the narrator kind of annoying to read. And since it is first person, that sort of threw me off guard.
The story in this is really intriguing though, and I like how the author worked it out. I was quite intrigued by what was going on and what the narrator was going through, so I didn't mind it much.
But the tone of the narrator felt very much like someone self-important, who felt like they knee better, deserved better, and I really didn't vibe with it much unfortunately
This was a quick read, and it definitely wasn't bad!
But the narrator in this felt like someone who was really loving descriptions and overly explanatory descriptions on things that don't necessarily warrant it, so I found the narrator kind of annoying to read. And since it is first person, that sort of threw me off guard.
The story in this is really intriguing though, and I like how the author worked it out. I was quite intrigued by what was going on and what the narrator was going through, so I didn't mind it much.
But the tone of the narrator felt very much like someone self-important, who felt like they knee better, deserved better, and I really didn't vibe with it much unfortunately
April 29, 2024
The prologue warned me, but I still wasn't fully prepared for how dark this story got - and I enjoyed every minute of it. Starza draws you in innocently enough, and before you know it, you're standing in a dark pub making friends in a tiny town by the sea that has lost its former glory. The way things are described it's like you're there, in the MCs body, watching, feeling, hearing, even smelling all that they do. It kind of brought me back to my college days, (even though this is set during the summer I was born). Then the twist hits you, hard. You won't see it coming, and it will leave you breathless. The weather is getting warmer here, but I had goosebumps covering my arms. If you enjoy a charming but creepy and dark thriller, you'll want to grab this, and enjoy the chills as you read it!
June 16, 2024
Such a cool read. "Erosion" is set on the south coast of England, in one of those seaside towns that has lost its way. I know them well, and Lucya captures the empty ennui that afflicts the people living there, young and old, new and long-term. So when something *interesting* pops out of the ground, let's just say bad choices are made.
The protagonist is a recent graduate, and wannabe author, uncertain and drifting, but she grips the mystery of the bones she and her friends find, and goes to some dark places in pursuit of solutions. It's amazing how quickly things escalate.
Time and place are beautifully captured, and this taut story hustles along nicely. Good stuff.
The protagonist is a recent graduate, and wannabe author, uncertain and drifting, but she grips the mystery of the bones she and her friends find, and goes to some dark places in pursuit of solutions. It's amazing how quickly things escalate.
Time and place are beautifully captured, and this taut story hustles along nicely. Good stuff.
August 9, 2025
In this book, nothing happens yet everything happens. It’s more about the interior lives of the protagonists than external events. However, external events do have their place and it’s discussed whether magic is supernatural or something we make ourselves and/or a kind of fate. How much do we interfere and influence what is going to happen?
While not a fantastic book by any means, it is a quite look at friendship, choices, obsession and fate.
QUOTE: “That’s the way magic works, if it works. Like it could all be coincidence. But who knows? And does it matter?”
While not a fantastic book by any means, it is a quite look at friendship, choices, obsession and fate.
QUOTE: “That’s the way magic works, if it works. Like it could all be coincidence. But who knows? And does it matter?”
April 12, 2024
I really enjoyed Erosion. It had a dark academia feel mixed with magic and folklore.
Alison is the main character. She moves to a gothic sea side down and befriends a group that is open minded and welcoming. They find some old bones (including skull) near a friends seaside cottage. They begin experimenting with the occult with some pretty disastrous consequences.
For fans of gothic, dark academia and folk horror.
Alison is the main character. She moves to a gothic sea side down and befriends a group that is open minded and welcoming. They find some old bones (including skull) near a friends seaside cottage. They begin experimenting with the occult with some pretty disastrous consequences.
For fans of gothic, dark academia and folk horror.
May 2, 2024
A girl fresh out of college decides to go people watching she is an inspiring author. Meeting up with 4 others leads to a very unusual summer.
There are a few oddities that made me scratch my head.
I enjoyed most of the book. It did end a little abruptly for me.
I received an early copy from NetGalley got an honest review.
There are a few oddities that made me scratch my head.
I enjoyed most of the book. It did end a little abruptly for me.
I received an early copy from NetGalley got an honest review.
April 3, 2024
Enjoyable short story about friendship and what it means to become an adult. Good pacing and a few twists and turns along the way. I loved the isolated setting.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
October 10, 2024
I know Lucya from her magickal workshops at Treadwell’s, which are always enjoyable and informative, so I decided to pick up her first novel when it came out. I
have to say that I loved this book.
It’s a quick read, more like a short story. Very atmospheric, it’s perfect for fans of gothic imagery, folklore and magic.
I liked the fact that the story walks the thin line between realism and the supernatural: maybe magic really exists in the world created by the author, maybe it’s just a series of unfortunate events. Either way, they make up a really good story.
I also think it perfect encapsulates that feeling you get after graduating, especially if the job you want to do it’s one that doesn’t really pay much and you’re torn between following your dreams or those social conventions that would maybe lead you to a better paid job.
have to say that I loved this book.
It’s a quick read, more like a short story. Very atmospheric, it’s perfect for fans of gothic imagery, folklore and magic.
I liked the fact that the story walks the thin line between realism and the supernatural: maybe magic really exists in the world created by the author, maybe it’s just a series of unfortunate events. Either way, they make up a really good story.
I also think it perfect encapsulates that feeling you get after graduating, especially if the job you want to do it’s one that doesn’t really pay much and you’re torn between following your dreams or those social conventions that would maybe lead you to a better paid job.
September 28, 2024
Suspenseful yet a slow burn and some of the word play was quite poetic, I enjoyed the mystery and supernatural elements. It actually gave me Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes-- as in it's about a group of young friends who come together and spooky things happen.
I particularly enjoyed the references to classic novels, I felt these little easter eggs quite a playful addition. I also enjoyed the mysticism surrounding Rosemorta and the old bones-- quite tantalising just ever so slightly not fully knowing who she once was and how ancient she might have been-- really loved the intrigue there.
Loved the world building of the creepy, gothic and run down seaside town, I felt that was something fresh for a gothic story (since most gothic stories are situated in haunted houses, castles or asylums).
Overall it was a joyful read. Not quite a 5 star just because I'm a very wordy person and reader, I tend to fall in love with very detailed descriptions of landscapes or a character's personality in gothic horrors and Erosion wasn't that sort of novel but there is no denying the author's talent. This had a YA vibe and potentially could be adapted into a LARP.
Very good storytelling!
I particularly enjoyed the references to classic novels, I felt these little easter eggs quite a playful addition. I also enjoyed the mysticism surrounding Rosemorta and the old bones-- quite tantalising just ever so slightly not fully knowing who she once was and how ancient she might have been-- really loved the intrigue there.
Loved the world building of the creepy, gothic and run down seaside town, I felt that was something fresh for a gothic story (since most gothic stories are situated in haunted houses, castles or asylums).
Overall it was a joyful read. Not quite a 5 star just because I'm a very wordy person and reader, I tend to fall in love with very detailed descriptions of landscapes or a character's personality in gothic horrors and Erosion wasn't that sort of novel but there is no denying the author's talent. This had a YA vibe and potentially could be adapted into a LARP.
Very good storytelling!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews