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Stolen Tongues #0
The Church Beneath the Roots
Long before the events of Stolen Tongues…
On the Cold Valley Indian Reservation, in the shadow of Pale Peak, Onwé Lopez struggles with the past as much as the present. By day, he watches his people abandon the Old Way as they flock to the local church. By night, he dreams of his childhood friend Akántha, who vanished from the rez decades prior.
Then, catastrophe a horrific accident brings a stranger to town with stories of unfathomable death. A ghastly figure wanders the night, peering into houses and terrorizing a tribal elder. Hideous whispers emanate from the nearby caves, beckoning Onwé inside - and promising to return everyone he’s lost.
The Church Beneath the Roots is the story of a town ravaged by memory, riven by change, and haunted by a sinister presence as old as the mountain itself.
—
“Church revisits the world of Stolen Tongues - but instead of quietly tapping on the cabin door, it bursts through and drags the reader into an abyss of torment. Blackwell has crafted a mysterious town, rich with historical detail and complex characters, and has unleashed his nightmares upon it.”
-Nick Roberts, bestselling author of The Exorcist’s House
On the Cold Valley Indian Reservation, in the shadow of Pale Peak, Onwé Lopez struggles with the past as much as the present. By day, he watches his people abandon the Old Way as they flock to the local church. By night, he dreams of his childhood friend Akántha, who vanished from the rez decades prior.
Then, catastrophe a horrific accident brings a stranger to town with stories of unfathomable death. A ghastly figure wanders the night, peering into houses and terrorizing a tribal elder. Hideous whispers emanate from the nearby caves, beckoning Onwé inside - and promising to return everyone he’s lost.
The Church Beneath the Roots is the story of a town ravaged by memory, riven by change, and haunted by a sinister presence as old as the mountain itself.
—
“Church revisits the world of Stolen Tongues - but instead of quietly tapping on the cabin door, it bursts through and drags the reader into an abyss of torment. Blackwell has crafted a mysterious town, rich with historical detail and complex characters, and has unleashed his nightmares upon it.”
-Nick Roberts, bestselling author of The Exorcist’s House
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2024
707 people are currently reading
4494 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
April 7, 2024
This rating pains me. The prequel to Stolen Tongues that we've been waiting for is finally here. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. The explanations about Indian tribal culture dominated the book, making it feel long and boring. The only parts I enjoyed was everything without that and the last few chapters. In essence this book could have pulled it of with 150 to 200 pages.
July 10, 2024
2.5 ⭐️s
I’m going to keep this short because I am just ready to be done with this book. This was not good … and I regret all the minutes I spent with it. I dreaded coming back to it every time I picked it up. It was mundane, it was fraught with forced supernatural magic, and the characters felt like cardboard cutouts of stereotypical archetypes.
Why You Should Or Shouldn’t Read It
You shouldn’t. See above. I’ve had dentist appointments I looked forward to more than this book
Themes
I don’t know. Native American spirit stuff told by white man
One Thing I’ll walk away with
Relief
I’m going to keep this short because I am just ready to be done with this book. This was not good … and I regret all the minutes I spent with it. I dreaded coming back to it every time I picked it up. It was mundane, it was fraught with forced supernatural magic, and the characters felt like cardboard cutouts of stereotypical archetypes.
Why You Should Or Shouldn’t Read It
You shouldn’t. See above. I’ve had dentist appointments I looked forward to more than this book
Themes
I don’t know. Native American spirit stuff told by white man
One Thing I’ll walk away with
Relief
September 7, 2025
I really enjoyed
Stolen Tongues
and was very excited to read the prequel The Church Beneath the Roots. Unfortunately, I found myself really struggling with this book. There are maybe one or two somewhat creepy scenes, but the atmosphere and tension that made
Stolen Tongues
so compelling is sadly largely absent here. This book mostly feels like author Felix Blackwell desperately trying to prove that he has done an immense amount of research around Native American history, and the book often awkwardly tries to insert information in a way that makes it seem like Blackwell is just trying to demonstrate he's done his homework. This doesn't allow for a narrative to naturally flow. The horror also tends to lean more towards the violent and graphic, instead of any slow burning creepiness. There are some characters and relationships that I liked, but honestly so much of this just fell so disappointingly flat for me.
1.5/5
1.5/5
March 31, 2024
I dropped EVERYTHING yesterday when I saw Felix Blackwell had released The Church Beneath the Roots, Stolen Tongue's prequel. As someone who enjoyed ST, I was so excited to jump into this and man, it did NOT disappoint! The Church Beneath the Roots was honestly on a whole other level in my opinion. I could not put it down.
I'm someone who does not like gore in my horror, but the way the beginning of this book was done, and all subsequent gore was written (really not TOO much) added so much to the book that I didn't mind at all. I probably would have read this in one sitting, but truthfully once it got late into the night the dark shadows of my house were starting to scare me 😂
5/5, recommended to infinity. Blackwell's quickly become an auto-buy favorite of mine. Between the rich lore, the immersive storytelling and perfectly creepy characters, he can do no wrong.
I'm someone who does not like gore in my horror, but the way the beginning of this book was done, and all subsequent gore was written (really not TOO much) added so much to the book that I didn't mind at all. I probably would have read this in one sitting, but truthfully once it got late into the night the dark shadows of my house were starting to scare me 😂
5/5, recommended to infinity. Blackwell's quickly become an auto-buy favorite of mine. Between the rich lore, the immersive storytelling and perfectly creepy characters, he can do no wrong.
May 31, 2024
Numi and I deserved better. 😂
April 10, 2024
The worst thing to ever happen to me is this book coming to an end. It scared the shit out of me, I cried, I felt a fuck ton when reading. Also a lot of admiration for representation of the Native culture. The amount of work and time put into this definetly shows.
This was truly amazing. And like Stolen Tongues, I'm going to be talking about this for a long, long time.
This was truly amazing. And like Stolen Tongues, I'm going to be talking about this for a long, long time.
April 2, 2024
I absolutely loved Stolen Tongues and have been anxiously awaiting this prequel. While it did answer some lingering questions from Stolen Tongues, I just wasn’t into this book as much. It was well written and very obviously well thought out and executed, but for me it was too much education into the culture and religion. It felt kinda dull for most of the book and didn’t really catch my attention until about 30 chapters in. It was a good story, just not quite what I was hoping for.
Read
February 2, 2025Dnf 35%. This one is so boring.
August 28, 2024
Through the centuries, the caves of Pale Peak and the surrounding mountains have earned a sinister reputation. It's said that anyone who dares look inside will be filled with fright and wonder and even hunger for the souls of the living. The cave mouths are said to whisper to passersby with promises of irresistible delight, and they call out to children in their beds. As a boy, Onwé wondered about these caves, but he heeded his dad's warning never to explore them... but even now he still wonders.
While Onwé hikes with his trusty sidekick, a Husky named Numi, he reminisces about his recurring dream featuring his best friend from childhood, Akantha, who disappeared nearly two decades prior. Suddenly, Onwé spots a plane flying erratically, and before he knows it, he is watching it crash to earth, in a section of uncharted woods he calls the Nameless Place, and he and Numj take off to notify the tribal police.
Later that day, men from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Transportation Safety Board come to talk to Onwé about what he witnessed. Ultimately they ask both he and his best friend Luke, who's currently visiting, to lead them to the crash site, since not only does he know where it is, Onwé also has lots of survival experience and can more easily than most, navigate the long hike with no trails at all, through the dense wood.
Onwé and Luke agree to take the three men, and the five of them, plus Numi begin their hike. The trip turns into a disaster when, that night, all the men seemingly begin to disappear from camp and go crazy in one way or another. Onwé eventually finds Luke sitting next to a cave. He simply tells Onwé that he was "sleepwalking" and says nothing else, refusing to discuss anything. Onwé doesn't know what happened that night, all he does know is that from then on, Luke is never the same again.
Onwé has no idea what's happening on the reservation lately either, but his long lost best friend is invading everyone's dreams. People are hearing voices in the woods, voices mimicking their deceased loved ones. In reality, the voice is that of a tall, dark, shadowy shapeshifter lurking in the night, luring them to a house in the woods - a house that changes location every time.
"The Night Shepherd. It searches for those who possess something the Bishop wants. It takes them, dead or alive. Out there in the Nameless Place, it looked inside you and found something. So it followed you home."
Onwé knows Luke went inside that cave and he knows it changed him. Not only is Onwé worried about Luke, but he's petrified his teenage son, who more than shares his love of adventure, will find his way inside one day too.
Despite everything bad happening, Onwé can't help but feel hopeful that he just may finally be getting close to solving the mystery of Akantha - but you should always be careful what you wish for.
----------------
So just like Stolen Tongues I ended up loving this one. This one was a brick and I got through most of it in two days. It was a very quick and easy read despite the length and it was super engaging, always keeping me wanting to know what happened next. It was definitely creepy, and that Numi scene was pure nightmare fuel - iykyk.
My only complaint was that it maybe got a little bit too busy and confusing for me towards the very end; my brain gets very overwhelmed if I'm overloaded with information, but that's honestly probably just a "me" problem.
Like I said, this book was super long and packed full of tons of stuff important to the plot, so in turn, the review was long, but I tried my best to condense it while still have it make sense and keeping it as spoiler free as possible.
While Onwé hikes with his trusty sidekick, a Husky named Numi, he reminisces about his recurring dream featuring his best friend from childhood, Akantha, who disappeared nearly two decades prior. Suddenly, Onwé spots a plane flying erratically, and before he knows it, he is watching it crash to earth, in a section of uncharted woods he calls the Nameless Place, and he and Numj take off to notify the tribal police.
Later that day, men from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Transportation Safety Board come to talk to Onwé about what he witnessed. Ultimately they ask both he and his best friend Luke, who's currently visiting, to lead them to the crash site, since not only does he know where it is, Onwé also has lots of survival experience and can more easily than most, navigate the long hike with no trails at all, through the dense wood.
Onwé and Luke agree to take the three men, and the five of them, plus Numi begin their hike. The trip turns into a disaster when, that night, all the men seemingly begin to disappear from camp and go crazy in one way or another. Onwé eventually finds Luke sitting next to a cave. He simply tells Onwé that he was "sleepwalking" and says nothing else, refusing to discuss anything. Onwé doesn't know what happened that night, all he does know is that from then on, Luke is never the same again.
Onwé has no idea what's happening on the reservation lately either, but his long lost best friend is invading everyone's dreams. People are hearing voices in the woods, voices mimicking their deceased loved ones. In reality, the voice is that of a tall, dark, shadowy shapeshifter lurking in the night, luring them to a house in the woods - a house that changes location every time.
"The Night Shepherd. It searches for those who possess something the Bishop wants. It takes them, dead or alive. Out there in the Nameless Place, it looked inside you and found something. So it followed you home."
Onwé knows Luke went inside that cave and he knows it changed him. Not only is Onwé worried about Luke, but he's petrified his teenage son, who more than shares his love of adventure, will find his way inside one day too.
Despite everything bad happening, Onwé can't help but feel hopeful that he just may finally be getting close to solving the mystery of Akantha - but you should always be careful what you wish for.
----------------
So just like Stolen Tongues I ended up loving this one. This one was a brick and I got through most of it in two days. It was a very quick and easy read despite the length and it was super engaging, always keeping me wanting to know what happened next. It was definitely creepy, and that Numi scene was pure nightmare fuel - iykyk.
My only complaint was that it maybe got a little bit too busy and confusing for me towards the very end; my brain gets very overwhelmed if I'm overloaded with information, but that's honestly probably just a "me" problem.
Like I said, this book was super long and packed full of tons of stuff important to the plot, so in turn, the review was long, but I tried my best to condense it while still have it make sense and keeping it as spoiler free as possible.
July 8, 2024
I've just finish the book and I've got stuff to talk about. First of all, I don't understand the 4,31 rating.
Okay it's a good novel I mean I've enjoyed my time with Onwé and all the other people but I don't think it's perfect horror or amazing and having 4.31 rating I expected my rating to be between 4/5 and it's not.
First of all, I am not going into spoilers so don't worry. If my any reason I say something spoiler I will let you know and hide it.
First, this is a prequel of another of his book called Stolen Tongues but it was written AFTER the stolen tongues - well almost 8 years after. How do I know this? Have I read it? No. I just found the epilogue that hinted to something and I went browsing his other works and saw that it was set on the same place and there are characters there (and I also read it in another review).
So, what's this book about. Well it's about Onwé an indian that leaves his life full of guilt (for drinking and not being a good father/husband that they had to divorce him) and because he lost a friend several decades before all shrouded in mystery.
This tale is an interesting since it deals with a time where Indians were still a bit controlled by the government of USA. Well I mean controlled because the government impose rules and such. Freedom was not a thing you know? IT's 1968 so it was the all cultural racial revolutions. Felix does give some info on it and tries explaining but it never felt like other authors try to shove it down your throats white man bad. Here there is nothing like that. Facts matter ye know? But that's not the focus of this tale and that was beautifully crafted by him.
This tale starts with a plane going down due strange behaviour of the pilot due to a strange black rock and consequence investigations by the BIA (Bureau Indian Affairs). Afterwards is on going from place to place to discover more about the crash and people behaviour. He really tries to explain everything, like backstory which at times was a bit overwhelming because I wanted the book to "start". There is also a side story, regarding Christianity and Indian folklore which I found out very interesting. Voth was an interesting developed character (by the end).
If you enjoy slow burn mysteries/horror I would advice you to read this. Also if you have interest in Indian folklore also (although I don't think this are "True" Indians since I try searching and could find anything).
The slow burn was not to my enjoyment and I found out a bit on the boring side because the last 30 pages where the vast majority is explain and we finally see The Church Beneath the Roots was over too fast. So my main problem was too slow and too fast.
Overall I would rate this 73 out 100. I may buy Stolen Tongues - let me thing about it.
Okay it's a good novel I mean I've enjoyed my time with Onwé and all the other people but I don't think it's perfect horror or amazing and having 4.31 rating I expected my rating to be between 4/5 and it's not.
First of all, I am not going into spoilers so don't worry. If my any reason I say something spoiler I will let you know and hide it.
First, this is a prequel of another of his book called Stolen Tongues but it was written AFTER the stolen tongues - well almost 8 years after. How do I know this? Have I read it? No. I just found the epilogue that hinted to something and I went browsing his other works and saw that it was set on the same place and there are characters there (and I also read it in another review).
So, what's this book about. Well it's about Onwé an indian that leaves his life full of guilt (for drinking and not being a good father/husband that they had to divorce him) and because he lost a friend several decades before all shrouded in mystery.
This tale is an interesting since it deals with a time where Indians were still a bit controlled by the government of USA. Well I mean controlled because the government impose rules and such. Freedom was not a thing you know? IT's 1968 so it was the all cultural racial revolutions. Felix does give some info on it and tries explaining but it never felt like other authors try to shove it down your throats white man bad. Here there is nothing like that. Facts matter ye know? But that's not the focus of this tale and that was beautifully crafted by him.
This tale starts with a plane going down due strange behaviour of the pilot due to a strange black rock and consequence investigations by the BIA (Bureau Indian Affairs). Afterwards is on going from place to place to discover more about the crash and people behaviour. He really tries to explain everything, like backstory which at times was a bit overwhelming because I wanted the book to "start". There is also a side story, regarding Christianity and Indian folklore which I found out very interesting. Voth was an interesting developed character (by the end).
If you enjoy slow burn mysteries/horror I would advice you to read this. Also if you have interest in Indian folklore also (although I don't think this are "True" Indians since I try searching and could find anything).
The slow burn was not to my enjoyment and I found out a bit on the boring side because the last 30 pages where the vast majority is explain and we finally see The Church Beneath the Roots was over too fast. So my main problem was too slow and too fast.
Overall I would rate this 73 out 100. I may buy Stolen Tongues - let me thing about it.
February 12, 2025
“The stone had opened a door into the mountain, and Onwé worried it had also opened a door into himself, through which monstrous things could pass.”
Another incredible book by Felix Blackwell! This prequel was arguably better than Stolen Tounges in terms of writing and plot. I was hooked from start to finish. It certainly did heighten the stakes a bit since I started reading this on a plane. That being said, in terms of sheer fright, I'm convinced that nothing can top Stolen Tounges prologue though.
With a huge dive into Native American lore, Blackwell crafts a beautiful, horrifying setting that truly captivates the growing dread amongst the community. With complex characters, a gory adventure, and SCARY scenes, this was a beautiful horror story.
Highly recommend to my friends who like horror!
May 8, 2024
This book…… 📚 is sooo good! It’s even better than the first one and the first one awesome. This book has litterly put me into a slump. I have tried to read two other horror books and nothing compares to this book. I read this book at night on my kindle. I would seriously think something was behind my kindle and come out and scare me. This book was soo much more involved with characterization and fleshing them out more. The plot and setting was out of this world. It was soo creepy and gave me the heebie jebbies. Go read this book if you want ominous and nightmarish fun.
May 2, 2024
The story is more coherent than Stolen Tongues but Stolen Tongues is more interesting. That's not saying much 🤷♂️
December 5, 2024
This is a prequel to Stolen Tongues and don't get me wrong, it was good, but I feel like there was a bit too much focus on the characters and Native American background and not enough of the creepy moments. Mind you, when they occur, they are very creepy and can freak you out. Especially the part with the dog which yes ⚠️ there is some animal violence, which I hate, and ratings always get reduced due to it. I don't need shock factors in my books or movies. It still was interesting to learn the origin of the monster from Stolen Tongues and a decent read.
January 22, 2026
4.5 This book exceeded my expectations. What I loved most was that it wasn’t just creepy stuff happening to the characters, it’s what was happening within them. This book grabbed me at the opening and I flew through it. It’s got Native American lore and societal struggles, isolating setting, religious corruption, cultural erasure, and an underdog mmc fighting his own demons. Unputdownable!
April 18, 2024
Wow. Where do I even begin? The highly anticipated sequel/prequel to Stolen Tongues has not only delivered; it has exceeded my wildest expectations. I've been waiting to read this book for months, and it was definitely worth the wait. Felix's growth as an author is so evident throughout the book, and you can see how much time, work, and research he put into his story.
Onwé Lopez's life on the reservation on Pale Peak has been full of hardship and grief since he was a young boy. After losing his childhood best friend and then his father at such a young age, he falls into a downward spiral that holds influence over him into adulthood. When he witnesses a plane crash over the mountains, he becomes tangled in events that seem more myth than real life. Can Onwé discover the mystery of The Church Beneath The Roots before he loses everything he holds dear?
This book is vastly different from Stolen Tongues, in my opinion, and I think a lot of people were disappointed by that fact. The Church Beneath The Roots is such an elaborate and intricate story compared to the in-your-face, spine tingling horror in Stolen Tongues. I loved the detailed world and character building, and Onwé might be one of my favorite main characters ever. The horror in this book was more subtle, but still eerie and terrifying enough to give me chills (and tears) many times throughout the book.
Native American history and culture are the centerpiece of this story, which felt very well written to me. You can definitely tell he did detailed research and knows his stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Onwé, his people, and their history, and I'm crossing my fingers for a third installment of this series. 👀
Felix will always be an auto-buy for me since he consistently ups his game with every new book. I can't wait for my physical copy to get here to add to my collection!! 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 (That's 5 Numi's as my rating)
Onwé Lopez's life on the reservation on Pale Peak has been full of hardship and grief since he was a young boy. After losing his childhood best friend and then his father at such a young age, he falls into a downward spiral that holds influence over him into adulthood. When he witnesses a plane crash over the mountains, he becomes tangled in events that seem more myth than real life. Can Onwé discover the mystery of The Church Beneath The Roots before he loses everything he holds dear?
This book is vastly different from Stolen Tongues, in my opinion, and I think a lot of people were disappointed by that fact. The Church Beneath The Roots is such an elaborate and intricate story compared to the in-your-face, spine tingling horror in Stolen Tongues. I loved the detailed world and character building, and Onwé might be one of my favorite main characters ever. The horror in this book was more subtle, but still eerie and terrifying enough to give me chills (and tears) many times throughout the book.
Native American history and culture are the centerpiece of this story, which felt very well written to me. You can definitely tell he did detailed research and knows his stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Onwé, his people, and their history, and I'm crossing my fingers for a third installment of this series. 👀
Felix will always be an auto-buy for me since he consistently ups his game with every new book. I can't wait for my physical copy to get here to add to my collection!! 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 (That's 5 Numi's as my rating)
June 7, 2024
Ugh. Why does this have such good ratings? Because the first book was good? That's honestly the only reason I can think of, riding the coat tails of the first one.
Spoiler complaints:
What did the plane crashes have to do with literally anything? It was a creepy start to the book but... Why are planes crashing into this area all the sudden? Because pilots, specifically only pilots, are finding rocks all the sudden?
Why is 75% of this book focused on the tension between Indian cultural traditions and Christianity? Didn't play a role in the ending whatsoever. And it just kept being mentioned over and over... and over.
People act in completely illogical ways. "I was just assaulted by a terrifying creature but I'll just head back home and tell no one and go to sleep". Okay. And federal agents had people die during the initial search, and thought Onwé may have murdered a bunch of people (the ones that didn't come back from the cave) but they're like... Meh. Whatever. We're out.
These are just a few of the issues I had with this book. But I'll cut it off here. I hate-finished this book only out of pure masochistic determination.
Spoiler complaints:
What did the plane crashes have to do with literally anything? It was a creepy start to the book but... Why are planes crashing into this area all the sudden? Because pilots, specifically only pilots, are finding rocks all the sudden?
Why is 75% of this book focused on the tension between Indian cultural traditions and Christianity? Didn't play a role in the ending whatsoever. And it just kept being mentioned over and over... and over.
People act in completely illogical ways. "I was just assaulted by a terrifying creature but I'll just head back home and tell no one and go to sleep". Okay. And federal agents had people die during the initial search, and thought Onwé may have murdered a bunch of people (the ones that didn't come back from the cave) but they're like... Meh. Whatever. We're out.
These are just a few of the issues I had with this book. But I'll cut it off here. I hate-finished this book only out of pure masochistic determination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2024
3.5⭐️
- Liked it, but not as much as Stolen Tongues, which was creepier and honestly more relatable. Didn't care much about the struggles of Indian people; it got tiresome after a while, a bit repetitive and a bit preachy too. But I absolutely loved the portrayal of the monsters and the different legends.
- There was enough gore. Loved the gruesome descriptions!
- But there was also animal cruelty! That's a huge no-no!
- The beginning was super intriguing. Don't feel the same way about the ending though. Kinda expected a more spectacular resolution.
- The cover is absolutely stunning!!! 😍
Overall, a decent horror read!!!
- Liked it, but not as much as Stolen Tongues, which was creepier and honestly more relatable. Didn't care much about the struggles of Indian people; it got tiresome after a while, a bit repetitive and a bit preachy too. But I absolutely loved the portrayal of the monsters and the different legends.
- There was enough gore. Loved the gruesome descriptions!
- But there was also animal cruelty! That's a huge no-no!
- The beginning was super intriguing. Don't feel the same way about the ending though. Kinda expected a more spectacular resolution.
- The cover is absolutely stunning!!! 😍
Overall, a decent horror read!!!
April 10, 2024
I really enjoyed Stolen Tongues but absolutely LOVED The Church Beneath the Roots. Honestly, it was difficult to even put down for a moment. Very intriguing and creepy story, though I particularly liked the lore and legends surrounding different Native groups. I was also pleased to gain some historical information on the abysmal treatment of Natives, which I plan to invest time into researching.
What I particularly love about these two books is that there's not a cryptid involved; rather, a unique type of horror(s) preying on an already broken community. Both very enjoyable reads and I am now re-reading Stolen Tongues to find links between the two books and as a refresher (I read it over a year ago).
What I particularly love about these two books is that there's not a cryptid involved; rather, a unique type of horror(s) preying on an already broken community. Both very enjoyable reads and I am now re-reading Stolen Tongues to find links between the two books and as a refresher (I read it over a year ago).
April 1, 2024
4.5 stars
What a spine-chilling ride! I absolutely loved it! The writing is immersive and atmospheric. It's ominous, eerie, and full of suspense. The pacing is excellent, and the plot is on point!
What a spine-chilling ride! I absolutely loved it! The writing is immersive and atmospheric. It's ominous, eerie, and full of suspense. The pacing is excellent, and the plot is on point!
July 30, 2025
So, I completely forgot that I read Stolen Tongues either last year or earlier this year. For this to be the prequel, I would have loved to get more information on why the caves are haunted and what's actually happening on Pale Peak. It just seems like it's more of a myth and a legend that's tormenting the people on the reservation without a rhyme or reason.
The visuals and detail were stomach turning and sickly. I felt terribly for the people of Pale Peak, the racism and discrimination and whitewashing they were experiencing was disgusting but definitely occurred in history at that point in time.
I really would have preferred to read about more about the WHY and not just about the torment that also happened back in the day and all of the people that also went missing way back when before Faye and her man went up there in there.
The visuals and detail were stomach turning and sickly. I felt terribly for the people of Pale Peak, the racism and discrimination and whitewashing they were experiencing was disgusting but definitely occurred in history at that point in time.
I really would have preferred to read about more about the WHY and not just about the torment that also happened back in the day and all of the people that also went missing way back when before Faye and her man went up there in there.
April 12, 2024
Excellent prequel with different atmosphere
I loved this prequel to Stolen Tongues, though it certainly went places that I was not expecting. I personally felt that the characters here were more sympathetic and easier to connect to than in ST, though I felt that it had less of an overall creep factor. I will say though that the gore factor and body count are much higher, and the deaths that do happen are more emotionally devastating. (Check TWs!!)
To me the things that made ST more creepy were the mystery, solitude, and claustrophobic atmosphere. In Church Beneath the Roots, there is plenty of mystery but we start to lift the veil and see cosmic, hellish things that were never meant to be seen.
While I was reading I want entirely sure how I felt about the direction it was going, but I think it wrapped up nicely and set the stage for the beginning of ST. I really enjoyed this!
I loved this prequel to Stolen Tongues, though it certainly went places that I was not expecting. I personally felt that the characters here were more sympathetic and easier to connect to than in ST, though I felt that it had less of an overall creep factor. I will say though that the gore factor and body count are much higher, and the deaths that do happen are more emotionally devastating. (Check TWs!!)
To me the things that made ST more creepy were the mystery, solitude, and claustrophobic atmosphere. In Church Beneath the Roots, there is plenty of mystery but we start to lift the veil and see cosmic, hellish things that were never meant to be seen.
While I was reading I want entirely sure how I felt about the direction it was going, but I think it wrapped up nicely and set the stage for the beginning of ST. I really enjoyed this!
June 21, 2024
This is a prequel to “Stolen Tongues,” a book that I really enjoyed. This one is pretty good, and leads directly into the sequel. But I didn’t like it as much as the other.
The opening chapter starts things off with a bang. It’s horrifying. Visceral, cosmic horror. If the rest of the novel had matched that pace, this easily would’ve been five stars.
The main character is a Native American dealing with relentless persecution from a pastor on his reservation while also grieving over the disappearance of a childhood friend and trying not to break his sobriety. There is a mysterious and monstrous force in the mountains threatening everyone on top of everything else. Definitely no shortage of plot, though eventually I felt like the story seemed a bit stretched and could’ve been wrapped up sooner. After the incredible first chapter, the pace slows down a bit and picks up again later.
The best part of the writing was how atmospheric it could be, with its descriptive settings and environments. And the frights were chilling. Very similar to “The Thing” in places, including what I can only describe as “animal body horror.” Blackwell also pulled off an actual jumpscare, which is difficult to do in writing.
The Briar House specifically was very cool. I do think Blackwell is skilled at crafting unsettling scenes. It probably helps that he utilizes one or two of the few things that actually give me the creeps, which are mimics and that specific kind of body horror where the form elongates and becomes grotesque. I hate that shit.
Blackwell obviously made a noble effort to do research and to try to make this feel authentic, but something about it still felt off. I can’t quite explain it.
I do appreciate that a character I couldn’t stand had a decent arc, and the ending tempted me to read “Stolen Tongues” again at some point.
3.5 stars
Read on Kindle Unlimited
TW: Disordered eating, Body shaming, Religious bullying, Mass shooting, Animal harm/suffering/death, Drug abuse, Homophobia/hate speech, Self-harm
The opening chapter starts things off with a bang. It’s horrifying. Visceral, cosmic horror. If the rest of the novel had matched that pace, this easily would’ve been five stars.
The main character is a Native American dealing with relentless persecution from a pastor on his reservation while also grieving over the disappearance of a childhood friend and trying not to break his sobriety. There is a mysterious and monstrous force in the mountains threatening everyone on top of everything else. Definitely no shortage of plot, though eventually I felt like the story seemed a bit stretched and could’ve been wrapped up sooner. After the incredible first chapter, the pace slows down a bit and picks up again later.
The best part of the writing was how atmospheric it could be, with its descriptive settings and environments. And the frights were chilling. Very similar to “The Thing” in places, including what I can only describe as “animal body horror.” Blackwell also pulled off an actual jumpscare, which is difficult to do in writing.
The Briar House specifically was very cool. I do think Blackwell is skilled at crafting unsettling scenes. It probably helps that he utilizes one or two of the few things that actually give me the creeps, which are mimics and that specific kind of body horror where the form elongates and becomes grotesque. I hate that shit.
Blackwell obviously made a noble effort to do research and to try to make this feel authentic, but something about it still felt off. I can’t quite explain it.
I do appreciate that a character I couldn’t stand had a decent arc, and the ending tempted me to read “Stolen Tongues” again at some point.
3.5 stars
Read on Kindle Unlimited
TW: Disordered eating, Body shaming, Religious bullying, Mass shooting, Animal harm/suffering/death, Drug abuse, Homophobia/hate speech, Self-harm
May 6, 2024
I had such a hard time deciding what to rate this book. I kept going back and forth between 4 stars and 5 stars, but ultimately I decided on 4 stars since Stolen Tongues was such a no-brainer 5 stars for me.
Was this a good book?
YES.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely!
Was it everything I wanted out of a prequel to one of my favorite books of all time?
Kind of??
It’s no question that Felix Blackwell knows how to write horror. He’s single-handedly given me nightmares from two books now, which I can’t say about any other author. There’s just something about the way he conjures up scary scenes that give me goosebumps and make me afraid to sleep with the lights off.
I did love The Church Beneath the Roots, but it was a much slower burn than Stolen Tongues. Not to say it wasn’t worth it, but it took 200 pages before I really got spooked. And it really did scare the shit out of me when I got there. After page 214, I had to shut my book for a minute and take a break.
If I could go back, I would have preferred to read the prequel first. In my opinion, that seems like the better way to read the two books and definitely how I will recommend it to people. The Church Between the Roots gives a lot of background detail and information that we don’t get in Stolen Tongues, and I think reading the prequel first would give readers a better appreciation for what happens in the next book.
Was this a good book?
YES.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely!
Was it everything I wanted out of a prequel to one of my favorite books of all time?
Kind of??
It’s no question that Felix Blackwell knows how to write horror. He’s single-handedly given me nightmares from two books now, which I can’t say about any other author. There’s just something about the way he conjures up scary scenes that give me goosebumps and make me afraid to sleep with the lights off.
I did love The Church Beneath the Roots, but it was a much slower burn than Stolen Tongues. Not to say it wasn’t worth it, but it took 200 pages before I really got spooked. And it really did scare the shit out of me when I got there. After page 214, I had to shut my book for a minute and take a break.
If I could go back, I would have preferred to read the prequel first. In my opinion, that seems like the better way to read the two books and definitely how I will recommend it to people. The Church Between the Roots gives a lot of background detail and information that we don’t get in Stolen Tongues, and I think reading the prequel first would give readers a better appreciation for what happens in the next book.
March 30, 2024
I have waited and waited for this book, and discussed its release with Felix (who btw is just so great of a person). This book is magnificent! As sort of a prequel to Stolen Tongues, I could not wait to dive back into this creepy place that Felix created. And once again, here I am in certain parts of the book rigid with terror. This book knocked it out of the park, and it definitely should be recognized as one of the top horror books of 2024, hands down.
January 24, 2025
Took me most of January but I finally got to the point that I can’t get through it!! The first one was good but this one was longgggg and dull for me personally
June 21, 2025
Stolen Tongues was the first book to really get me into horror. The prologue spooked me so badly, I couldn’t listen to the audiobook in the dark.
So of course, I absolutely ate this sequel up. The Church Beneath the Roots provides the background information and buildup of the terrible and terrifying creatures that haunted Stolen Tongues. I am someone who loves to know the background info, the “why”. This was terrifying, devastating and absolutely heartbreaking. I was audibly sobbing there for a bit. The characters had amazing depth and development. The relationships were deep and meaningful. And my girl Numi 🐕😭
Felix, I understand your reasoning for stepping back on writing, but your books are so special! I hope you always know that. 🤍
So of course, I absolutely ate this sequel up. The Church Beneath the Roots provides the background information and buildup of the terrible and terrifying creatures that haunted Stolen Tongues. I am someone who loves to know the background info, the “why”. This was terrifying, devastating and absolutely heartbreaking. I was audibly sobbing there for a bit. The characters had amazing depth and development. The relationships were deep and meaningful. And my girl Numi 🐕😭
Felix, I understand your reasoning for stepping back on writing, but your books are so special! I hope you always know that. 🤍
December 30, 2024
After being genuinely unsettled reading Stolen Tongues, I had high hopes for this prequel of sorts that dives into the origins of Pale Peak and its lurking horrors.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of scares in this novel compared to Stolen Tongues. But for what it lacks in horrors it more than makes up for in its lore and story. I also really enjoy reading anything around Indian Lore/Mythology (I hope I am using the correct terminology here) as its so mysterious and comes from such a place of love and respect for the living world and the dead.
There's some gory scenes for sure and this definitely delves further into the realm of cosmic horror than I felt Stolen Tongues did. There's also some really fantastic characters that are interesting and gets you invested in them from the off.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of scares in this novel compared to Stolen Tongues. But for what it lacks in horrors it more than makes up for in its lore and story. I also really enjoy reading anything around Indian Lore/Mythology (I hope I am using the correct terminology here) as its so mysterious and comes from such a place of love and respect for the living world and the dead.
There's some gory scenes for sure and this definitely delves further into the realm of cosmic horror than I felt Stolen Tongues did. There's also some really fantastic characters that are interesting and gets you invested in them from the off.
November 26, 2024
“He knew not to trust the voices. He called them ‘stolen tongues.”
I was first introduced to Blackwells debut Stolen Tongues when it was just a reddit-story, narrated on various YouTube-channels, and I’ve been rooting for that books publication journey throughout. It was far from a perfect story, but it genuinely creeped me out and knew exactly when to end to preserve enough mystery for my personal taste. So when this prequel novel promised to change that, offering an insight of the events and entities of Pale Peak, I was a little hesitant, but curious. You know what they say about curiosity: it kills cats. And in this case it killed dogs and my enjoyment of this book too…
The Good:
I love the blend of horror that Blackwell served in Stolen Tongues. Relying on the unsettling, uncanny, the dread-filled uncertainty and slow-building-tension, rather than outright gore and violence, tends to work for me. The antagonist at the center of both these novels fits perfectly within that niche, so has the potential to truly freak me out. The Church Beneath the Roots offered some genuinely creepy scenes and callbacks to the first book .
I also loved that the author took a risk by expanding the scope of his story, from a single POV-journal-style narrative to an actual full novel. Hats off for that progression.
The Bad:
As mentioned: part of the charm in Stolen Tongues was its ambiguity and narrow perspective, and I can’t help but feel like The Church Beneath the Roots took away from that.
You can also tell that the author is a bit newer to novels than he is to novella’s/short-stories. The structuring is a bit disjointed. Past and present timelines mingle together, and often aren’t clearly marked, which makes for a confusing experience at times.
Most disappointingly; Blackwell aims for another type of horror entirely here. In Stolen Tongues it was mystery and dread. Here it’s much more in-your-face horror and gore. Huge risk when writing a sequel/prequel, as you risk alienating the audience that loved original. That happened here with me.
Just to convey how much this relies on gore and violence as a plot point: this book commits the largest sin a piece of horror-fiction can commit. I won’t say it, but consider this your Does-The-Dog-Die-Warning”.
The Ugly:
We need to mention the elephant in the room here. Felix Blackwell is a white author, writing a novel all about Native American legends, including a lot of themes of Christian vs Native American religious conflict… I don’t need to explain why that’s thin ice to skate on… To make things worse, for as much time the book spent on the Christianity-vs-Native-beliefs-dichotomy, this barely plays into the final reveal, so it had me questioning what the point of much of it was…
Then there’s the fact that The Imposter is clearly “inspired” by a real-life Native Legend; one that’s extremely sensitive to many Natives and whom name is not to be spoken. Taking that legend as your inspiration (as a non-native) might not be the most sensitive thing to do…
I was first introduced to Blackwells debut Stolen Tongues when it was just a reddit-story, narrated on various YouTube-channels, and I’ve been rooting for that books publication journey throughout. It was far from a perfect story, but it genuinely creeped me out and knew exactly when to end to preserve enough mystery for my personal taste. So when this prequel novel promised to change that, offering an insight of the events and entities of Pale Peak, I was a little hesitant, but curious. You know what they say about curiosity: it kills cats. And in this case it killed dogs and my enjoyment of this book too…
The Good:
I love the blend of horror that Blackwell served in Stolen Tongues. Relying on the unsettling, uncanny, the dread-filled uncertainty and slow-building-tension, rather than outright gore and violence, tends to work for me. The antagonist at the center of both these novels fits perfectly within that niche, so has the potential to truly freak me out. The Church Beneath the Roots offered some genuinely creepy scenes and callbacks to the first book .
I also loved that the author took a risk by expanding the scope of his story, from a single POV-journal-style narrative to an actual full novel. Hats off for that progression.
The Bad:
As mentioned: part of the charm in Stolen Tongues was its ambiguity and narrow perspective, and I can’t help but feel like The Church Beneath the Roots took away from that.
You can also tell that the author is a bit newer to novels than he is to novella’s/short-stories. The structuring is a bit disjointed. Past and present timelines mingle together, and often aren’t clearly marked, which makes for a confusing experience at times.
Most disappointingly; Blackwell aims for another type of horror entirely here. In Stolen Tongues it was mystery and dread. Here it’s much more in-your-face horror and gore. Huge risk when writing a sequel/prequel, as you risk alienating the audience that loved original. That happened here with me.
Just to convey how much this relies on gore and violence as a plot point: this book commits the largest sin a piece of horror-fiction can commit. I won’t say it, but consider this your Does-The-Dog-Die-Warning”.
The Ugly:
We need to mention the elephant in the room here. Felix Blackwell is a white author, writing a novel all about Native American legends, including a lot of themes of Christian vs Native American religious conflict… I don’t need to explain why that’s thin ice to skate on… To make things worse, for as much time the book spent on the Christianity-vs-Native-beliefs-dichotomy, this barely plays into the final reveal, so it had me questioning what the point of much of it was…
Then there’s the fact that The Imposter is clearly “inspired” by a real-life Native Legend; one that’s extremely sensitive to many Natives and whom name is not to be spoken. Taking that legend as your inspiration (as a non-native) might not be the most sensitive thing to do…
May 2, 2025
This was just not as scary as Stolen Tongues. I enjoyed it overall, but it was long and slow in places. Also, dogs are friends not horror fodder 😡
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