The Sarvàn

by Douglass Hoover

Midsommer meets All Quiet on the Western Front in this masterful blend of mystery, adventure, and folk-horror.

In the midst of the First World War, a handful of allied POWs escape the torments of Germany’s most brutal internment camp only to find themselves stranded deep in the merciless wilderness of the Alps.

The locals there are odd, and their traditions ancient. With hushed voices they whisper of a beast that roams the frozen mountains. They call it... The Sarvàn.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Audiobook, World War I

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2025

About the author

Douglass Hoover is a writer, craftsman, veteran, and an avid outdoorsman. He has written four novels and holds an MFA from Emerson College. When not slaving away over a keyboard, you can find him hunting, blacksmithing, farming, or bushwhacking skinwalkers in the forests of rural Maine with his wife, their little goblin, and the pack of wild dogs that nip at their heels.

Follow their adventures on Instagram
@StripedDogForge
@DouglassHooverAuthor

Find handmade outdoor equipment and signed books at www.stripeddogforge.com

Perhaps most importantly, sign up for our newsletter at www.douglasshoover.com for updates on future projects.

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Man's Land...

THE SARVAN
by Douglas Hoover

4 1/2 stars. In the year 1916, in France, Edward Blackwood and his troop were sent on a suicide mission to destroy German machine guns in no man's land...

It was tough, but someone had to do it...

Eventually...

Blackwood ended up a POW in a German death camp where the rules of war did not apply, and the Red Cross was not welcome...

After trying to escape...

He was scheduled for execution the next morning but was rescued by a German Major working with the Swiss to uphold the Geneva Convention...

Joining the Major's troop...
On their way to Switzerland...

An avalanche hit, which prevented them from
carrying on with their journey...

Their pass was cut off...

Some of the men were afraid. This wasn't God's country. Some said demonic creatures lived in these mountains...

As the party pushed on through the snowy terrain, one of the German guards suddenly noticed that one of their number was missing...

At the worst of the storm, they came across a little village, where they could winter-over...

A village populated with only women...
And one albino barkeep...

This was an excellent, atmospheric horror story set in the snowy Alps. The women of the village were worshipers in a strange cult with an agenda of their own. This author never disappoints when it comes to atmosphere and adventure.

Reading this story, I was reminded of a part in one of the Lord of the Rings movies when a woman ripped off her helmet while in battle and said: We are not men!

Recommended!

[Dead Inside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Douglass Hoover book and I really enjoyed it, this one was very unique being a military/historical/folk/horror. Characters were well crafted and I really like his writing style. I hope he continues with the historical horror because he fucking killed it with this one.

[Tracy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

Man. I never expected to be this scared out of my skull. Absolutely terrifying.

Narrator Dylan Wheeler did not miss a beat as he the solo voice for all of the characters. As a matter of fact, he brought this to life so vividly in my imagination that I literally had to take multiple breaks just to shake it off.

Highly recommend Hoover's The Sarvàn for a spectacular combination of historical fiction, unrelenting suspense and folk horror.

[Bradley Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say that this book is badass. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Set against the brutal backdrop of World War I, The Sarvàn follows a group of Allied POWs being led through the treacherous Alps by German soldiers. When winter hits hard, they’re forced to seek shelter in a remote, snowbound village. But something’s off. The villagers worship an ancient god named Mithras and secretly protecting a beast known as the Sarvàn.

What truly makes this novel shine are its characters: their struggles, depth, and emotional complexity. The village? Major red flags. Think Midsommar, but colder and more claustrophobic. As tensions rise, both the prisoners and their captors misdirect their fear and paranoia toward each other, blind to the real horror slowly creeping in around them.

A chilling, slow-burn descent into madness and myth. Highly recommended. Also, Dubois was one of my favorite supporting characters in a long while.

Highly recommend!!!

[William Bolyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

"HOOVER PULLS NO PUNCHES, DELIVERING THE SHEER BRUTALITY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR WITHOUT REMORSE. THE EPIC CLASH OF NATIONS BECOMES ONLY A BACKDROP TO A GREATER MYSTERY, ONE OF ANCIENT GODS AND HARROWING DEEDS. ONE THAT SEIZES THE READER BY THE THROAT AND HAULS THEM FORWARD THROUGH THE PAGES IN A RABID, WILD-EYED FERVOR UNTIL EITHER DASHING THEM ON THE ROCKS OF DESPAIR OR RAISING THEM HIGH IN TRIUMPH AND GLORY. I WON'T TELL YOU WHICH, BUT KNOW THAT IF I COULD, I WOULD READ IT FRESH A HUNDRED TIMES OVER."

[Paul Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a horror novel, despite the mention of a new cryptid called Sarvàn. This is a story of religious fanaticism, blind devotion, and rapture. A rather sleepy saga with sadness in every paragraph. While I did enjoy the story and rate book five stars, I cannot recommend it to others.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

had no ide where this was going for a good portion of the book, but in a great way. i would finish some chapters and get to a crazy part and think, what the hell else could happen next? one of those books that you can imagine perfectly in your head and see. it almost feels like Wicker Man esque. i feel like the ending was a perfect bow, no loose ends and nothing where i was questioning what could happen. i feel like its hard to read a book that is nearly perfect but this is one of them. definitely one i need as a worn paperback in my personal library

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow build up to a descent into paranoia and madness.


This story seemed to be more focused on supplying the reader with an uneasy feeling filled with a plethora of mixed emotions. The isolated location and strange behavior of the towns folk invoked a feeling of intense claustrophobia and distrust. The signs of possible flirtation from some of the town's women planted a seed of hope/ease that was quashed the next second from some other reaction/situation. The characters were constantly put into a state of anxiety not knowing if they were in danger.


I found myself enjoying the portion of the book when we knew something wasn't quite right with the whole situation but still being unsure of why. Once the "purpose" was revealed the story was still exciting but it lost that extra tension cause by the unknown. Loved the little snippets of Blackwood's past that we get that show ultimately how he ended up in the current situation.

[Erin Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a story of war and mystery and death and twist after twist, but also love and friendship, renewal and redemption, kindness and brutality and everything in between. 5/5 from start to finish.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many comparisons to All Quiet on the Western Front and Midsommer, but I'll be honest, this book is its own story.

A slow burn folk horror, set in WW1 that kept me hooked and intrigued, the bulk of the characters are very unlikeable, and as always, with these stories, there are questions unanswered but it's still an enjoyable read.

[Mitchell Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9

-Thought it was good, wish it had more supernatural elements to it
-I also wish that the trenches and WW1 fighting had occurred in this story
-I could only imagine that Mcculloch looked like the mad Scotsman from Samurai Jack and it instantly made the book 10x better
-The Sarvan being like a supernatural being and not like a crypted kinda threw me off, I thought it was gonna be like a Bigfoot or yeti type creature
-Loved that Enzo at least got out and had a child with Hilde but I wish we got to see more of him after escaping.
-Mithras being one of the focal points for the story was so cool and such an obscure deity that it makes me want to learn more about Mithraism
-I would love to see a book that focuses on the next generation of the citizens for Melville trying to complete the next trial to get a new host for the Sarvan
-RIP to Dubois, he deserved to see his daughters 1 more time
-The shootout scene was so crazy, especially with the Scotsman going nuts
-I’m so happy the soldiers got killed, those dudes were terrible and deserved worse fates
-Really thought Hanz was gonna survive and team up the prisoners
-The midsummer vibes were great, I wish the woman played a bigger role outside of Lucia’s character
-loved that unless the person understood the language of the person talking, it did not translate in the book

[Emmanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished the book this morning, and I have mixed feelings. Despite one or two people complaining about it being amateurish, I found the writing to be mostly good; the tone is atmospheric, and each chapter paints well the horrors of military life during the war, or the vast landscapes of snow and mountains, or the mysterious village resting where no human should exist. I was a bit disappointed that the enemy were people themselves, not the Sarván—I entered the story wanting more of the creature horror I experienced in The North Woods.

The characters are interesting enough to be entertaining, but we soon realize maybe we shouldn't get too attached to them. Again, I miss the broken but charismatic veterans of the other novel.

Structurally, I think the story is flawless; the pieces of the puzzle are slowly brought toward us, and at the epilogue, you can look back and see how everything falls into place. The pace, however, is a bit off; sometimes it becomes too sluggish for its own good, and the multiple POVs make the story seem longer than it actually is.

But what didn't work for me at all were the themes. It becomes clear that the story is supposed to be a tragedy and that Blackwood—by design of Mithras or the Devil, the book never makes it clear—will inevitably have to pay for his past misdeeds. Is it redemption? Is it a final damnation? What about the things Lucia and the villagers had to do for the sake of their idolatrous duties? Perhaps the author didn't want to condemn either Blackwood's atheism or the village's paganism. Both get space to argue for their own worldview; none is explicitly declared right or wrong. The only worldview that practically has no time to defend itself is Christianity—and, if you really pay attention, the ending looks like a total triumph for the heathens.

Historically speaking (and this is just a note, not a critique of the author), I believe there's no evidence to link the cult of Mithras to Christianity; to this day, the authors themselves admit they mostly have conjectures, and seemingly dogmatic coincidences are no solid ground to say that Christianity was in any shape or form influenced by Mithraism. It's enough to consider impartially how Christianity sprang from Judaism and reviled any pagan interaction at the same time it recognized the transient nature of the ritualistic aspects of the Mosaic Law. Take the first Fathers of the Church and see how their principles and way of thinking are far from the mythical ramblings of the Mithraists. Besides, see what they do in this story. There's nothing scarier than ending up among cultists that think they have to sacrifice people to imprison a primordial being of chaos.

The monster itself is fitting, as it embodies violence and the lust for blood, and Blackwood's character revolves around it; but, at the end, I just feel hollow, like reading a Stoic saying that the world will end in fire and the very same things will be again and again, and nothing that exists really makes sense.

There are better things to read around there.

[Bo Poske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge thanks to Douglass Hoover for sending me a copy of The Sarvàn — what an incredible, chilling read.
This book is just over 300 pages and blends historical fiction, survival horror, and mythology in a way that hooked me from page one. Set during World War I, we follow a group of Allied POWs being marched through the icy Alps by their German captors. When a brutal winter storm forces everyone to take shelter in a remote mountain village, the uneasy truce between prisoners and guards starts to crack. The villagers worship Mithras, an ancient god, and seem to be hiding something called the Sarvàn — and trust me, the less you know going in, the better.
I really like the characters in this novel. Hoover gives both prisoners and captors depth, humanity, and believable conflict. Their suspicions of one another feel earned, but the real threat is slowly closing in from outside (and beneath) the village. The atmosphere is pitch perfect. There is claustrophobia, oppressiveness, and it is laced with unease.
A slow burn at first, grinding you in the brutality of war and the harshness of the alpine setting. But once the story shifts into the village, the tension ramps up and doesn’t let go. Hoover’s descriptions of snowbound streets, flickering torchlight, and whispered rituals are vivid and cinematic, making you feel like you’re right there in the middle of it all.
If you like your horror with a mix of history, folklore, and creeping dread, this one is a must. The Sarvàn is the kind of story that sticks with you long after you close the book.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, The Sarvan is Douglas Hoover’s best book yet. He captivates readers from the very first page, making it almost impossible to put down. I loved every aspect of this story, especially the way history is woven throughout. This is a book that you will want to reread again and again. I can’t wait to see what he releases next.

[Amber Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

A good brisk read. I love these kinds of books that mix real world history with the spooky stuff. Its a haunting, intense psychological ride that sends you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Characters are pretty fleshy and articulate. Plot is good without being overbearing. Spooky without being too much

[Bob Gaffney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

Loved this book. Unlike anything I have read before. World War I was an amazing back story combined with wonderful characters with a story that builds with anticipation.

[Matthias · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m conflicted on this book,
so let’s start with the positive -
The atmosphere was incredible, deep in a German winter, in a town off the maps of known society.
The idea was great, very fun and fast paced, the author was clearly well researched on the topic.
Now for the negative -
The writing felt amateurish, like the author sat down with a thesaurus and tried to prove that he could write. The characters were very archetypical, and I know that fits in with the story but bleh.
The women of the story were just a plot device for the men to further their own character development, which I guess can be typical of male writers.

Overall this book wasn’t BAD. There was some really good things here and I think the execution was just poor.
I could have really loved this with a bit of polishing and maybe a focus group lol
2.5 stars rounded down.

[vk chompooming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected. The plot was riveting. The character development was enjoyable and the action was pretty good. I really enjoyed the author's exceptional detail to WWII German ranks and officer titles. They say when a man reaches a certain age he becomes a fan of WWII, and Douglas Hoover knows his military history. This book deserves 5 stars, but for me, I needed more about the Sarvan, Mithras, and the whole mythology. Good read.

[Àkos Györkei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahogy irjak is a kedvcsinaloban, egy kicsit Elso Vilaghaboru, egy kicsit Midsommar - hamar kiderul, hogy Sarvan a palacsintaban (hehe).

De valojaban egy kicsit semmisem amibe belekap. Nem eleg felelmetes, nem eleg tortenelmi, nem eleg okkult, nem eleg emberi.

A karakterek klisek, az okkult/tortenelem resze nem foglal magaban tul sok kutatast, es sok a kitalacio (tunik ugy nekem, persze lehet, hogy megis).

Az iro amerikaikent a tipikus csapdaba esik, hogy keptelen elvonatkoztatni a 2. vh nemetjeitol, es szinte teljesen ugyanolyannak abrazolja az 1. vh nemetjeit - verszomjas, velejeig gonosz, gyava az osszes katona, ami rossz tulajdonsagot tudott azt rajuk aggatott.

Eleg sok skippelheto is, erdemi veszteseg nelkul. Nem a legjobb.

[Olivia Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folk-horror/historical horror is absolutely everything to me so of course this was 5/5!!!! ATE THIS UP. Ravens, witches, and a nightmarish beast? All of my favorite elements combined. The plot twists in this book were 👌🏼. The Sarván has easily made it to my top 3 favorite books!!!

[Rueben · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Isaac Harms · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVERRRR FIVERRRRR FIVERRR

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved! Reminded me of both Midsommar and Pilgrim by Mitchell Lüthi in some ways. A great spooky winter read and another installment of this year’s inadvertent “weird European folklore” curriculum

[Gage Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sarvan is a fabulous book. More times than I can count, this book had me with my jaw on the floor. The book switches between flashbacks and present perfectly, and masters something so rare these days: providing you with enough information at the moment to always keep you satisfied but wanting to know more.

Have you ever read a book that leaves too much unexplained or up to interpretation? Maybe a book that felt rushed or reworked? This is not that book.


General spoilers

The Sarvan is about an ancient cult operating in a small German-speaking town which is forced to shelter POWs on their way to neutral Switzerland during the First World War. From the very first pages, nothing in this novel is as it appears and everything builds up, just to set it into place perfectly. The characters, even though some may not have much time (it started as a war novel, there is going to be some death!) are written succinctly and easily distinguished from the others. They are likable, familiar, distinct, and the ones that are worth hating, take that the extra mile. The villains in this novel are realistic and cruel without reason beyond the fact that “they are just following orders” to the point that they will harm their fellow countrymen (women and children) just to punish the POWs as they see fit. There is an absolutely epic faceoff between one Scottish prisoner who takes on several guards in a combination of heroism and bloodlust that I will try not to go into detail too much about, other than to say you don’t want to miss it.

For those of you who enjoy the movie Midsommar, this book is a great recommendation and in my opinion, supersedes it. There’s many more strings connecting this story together, better explanation, better old world/supernatural mysticism, a better payoff and better real, human made horrors that pull your attention from those behind the scenes.

It’s insane how this novel blends so many things and releases them into a perfect fit: the philosophy of war and the justification of taking a life, mistakes and their unintended consequences, secrecy for a bigger purpose, respect and betrayal of trust, and how to continue on when you are no longer the same person that you once were.

I could type all day about how much I enjoyed this story as a random read, but mostly, I’m just glad I read it. And you should too.

[Tiffany Arellano · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It is less a folk horror than a thriller built around myth and religious cults. Luckily, I like that still! I really liked the mythology but I felt the rest of the story was quite slow and not as engaging as I needed to keep me going. The last 30% of the book saved it for me.

[TheMother · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Sarvàn' by Douglass Hoover is a historical fiction, folk-horror, WWI novel runing about 382 pages (Kindle).

The story starts off more in the realm of historical war fiction and slowly snowballs into a folk-horror fever dream. There were twists and turns in our story that slowly weave together - but if you have fair pattern recognition (in this genre) you will not be terribly surprised at what goes on.

The main character is Edward Blackwood a gritty "cowboy" type. He is cynical, tough, sordid past, yada yada yada. He is not unlikable but unfortunately toward the end of the book - he lacks a lot of his previous flavor.

Edward is taken to an internment camp called Rothenspring. It is the wOoorSst because of the lack of food and degree of torment by the depraved guards. He gets stung by a bee (which... definitely matters later if you think about it). He tries to escape with a fellow POW named Dickie. Unfortunately, they're caught - well Dickie is. A new SS Major Wulfson arrives and throws the camp for a loop when he says the Kaiser is releasing the prisoners to the Swiss camps and disbanding Rothenspring.

Sadly, so many of the POWs are injured or unfit to make the journey through The Alps. Luckily despite the terrible weather and avalanches, they come across a small private village. Certainly, nothing will happen here...

Along with Blackwood, we get to know the guards Major Wulfson brings as well as a cohort of POWs. So with our two factions, we have predominantly "evil" SS members and then we have our likable and flawed medley of soldiers. Nothing could go wrong with this - right?

Without spoiling too much, the story is well written. While it does seem to drag in the last quarter, it is probably necessary to have it do so for such a clean ending. I can totally appreciate loose ends being tied up as compared to so many horror stories giving you that "gotcha" moment in the last paragraph. The writing style is nice - very fluid not too dry. I never felt like it was a chore to get through a chapter. Each chapter varies in length but are fairly frequent which is nice and allows for picking up and putting down. I did find it fun that it utilized multiple languages also. So, final thoughts were that it reminds me of other folk-horrors like 'The Wicker Man' and 'Apostle'.

Very fun, nothing ground breaking. Definitely worth it if you like folk-horror mixed with a little bit of action.

[FancyMeMad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t typically write reviews, but I had to for this one. The Sarvan is easily the best book I have read this year. This book had everything I love in a story. It’s a historical fiction/folk horror, with some interesting mythology and extremely tense action scenes. We follow WW1 POWs and a German Major as they travel through the Alps attempting to make it to Switzerland. The prisoners and their German guard escorts get caught in a deadly snowstorm and must take shelter in a small, reclusive town inhabited by only women. Now these women are odd. They pray to an ancient, forgotten god, and they have some very peculiar customs and ceremonies. The tension between the guards and the POWs is palpable. They’re not happy with the Major or their mission. Mutiny is in the air. At the same time, it seems the women are keeping secrets about their town and their god. This story has a diverse group of characters. I found myself extremely invested in the POWs. They were all flawed in different ways, but still extremely human.

I don’t want to give much more away, but I strongly recommend this book. I’ve read two other books by Douglass Hoover, which were both enjoyable as well. However, this one really solidified me as a fan. Also, a special shout-out goes to the audiobook narrator Dylan Wheeler. He pulled off multiple accents for each character. German, Scottish, French, English, Italian, and American English. It was extremely impressive. Get the audiobook if you can. You will not be disappointed. 5 Stars.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to pick this story based in the Bavarian Alps to read around Christmas time. Nothing quite like a freezing wasteland to get you in the holiday spirit, right?

This was my third Douglass Hoover novel. First being ‘The North Woods’ that I liked. Second was ‘The Accursed Huntsman’ which I loved. I think I’d have to put this in the “liked” category with a solid 3.5-4 out of 5 rating.

I’m typically a horror reader. I haven’t delved much into historical, much less war fiction before, so this was a new experience for me.

I wouldn’t call this “horror” per se, it’s much more rooted deeply in folklore (similarly to the cultist portrayal in Midsommer). There are some terrifying sequences for sure, but after the initial action packed beginning and POW containment camp sequences it kind of meanders along a bit to establish its characters and the stakes. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to consider before diving in. You get to know the characters for all their good (and bad), basically.

I dove into this expecting a monster novel with a WWI background, rooted in folk-horror. What I got was a little different than that, but not saying it wasn’t enjoyable.

Give it a chance. Hoover has become one of my favorite lesser-known writers and it seems that he always puts out quality work.

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Words cannot express how much I despised this novel, mostly because of how amateurish the writing is, but also how it insists it is comparable to Midsommar and All Quiet on the Western Front (a grievous insult to both).

I went in mostly blind, initially drawn to the aforementioned blurb, but the moment the story started and I was exposed to characters that were literal walking tropes, I knew I was in for a bad time. Looking beyond the poor characterization and dialogue, the story didn't feel fleshed out at all. I left with the impression that Hoover cherry picked the main plot devices from each of those films (cults and the atrocity of war [albeit the other World War]) and decide to merge them with his own mythos that was trite and uninspired. The end product lacked any of the emotional depth of either, and, honestly, lacked even the horror as well. What we're left with is an unremarkable tale of prisoners of war plotting escape from their Nazi captors while figuring out they're also seeking shelter with an ancient cult.

I do have to include one good thing, which is the short length. It was the least Hoover could do for us.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ancient Roman cult meets World War 1 meets folk horror - in the middle of a harsh mountain winter.

I quite liked this book. It wasn’t really what I expected it to be, but then it’s kind of hard to pick something described as a mix between Midsommar and All Quiet on the Western Front and really know what that’s supposed to look like. Nevertheless, what it turns out to be is simple: an entertaining story.

Did I like every part of it? No. The evil guys were almost cartoonishly evil, for example. The good guys had their archetypes and stuck to them, making them somewhat predictable. It became pretty clear fairly early on, once we got an idea of what the titular Sarvàn was, what the main character had been brought there for.

Despite this, the journey to get to the end was fun to read towards. It’s a setting and concept I haven’t really seen before in this combination, which makes it an interesting new experience. And the writing is pretty solid. Overall, a good afternoon’s worth of reading.

3 stars out of 5.