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, Historical Fiction

380 pages, Paperback

Published June 21, 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

[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.

[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

[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

[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.

[Bo · 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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[Dalyn Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sarvàn is a chilling, immersive, and brilliantly executed blend of wartime survival, ancient folklore, and creeping psychological horror. Douglass Hoover masterfully weaves elements of folk horror, mystery, and war fiction into a story that feels both dread soaked and astonishingly human. It is the rare novel that balances atmosphere, character, and mythology with haunting precision.

Set during the brutal shadows of World War I, the novel follows a group of Allied POWs who escape Germany’s harshest internment camp only to find themselves stranded deep in the unforgiving Alpine wilderness. The war is only the beginning of their terror. Once they enter the isolated mountain villages with their strange customs, unnerving silences, and centuries old warnings, the story transforms into something far darker.

Hoover captures the Alpine atmosphere with chilling clarity the biting cold, the oppressive forests, the sense that the mountains themselves are watching. The locals’ whispered fear of a creature known only as “The Sarvàn” adds a folkloric depth that slowly coils around the narrative. The tension is expertly paced: subtle at first, then increasingly suffocating as myth and reality begin to blur.

What elevates the novel is its emotional grounding. The POWs are not merely survivors they are fractured men carrying guilt, trauma, and the desperate hope for freedom. Their psychological unraveling mirrors the encroaching presence of the beast, creating a powerful thematic parallel between human brutality and the terror lurking in the mountains.

Midsommar meets All Quiet on the Western Front is no exaggeration. This novel delivers the haunting rituals of folk horror, the desperation of men at war, and the creeping dread of something ancient stalking them through the snow. The Sarvàn is gripping, atmospheric, and unforgettable an exceptional addition to modern horror literature.

[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.

[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.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery, adventure, and folk-horror perfectly describe this book. I fell in love with it- the characters, the setting, the mystery of it all. The first half of the book concentrates on the war side of things. Descriptions of the characters, their stories and journey, are described brilliantly by Douglass. Then it transcends into an adventure mystery and the story just ramps up as something obviously isn't right in the small village they find. Lots of mystery and intrigue here, with a few foreboding moments. Even though the book had long chapters, the story and writing made them a breeze to get through- I didn't feel it dragged at all. It's the longest book I've read for a while but the story grabbed me so much and wouldn't let go.

I never found the book scary, although there were a couple of eerie moments, but I loved the adventure and mystery of it all. Kudos to Douglass Hoover as this was a great book.

Would highly recommend.

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Accursed Huntsman, this was still a very well written story! There is a tense sense of dread throughout most of the book as we follow our main characters through their journey through the mountains and their time trapped by the elements in a small village. I was equal parts frustrated, horrified, and curious as I continued through the story wondering what each event and death were leading up to. I found the mystery of the village and the story of the Sarvan very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with plenty of tension, action, and mystery while also not minding violence and gore.

[Kathy Wortham · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't guess the ending

Ancient culture meets Nazi Germans. A group of prisoners with a Nazi Officer and guards forge a path over the mountains to Switzerland. This is supposedly part of a gulag closure. Somehow the officer is more on the side of the prisoners than the brutal sadistic guards. While the guards plot to kill everyone the group finds themselves stranded in a remote mountain village during winter. The solitary women villagers practice an ancient religion dating back to 400AD. Unfortunately for the group it calls for human sacrifice. Will the guards be able to stage their coup or the prisoners find a way to survive.

[What the Sam Hill are you reading? · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun 3/5. I liked this story of war and religion, and the concepts it played with were imaginative. It established a grim atmosphere from the get go, and had some good twists in it. I also really enjoyed how it gave the POVs of the guards as well as the prisoners. Klaus is definitely a rat bastard of a villain you love to hate. The action was brutal and the cast of characters was enjoyable. However, I felt like the pace was off. Sometimes feeling slow burner-y, and at other times, feeling too fast for its own good. It also felt like it wanted to be several kinds of books, and that didn’t always come together. Still a grim and bloody good time!

[Thomas Bokelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sarvan was an enjoyable read for me and I had a hard time putting it down. Religious/folk horror elements with supernatural vibes always grab my attention and I found the prose and character voicing easy to read and relate with. It was an interesting story and I appreciated the authors ability to maintain my interest. There were a few plot holes and editorial issues throughout the book, but nothing major. Had the book not had such an abrupt ending it would have been a five star for me. I will definitely be checking in to more from this author.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. I love folk horror, particularly European, so though war horror isn't necessarily my thing, I had trouble putting it down.
There are some grammatical mistakes and word misusages/typos (a beast is described as 'abdominal', which I presume should have been 'abominable', for example), but it isn't riddled with errors. The story lagged in a few places, but overall, it's a solid read.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book and very enjoyable read. It has the same feel to it as The Terror. It was hard to put this book down once I started, but tried to draw the reading of it out as long as possible because I was enjoying it so much and did not want it to end.

When it did end, though, I was fairly satisfied with its climax. The final two chapters do not disappoint in the least.

I will be looking for more from Douglass Hoover.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun bit of folk horror set during World War I. A German officer and his men march several prisoners of war (a diverse group, including an American who was fighting for the Candadians, a Brit, a Scot, a Frenchman, and an Italian) through the mountains to an alleged humanitarian release in Switzerland, and they become trapped in a small village in the Alps where an ancient cult and eldritch horror await . . .

[kevin powell sr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read, But

Ok, this book was really good but the description was misleading. Even though at the very end it read as a horror novel, the majority of this book was more soldiers and war related. Again, still glad I read it but it's not enough about horror until the very end.
Having said that, I plan to follow this author and read more of his work .

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange tale

When I started this story I thought it was going to be your usual werewolf story. However I was wrong. This turned into be a tale of good and evil. The strange village and its people were an enigma that was peeled apart like an onion to expose the layers. By the end of the story you made to wonder who was good and who was evil.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

WHAT A RIDE. A mix of horror, folklore, historical fiction set in during WW1. This truly was the creepy af vibe from Midsommar, you just had no idea with this isolated community’s real goal was and when you find out it’s horrifying.

Good revenge portions too, the last stand off was top tier.

[Anthony Croce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was great. A slow burn. For me it included all I could want. Remote town in the alps , ww1 action, forced march. Roman history and of course the sarvan. Great characters some I hated. Some I liked. I didn’t want it to end. I saw this book advertised on face book. I’m so glad I bought it. I’m gonna start The north woods next.

[Nicholas E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Douglass Hoover has delivered another masterful piece of writing. The story is layered, the characters believable, and his research impeccable. For fans of the supernatural, paranormal, First World War, or the Legions of Rome, this book is a must read.

[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.

[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.

[james w salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Well written.

First read by this author. Very impressed. Well written. Very fleshed out story. Couldn't put it down. Talented author. Looking forward to reading another.