The Folk In The Woods

by E.M. McConnell

In the village of Ravenswood, the Harvest is more than a celebration—it's a renewal of the pact with the earth and an honouring of the ancient deity that has guided them for centuries.
Richard and his friends enjoy frequent weekends away together, but this time they decide to visit a quaint village and attend their Harvest festival.
The villagers are friendly, but strange, and there are cryptic symbols carved into the doors.
As the festival draws nearer, the ancient deity that the village worships awakens, and it is hungry for blood.

Genres: Horror

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2024

About the author

Eryn was born and raised in the UK, emigrating to Germany in 2017. They work freelance and live with their family.
Eryn studied Poetry, Literature and Playwriting at University, continuing to write poetry. They began to write fiction in 2021, starting with fan fiction, then flash fiction, then short stories, and finally novellas and novels.
They describe themselves as a non genre specific writer, preferring to dip toes into different genres, stories and ideas. Currently they write Poetry, Fantasy, Dystopian, Scifi and Horror but they may diversify further in the future.

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Shell of The Great Rite...

THE FOLK IN THE WOODS
by E.M. McConnell

3 stars. There will be spoilers in this review, but they will be at the end, and I will give ample warning before you get there...

Richard, his wife Louise, and four other couples were taking a trip to the tiny village of Ravenswood...

The little village was celebrating with their annual harvest festival...

Ravenswood Village dated back to William the Conquer and beyond...

People born there do not leave, and their property is difficult to buy. Over the centuries, the villagers continued with the old pagan ways...

And the Harvest Rites...

Outsiders may not participate in the Great Rite. They are only allowed to attend and watch...

For the festival...

The villagers made traditional corn dolls, they have a Lammas queen, and they will make a symbolic offering to the old god...

Guests will enjoy their local ales and ciders...

But when the group arrived...

Their guesthouse door was marked with a strange red sigil, and the townsfolk looked as if they were stoned on weed...

Stranger still...

Richard, who rarely dreamed when he slept, dreamed of having sex with a woman (not his wife) the night before the trip...

And...

That woman was the barmaid serving them drinks at the village pub, the Harvester...

SPOILERS AT THIS POINT:

This novella's plot was too similar to HARVEST HOME by Thomas Tryon, making it almost impossible not to compare the two stories. This version lacked the intense story and character development found in HARVEST HOME. Tryon's novel, written in the 1970s, laid out the entire festival in chapters detailing the seven nights leading up to the climax of the Harvest Home rite. It was rich with townsfolk and protagonist character development so that, by the end of the book, you missed all the characters, even the evil people.

The victims in this story were very one-dimensional, and most of them were absorbed into the background upon arrival to the village, never to be seen again until the end. The story probably would have benefitted by omitting them altogether.

One victim, Mina, seemed to be invisible to the town for some unexplained reason and was the only person in the group allowed to leave Ravenswood, which made me wonder why she was in the story at all. The reason for the season, which the plot relied heavily on, was barely touched on and begged for more detail.

There was really nothing original here. It was very similar, but shorter and without the interesting details of HARVEST HOME by Thomas Tryon, THE CURSED EARTH by D.T. Neal, SONG OF THE RED SQUIRE by C.W. Blackwell, CANDLENIGHT by Phil Rickman, and THE GREEN MAN by Kingsley Amis. This story was just a shell of these outstanding novels, IMHO.

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap.

Don’t ever go on vacation to a small village town. Just…don’t.

I loved the lore in this story. If you are also a fan of folk horror, you will love this one!

For a novella, this one packed a punch. A group of adult friends go to a small village during their Harvest for a getaway. What could do wrong? Everything.

It was absolutely ruthless. And dare I say..sexy? I had no idea what was going on with the villagers, the friends, the woods. And the end? Amazing.

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 "watch out for those murderous country bumpkins" stars!

A group of friends goes into the country for a harvest festival.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

This is one of my god-level tropes and this folk horror novella was AWESOME! It had incredible economy of language and pacing. Every sentence propelled the plot and the fear perfectly. I loved all the touches:

- Glassy-eyed villagers
- Suspicious lack of animals in the village and birdsong in the forest
- Devoted pagan zealots
- Full English breakfasts
- Titillating rituals (very TW)
- Corn dollies
- Goddess worship

It was all great and exactly what the doctor ordered. The only thing I wanted more of was the Archetypes. I thought it was so fascinating that the village draws a group of people who fit into ancient Archetypes every year, and I was so curious who fit into which.

Very recommended!

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to author E.M. McConnell for a copy of this to review. The Folk in the Woods reads like a fever dream, a combination of its inspirations like Midsommar, The Wicker Man, even some Hot Fuzz vibes. If you like your folk horror on the shorter and Pagan-inspired side, this is for you.

Richard, his wife, and friends come to a village called Ravenswood, where there isn't a bank, nor a Starbucks, but there is excellent Wifi, anachronistically thriving besides ancient Pagan festivals and practices. How else would you lure unsuspecting city slickers looking for an Air BNB to your sinisterly rustic little town, if not through Tripadvisor?

The sense of building dread was masterfully done in this, McConnell weaving a story that is hazy at the edges, like any nightmare, but coherent enough for you to recognize some eerie happenings are afoot. Richard dreams of flames encircling an altar-like structure. Corn dolls outnumber the village population, nearly. And the forest thrums with a sinister vibe, a malicious sentience that beckons outsiders who've come to the village.

This novella kept me guessing until the end, and it was a thoroughly engaging read. The addition of the journal Richard finds was great - the inclusion of some epistolary sequences from someone who came to the village before was a great plot device for building tension. A solid start to my spooky season reads!

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was supposed to be a friends weekend getaway in the small picturesque village of Ravenswood for their Summer harvest celebrations. Old fashioned and quaint, the locals are friendly and the drinks soon start flowing.

Roger is reporting on it for the press and has rented a lodge for the weekend Richard, Louise, Mina, Frank and Sabrina join him but soon get drawn in to the village’s dark rituals.

Oh this is good! A folk horror with a cultic twist, a tale of an ancient power honoured and a pact restored. The traditions are archaic, occult symbols, strange rituals and a dark macabre atmosphere amongst the frivolity.

This has Wicker Man vibes (the original film), the weird and mundane meld until no one really knows what is real. The tension builds and the unease tingles as the visitors are all seduced into taking part in the festival, either as enthusiastic participants or as a way to escape the otherworldly village.

There is also sapphic and polyamorous rep here as well as older main characters which I love to see. This is brutal and I loved it. I adore Eryn’s writing, it flows so beautifully and the dialogue is always spot on, a complete joy to read.

Thank you to the author for of the e-arc. The Folk in The Woods is available to preorder and will also be on KU on 21st July 2024, just in time for Midsummer 😉

[Sarah McKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, E.M. McConnell has hit all the right marks for me with their writing! My favorite type of horror is the kind that takes place in isolated places, where it slowly comes to light that something isn't quite right... I really enjoyed the atmosphere and general creepiness of the story, and I would have read it in a day or two had I not been super busy this past week. Another great one that I absolutely recommend. Keep it up!

[Zoe Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brutally dark folk-horror that almost tricks you into thinking you're reading a lovely story about a group of friends weekend away in a quaint village, until it gets dark... very dark. (I mean...the name also gives it away, and the cover...but the sudden drop into what can only be described as brutal is an evil mastermind decision.)

I went in to The Folk in the Woods without reading the content warnings, but I do advise that readers take note before they start reading.

A group of friends that often have trips away together embark on a weekend trip like no other. For this trip they are visiting the small village of Ravenswood to witness their Harvest Festival, at the invite of one of the group who is going for work. Richard (our main protagonist) soon begins to worry that things aren't as they seem, his opinion also felt by Mina (whom I adored so much!). But who could predict the horrors that would be about to be unleashed?

E. M. McConnell has such a way with writing these horror stories that I am yet to find one that doesn't grip me, I don't know how they do it! I found myself thoroughly in it's claws, unable (and unwilling) to put it down, inhaling every word and desperate to know what would happen next. I kept wishing the group would get back in their cars and drive away, whilst also worrying what would happen should they attempt to leave...would they even be able to?

Throughout the whole book you can feel Richard's love for his friends and his wife, Louise. You can't help but hope for the best for them and the whole 'love prevails all', even though if you've read the content warnings you know it isn't true. Whilst the book is mainly dark horror with jaw dropping, eye popping happenings, the author has hit the nail on the head with friendships and love.

Another belter of a book by E. M. McConnell, one that I feel might be one of the creepiest, darkest books I have had the privilege to be an ARC reader for. Fans of "Wicker Man" may love this book, as will horror fans.

Dark, wild, brutal and has me worried about my own small village's Harvest Festival.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because someone mentioned it gave off Harvest Home vibes, and because it was short. I'm pretty disappointed.

Right off the bat, I felt like I'd made a mistake. The narrative was prosaic, and the dialogue was stilted. The story wound up having no subtlety, and ultimately the characterization was weak, to the point where I couldn't bother to care what happened to any of the characters. I kept reading, hoping it would pick up and at least have some interesting plot elements, but no, that never really got off the ground, either.

I think I went into this with higher expectations, but even if I hadn't, I think it would have been disappointed. It's just not a good story.

[E.M. McConnell]

So, obviously I've read this, when editing, but I'm not going to be so crass as to review it. However, I do want to mention that there are content warnings on this book. It's a folk horror, we all know it's going to be dark, but IF you wish to read content warnings, please continue to behind the spoiler curtain.
The content warnings are also displayed on the back page of the eBook and paperback, so they're not in your way if you don't want to read them.

Content Warnings:

This is a folk horror of a dark nature. Everybody dies.
Particular content warnings include:
Dubious consent/no consent/sexual assault on a man on-page
Ritual sex
Cult behaviour
Sacrifice
Death by fire
Murder

[Bookstatsreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

They thought they were going on vacation instead these friends are confronted with a strange town filled with secrets and creepy citizens. Something is off in Ravenswood and it seems like only Richard & Mina have caught on. Will they all fall victim to what lies in the woods or will someone survive?

If you’re a fan of folk horror reads wrapped in a puzzle The Folk In The Woods is a great choice to keep you up past bedtime turning the pages. It’s a quick read at under 200 pages. Don’t let the length fool you it’s packed with plenty to keep you clicking clues together and figuring out your folklore. There’s just enough classic horror to make you want to yell at the characters through the page.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4. It's a bold move when a writer decides to essentially reproduce all or almost all the standard folk horror tropes, without adding anything of their own. This is the case here, I guess, and it ultimately works because E.M. McConnell knows how to put everything into place, so as to meet even an experienced reader's expectations of a folk horror tale. The story has everything we've seen before, perhaps even a bit too much for a novella (too large a cast, too many nods to folklore, too much symbolism), reminiscent of every popular folk horror movie (from The Wicker Man to Midsommar). Although I did enjoy reading this, I confess the only memorable scenes were the sexually triggering ones.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start by thanking McConnell for giving me an early ARC to read, and what a read it was! I love folk horror since it often allows me to mix some of my favourite subgenres and other interests. Being an avid horror reader I risked not looking at the trigger warnings, and I am glad I did because it made the ending that much better (no spoilers here!). Now obviously, I know some people will check trigger warnings, and while they provide slight spoilers, I am by no means recommending going in without being forewarned if you know you have them.

The Folk in the Woods was a fantastic read. I was hooked from the start. I have to say that while the deity is not fully tied to any pantheon as such, being a pagan I did enjoy the way McConnell portrayed the villagers and the festivals. The atmosphere the author creates in the village is fantastic. We have suspense, creeping horror turning to full blown and so much more. On top of this I adored the characters. I often find horror novels (and other mediums) tend to produce one dimensional characters that you don’t feel that attached. McConnell however does not fall into this trap. While the characters may not be instantly lovable they are likable and you quickly become attached to them in the sense of wanting them to survive.


On top of the writing and characters, I do want to say that one thing I found executed well was using a lot of folk horror tropes and making them work really well. I personally really enjoyed this one, and I will certainly be checking out the authors order works.


Once again, thank you to the author, and my review is felt voluntarily and completely unbiased.

[Alison Birks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it, it was a modern day wicker man with suspense, that from a friends weekend away turned into a nightmare of sacrifice, strange beings and a village completely taken over and made into corn dollies, I gave it 5 stars as it was one I didn’t expect and got me hooked as soon as I started it, if you like thriller sci-fi books then this is for you

[Thaddeus Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastical ride. E. M. Built a village so realistic that you could see it for yourself. This story was full of pagan beliefs and existential dread. What would you do to save the ones you love, and how will you cope if instead you just make things worse. This creepy atmospheric novel kept me hooked and I was pleasantly unnerved by the ending.

[Bookborne Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Folk in the Woods by E.M.McConnell is a dark folk horror that follows a group of friends seeking a relaxing vacation in the remote village of Ravenswood. It just so happens that this visit coincides with an ancient festival known as the Harvest, a time where the gods of old arise and a sacrifice of blood is demanded.


The Setting:
As a long time fan of gothic and folk horror classics, The Folk in the Woods reminded me very much of a combination of the cult classics Midsommar and The Wickerman. The setting is iconic for folk horror as Ravenswood is surrounded by a forest that isolates it from the outside world and cannot be seen from a major highway intersection. It follows the mood of M. Night Shyamalan's “The Village” and “Midsommar’s” isolated setting in that outside forces such as the police often don’t get involved with the affairs of the locals.

The character Captain makes this apparent when Richard mentions how he plans to tell the police following the discovery of the corn dollies in the ancient tree that serves as the main place where the events of the Harvesting take place.

While the setting serves as an iconic piece of folk horror, I felt distant from the environment. I would have liked to smell the bread baking, or have the events of the dance elaborated on so I could be fully immersed into the characters’ world. I felt like an outsider, rather than someone taking part in the different facets of the ritual.

The additions of the journal and dreams were interesting as they added to the increasingly unsettling atmosphere throughout the book.

The Characters:
Here is where we enter an area I wished would have been given more development. In folk horror, the depth and diversity of the cast of characters is as crucial as the setting. Classic folk horror, such as in The Ritual by Adam Neville, often portrays morally gray characters and those who have deep scars they are either trying to escape or heal from.

Sadly, that was not the case, except in the character of Richard. He is the only one who seems to have a stake in what is going on during the raunchy and bloody events of the Harvesting because not only does he want to find a way to save his friends, but also his precious wife, Louise. Richard’s need to save the relationship he cherishes is so strong, he agrees to sacrifice himself if Captain agrees to set Louise free from the dark influences brought on by the corn dollies.

Frank and Rog, two male characters that often either rarely interacted with the setting or other characters and only seemingly appeared when the plot needed that nudge to continue moving forward. An example of this can be found in Rog’s possession of the journal. Richard needs the book to discover the dark secrets he believes will be the group’s saving grace. Until this need arose, Rog often wasn’t around and only popped in when he was taking photos for a paper article.

Frank, I felt, didn’t even need to exist. His wife hated him and many times he is depicted, he is described as drunk and aloof and rarely has any dialogue. This is something that often happens when a cast of characters becomes too large to manage and honestly, Frank could have been cut out altogether.

Novellas are often meant to capture only a few scenes and focus on fewer characters. Cutting down the cast, in my opinion, would have made the story stronger and allowed me to form bonds with the characters. Especially with Richard, who seemed to become the primary protagonist as the story went on.

The use of Archetypes, though interesting, didn't really work, in my opinion. I wasn't sure what the author intended with adding this in and felt it could use some development.

Ties With Pagan Lore:
Anyone who has delved in the history of the occult knows there are two ancient traditions that often coincide with rituals: sex and sacrifice.

As a folk witch, I loved the use of pagan folklore, including the appreciation of the harvest and dedication to healthy crops and the celebration of Lammas as the central representation of folkways.

The author does a wonderful job at adding these two themes throughout the book. The scene where Richard is molested is an interesting transformation to him being the Chosen one. I found it pleasantly spicy and on par with ancient pagan lore.

I loved the corn dolly scene! Again, Captain acts all sexy and like he wants to go at Richard with all his might. The use of the dollies as poppets to control Rich's friends is deliciously dark and twisted. It was at this point I really got into the book.

Rog seemed possessed by something. Something interested in Richard. I really liked the intensity in this scene. It was a pleasant change and created a sense of curiosity and left me wanting to know what happened in the following pages.

The "puppet" appearance of some of the lesser characters like the bartenders was an interesting addition. As though something otherworldly controlled them. I loved this addition and would have liked to feel more of the supernatural tension woven within the rest of the novel.

Despite the above, I feel I should take the time to mention the feeling there was some disconnection between the actual celebration of Lammas and the Horned God. In the Wheel of the Year, Lammas is a fall celebration of when the God falls to the Goddess's scythe. It is often a passionate and sorrowful time where she laments her need to kill her lover despite being pregnant with his next incarnation.

That being the case, the mention of the Green Man is confusing since, at this point, the dark time of the year is the primary focus. In using the history and lore of Lammas, inserting the character John Barleycorn would make more sense and make the historical representation more accurate.

Additional Insight:

I wasn’t sure what the Harvesting event was supposed to be. It honestly seemed like they had a sexual orgy situation and burned everything.

This is not the purpose of Lammas and came off as unrealistic from a witch's point of view. As I mentioned before, Lammas celebrates the fire and the time of harvesting John Barleycorn. Using these symbolic representations in a darker sense, along with the themes of sacrifice and sex, would have made a stronger story, in my opinion, and really brought the unsettling events home.

The ending was a bit strange and seemed rushed. The build up created by the corn dolly scene and the apparent “otherworldly control” theme seemed to have gotten lost and abruptly ended. I also wasn't exactly sure what was going on.

It seemed like the entire village was set on fire and became a part of the tree. The fact that Mina returned to a place she knew wasn’t right didn’t make sense. Sabrina was there and it seemed like she took Captain (or Miriam's) place as the village "oracle?"

Closing thoughts:

I found the story intriguing and definitely see the author becoming a well-known name in a small sub-genre, but I can't say I recommend it.

It came off as a combination of two popular folk horror movies that didn’t mesh well with the integration and meaning of the Archetypes being left unclear and not really implemented into the story very well.

The characters were under-developed. I found I didn't really connect with any of them and was left wanting more of the attribute that makes folk horror so powerful: the sense of atmosphere and an overwhelming need to survive.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I am not sure what I just read but I know it is not my favorite book. I won't say it's bad, because that's not fair and others will surely enjoy it. For me, it started out good then when the characters got to Ravenwood, a strange place to be sure, I got lost. There was a lot going on and some things were a bit much for me. I managed to finish the book but I honestly don't understand what I read. Some of the images are kind of stuck in my mind in a disturbing way. I think that is how the book is supposed to make you feel. I'm just not sure. Pick it up, give it a read and decide for yourself.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Precious C Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing. And never am I going to visit any villages. When friends decide to have a weekend getaway in a small village, what could go wrong? Well everything. I was not expecting the end, because most horror stories always have a happy ever after. However, The Folk in the Woods is different and it crossed the bar. Despite it been a novella, it captured my attention and encapsulated me into its enthralling world. I love the book even though I was pissed at Richard for kind of being a dunce. He didn't possess those main characters energy. Also, all the characters were chained to the rhythm and that was what made the book unique and foreign and it is a magical page turner.

[A.B. Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading an ARC copy of ‘The Folk in the Woods’, I thought I knew what to expect but after the first couple of chapters, it became abundantly clear I had no idea of the journey the author had created. The central protagonists are a group of friends who decide to go to the village of Ravenswood to enjoy the Harvest celebrations. Almost as soon as they arrive, there’s a palpable sense of foreboding and, more than once, I found myself willing the group to jump in their cars and race home!

As what steadily unfolds is a darkly, disturbing way of life that exists behind the facade of the typical village. The centuries old rituals that have always been a part of life suddenly become glaringly and frighteningly apparent to the visitors- especially through the arguably central character, Richard Anderson. He is far from being a typical hero but his deep love for his wife, his loyalty to his friends to name only two of his qualities, definitely make you care about what happens to him.

As I always refuse to include spoilers, the option of betraying the ending isn’t available to me but I can say, you’ll be left breathless and shocked as the story reaches its epic conclusion, which has supernatural forces colliding with reality, in a spectacular way.

As for who might enjoy this book? Definitely I feel anyone who loves folk horror, definitely fans of perhaps ‘The Wicker Man’ would undoubtedly love it. But I think its appeal stretches beyond the obvious, as there are deft insights into friendship, love and marriage as all three are severely tested within the narrative.

As I have read other works by this author, all their storytelling talent is yet again in evidence within this book. Suspenseful prose, an intriguing cast of characters and, best of all, a thrilling plot. Finally, even though I’ve obviously read the story, I won’t hesitate in ordering an ‘official’ copy when it’s released and it will hold a special place on my bookshelf.

[Cat Treadwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So what if ‘The Wicker Man’, but with yuppies instead of a policeman? Set in the town from ‘Hot Fuzz’… (The Greater Good!)

OK, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, but what’s certain is that this is a creepily delightful folk horror novella, perfect for summer reading.

We follow a group of city trendies on a much-needed getaway to what seems like a rural idyll for their not-quite-harvest festival - but of course, there’s darker undertones as we follow them falling under the spell of Ravenswood.

Narrator Richard is excellent, and I found myself really cheering for him and his partner Louise. Their friends are a mix of obnoxious and vulnerable, but while I initially worried they’d be a bit stereotypical in the manner of horror movie victims, those who get to have their time on the page are genuinely real and sympathetic. This makes the conclusion even more harrowing. What? You didn’t think this was going to be a happy ending, did you?

The author does point out the trigger warnings given, but I had no problems in this regard. Everything is handled sensitively and well (including the awareness of modern Paganism while holding the clear fictional differences), with the tension ramping up until I felt as compelled to keep turning the pages as the characters were to walk into the mysterious woodlands. Is this all fated, every year? Something like ‘Cabin in the Woods’ or ‘Silent Hill’ even?

One thing is certain: this tale will be in the back of my mind when I visit one of the many country villages near me. Not my own, of course. We’re all nice here.

Enjoy your time in Ravenswood - I certainly did.

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the author, but the above opinions are entirely my own.

[Craig Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This is my first time reading McConnell, as a big folk horror fan I had my interest piqued by the synopsis. This dark novella, fortunately, more than lives up to it. In classic genre fashion, a group of city-dwelling friends visit a rural village, each with their own reasons for wanting to experience their still observed pagan rituals. As you've no doubt already guessed, there's more to the local community than they expected...

While McConnell takes time to set the scene, this is no slow burn—things start unraveling within the fire third, and the book rarely lets up from there. This is welcome for a novella of this length, allowing it to maintain a fast pace throughout. This is a quick read, one that I finished in an afternoon.

This is one that's worth checking your trigger warnings for, if applicable, with moments of explicit violence, as well as depictions of sexual assault. The author conjures some strong mental images with these, particularly during the bloody, fiery climax, and this is something that stopped me rating it even higher—I wanted more! Even though the ending wasn't rushed, I could have happily read a longer, more brutal version of it. I am aware this is a personal preference, though, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book to any fans of the horror that lurks within the British countryside.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folk horror is a favourite genre of mine and I am always looking for new reads of this kind. The Folk in the Woods certainly fits the category, with its unwary strangers arriving at the village of Ravenswood just in time to celebrate a harvest ritual. Yet their arrival is not accidental, but compelled, something ancient has reached out to them beyond the village and pulled them in. I enjoyed seeing how the characters were affected in different ways with the MC Richard Lamb being very much one who puts his wife and friends before himself. Sacrifice and self-sacrifice are themes within this book and it is hard to read without a strong feeling of empathy towards his predicament. He is a very engaging character and the story telling is such that you HAVE to keep reading to discover his fate (always a good sign a writer). I was also intrigued by the ancient entity behind the events, the form She could take, her followers and the realisation they were not necessarily what we had thought. This latter aspect, the nature of the deity and her following is something I would've loved to have seen teased out a little more in the pages.

The book contains content warnings at the back.

3.5 but 4 for rating purposes - note 3 means enjoyable!

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is such a great read. The atmosphere is chilling from the very beginning, and it builds with each chapter until you feel trapped.

I loved the use of dreams and diary entries in this book. They provide lots of information, as well as enriching the creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere.

Richard is a great character, and his relationship with his group of friends is very realistic. The group dynamic is very easy to imagine and true to life.

I loved the description of the village, especially the B&B they all stay in.

This is a dark and disturbing horror story, with realistic characters and beautifully described scenes. I was unsettled by the story as it progressed, and had to keep reading to find out what happened next.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[kenneth m gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

In E.M. McConnell's latest novella, The Folk in the Woods, the author returns to the horror genre. This story has a wonderful Wicker Man vibe. The book starts off with a character waking from an unsettling out-of-body dream that sets this story on its creepy journey. A group of friends decide to weekend in Ravenswood and experience the local harvest festival. The characters arrive in a village filled with odd inhabitants preparing for an ancient pagan harvest celebration. Richard soon begins to notice his companions are behaving as peculiarly as the villagers are. No spoilers here, but something primeval, powerful and wanting exits in the woods beyond. If you like a good tale about ancient supernatural horror, then this is a book for you.
Another E.M. McConnell dark delight!

[Nick Snape · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Folk in the Woods scraped at my nerves from the very beginning, its initial premise reminiscent of so many of the books I read or films I watched in my younger days. It takes hold with relatable characters, rolling along into a scenario that you expect but still surprises with twists and turns that take root in the oldest of pagan traditions. The deeper the book goes, the more it reminded me of some of the finer, tightly written horror novellas I used to devour, the short form suiting the atmospheric build up to a superbly written denouement. Be in no doubt, you will feel both satisfied and chilled by the ending. A superb read, and I think I may be delving more into more of author E.M. McConnell’s darker side.