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Once
Remember the faery stories you were told as a child? Tales of tiny, magical, winged beings and elves, wicked witches and goblins. Demons . . .
What if one day you found out they were true? What if, when you became an adult, you discovered they were all based on fact? What if you met the fantasy and it was all so very real?
That's what happened to Thom Kindred. The wonders were revealed to him. But so were the horrors, for not far behind the Good, there always lurks the Bad. And the Bad had designs on Thom. The Bad would show him real evil. He would see the hellhagges and the demons. He would be touched by perverted passion. And corruption. And he would encounter his own worst nightmare. The Bad would seek to destroy him. And only the magic of the little beings would be able to help him.
Once, James Herbert's masterful novel of erotic love and darkest horror, will take you to a realm where fantasy and reality collide, where faerytales really can come true.
What if one day you found out they were true? What if, when you became an adult, you discovered they were all based on fact? What if you met the fantasy and it was all so very real?
That's what happened to Thom Kindred. The wonders were revealed to him. But so were the horrors, for not far behind the Good, there always lurks the Bad. And the Bad had designs on Thom. The Bad would show him real evil. He would see the hellhagges and the demons. He would be touched by perverted passion. And corruption. And he would encounter his own worst nightmare. The Bad would seek to destroy him. And only the magic of the little beings would be able to help him.
Once, James Herbert's masterful novel of erotic love and darkest horror, will take you to a realm where fantasy and reality collide, where faerytales really can come true.
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
James Herbert
118 books2,477 followersJames Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
May 9, 2016
Oh gosh, where to start? I'll admit to being entranced by the narrative for the first third of this and I really liked it that far! Therefore, I so much wanted to put something more that a measly one-star for the book. Until I remembered that the two-star rating on Goodreads is defined as "it was ok". Which made the one star rating a so-called "no-brainer". Following the (admittedly) well-written and alluring intro this thing descended into a cesspool of fairy-tale clichés and tasteless porn. My initial fantasy of finding another read-worthy 80's and 90's horror novelist turned to ashes in a few chapters...
The rest of this review will contain some kind of SPOILERS, so if you are serious about reading this book with no prejudice, I suggest you turn to my great buddy Edward Lorn's review instead. Not that he hid his spoilers either, but his review will bring much more entertainment and literary value than this book, and it may persuade you to give it a miss!
Following the good (if not very fast moving) first third or so, we are treated to some odd sexual tension scenes, that seem mostly awkward. After that, we plunge head-first into a impossibly long part where we're bounced between a lesbian lovemaking scene that seems very strange (I'm no expert here, but I did study anatomy and physiology, and I don't think that is how it works or should be done). And I do think the script writers of "Orange is the New Black" went: "nailed it!" instead of hanging their heads in shame like they probably always should... Where was I? Oh right, bounced between that and a fairytale.
Now, I never found a fairytale story in an adult book that actually holds up...and this is no exception. There are fairies (and witches and goblins and gnomes and whatever) - children know about them, but forget as they get older. Humans don't sense them, since they are relying on what they can see and prove and not (as they should) crap that is totally improbable, unverifiable and without logical reason to believe in. We know better. The elfish world is far more advanced and better and finer and prettier and way more powerful than the human world. But the human way of life smothers the other world because reasons. And if you thought you could fix that, you can't, because reasons. And rules. And magic.
Still here then? Well, after the ping-pong of explicit male-oriented lesbian porn <-> silly fairytale finally grows old, the author ups the ante by switching the first story line first to some sort of S&M abusive lesbian porn and then pure assault (with sexual overtones), while the fairy-tale part turns to fairy porn. The fairy porn is strange, because it manages to be both explicit porn and (since we suffered a big helping of insta-love) "hearts beating as one" and the cheesy like.
Apart from that, the writing and editing gets continuously sloppier (so much that I started to doubt the same author penned the first part). Page 52: "- but there had always been something about spiders that had turned [Thom's] legs to jelly and sent his heart racing". Page 335: "It wasn't as if Thom had ever been afraid of spiders or any other...". Oh, and the spider invasion? The guy's house fills up with spiders - kind of scary imagery at first - after what feels like a hundred pages - not so much. You know how you find out the number of spiders? You count the legs and divide by eight. You'll have plenty of time! And then it happens again, I can't...
Two more (just in case anybody is still reading): during the dramatic climatic events, a mortally wounded man refuses to relax, but must tell what's on his mind: "Do you know what kind?" *incredibly dramatic music* (in my head, that is) "Can you...can you guess? *Curtain*
Last one (promise!) "...that was the moment when something else happened. Something extraordinary". Because all the other turning worst fears into physical manifestations, fairies, gnomes, goblins, murder, betrayal and stuff is just same old, same old.
No, I won't even go into the ending. Rest assured it did not redeem anything.
What I will remember most about this book is the "battle for his semen" and the authors obsession with body fluids and their movement in general - and, oh, of course the one with pubic hair (the absence, that is). This is not a happy conclusion. But, I will also remember that I greatly enjoyed reading it with Edward (which is always a special treat, no matter the story) and the marvelous (if a tad smug) support from friends - foremost Shelby and Kelly - we are waiting for your s̶a̶c̶r̶i̶f̶i̶c̶e̶ reviews!
The rest of this review will contain some kind of SPOILERS, so if you are serious about reading this book with no prejudice, I suggest you turn to my great buddy Edward Lorn's review instead. Not that he hid his spoilers either, but his review will bring much more entertainment and literary value than this book, and it may persuade you to give it a miss!
Following the good (if not very fast moving) first third or so, we are treated to some odd sexual tension scenes, that seem mostly awkward. After that, we plunge head-first into a impossibly long part where we're bounced between a lesbian lovemaking scene that seems very strange (I'm no expert here, but I did study anatomy and physiology, and I don't think that is how it works or should be done). And I do think the script writers of "Orange is the New Black" went: "nailed it!" instead of hanging their heads in shame like they probably always should... Where was I? Oh right, bounced between that and a fairytale.
Now, I never found a fairytale story in an adult book that actually holds up...and this is no exception. There are fairies (and witches and goblins and gnomes and whatever) - children know about them, but forget as they get older. Humans don't sense them, since they are relying on what they can see and prove and not (as they should) crap that is totally improbable, unverifiable and without logical reason to believe in. We know better. The elfish world is far more advanced and better and finer and prettier and way more powerful than the human world. But the human way of life smothers the other world because reasons. And if you thought you could fix that, you can't, because reasons. And rules. And magic.
Still here then? Well, after the ping-pong of explicit male-oriented lesbian porn <-> silly fairytale finally grows old, the author ups the ante by switching the first story line first to some sort of S&M abusive lesbian porn and then pure assault (with sexual overtones), while the fairy-tale part turns to fairy porn. The fairy porn is strange, because it manages to be both explicit porn and (since we suffered a big helping of insta-love) "hearts beating as one" and the cheesy like.
Apart from that, the writing and editing gets continuously sloppier (so much that I started to doubt the same author penned the first part). Page 52: "- but there had always been something about spiders that had turned [Thom's] legs to jelly and sent his heart racing". Page 335: "It wasn't as if Thom had ever been afraid of spiders or any other...". Oh, and the spider invasion? The guy's house fills up with spiders - kind of scary imagery at first - after what feels like a hundred pages - not so much. You know how you find out the number of spiders? You count the legs and divide by eight. You'll have plenty of time! And then it happens again, I can't...
Two more (just in case anybody is still reading): during the dramatic climatic events, a mortally wounded man refuses to relax, but must tell what's on his mind: "Do you know what kind?" *incredibly dramatic music* (in my head, that is) "Can you...can you guess? *Curtain*
Last one (promise!) "...that was the moment when something else happened. Something extraordinary". Because all the other turning worst fears into physical manifestations, fairies, gnomes, goblins, murder, betrayal and stuff is just same old, same old.
No, I won't even go into the ending. Rest assured it did not redeem anything.
What I will remember most about this book is the "battle for his semen" and the authors obsession with body fluids and their movement in general - and, oh, of course the one with pubic hair (the absence, that is). This is not a happy conclusion. But, I will also remember that I greatly enjoyed reading it with Edward (which is always a special treat, no matter the story) and the marvelous (if a tad smug) support from friends - foremost Shelby and Kelly - we are waiting for your s̶a̶c̶r̶i̶f̶i̶c̶e̶ reviews!
January 11, 2013
The problem with Herbert is, to my mind, that he has always tended more towards slasher-fic than true horror. Oh, and the porn. Dear gods. The porn. I mean, I liked him when I was a teenager and still thought that Iron Maiden’s Eddie was just the coolest thing ever, but as I grew older I came to realise that a chainsaw-wielding maniac and some explicit passages about blow jobs do not a horrifying story make.
Once declared itself to be a fairy story, of sorts. I don’t know how it came to be on my shelf, but I knew I hadn’t read it, so I thought what the hell.
Either it was ghost-written or my inner grammar goblin has grown hungrier as I've aged. Spelling mistakes. Grammar mistakes. Punctuation mistakes. Quotation marks missing in the strangest places. It was almost as if it had been written by Stewie from Family Guy with occasional help from Quagmire.
Language issues aside, I’m sure that the explicit sex in Herbert’s earlier work wasn’t so, well, gratuitous. I don’t need 4 pages of our hero watching an undine masturbate. Really. Nor do I need almost an entire chapter describing how TEH EEEEBIL WITCH (called a "Wicca" in this, which I’m sure will delight all the Gardnerians in the audience) conducts lesbian drug rape on the physiotherapist [explicit example redacted].
No, no, and no. And, lest we forget, the entire plot resolves around the Messiah trope, played absolutely straight and by the numbers. Right down to being loved by the birds and bees, and dear gods, he’s a carpenter! If that weren’t enough, it’s explicitly stated that he is just like Jesus.
The prose is shoddy, the story tedious, the pseudo-philosophical ramblings risible. To put it simply, this is one of those books that acts as discouragement to the aspiring writer, because you realise that the only way you’ll ever be a bestselling author is to produce absolute dreck.
Once declared itself to be a fairy story, of sorts. I don’t know how it came to be on my shelf, but I knew I hadn’t read it, so I thought what the hell.
Either it was ghost-written or my inner grammar goblin has grown hungrier as I've aged. Spelling mistakes. Grammar mistakes. Punctuation mistakes. Quotation marks missing in the strangest places. It was almost as if it had been written by Stewie from Family Guy with occasional help from Quagmire.
Language issues aside, I’m sure that the explicit sex in Herbert’s earlier work wasn’t so, well, gratuitous. I don’t need 4 pages of our hero watching an undine masturbate. Really. Nor do I need almost an entire chapter describing how TEH EEEEBIL WITCH (called a "Wicca" in this, which I’m sure will delight all the Gardnerians in the audience) conducts lesbian drug rape on the physiotherapist [explicit example redacted].
No, no, and no. And, lest we forget, the entire plot resolves around the Messiah trope, played absolutely straight and by the numbers. Right down to being loved by the birds and bees, and dear gods, he’s a carpenter! If that weren’t enough, it’s explicitly stated that he is just like Jesus.
The prose is shoddy, the story tedious, the pseudo-philosophical ramblings risible. To put it simply, this is one of those books that acts as discouragement to the aspiring writer, because you realise that the only way you’ll ever be a bestselling author is to produce absolute dreck.
November 15, 2017
I adored this! I listened to it on Audible, so it took quite some time for me, but it was so very good. I must say I have not read anything like this from James Herbert. It was not the typical horror I am accustomed to, it is really a fantasy book with lots of fairies, witches and the like. It is also very sensual, which I was not expecting either! Totally worth the time if you get to read it. I recommend it for sure, it was a breath of fresh air and as always I love his writing style.
December 20, 2013
Once is an adult fairy-tale fantasy with bizarre sexual scenarios, a nostalgic touch, and gothic feel. There’s a whole bunch going into this one. The front of the book has stunning artwork for several pages too, and the author clearly had fun breaking up the classic “Once upon a time” line between pages, instead starting chapter one with “death.” This is one of those books where you get the bigger impact reading the beginning in book form rather than electronic.
The length is drawn out considering the storyline, which doesn’t hold enough scenes and action to justify page count. The writing style is beautifully done, complimenting the nostalgic and fantasy feel of the protagonist. I do wish less reflection had taken place, where a shorter length would have minimized the ‘dragging on’, spicing it up a bit.
Character wise, Thom is likeable with realistic dimensional, coming back home after a serious health setback. Hugo interested me because of his dysfunctional weaknesses and the villain turned out satisfyingly monstrous. I do wish more time had been spent about the grandfather. The elves and creatures in the forest were fantastical and intriguing, bringing the fairy tale element to life full force, and I liked the revelations Thom learned about himself and what the future holds for the land.
Sexual scenes are surreal and fit perfectly into the story, especially the erotic scene where he first encounters a main character. It shifts to another disturbing sequence that I won’t spoil here, but let’s just say that one ended up icky. There’s a few more sex scenes, including two characters you wouldn’t suspect, taking up nearly an entire chapter in length.
Overall the premise is good but there’s too much fluff to avoid getting bored sometimes. Characters are worthy of reading about, but you can only care so long in between something happening and characters ‘explaining things.’ The finale, with its flashy battle, worked. Pacing is too slow, but the atmosphere is rich and enshrouded with gothic fantasy. I expected more, perhaps some slimming down would have helped it, but it’s a decent book that stands out as unique.
September 2, 2010
It is impossible to shake the inescapable sense that this book must be labouring under some sort of Glamour. Certainly all is very stylish upon the surface, a great deal of artistry has gone into the cover, its map and it's imagery and yet none of this can hide the gaping empty void where the actual story should be. There are so many things that are bad about this book it's hard to choose where to start but I will begin by mentioning the general prose style and its habit of indulging in unnecessarily long sentences, with lots of commas and subclauses - of the kind that contain the most banal and obvious observations that are supposed to pass of insight - and at times render the story confusingly unreadable. Much like that.
I've not read James Herbert before, but I understand this book had been an effort to branch out from the more usual fare of horror and chills into something broader and deeper. Sadly though endless meandering sentences does no more equal deep insights than awkwardly written sex equals expressions of human desires whilst a man meeting a bunch of fairies and wondering a bit whether it could be real is no kind of investigation into the nature of belief. Perhaps ironically the only brief moment when I found the book did come to life was at one of the moments of straight horror featuring a bottomless jar of spiders. The rest of the time the tale remains resolutely lifeless, rendering almost comical its apparent pretensions to some deeper insights or truth.
Then there is the plot which, when it does happen to come along in the last quarter of the book is of such dreadfully contrived and melodramatic proportions as might come out of some bad soap-opera. There is also the characterisation, or perhaps that should be absence of characterisation. This point is most particularly egregious when it comes to the actions of the women. At no point is any attempt made to explain the origins of this book's female antagonist and scarce little mention of what lies behind the actions of any of the others. All this renders then a somewhat unpleasantly stereotypical characterisation of women, either devious and manipulative in the use of their sex or otherwise pure and innocent and beautiful when it suits this decidedly male fantasy for them to be. Were the male hero so very dense, yet occasionally inexplicably insightful, I might yet be somewhat more angry about it.
Yet the aspect of this book that threatens to invoke my wrath even more can be neatly summed up by the two points in the narrative when our ill-defined hero is actually compared to the figure of Jesus! The sheer breathtaking arrogance of this empty little book is truly awe inspiring. I'm an atheist and still it makes me angry, or would at least, were it not quite so laughable. I have wondered at times whether I have been too hard in my evaluation of an innocent and playful fantasy of witches and fairies and elves and then I remember no, you actually thought your hero worthy of comparison to Jesus! It's ridiclous, if not hilarious, not to mention pretentious, arrogant, tawdry, empty (not to mention the confusingly rambling prose), with a somewhat unpleasant air of female objectivity and overall just bad.
Really, very bad indeed.
I've not read James Herbert before, but I understand this book had been an effort to branch out from the more usual fare of horror and chills into something broader and deeper. Sadly though endless meandering sentences does no more equal deep insights than awkwardly written sex equals expressions of human desires whilst a man meeting a bunch of fairies and wondering a bit whether it could be real is no kind of investigation into the nature of belief. Perhaps ironically the only brief moment when I found the book did come to life was at one of the moments of straight horror featuring a bottomless jar of spiders. The rest of the time the tale remains resolutely lifeless, rendering almost comical its apparent pretensions to some deeper insights or truth.
Then there is the plot which, when it does happen to come along in the last quarter of the book is of such dreadfully contrived and melodramatic proportions as might come out of some bad soap-opera. There is also the characterisation, or perhaps that should be absence of characterisation. This point is most particularly egregious when it comes to the actions of the women. At no point is any attempt made to explain the origins of this book's female antagonist and scarce little mention of what lies behind the actions of any of the others. All this renders then a somewhat unpleasantly stereotypical characterisation of women, either devious and manipulative in the use of their sex or otherwise pure and innocent and beautiful when it suits this decidedly male fantasy for them to be. Were the male hero so very dense, yet occasionally inexplicably insightful, I might yet be somewhat more angry about it.
Yet the aspect of this book that threatens to invoke my wrath even more can be neatly summed up by the two points in the narrative when our ill-defined hero is actually compared to the figure of Jesus! The sheer breathtaking arrogance of this empty little book is truly awe inspiring. I'm an atheist and still it makes me angry, or would at least, were it not quite so laughable. I have wondered at times whether I have been too hard in my evaluation of an innocent and playful fantasy of witches and fairies and elves and then I remember no, you actually thought your hero worthy of comparison to Jesus! It's ridiclous, if not hilarious, not to mention pretentious, arrogant, tawdry, empty (not to mention the confusingly rambling prose), with a somewhat unpleasant air of female objectivity and overall just bad.
Really, very bad indeed.
February 9, 2013
Review of Once by James Herbert
5 Stars
Going in, I sort of expected a horror story, because that is the genre for which Mr. Herbert is so well-known. Instead, I found a very realistic and believable contemporary fairy tale, myth and legend come to vibrant life in the English countryside. Thom Kindred, product of a single mother, was raised till age ten in the cottage called “Little Bracken,” on the estate of Sir Russell Bleeth, whose son was tutored by Thom’s mother. She died when Thom was ten, and Sir Russell paid for his boarding school from then on out. Now at twenty-seven, four months after a stroke, Thom returns to Little Bracken for a time of recuperation. It is also the catalyst for his eyes to be opened, quite literally as well as metaphorically, as he re-discovers the unseen world that lies only a veil apart from our own, the world of Fae.
5 Stars
Going in, I sort of expected a horror story, because that is the genre for which Mr. Herbert is so well-known. Instead, I found a very realistic and believable contemporary fairy tale, myth and legend come to vibrant life in the English countryside. Thom Kindred, product of a single mother, was raised till age ten in the cottage called “Little Bracken,” on the estate of Sir Russell Bleeth, whose son was tutored by Thom’s mother. She died when Thom was ten, and Sir Russell paid for his boarding school from then on out. Now at twenty-seven, four months after a stroke, Thom returns to Little Bracken for a time of recuperation. It is also the catalyst for his eyes to be opened, quite literally as well as metaphorically, as he re-discovers the unseen world that lies only a veil apart from our own, the world of Fae.
December 19, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Recommended.
May 1, 2023
Dark, mysterious horror a classic read from James Herbert
June 4, 2015
I grew up reading James Herbert, and I honestly consider myself a fan of his writing. This was disappointing.
Firstly, this isn't actually a horror story. This in itself was not the problem as Mr. Herbert has previously turned his hand from the horror genre, with the excellent Fluke being a prime example of this.
The book is actually a fairy tale for the modern age. Following his recovery from a serious stroke, the irritatingly named Thom Kindred returns to his ancestral home within the grounds of Castle Bracken. Thom hopes to reconnect with old friends and forgotten memories. He does this, but it comes with a cost.
Thom soon discovers that fairies are real, and so too are other, darker things.
This wasn't a terrible book, but it was padded with far too much descriptive prose, and the sex scenes... my God, the sex scenes. I'm not in any way opposed to people getting their rocks off in literature, but this was littered with such scenes; it began to feel as though they were there purely as further padding.
Also, the wicked witch of the piece is continually refereed to as a wiccan. A strange word choice for the antagonist.
Overall, not a bad book, but not a great one either. I'd recommend James Herbert to anyone who enjoys horror, but I'd advise giving this one a miss.
Firstly, this isn't actually a horror story. This in itself was not the problem as Mr. Herbert has previously turned his hand from the horror genre, with the excellent Fluke being a prime example of this.
The book is actually a fairy tale for the modern age. Following his recovery from a serious stroke, the irritatingly named Thom Kindred returns to his ancestral home within the grounds of Castle Bracken. Thom hopes to reconnect with old friends and forgotten memories. He does this, but it comes with a cost.
Thom soon discovers that fairies are real, and so too are other, darker things.
This wasn't a terrible book, but it was padded with far too much descriptive prose, and the sex scenes... my God, the sex scenes. I'm not in any way opposed to people getting their rocks off in literature, but this was littered with such scenes; it began to feel as though they were there purely as further padding.
Also, the wicked witch of the piece is continually refereed to as a wiccan. A strange word choice for the antagonist.
Overall, not a bad book, but not a great one either. I'd recommend James Herbert to anyone who enjoys horror, but I'd advise giving this one a miss.
May 3, 2013
James Herbert Once...
I don't often get the opportunity to review a book which I really didn't like. At least not since college and assigned reading lists. I'm not beholden to others to do my reviews so I generally try to pick books which I think I'll like and I can stop reading if I don't like it. Mostly though I do finish books once I start them and even on books that star off rocky I usually find something redeeming in their pages.
And then we have "Once..." by James Herbert. I think it's usually a bad sign if ellipsis is part of the book title... The cover looks promising, silver fairies and foxes in entwined with thorny vines in front of what appears to be a castle and the words "The International Bestseller" emblazoned in red across the top. Looks like a nice fantasy paper-back. What could go wrong?
I could easily go into rant mode, but I want to keep this review short as I really do not want to devote any more of my time to thinking about this book than I already have while reading it. Mr. Herbert's grasp of the fantastic is akin to a day laborers grasp of Spackle. He's seen it, he's touched it, he can probably put up something that looks like it if you give him time and the tools, but in the end it won't pass the test of time and it's a poor veneer on a hole.
To say I was disappointed with the prose of this book is to put it lightly. The descriptions of fairies, gnomes, elves, and fantastical beasts that populate the periphery of the magical forest our protagonist stumbles through are so mundane and matter of fact that any sense of wonder I might have possessed was wrung out of me like a damp dish rag.
I haven't even touched on the plot, because there isn't much of one. Your generic orphan boy grows up with a mysterious past and comes back to the home he left and the vague memories of magic that he had long denied. You know the trope... what he might be the heir to the fortune? What he might be party fairy himself? You don't say... skip past the completely disappointing evil witch/bitch villainess and fast forward to the completely pulled out of nowhere SPOILER (TIME TRAVEL) Dues Ex Machina and put a bow on it. This thing is ... done.
Not recommended.
I don't often get the opportunity to review a book which I really didn't like. At least not since college and assigned reading lists. I'm not beholden to others to do my reviews so I generally try to pick books which I think I'll like and I can stop reading if I don't like it. Mostly though I do finish books once I start them and even on books that star off rocky I usually find something redeeming in their pages.
And then we have "Once..." by James Herbert. I think it's usually a bad sign if ellipsis is part of the book title... The cover looks promising, silver fairies and foxes in entwined with thorny vines in front of what appears to be a castle and the words "The International Bestseller" emblazoned in red across the top. Looks like a nice fantasy paper-back. What could go wrong?
I could easily go into rant mode, but I want to keep this review short as I really do not want to devote any more of my time to thinking about this book than I already have while reading it. Mr. Herbert's grasp of the fantastic is akin to a day laborers grasp of Spackle. He's seen it, he's touched it, he can probably put up something that looks like it if you give him time and the tools, but in the end it won't pass the test of time and it's a poor veneer on a hole.
To say I was disappointed with the prose of this book is to put it lightly. The descriptions of fairies, gnomes, elves, and fantastical beasts that populate the periphery of the magical forest our protagonist stumbles through are so mundane and matter of fact that any sense of wonder I might have possessed was wrung out of me like a damp dish rag.
I haven't even touched on the plot, because there isn't much of one. Your generic orphan boy grows up with a mysterious past and comes back to the home he left and the vague memories of magic that he had long denied. You know the trope... what he might be the heir to the fortune? What he might be party fairy himself? You don't say... skip past the completely disappointing evil witch/bitch villainess and fast forward to the completely pulled out of nowhere SPOILER (TIME TRAVEL) Dues Ex Machina and put a bow on it. This thing is ... done.
Not recommended.
November 15, 2022
I really liked this book because of the folk horror elements, and the story line concerning the fae. What I didn't like was the implication that Wiccan practice was evil (one character was evil and practiced in an evil way, but it should be differentiated from those who practice white Wicca). I also could have done without the sex. Egads! If you can get past that, it's entertaining. It definitely kept me reading.
November 21, 2008
Once by James Herbert was more than a little disappointing. Yes, I had read other reviews first and they were all pretty consistent about this book... sucking. Yet I still hoped for more. The synopsis sounded great and I really liked James Herbert's Haunted. And from the synopsis, I was hoping for something more like John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things or Neil Gaiman's Stardust. Faery with some horror elements. My expectations were set way too high.
The story initially drew me in and had me quickly turning the pages, but it wasn't long before the descriptions of Faery became tedious rather than magical. The horror was gross rather than creepy. But I think what irritated me the most and put me off was the unnecessary sex that did absolutely nothing to further the plot. 300 pages in and I no longer cared about any of the characters; who lived or who died.
So, if you are looking for some great dark fantasy and adult fairy tales, skip this one and read instead John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, or any of the fairy tale collections edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Just to name a few...
The story initially drew me in and had me quickly turning the pages, but it wasn't long before the descriptions of Faery became tedious rather than magical. The horror was gross rather than creepy. But I think what irritated me the most and put me off was the unnecessary sex that did absolutely nothing to further the plot. 300 pages in and I no longer cared about any of the characters; who lived or who died.
So, if you are looking for some great dark fantasy and adult fairy tales, skip this one and read instead John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, Neil Gaiman's Stardust, Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, or any of the fairy tale collections edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Just to name a few...
June 27, 2011
This James Herbert novel is very different to many of his others and introduces us to Thom Kindred who after a serious accident returns to his childhood home of Little Bracken set deep in the mysterious forest surrounding the stately home of Castle Bracken.
The narrative sets up quite a spooky feeling about the setting and also the both houses. The Characters of Hugo Bleeth and Nell Quick are not who they seem and then we find out that the forest is populated by a whole host of incredible mythical animals and elves and wicked evil creatures from our nightmares and fairy tales that interact with Thom.
The story is very original and sometimes erotic, sometimes menacing; I wouldn't exactly call it Horror, more a good old fashioned haunted love story. Very good none the less.
The narrative sets up quite a spooky feeling about the setting and also the both houses. The Characters of Hugo Bleeth and Nell Quick are not who they seem and then we find out that the forest is populated by a whole host of incredible mythical animals and elves and wicked evil creatures from our nightmares and fairy tales that interact with Thom.
The story is very original and sometimes erotic, sometimes menacing; I wouldn't exactly call it Horror, more a good old fashioned haunted love story. Very good none the less.
February 1, 2013
This is probably one of my most favourite books to date. Dark fantasy based on faery folk with the approach that not all fairytales are pink and fluffy as it were. For any adult that appreciates the idea that fairytales never started off as princesses in castles but more on open lustful desires, then this is definitely worth a read!
January 16, 2015
★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK
I actually sold my copy of this book a few years back as I could never see myself rereading it... It wasn't a bad take on the "adult fairy story", it's just that a few sex scenes seemed to be pointlessly added to it. As the first book I'd ever read of Herbert's, it didn't endear me to reading any more. OK, but far too ridiculous at points.
I actually sold my copy of this book a few years back as I could never see myself rereading it... It wasn't a bad take on the "adult fairy story", it's just that a few sex scenes seemed to be pointlessly added to it. As the first book I'd ever read of Herbert's, it didn't endear me to reading any more. OK, but far too ridiculous at points.
October 25, 2020
I try to give everyone two books before I cut my losses.
This is book 2.
It's me. It has to be. This just isn't my genre and I almost feel bad for the bad rating, but it's a personal preference--or in this case, distaste--of a book.
So, if you like...weird, creepy, a bit off-kilter, this might be for you.
This is book 2.
It's me. It has to be. This just isn't my genre and I almost feel bad for the bad rating, but it's a personal preference--or in this case, distaste--of a book.
So, if you like...weird, creepy, a bit off-kilter, this might be for you.
November 11, 2025
Good lord. I like tits as much as the next person, but I do not need to hear about them constantly. Very “she breasted boobily” etc.
This was the choice for my book club this month, and I had to DNF.
This was the choice for my book club this month, and I had to DNF.
August 6, 2021
Thom returns to his childhood home and discovers fairies are real, in this fairy tale for grownups. There is a lot of sex, plus an evil witch and a multitude of fairy folk. It is up to Thom to protect the land from the evil witch.
This book was well written, but at times too descriptive. His visits to the fairy land are described in too much detail and I wished we could get to the action sooner. The ending was satisfying, but I could have done without the comparisons of Thom to Jesus Christ. Overall a good book.
This book was well written, but at times too descriptive. His visits to the fairy land are described in too much detail and I wished we could get to the action sooner. The ending was satisfying, but I could have done without the comparisons of Thom to Jesus Christ. Overall a good book.
October 20, 2010
This was an entertaining dark fantasy with a fair bit of sex thrown into it! The plot is straight forward enough with few real surprises - it’s typical good versus evil fare – so some people might be disappointed if they wanted something to tax their brains a little!
There was, however, an interesting overview of the Lloyds of London insurance scandal of the 1980s on pp. 134-6. This is rather topical given the current global financial problems caused by (among other things) the collapse of the sub-prime market in the US; financial deregulation (or at least the non-enforcement of existing regulations); widespread over-reliance on credit by a public lured into increasing indebtedness by the banks and credit card companies; and governments’ (mis)use of taxpayers’ money to solve the banking crisis. I wonder what horror or fantasy novels will come to be set in the current day (or its aftermath) with the ongoing financial problems as a backdrop?
There was also some humour in this novel – I particularly liked the suggestion that a certain popular singer belonged to a type of fairy folk on p. 268, although whether she would like it too is another thing.
Before the advent of the mobile phone, it was possible for people to find themselves in difficult situations – whether out in the wilderness or close to human settlement – with no way of communicating to anybody for help. Nowadays, many people are just a phone call away from help, as their phone is never far from their hand/pocket/handbag. In Once…, the protagonist has a mobile phone but when he returns to his childhood home he finds that he’s often out of reception – something we’ve all experienced from time to time – so his inability to use the phone at critical times is explained without having to resort to something mysterious as the reason.
Less understandable is the protagonist’s decision to run through a dense expanse of woodland at a critical time in the novel when he could have used his Landrover. The choice is not explained, but finding the car’s engine to have been tampered with (for example) would’ve provided a sound basis for his decision, fitted well with the narrative, and would not have left this reader wondering ‘Why did he do that?’ instead.
There were occasional grammatical lapses, which I thought a little strange for an author of Herbert’s experience. Perhaps they are borne of long habit and survived in the published text because his publisher did not see fit to provide him with an editor. They include the phrase ‘had began’ rather than ‘had begun’, which was repeated throughout the book (examples can be found on pages 214 and 274). Elsewhere, he uses ‘adverse’ for ‘averse’ (p. 411), ‘comprised of’ for ‘composed of’ or simply ‘comprised’, and (frequently) ‘further’ for ‘farther’. That said, his writing is otherwise rich with imagery and description and is a pleasure to read.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but I think it could’ve been a lot darker - it was closer to fantasy than to horror.
There was, however, an interesting overview of the Lloyds of London insurance scandal of the 1980s on pp. 134-6. This is rather topical given the current global financial problems caused by (among other things) the collapse of the sub-prime market in the US; financial deregulation (or at least the non-enforcement of existing regulations); widespread over-reliance on credit by a public lured into increasing indebtedness by the banks and credit card companies; and governments’ (mis)use of taxpayers’ money to solve the banking crisis. I wonder what horror or fantasy novels will come to be set in the current day (or its aftermath) with the ongoing financial problems as a backdrop?
There was also some humour in this novel – I particularly liked the suggestion that a certain popular singer belonged to a type of fairy folk on p. 268, although whether she would like it too is another thing.
Before the advent of the mobile phone, it was possible for people to find themselves in difficult situations – whether out in the wilderness or close to human settlement – with no way of communicating to anybody for help. Nowadays, many people are just a phone call away from help, as their phone is never far from their hand/pocket/handbag. In Once…, the protagonist has a mobile phone but when he returns to his childhood home he finds that he’s often out of reception – something we’ve all experienced from time to time – so his inability to use the phone at critical times is explained without having to resort to something mysterious as the reason.
Less understandable is the protagonist’s decision to run through a dense expanse of woodland at a critical time in the novel when he could have used his Landrover. The choice is not explained, but finding the car’s engine to have been tampered with (for example) would’ve provided a sound basis for his decision, fitted well with the narrative, and would not have left this reader wondering ‘Why did he do that?’ instead.
There were occasional grammatical lapses, which I thought a little strange for an author of Herbert’s experience. Perhaps they are borne of long habit and survived in the published text because his publisher did not see fit to provide him with an editor. They include the phrase ‘had began’ rather than ‘had begun’, which was repeated throughout the book (examples can be found on pages 214 and 274). Elsewhere, he uses ‘adverse’ for ‘averse’ (p. 411), ‘comprised of’ for ‘composed of’ or simply ‘comprised’, and (frequently) ‘further’ for ‘farther’. That said, his writing is otherwise rich with imagery and description and is a pleasure to read.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but I think it could’ve been a lot darker - it was closer to fantasy than to horror.
December 8, 2011
Stephen King recommended author as noted in Chapter 9 of Berkley's 1983 paperback edition of Danse Macabre.
I've read Herbert before and think he could have done better with this novel. It started out pretty good and I was settled in for a great page-turner, but soon became distracted by all the sex scenes(albeit well-written). I'm very far from being a prude and am very open-minded, but it didn't seem like most of the sex scenes forwarded the story. Some of them were pretty erotic, though.
Someone mentioned the editing wasn't very good, and I agree. There were continuity errors and typos galore, and each time I noticed them it took me out of the story.
I really wanted to like this story, it seemed like such a good premise. But it turned out to be predictable, with long-winded and boring descriptions, and stereotyped characters. If this is your first Herbert, please try something else of his before giving up on him.
I've read Herbert before and think he could have done better with this novel. It started out pretty good and I was settled in for a great page-turner, but soon became distracted by all the sex scenes(albeit well-written). I'm very far from being a prude and am very open-minded, but it didn't seem like most of the sex scenes forwarded the story. Some of them were pretty erotic, though.
Someone mentioned the editing wasn't very good, and I agree. There were continuity errors and typos galore, and each time I noticed them it took me out of the story.
I really wanted to like this story, it seemed like such a good premise. But it turned out to be predictable, with long-winded and boring descriptions, and stereotyped characters. If this is your first Herbert, please try something else of his before giving up on him.
August 31, 2017
I've read a few other books by Herbert, who is sometimes considered the "Stephen King of Britain", and for the most part they have been enjoyable horror tales. This one was quite a departure from his usual fare. I guess you could call it an adult erotic fairy tale.
The protagonist, Thom Kindred, who is only 27, has had a stroke and needs time to recover. To do this, he goes back to his childhood home of Castle Bracken where he and his mother lived in a nearby cottage called Little Bracken. During his childhood, his mother told him tales of fairies and other mythical creatures up until her sudden death but she never disclosed who Thom's father was. The master of Castle Bracken paid for Thom's schooling but was it out of kindheartedness or was it for some other reason? Upon Thom's return home, strange happenings start to occur involving elves, witches, fairies, and other creatures who live in the woods around the castle. This included some very erotic sequences that definitely were not written for children! In the end, the tale was a classic good vs. evil story with a clash between the forces of darkness and the goodness of the "faeryfolkis."
I know this Herbert novel has received some very mixed reviews with some hating it and others loving it. I was kind of in the middle and would mildly recommend it for lovers of fairy tales.
The protagonist, Thom Kindred, who is only 27, has had a stroke and needs time to recover. To do this, he goes back to his childhood home of Castle Bracken where he and his mother lived in a nearby cottage called Little Bracken. During his childhood, his mother told him tales of fairies and other mythical creatures up until her sudden death but she never disclosed who Thom's father was. The master of Castle Bracken paid for Thom's schooling but was it out of kindheartedness or was it for some other reason? Upon Thom's return home, strange happenings start to occur involving elves, witches, fairies, and other creatures who live in the woods around the castle. This included some very erotic sequences that definitely were not written for children! In the end, the tale was a classic good vs. evil story with a clash between the forces of darkness and the goodness of the "faeryfolkis."
I know this Herbert novel has received some very mixed reviews with some hating it and others loving it. I was kind of in the middle and would mildly recommend it for lovers of fairy tales.
March 28, 2013
This is more of a 2.5 star book, but Goodreads doesn't have half-star ratings for reviewers. That said, while certain horror aspects of 'Once' are more than effective (such as the succubus), too much detracts from that.
First of all, there's far too much fluff involved. I found myself skimming pages of it in attempts to find my way back to the plot. Second, the ending was a bit horrendous if you think about it. Amusingly enough, it can be summarized as 'And then the villain defeats themself, the person everyone thought was dead is perfectly okay, and the main character inherits everything and becomes Jesus.' I'm not kidding about that last part--it was discussed at least twice over the course of the novel. Of course, there are a couple minor things that bugged me, such as the repetition of a few elements from 'The Magic Cottage' that were more annoying than anything. And if I have to hear one more thing about 'juices' of all sorts, I might scream. There is only so many times one can use the exact same description, and that number is decidedly less than what Herbert used.
It's not the worst book I've ever read, but it's definitely in the mediocre range.
First of all, there's far too much fluff involved. I found myself skimming pages of it in attempts to find my way back to the plot. Second, the ending was a bit horrendous if you think about it. Amusingly enough, it can be summarized as 'And then the villain defeats themself, the person everyone thought was dead is perfectly okay, and the main character inherits everything and becomes Jesus.' I'm not kidding about that last part--it was discussed at least twice over the course of the novel. Of course, there are a couple minor things that bugged me, such as the repetition of a few elements from 'The Magic Cottage' that were more annoying than anything. And if I have to hear one more thing about 'juices' of all sorts, I might scream. There is only so many times one can use the exact same description, and that number is decidedly less than what Herbert used.
It's not the worst book I've ever read, but it's definitely in the mediocre range.
July 23, 2021
This is real classic Herbert with the addition of more adult content in terms of erotic aspects. The story deals well with character and location description, which allows one to immerse oneself into the story in true 'fly on the wall' style. I love the concept delivered here, that the world of faeries is very real and is only rendered unreal by our inability to accept them as our adult minds fill with an alternative reality of our own making. Highly recommended.
September 21, 2008
Tried to finish this, but I couldn't get through. Needlessly explicit sex scenes killed the action for me and whilst I understand they may have been necessary, the excess detail however was not. The book felt more like soft core porn and I wasn't really looking for that type of story.
July 10, 2008
An unusual combination of horror story, faerie tale, and erotica - definitely not recommended for arachnophobes.
May 9, 2018
I wish I could turn back time and not read this crap. The worst book I’ve ever read and I really had to force myself to finish it.
October 23, 2018
When I picked this up, I was expecting a dark fantasy, not chronic masterbation from every character in the book.
June 6, 2022
I was so excited to read this book. I've read other books by this author- horror books- and enjoyed them. I thought this was going to be like a horror/fantasy mash up- and... this was NOT THAT.
I don't know what this was. Is there even a plot here? It made me think of some 14 year old nerd boy writing out their ultimate sexual fantasy world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude and some sexual elements are generally tolerated. However, there was NOTHING about this book that didn't have sex involved. There was an entire chapter devoted to a lesbian encounter that had absolutely nothing to do with the story. And so help me, if I ever have to read about a woman's "juices" again I may just burn everything down.
I could have been okay if at least the rest of the story was actually good. Unfortunately, the "fantasy" elements were flimsy at best (regular fantasy- not sexual fantasy). There was nothing "horror" about it. (Well, except for maybe reading that book itself. Maybe that could be considered a horror....)
I got half-way before I finally realized it wasn't going to get any better. I hated all of the characters, because none of them were believable. All of the women just wanted to screw the main character. The men I was introduced to (insofar as I got in the book) were unattractive, overweight, creepy, etc...of course, because the main character was (apparently) the shit. Which is funny, because I found the main character to be a pretty big loser.
So- yeah. I gave up. I absolutely do not recommend. Not even if you are into erotica, because it isn't even good as erotica. Unless you are 12 maybe.
I don't know what this was. Is there even a plot here? It made me think of some 14 year old nerd boy writing out their ultimate sexual fantasy world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude and some sexual elements are generally tolerated. However, there was NOTHING about this book that didn't have sex involved. There was an entire chapter devoted to a lesbian encounter that had absolutely nothing to do with the story. And so help me, if I ever have to read about a woman's "juices" again I may just burn everything down.
I could have been okay if at least the rest of the story was actually good. Unfortunately, the "fantasy" elements were flimsy at best (regular fantasy- not sexual fantasy). There was nothing "horror" about it. (Well, except for maybe reading that book itself. Maybe that could be considered a horror....)
I got half-way before I finally realized it wasn't going to get any better. I hated all of the characters, because none of them were believable. All of the women just wanted to screw the main character. The men I was introduced to (insofar as I got in the book) were unattractive, overweight, creepy, etc...of course, because the main character was (apparently) the shit. Which is funny, because I found the main character to be a pretty big loser.
So- yeah. I gave up. I absolutely do not recommend. Not even if you are into erotica, because it isn't even good as erotica. Unless you are 12 maybe.
January 30, 2026
Once by James Herbert has been an old favourite of mine for years, and every reread reminds me why it’s stuck with me. It’s this strange, atmospheric blend of folklore, horror, and adult‑leaning fantasy that only Herbert could get away with. And yes — it’s definitely a spicy read if you’re into softer, suggestive faerie‑themed stories. Herbert doesn’t shy away from sensuality, and a few scenes are more explicit than you might expect from a book that starts off feeling like a dark fairy tale.
Spoilers below.
The story follows Thom Kindred returning to his childhood home, only to find that the supernatural world he brushed up against as a boy never really let go. The slow reveal of his connection to the fae — especially the truth about his heritage — still lands well. The faerie queen scenes are some of the most memorable: seductive, eerie, and unsettling in that classic Herbert way.
The book’s darker edge comes through in the subplot around the malevolent forces tied to the estate. The changeling storyline, the escalating tension in the woods, and the final confrontation all give the book its teeth. Herbert balances whimsy and danger in a way that shouldn’t work but somehow does.
Some moments feel a little dated now, and the sensuality occasionally veers into “did he really write that?” territory, but honestly, that’s part of the charm. It’s bold, weird, cheeky, and completely committed to its own tone.
A solid 4.5 stars from me. Still magical, still mischievous, still a wild little ride through the darker corners of faerie folklore.
Spoilers below.
The story follows Thom Kindred returning to his childhood home, only to find that the supernatural world he brushed up against as a boy never really let go. The slow reveal of his connection to the fae — especially the truth about his heritage — still lands well. The faerie queen scenes are some of the most memorable: seductive, eerie, and unsettling in that classic Herbert way.
The book’s darker edge comes through in the subplot around the malevolent forces tied to the estate. The changeling storyline, the escalating tension in the woods, and the final confrontation all give the book its teeth. Herbert balances whimsy and danger in a way that shouldn’t work but somehow does.
Some moments feel a little dated now, and the sensuality occasionally veers into “did he really write that?” territory, but honestly, that’s part of the charm. It’s bold, weird, cheeky, and completely committed to its own tone.
A solid 4.5 stars from me. Still magical, still mischievous, still a wild little ride through the darker corners of faerie folklore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2020
I made a huge mistake in reading this book. I chose it because the author wrote The Rats, which I enjoyed, so I thought, “Why not read something else by him?”. I didn’t read the synopsis, and when I found out what I was getting into, I was a little shocked.
🧚♂️
First of all, this is a genre I don’t typically read, fantasy just isn’t my thing, but when it’s EROTIC fantasy....That’s just DEFINITELY not my thing. I don’t know why I didn’t DNF it. I’ve been having issues with DNFing books. I feel like I have to finish them no matter how terrible. I think after this one, I’ll make it a goal to just stop wasting my time and start DNFing.
🧚♂️
This book was way too long and full of absolutely nothing. The first half of the book was the main character walking to his old house. There was so much repetition, as well as contradictory statements. Also the storyline was just...pointless.
🧚♂️
Reading this makes me appreciate a good book even more. Not every book I pick up will be a winner, and not every review I post will be a five star.
🧚♂️
First of all, this is a genre I don’t typically read, fantasy just isn’t my thing, but when it’s EROTIC fantasy....That’s just DEFINITELY not my thing. I don’t know why I didn’t DNF it. I’ve been having issues with DNFing books. I feel like I have to finish them no matter how terrible. I think after this one, I’ll make it a goal to just stop wasting my time and start DNFing.
🧚♂️
This book was way too long and full of absolutely nothing. The first half of the book was the main character walking to his old house. There was so much repetition, as well as contradictory statements. Also the storyline was just...pointless.
🧚♂️
Reading this makes me appreciate a good book even more. Not every book I pick up will be a winner, and not every review I post will be a five star.
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