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Turner
“Welcome to Ynys Diawl, our beautifully isolated Welsh island. We greet visitors in a special way! What? Oh, true, the English translation is Devil Island, but that’s just slander.”
“Yes, it was the perfect escape for three strangers. Each had their own reasons for visiting. We don’t care why anyone comes here! Hey now, who said the locals are violent? Surly, maybe, but we love all types, here.”
“Mmm, that does look like a storm coming in. A bad ’un. No escape from the island tonight. Escape? I meant … never mind. Come down these steps with me, I have something to show you. Don’t look so worried, we don’t bite!”
An atmospheric folk horror likened to The Wicker Man in Wales.
Note: this work is 100% human-created, crafted with love by the author. No generative AI has been used in the writing or editing.
“Yes, it was the perfect escape for three strangers. Each had their own reasons for visiting. We don’t care why anyone comes here! Hey now, who said the locals are violent? Surly, maybe, but we love all types, here.”
“Mmm, that does look like a storm coming in. A bad ’un. No escape from the island tonight. Escape? I meant … never mind. Come down these steps with me, I have something to show you. Don’t look so worried, we don’t bite!”
An atmospheric folk horror likened to The Wicker Man in Wales.
Note: this work is 100% human-created, crafted with love by the author. No generative AI has been used in the writing or editing.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2011
11 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Karl Drinkwater
28 books128 followersKarl Drinkwater is an author with a silly name and a thousand-mile stare. He writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place. Welcome!
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. Fans mean a lot to him, and replies to the newsletter go straight to his inbox, where every email is read. There is also an option for paid subscribers to support his work: in exchange you receive additional posts and complimentary books.
PRAISE FOR KARL’S WORK
“Drinkwater creates fantastically believable characters.” —On The Shelf Reviews
“Each book remains in my mind for a long time after. Anything he writes is a must-read.” —Pink Quill Books
“Karl Drinkwater has the skill of making it near impossible to stop reading. Expect late nights. Simply outstanding.” —Jera’s Jamboree
“An intelligent and empathetic writer who has a clear understanding of the world around him and the truly horrific experiences life can bring. A literary gem.” —Cooking The Books
“Drinkwater is a dab hand at creating an air of dread.” —Altered Instinct
“A gifted writer. Each book brings its own uniqueness to the table, and a table Drinkwater sets is one I will visit every time." —Scintilla
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. Fans mean a lot to him, and replies to the newsletter go straight to his inbox, where every email is read. There is also an option for paid subscribers to support his work: in exchange you receive additional posts and complimentary books.
PRAISE FOR KARL’S WORK
“Drinkwater creates fantastically believable characters.” —On The Shelf Reviews
“Each book remains in my mind for a long time after. Anything he writes is a must-read.” —Pink Quill Books
“Karl Drinkwater has the skill of making it near impossible to stop reading. Expect late nights. Simply outstanding.” —Jera’s Jamboree
“An intelligent and empathetic writer who has a clear understanding of the world around him and the truly horrific experiences life can bring. A literary gem.” —Cooking The Books
“Drinkwater is a dab hand at creating an air of dread.” —Altered Instinct
“A gifted writer. Each book brings its own uniqueness to the table, and a table Drinkwater sets is one I will visit every time." —Scintilla
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 6, 2014
Phil Rickman, on BBC Radio Wales' Phil The Shelf literary programme, likened it to "The Wicker Man in Wales". The writer Bec Zugor summed it up as: "This will do, for visiting remote islands, what Jaws did for swimming in the sea."
Bring it on
:O)
Wales> Angelsey
gorefest
dog steals the show
pub 2011
winter 2012/2013
A special thanks to Karl for gifting this book.
Outline from The Angelsey History Site:
Turner - Karl Drinkwater, 2012
This is a horror novel based on a fictional small island off the coast of Anglesey. The island seems the ideal place for four unconnected individuals to seek refuge from their own demons and to escape from the rat race. However, on Ynys Diawl they face a night of horror and madness. If they don't work together none of them will see the light of day. Warning - according to reviewers this book can be somewhat gory.
About the book:
Cover is wonderful as the lighthouse is central to the turning(!) point in the story.
Am sure that the author has decided to justify the right hand side of the text by now.
About the story:
I wouldn't call this horror; real horror has to be subtly intelligent with fleshed out characters. This is more suspense with a potty mouth and added gore. It kept me going to the end though, and was nearly a 3 by the time it got me there.
2*
Bring it on
:O)
Wales> Angelsey
gorefest
dog steals the show
pub 2011
winter 2012/2013
A special thanks to Karl for gifting this book.
Outline from The Angelsey History Site:
Turner - Karl Drinkwater, 2012
This is a horror novel based on a fictional small island off the coast of Anglesey. The island seems the ideal place for four unconnected individuals to seek refuge from their own demons and to escape from the rat race. However, on Ynys Diawl they face a night of horror and madness. If they don't work together none of them will see the light of day. Warning - according to reviewers this book can be somewhat gory.
About the book:
Cover is wonderful as the lighthouse is central to the turning(!) point in the story.
Am sure that the author has decided to justify the right hand side of the text by now.
About the story:
I wouldn't call this horror; real horror has to be subtly intelligent with fleshed out characters. This is more suspense with a potty mouth and added gore. It kept me going to the end though, and was nearly a 3 by the time it got me there.
2*
September 20, 2015
I truly loved this book. It reminded me of the feeling I got reading The Exorcist and The Omen for the first time years ago. It was straight up scary (though I did read it at night in the dark on my Kindle after everyone else was asleep so that may have helped). I think the atmosphere of the island gave me the largest sense of dread. Needless to say, Visit Wales would have a hard sell with me after reading this book. I hesitate to say more because the story is most effective with no knowledge of the plot ahead of time. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from StoryCartel but that in no way impacted my review.
I received a free copy of this book from StoryCartel but that in no way impacted my review.
May 19, 2013
Turner is a story of survival horror. Chris and Megan are trapped in a remote welsh island and soon find out that the locals are not to friendly. With a village if deranged killers on the loose chris and Megan struggle to get away from the horror that awaits them if they are captured. This is a gritty, scary, fast paced survival horror story with some strong graphic and violent events throughout! Great book you will love it (very wicker man feel to it)!!!
5*h
5*h
May 18, 2013
Scary excellent for reading on a stormy night. I loved how unpredictable the characters and situations were able to deliver surprise and thrills. Gripping page "turner" and a satisfying read. Just the right amount of squeamish blood without going overboard to the point of grossness. Definitely worth reading if you are a Stephen King fan.
June 13, 2013
Turner by Karl Drinkwater is a fast-paced story horror/thriller.
The book starts '2 months ago' and introduces us to Tom Stanley- a cycling fanatic. He loves to spend his holidays out in the wild, undisturbed parts of Wales, with nothing but his bike. This time he's headed for a small village in Anglesey, Wales- courtesy of a creepy story from a friend. Why he's going to an island that so spooked his comrade, is probably one of those human nature things I'll never understand.
The destination he's heading for is Stawl Island (better known as Devil Island- translated directly from the Welsh), a tiny village on the coast. The theory is that the name came from piracy in the thirteenth century. There is another rumour. One that says the name came about because Satanists occupied the island. The island is occasionally connected to the mainland by a sandbar- subject to tides and weather.
Once in the village, he feels a kind of unease and eeriness about the place. It's too quiet and the villagers are a little 'off'. Nonetheless, he decides to stay the night, but the village may have other plans for him.
Cut to the present. We are slowly introduced to three new characters. First, Chris- who has been living on the island for two weeks. Around thirty and with a bit of a past, he's come to the village looking for a new place to start a peaceful life. He too has noticed odd things about the place. For one, women are rarely seen, apart from the mysterious Bran Ddu- who exudes an odd, unnatural air.
Now on the hunt for a job, he takes a tip from the local barman and heads towards the logging camp. After a night of drinking, he gets to the camp hours later than arranged and finds it empty- abandoned.
Next we meet David- a young cop who has also recently moved to the island. He requested the transfer after an incident at his last post, and is looking for the relaxation that comes with a tiny community with no crime. He has a love of jogging, and often goes jogging around the island with his dog Spotty. But he's not the only thing running through the forests.
Finally Megan- who's taken herself on a camping holiday in order to persuade herself that she's completely and utterly, 100% over her ex. She's been on the island for three days, watching the wildlife and solving a puzzle book she brought along.
The three characters are all eventually thrown together. All three go through varying degrees of awareness about what exactly is going on on the island. Soon, all three find themselves on the run, but escape is barred by the lack of a sandbar. A storm is upon them and it's vicious waves have tossed the sand aside. They have nowhere to go. No choice but to wait for the sandbar to reform. They'll have to wait it out and hope they survive long enough to get the chance.
First impressions of this story are as follows. The first time we see the village, it is immediately creepy and unsettling. For anyone who is genre-savvy, you'll instantly expect the worse. There are a lot of homages to various horror films in this book, and the first few scenes in the village reminded me a lot of King Kong and Deliverance. The villagers communicate in an unknown language (unknown to the protagonists anyway) and give off a creepy aura. Common sense denies there's anything wrong, but instinct screams for you to run. On a small side note, if I was ever in a situation of being in one of those creepy towns or villages from so many horror movies, I would follow my instincts. Between mild embarrassment and horrific death, I certainly know which one I'd choose.
Some of the timeframes can be a little confusing until later in the book. Until Megan, Chris and David all met up, I hadn't realised they were there at the same time. But that's only the half of it. This is a very confused story, but for good reason. It is a chaotic string of events, that eventually tie together. There are a few leads that go absolutely nowhere, and some things that seem of grave importance are, in fact, meaningless.
I've been quite ambiguous about the plot because we are given so little information. Anything I tell you could spoil the story. I don't want to mention anything beyond first impressions of the characters, for fear of ruining the book. Which leaves me with very little that I can actually tell you about the story.
We are given the same information as the protagonists- which is very little. The 'why's', 'who's', 'what's' and 'how's' are predominant. Why is is happening? Who are these people? Who can be trusted? How can they escape? What the hell is going on? We gain understanding as they do- if they do. For obvious reasons, they aren't exactly in the loop, and so, neither are we. We do get a little more information than they do, but it doesn't really help to make any sense out of anything. Which can make the events very hard to grasp, but create that brilliantly terrifying fear that comes from being hunted and from not knowing why. The tension is palpable.
There are a lot of 'dark magic' elements to this. How much of any of it is real, is unclear. I'm pretty sure it's mostly rubbish, intended to brainwash the necessary people, but I could be wrong. It's dark science or dark magic or just dark nature.
The climax is the only thing I really have any criticisms for. When we get the reason behind everything, it just seems a little flat and unoriginal. The build-up to it is so raw and substantial, that the ending is just a little overshadowed by it. The villain is one of the most disappointing aspects. The actual ending after the climax peters out a little, but still manages to keep that unease. Having said that, neither the climax, the villain or the ending are bad, they're just not as great as the bulk of the story. The villains reasons are their own. To them, the reason is everything. To us, it's not really a reason. I know I said the end is a little lacklustre. We aren't given any answers up to that point, and when we finally get the big one I was expecting a little more. In the end though, the reason is irrelevant.
When we start to get those answers, they can be even more terrifying. It's human nature to want to know 'why', but the cold truth of it is that sometimes some people, some things, don't need a 'why'. As you drown in the confusion and fear paralyses your body and mind, the 'why' won't really matter. What difference would it make, knowing the reason for the madness? Sometimes, it is better not to know.
There are a lot of horror aspects to this story, but without taking them too far into the genre. I would class this book somewhere in between horror and thriller. There is a lot of violence and gore, but it's also integral to the story- which is very much a thriller trait. Often horror has violence and gore for the sheer hell of it, with no reasoning behind it other than to shock the audience.
Any horror themes present are more young adult based than adult based. Young adult horror mostly revolves around the monster in the closet, the things that go 'boo', urban legends and myths. Adult horror is generally more psychological, and a lot of it applies the 'shock' method of adding things in for the sole purpose of being shocking, gruesome or disgusting. There's no necessity. It has no effect on the story. If it's a movie or a game, it's the same principle as adding in jumpscares. They're completely irrelevant, serve no purpose, but always scare the audience (unless they're terrible).
I admit that between the two, I am much more a fan of the urban legend inspired young adult horror and not much of a fan of adult horror. Make no mistake, horror is horror. And this book does horror. It will creep down your spine and tense your muscles. Those myths and legends that inspire young adult horror, have always been scarier to me. Adult horror disturbs me more, but children's horror was always more terrifying because those monsters and demons always seemed so real to me. When we're alone and in the dark, it's the monsters we feared as children that haunt the shadows.
Somewhat of a digress there, but back on track now. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. This is one of those books where the story will carry you more than the characters. To me the characters are almost irrelevant. We are given very little background on any of them. They mostly take a back-seat, and just get carried through by the plot. Very typical of horror. Anyone who's seen any horror movie will know the basic characters you get in every one. For the most part, they're just vessels that allow us to see the events, and that's what these characters are.
A little background before you go. There actually is a Stawl Island. It is a small village in Wales and even has it's own Lord. It was a hotbed for pirates. There's even a sandbar that connects it to the mainland. However, everything else (you'll be glad to know) is entirely fictitious. In fact, the island wasn't even open to tourists, but after this book, the current Lord of Stawl Island is thinking about changing that.
This book is a fast-paced, nerve fraying, seat grabber of a story. It starts off a little slow, but once it gets going, there is absolutely no stopping it.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
The book starts '2 months ago' and introduces us to Tom Stanley- a cycling fanatic. He loves to spend his holidays out in the wild, undisturbed parts of Wales, with nothing but his bike. This time he's headed for a small village in Anglesey, Wales- courtesy of a creepy story from a friend. Why he's going to an island that so spooked his comrade, is probably one of those human nature things I'll never understand.
The destination he's heading for is Stawl Island (better known as Devil Island- translated directly from the Welsh), a tiny village on the coast. The theory is that the name came from piracy in the thirteenth century. There is another rumour. One that says the name came about because Satanists occupied the island. The island is occasionally connected to the mainland by a sandbar- subject to tides and weather.
Once in the village, he feels a kind of unease and eeriness about the place. It's too quiet and the villagers are a little 'off'. Nonetheless, he decides to stay the night, but the village may have other plans for him.
Cut to the present. We are slowly introduced to three new characters. First, Chris- who has been living on the island for two weeks. Around thirty and with a bit of a past, he's come to the village looking for a new place to start a peaceful life. He too has noticed odd things about the place. For one, women are rarely seen, apart from the mysterious Bran Ddu- who exudes an odd, unnatural air.
Now on the hunt for a job, he takes a tip from the local barman and heads towards the logging camp. After a night of drinking, he gets to the camp hours later than arranged and finds it empty- abandoned.
Next we meet David- a young cop who has also recently moved to the island. He requested the transfer after an incident at his last post, and is looking for the relaxation that comes with a tiny community with no crime. He has a love of jogging, and often goes jogging around the island with his dog Spotty. But he's not the only thing running through the forests.
Finally Megan- who's taken herself on a camping holiday in order to persuade herself that she's completely and utterly, 100% over her ex. She's been on the island for three days, watching the wildlife and solving a puzzle book she brought along.
The three characters are all eventually thrown together. All three go through varying degrees of awareness about what exactly is going on on the island. Soon, all three find themselves on the run, but escape is barred by the lack of a sandbar. A storm is upon them and it's vicious waves have tossed the sand aside. They have nowhere to go. No choice but to wait for the sandbar to reform. They'll have to wait it out and hope they survive long enough to get the chance.
First impressions of this story are as follows. The first time we see the village, it is immediately creepy and unsettling. For anyone who is genre-savvy, you'll instantly expect the worse. There are a lot of homages to various horror films in this book, and the first few scenes in the village reminded me a lot of King Kong and Deliverance. The villagers communicate in an unknown language (unknown to the protagonists anyway) and give off a creepy aura. Common sense denies there's anything wrong, but instinct screams for you to run. On a small side note, if I was ever in a situation of being in one of those creepy towns or villages from so many horror movies, I would follow my instincts. Between mild embarrassment and horrific death, I certainly know which one I'd choose.
Some of the timeframes can be a little confusing until later in the book. Until Megan, Chris and David all met up, I hadn't realised they were there at the same time. But that's only the half of it. This is a very confused story, but for good reason. It is a chaotic string of events, that eventually tie together. There are a few leads that go absolutely nowhere, and some things that seem of grave importance are, in fact, meaningless.
I've been quite ambiguous about the plot because we are given so little information. Anything I tell you could spoil the story. I don't want to mention anything beyond first impressions of the characters, for fear of ruining the book. Which leaves me with very little that I can actually tell you about the story.
We are given the same information as the protagonists- which is very little. The 'why's', 'who's', 'what's' and 'how's' are predominant. Why is is happening? Who are these people? Who can be trusted? How can they escape? What the hell is going on? We gain understanding as they do- if they do. For obvious reasons, they aren't exactly in the loop, and so, neither are we. We do get a little more information than they do, but it doesn't really help to make any sense out of anything. Which can make the events very hard to grasp, but create that brilliantly terrifying fear that comes from being hunted and from not knowing why. The tension is palpable.
There are a lot of 'dark magic' elements to this. How much of any of it is real, is unclear. I'm pretty sure it's mostly rubbish, intended to brainwash the necessary people, but I could be wrong. It's dark science or dark magic or just dark nature.
The climax is the only thing I really have any criticisms for. When we get the reason behind everything, it just seems a little flat and unoriginal. The build-up to it is so raw and substantial, that the ending is just a little overshadowed by it. The villain is one of the most disappointing aspects. The actual ending after the climax peters out a little, but still manages to keep that unease. Having said that, neither the climax, the villain or the ending are bad, they're just not as great as the bulk of the story. The villains reasons are their own. To them, the reason is everything. To us, it's not really a reason. I know I said the end is a little lacklustre. We aren't given any answers up to that point, and when we finally get the big one I was expecting a little more. In the end though, the reason is irrelevant.
When we start to get those answers, they can be even more terrifying. It's human nature to want to know 'why', but the cold truth of it is that sometimes some people, some things, don't need a 'why'. As you drown in the confusion and fear paralyses your body and mind, the 'why' won't really matter. What difference would it make, knowing the reason for the madness? Sometimes, it is better not to know.
There are a lot of horror aspects to this story, but without taking them too far into the genre. I would class this book somewhere in between horror and thriller. There is a lot of violence and gore, but it's also integral to the story- which is very much a thriller trait. Often horror has violence and gore for the sheer hell of it, with no reasoning behind it other than to shock the audience.
Any horror themes present are more young adult based than adult based. Young adult horror mostly revolves around the monster in the closet, the things that go 'boo', urban legends and myths. Adult horror is generally more psychological, and a lot of it applies the 'shock' method of adding things in for the sole purpose of being shocking, gruesome or disgusting. There's no necessity. It has no effect on the story. If it's a movie or a game, it's the same principle as adding in jumpscares. They're completely irrelevant, serve no purpose, but always scare the audience (unless they're terrible).
I admit that between the two, I am much more a fan of the urban legend inspired young adult horror and not much of a fan of adult horror. Make no mistake, horror is horror. And this book does horror. It will creep down your spine and tense your muscles. Those myths and legends that inspire young adult horror, have always been scarier to me. Adult horror disturbs me more, but children's horror was always more terrifying because those monsters and demons always seemed so real to me. When we're alone and in the dark, it's the monsters we feared as children that haunt the shadows.
Somewhat of a digress there, but back on track now. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. This is one of those books where the story will carry you more than the characters. To me the characters are almost irrelevant. We are given very little background on any of them. They mostly take a back-seat, and just get carried through by the plot. Very typical of horror. Anyone who's seen any horror movie will know the basic characters you get in every one. For the most part, they're just vessels that allow us to see the events, and that's what these characters are.
A little background before you go. There actually is a Stawl Island. It is a small village in Wales and even has it's own Lord. It was a hotbed for pirates. There's even a sandbar that connects it to the mainland. However, everything else (you'll be glad to know) is entirely fictitious. In fact, the island wasn't even open to tourists, but after this book, the current Lord of Stawl Island is thinking about changing that.
This book is a fast-paced, nerve fraying, seat grabber of a story. It starts off a little slow, but once it gets going, there is absolutely no stopping it.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
April 4, 2018
TURNER is a very rough kind of horror without creepy elegance. An excellent illustration would be the first film version of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. When a particularly grisly fate awaits a character we like, the story doesn’t shy away from letting it fall full force. The story can have a satisfactory conclusion, but it often does not ... leaving the Reader to feel that the Heart of Darkness is spreading.
There are some truly grisly moments in TURNER. If you are a person who likes your horror to be more subtle or psychological, it is best to look elsewhere.
There are many elements in it that will be familiar to the well-read horror fan. If I had to narrow them, I would say that TURNER is a cross between THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and the “Old Gods” works of H.P. Lovecraft. There is a raw feeling to the writing, not really describing more than is necessary, yet describing enough to repulse the more sensitive among us.
In order for such a story to work completely, I need a suspension of disbelief. I’m not saying that I need to think that everything in it could happen. However, I do need to believe the motivations of the characters. That need caused some bumps in the writing for me.
The first issue was how everyone on the island went along with the machinations of the villain. Considering the atrocities committed, I would have to think that SOMEBODY would have been plotting to put an end to them long before the current story got underway.
My second issue is that the villain is very talky. Yes, an argument could be made that there aren’t a lot of folks who can be brought fully into confidence given the circumstances. It did feel a bit, though, like the trait that was spoofed in the first Austin Powers movie.
That said, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Wales and the Welsh dialect were unfamiliar to me, so part of my enjoyment was in absorbing the cultural differences. I especially enjoyed the clippings shared from the scrapbook at the end. Maybe cultures aren’t as different as I’d like to think!
I was unfamiliar with the writer, Karl Drinkwater, when I started this. (I was looking for a brisk, engaging change of pace after the much longer “literary” work that I’d just completed reading.) His style impressed me enough that I will be looking for other things he’s written.
There are some truly grisly moments in TURNER. If you are a person who likes your horror to be more subtle or psychological, it is best to look elsewhere.
There are many elements in it that will be familiar to the well-read horror fan. If I had to narrow them, I would say that TURNER is a cross between THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and the “Old Gods” works of H.P. Lovecraft. There is a raw feeling to the writing, not really describing more than is necessary, yet describing enough to repulse the more sensitive among us.
In order for such a story to work completely, I need a suspension of disbelief. I’m not saying that I need to think that everything in it could happen. However, I do need to believe the motivations of the characters. That need caused some bumps in the writing for me.
The first issue was how everyone on the island went along with the machinations of the villain. Considering the atrocities committed, I would have to think that SOMEBODY would have been plotting to put an end to them long before the current story got underway.
My second issue is that the villain is very talky. Yes, an argument could be made that there aren’t a lot of folks who can be brought fully into confidence given the circumstances. It did feel a bit, though, like the trait that was spoofed in the first Austin Powers movie.
That said, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. Wales and the Welsh dialect were unfamiliar to me, so part of my enjoyment was in absorbing the cultural differences. I especially enjoyed the clippings shared from the scrapbook at the end. Maybe cultures aren’t as different as I’d like to think!
I was unfamiliar with the writer, Karl Drinkwater, when I started this. (I was looking for a brisk, engaging change of pace after the much longer “literary” work that I’d just completed reading.) His style impressed me enough that I will be looking for other things he’s written.
August 20, 2013
Time taken to read - 1 day
Blurb From Goodreads
An isolated Welsh island seemed like the perfect escape for a convict on the run, a jilted woman, and a policeman seeking a quiet life. When the surly locals turn to murderous violence the three visitors are forced on the run together, trying to stay one step ahead of their increasingly insane pursuers.
The bad news keeps coming. There are too many to fight. There is no escape from the island. And the worst storm in years has just begun. They can only run and hide as they face a night of horror and madness. If they don't work together then none of them will live to see the light of day.
Phil Rickman, on BBC Radio Wales' Phil The Shelf literary programme, likened it to "The Wicker Man in Wales". The writer Bec Zugor summed it up as: "This will do, for visiting remote islands, what Jaws did for swimming in the sea."
This tense survival horror novel is a homage to decades of nasty villains, scary predicaments, and bloody books and films.
My Review
A small island in Wales, beautiful countryside, small population and right beside the sea, sounds perfect right? It does for a newly located police officer David Smithwick, wanting a quiet change away from his recent past with his new dog Spotty. A young man, Chris, looking to stay under the radar, get a wee job and keep his head down & Megan a young woman taking a break, camping and being at one with nature after being jilted by her lover. These three are looking for something in this island away from the "real world" and get a lot more than they bargain for. When David happens upon Megan by accident, or fate, soon they realize this town is more than they bargained for and are soon on the run for their lives. When Chris comes into the mix, the trio must trust in each other, strangers, to fight for their lives and try and come to terms with what is happening and stay ahead of the horror and violence that awaits them.
When I am approached by an author who isn't well known, I approach the books with an open mind but never expect too much. I was really surprised and delighted by this wee book, coming in at 191 pages, I read it in one night. It is a creepy wee town and there are more than the three characters I listed above, they are the start of main ones. There are "baddies" throughout the book and satanic tones but I don't want to spoil any surprises or ruin the suspense for you. The book reminded me of many, many horror movies that I have loved growing up, not in a copying sense, more how you are drawn in to the creepiness and thinking oh no, do go in there or don't do that.
It doesn't take long to start and the anticipation that something is about to go wrong and is eerie starts from the opening chapter. There were a few wee things that annoyed me however characters in horror movies and books will always evoke this reaction, for me anyway.
Chris has quite a mouth on him and if swearing offends you, you should steer clear of this book as his language does get quite colorful. However I believe if you were being hunted down you may be the same and it falls in with his character background, which you find out about as the story progresses.
I did enjoy this book, especially one part near the end of the story, I may have actually whooped out loud! I would read this author again and indeed have another on my tbr list but for me this time it is a 4/5. If your looking for a new author to try, like stories that revolve around remote towns gone wrong, blood lust and murder then I think this might be perfect for you. Available on amazon for £7.00 in paperback or £2.01 for the kindle. Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb From Goodreads
An isolated Welsh island seemed like the perfect escape for a convict on the run, a jilted woman, and a policeman seeking a quiet life. When the surly locals turn to murderous violence the three visitors are forced on the run together, trying to stay one step ahead of their increasingly insane pursuers.
The bad news keeps coming. There are too many to fight. There is no escape from the island. And the worst storm in years has just begun. They can only run and hide as they face a night of horror and madness. If they don't work together then none of them will live to see the light of day.
Phil Rickman, on BBC Radio Wales' Phil The Shelf literary programme, likened it to "The Wicker Man in Wales". The writer Bec Zugor summed it up as: "This will do, for visiting remote islands, what Jaws did for swimming in the sea."
This tense survival horror novel is a homage to decades of nasty villains, scary predicaments, and bloody books and films.
My Review
A small island in Wales, beautiful countryside, small population and right beside the sea, sounds perfect right? It does for a newly located police officer David Smithwick, wanting a quiet change away from his recent past with his new dog Spotty. A young man, Chris, looking to stay under the radar, get a wee job and keep his head down & Megan a young woman taking a break, camping and being at one with nature after being jilted by her lover. These three are looking for something in this island away from the "real world" and get a lot more than they bargain for. When David happens upon Megan by accident, or fate, soon they realize this town is more than they bargained for and are soon on the run for their lives. When Chris comes into the mix, the trio must trust in each other, strangers, to fight for their lives and try and come to terms with what is happening and stay ahead of the horror and violence that awaits them.
When I am approached by an author who isn't well known, I approach the books with an open mind but never expect too much. I was really surprised and delighted by this wee book, coming in at 191 pages, I read it in one night. It is a creepy wee town and there are more than the three characters I listed above, they are the start of main ones. There are "baddies" throughout the book and satanic tones but I don't want to spoil any surprises or ruin the suspense for you. The book reminded me of many, many horror movies that I have loved growing up, not in a copying sense, more how you are drawn in to the creepiness and thinking oh no, do go in there or don't do that.
It doesn't take long to start and the anticipation that something is about to go wrong and is eerie starts from the opening chapter. There were a few wee things that annoyed me however characters in horror movies and books will always evoke this reaction, for me anyway.
Chris has quite a mouth on him and if swearing offends you, you should steer clear of this book as his language does get quite colorful. However I believe if you were being hunted down you may be the same and it falls in with his character background, which you find out about as the story progresses.
I did enjoy this book, especially one part near the end of the story, I may have actually whooped out loud! I would read this author again and indeed have another on my tbr list but for me this time it is a 4/5. If your looking for a new author to try, like stories that revolve around remote towns gone wrong, blood lust and murder then I think this might be perfect for you. Available on amazon for £7.00 in paperback or £2.01 for the kindle. Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2012
I enjoyed this book even though to say enjoyed is probably the wrong word. It is a splatter horror book and it is not the splatter part I liked. No, it was more the thought of the evil mind that had made the things that happened on this island possible. And at some point in the book we are told about this persons ancestors and it is chilling to realise that the things that are happening are the product of centuries of madmen. The book made me dislike the islanders but at the end I felt a lot more sorry for them than anything else. I like the end of the book but won't say why as that might give it away.
January 26, 2019
This book has a little bit of everything for horror and suspense lovers
I think The narrator Did a great job Chris’s profanity laced Outburst was very thorough
This is the second book I enjoyed by karl lost solace being the first looking forward to future works
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily Left this review
I think The narrator Did a great job Chris’s profanity laced Outburst was very thorough
This is the second book I enjoyed by karl lost solace being the first looking forward to future works
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily Left this review
April 18, 2017
I rarely read horror books. But I'd read another book by this author and liked it so much, I thought I'd give this one a try. I'm glad I did. A great story, that kept me engaged, wanting to know what would happen next. Well-developed characters that were easy to root for or against. Well-done!
June 10, 2017
I shall start by saying that I really enjoyed Turner. Horror really isn't my preferred reading genre, but as I like to push my reading comfort zone now and again, reading more horror has been one of my reading objectives. Turner is one fast paced, horror slasher of a read, that had me turning the pages at breakneck speed. To be honest I was thoroughly creeped out while reading this book.
The novel opens with a compelling prologue, as we are introduced to Tom, a visitor to the remote island of Stawl, just off the Anglesey coast in North Wales. While there he meets the unusual and rather unfriendly locals and let's just say that things don't go too well for him.
We are then propelled two months into the future, once again on Stawl Island, where we are introduced to the three protagonists of the story, over three subsequent chapters, all told in the third person, and all who are running from their past in one way or the other. We meet Chris, a new policeman to the island and his faithful dog, Spotty. He wants a quieter life on the island, a life without knives and violence. We meet Megan, a PE teacher who is running from a cheating boyfriend and then finally Chris, a man who is running from the law. All have their own unique voice and story to tell. I knew exactly who was telling their story. I should just point out here that one of the characters does use a lot of explicit language, so if you are easily offended by strings of swear words then this may not be the book for you. For me, this did not matter so much as I felt that this language was needed to fully understand his character.
This novel worked so well for me because of these characters. They were hugely believable and fully drawn, in a novel that for me was mainly driven via the plot. This is an action horror read, and at times the action almost seemed too fast, in that I had difficulty keeping up with who was doing what, but this was the driving force of the novel. It is a being scared by the seat of your pants kind of read. It is an uncomfortable read, one that quickens the pulse and makes you keep the light on.
I must also mention the beautiful setting of North Wales and the remoteness of the island. I know North Wales well, my now husband lived in Llanfairpwll for many years while studying at Bangor University, and the descriptions of Anglesey were so very vivid that they conjured up wonderful memories of time spent in the area, although we were never chased by the locals.
Turner was a hugely refreshing read, as it also contained a psychological element, that I had not been expecting, that gave an added dimension to this novel. It helped to give it meaning. I can also see this book being turned into a movie, it most definitely had that movie vibe in the tone of language used, and pace of action. Turner really was an enjoyable read.
With thanks to the author who provided a paperback copy for review purposes
The novel opens with a compelling prologue, as we are introduced to Tom, a visitor to the remote island of Stawl, just off the Anglesey coast in North Wales. While there he meets the unusual and rather unfriendly locals and let's just say that things don't go too well for him.
We are then propelled two months into the future, once again on Stawl Island, where we are introduced to the three protagonists of the story, over three subsequent chapters, all told in the third person, and all who are running from their past in one way or the other. We meet Chris, a new policeman to the island and his faithful dog, Spotty. He wants a quieter life on the island, a life without knives and violence. We meet Megan, a PE teacher who is running from a cheating boyfriend and then finally Chris, a man who is running from the law. All have their own unique voice and story to tell. I knew exactly who was telling their story. I should just point out here that one of the characters does use a lot of explicit language, so if you are easily offended by strings of swear words then this may not be the book for you. For me, this did not matter so much as I felt that this language was needed to fully understand his character.
This novel worked so well for me because of these characters. They were hugely believable and fully drawn, in a novel that for me was mainly driven via the plot. This is an action horror read, and at times the action almost seemed too fast, in that I had difficulty keeping up with who was doing what, but this was the driving force of the novel. It is a being scared by the seat of your pants kind of read. It is an uncomfortable read, one that quickens the pulse and makes you keep the light on.
I must also mention the beautiful setting of North Wales and the remoteness of the island. I know North Wales well, my now husband lived in Llanfairpwll for many years while studying at Bangor University, and the descriptions of Anglesey were so very vivid that they conjured up wonderful memories of time spent in the area, although we were never chased by the locals.
Turner was a hugely refreshing read, as it also contained a psychological element, that I had not been expecting, that gave an added dimension to this novel. It helped to give it meaning. I can also see this book being turned into a movie, it most definitely had that movie vibe in the tone of language used, and pace of action. Turner really was an enjoyable read.
With thanks to the author who provided a paperback copy for review purposes
April 18, 2013
As a huge fan of the horror genre, books and movies alike, I liked this book but didn't love it. All different kinds of horror appeals to me from ghosts and zombies to demons and supernatural psycho killers (Jason Vorhees anyone?). Goriness doesn't bother me, and while there are some gory moments, it didn't make me ill or want to stop reading. The killers are, after all, dangerous and unhinged. I can't do the torture porn kind of horror (think of The Human Centipede, which I will never ever see!). Luckily, there isn't that kind of torture, so if you're worried about that, you need not be.
This book had a lot of potential, but it fell a bit short. Not enough to where I didn't enjoy the story - on the contrary, I was quite caught up in the terror and action. The Welsh terms and places were difficult for me to keep up with as I am unfamiliar with all of it. I had a difficult time picturing the scenes where the action was taking place. Though I experienced some difficulty, what was most important to me was how creepy the island was described to be as well as the island's residents.
There wasn't much chance to connect with the characters, although you have to remember that in the horror genre, you usually aren't supposed to connect with the characters - it's accepted and known most of the characters will die. Many times in horror, I even find myself rooting for some of the characters to die, especially if they're particularly annoying or just awful people. What makes this story so scary is not knowing which characters will die or if they even will, and of course their desperate attempts to stay alive by running away, hiding, and fighting off the killers.
I felt like I was in the story, trying to escape from the evil surrounding the island, wondering what I would do if I found myself in this situation, and how successful would I be fighting for my life. That's what made this novel so scary for me - living the fear and terror right along with the characters. I kept thinking to myself why would anyone want to go there? Especially by yourself? Although who would think about crazy things happening to you like this? My questions kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The story is amazingly terrifying, and I found myself in for a big surprise once I began to realize what was going on. There's more to this story than what you think there is as you begin reading - I ended up shocked and pleased with the way the author incorporated more than just crazy, isolated island inhabitants. There are other evils lurking, and just wait until you find out what those evils turn out to be! So while I wasn't completely satisfied with this novel, I did like it enough to keep turning the pages to find out how it would end, and the ending was definitely phenomenally done.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a lot of potential, but it fell a bit short. Not enough to where I didn't enjoy the story - on the contrary, I was quite caught up in the terror and action. The Welsh terms and places were difficult for me to keep up with as I am unfamiliar with all of it. I had a difficult time picturing the scenes where the action was taking place. Though I experienced some difficulty, what was most important to me was how creepy the island was described to be as well as the island's residents.
There wasn't much chance to connect with the characters, although you have to remember that in the horror genre, you usually aren't supposed to connect with the characters - it's accepted and known most of the characters will die. Many times in horror, I even find myself rooting for some of the characters to die, especially if they're particularly annoying or just awful people. What makes this story so scary is not knowing which characters will die or if they even will, and of course their desperate attempts to stay alive by running away, hiding, and fighting off the killers.
I felt like I was in the story, trying to escape from the evil surrounding the island, wondering what I would do if I found myself in this situation, and how successful would I be fighting for my life. That's what made this novel so scary for me - living the fear and terror right along with the characters. I kept thinking to myself why would anyone want to go there? Especially by yourself? Although who would think about crazy things happening to you like this? My questions kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The story is amazingly terrifying, and I found myself in for a big surprise once I began to realize what was going on. There's more to this story than what you think there is as you begin reading - I ended up shocked and pleased with the way the author incorporated more than just crazy, isolated island inhabitants. There are other evils lurking, and just wait until you find out what those evils turn out to be! So while I wasn't completely satisfied with this novel, I did like it enough to keep turning the pages to find out how it would end, and the ending was definitely phenomenally done.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2017
I enjoyed listening to this book. Recommend to horror lovers (like myself).
Good narration.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review, THANK YOU
Good narration.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review, THANK YOU
November 13, 2013
The author escorts the reader through an island clearly not friendly to visitors. In fact, it becomes quite obvious early on that most of the foreigners will not survive halfway, much less to the final chapters. Knowing that deaths are inevitable, it's difficult to gain a sense of empathy of all the characters before they're mutilated. In this sense, TURNER sways towards the slasher/gore end of the horror spectrum.
I have no doubt that many horror fans will love TURNER. My 3 1/2 star rating is more from personal taste than fault of the book. I prefer psychological horror, where the emphasis is on what might happen or what could happen. This is more slasher/gore, where the deadly deeds sometimes happen without provocation. If I had to compare TURNER to a horror movie, I would say that HOSTEL would be most like it. It has some of the suspense and character development, but it really shines with the unexpected, brutal deaths.
The Welsh setting is so lifelike and fleshed out that I could almost taste the salty air. The beacon of light on top of the lighthouse seems so enticing and hopeful that not only are the characters surprised when things don't improved when they seek refuge, but so am I!
I was a little disappointed in the character setup in the beginning of the novel. Some of the placement of where characters were in relation to other characters felt almost contrived. It felt like the characters needed to be somewhere and instead of letting them go there organically, they were rushed into the proper spot. But, once all the chess pieces were in position, the story was intense, dramatic, and shocking. One death in particular left my jaw hanging. And I really, really liked that character!
Well-done horror is all about setting up an atmosphere of anxiety and hopelessness; TURNER smothers the reader in both in the opening chapters. It's not 'if' someone is going to die, it's 'if' someone will survive. Reading this book gives you the same feelings as playing a video game, in where you are running around trying to find the save button before some stupid AI hits you for your last 10 hit-points. Then. you die the second you see that shiny save point. That anxiety and frustration really sums up how I felt while reading. And in any genre but horror, that would be a bad thing. But man, the characters in TURNER just could not catch a break!
I have no doubt that many horror fans will love TURNER. My 3 1/2 star rating is more from personal taste than fault of the book. I prefer psychological horror, where the emphasis is on what might happen or what could happen. This is more slasher/gore, where the deadly deeds sometimes happen without provocation. If I had to compare TURNER to a horror movie, I would say that HOSTEL would be most like it. It has some of the suspense and character development, but it really shines with the unexpected, brutal deaths.
The Welsh setting is so lifelike and fleshed out that I could almost taste the salty air. The beacon of light on top of the lighthouse seems so enticing and hopeful that not only are the characters surprised when things don't improved when they seek refuge, but so am I!
I was a little disappointed in the character setup in the beginning of the novel. Some of the placement of where characters were in relation to other characters felt almost contrived. It felt like the characters needed to be somewhere and instead of letting them go there organically, they were rushed into the proper spot. But, once all the chess pieces were in position, the story was intense, dramatic, and shocking. One death in particular left my jaw hanging. And I really, really liked that character!
Well-done horror is all about setting up an atmosphere of anxiety and hopelessness; TURNER smothers the reader in both in the opening chapters. It's not 'if' someone is going to die, it's 'if' someone will survive. Reading this book gives you the same feelings as playing a video game, in where you are running around trying to find the save button before some stupid AI hits you for your last 10 hit-points. Then. you die the second you see that shiny save point. That anxiety and frustration really sums up how I felt while reading. And in any genre but horror, that would be a bad thing. But man, the characters in TURNER just could not catch a break!
April 15, 2012
I bought this book as a Kindle e-book, and I think that caused a bit of a problem. For whatever reason, Amazon doesn't seem to have been entirely helpful in indicating what sort of novel this is, and that led me to expect something different than I should have.
I bought Turner solely because it has a blurb by Phil Rickman. I love Mr. Rickman's books, the earlier ones as well as the Merrily Watkins series, but apparently I was reading more into his quote than I should have.
The only similarity between this book and what I had hoped it would be is that it's set in Wales. And it contains words. Lots of words --words like "torture" and "rape" and “gobbet.” Ever notice how “gobbet” almost always signifies something horrible? It’s always “gobbets of blood,” never “gobbets of chocolate?” Not among my favorite words, I must say.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love a good creepy or scary or terrifying book. I really love the kind of story that makes you read way past the time when you should have put the book down -- but you're too afraid to turn out the light, so you just keep reading.
But this one was just not for me. If a Phil Rickman book is like The Sixth Sense or The Blair Witch Project, then Turner is more like Friday the 13th Part 745, when Jason just kills everyone in the Continental United States with a scalpel or something else that takes a while to do the job and gets him up close while you're doing it. There's definitely a market for this book -- maybe you're part of it? -- but Survivor Horror is not for me.
I gave this book 3 stars instead of 2 because it wasn't Mr. Drinkwater's fault that I was expecting something different and because the atmosphere was wonderfully creepy. Mr. Drinkwater did a terrific job of creating a menacing vibe that kept me reading. I felt as if I needed a good shower when I was done, but I did manage to finish it -- even after the scene with the jokes about getting ahead.
I bought Turner solely because it has a blurb by Phil Rickman. I love Mr. Rickman's books, the earlier ones as well as the Merrily Watkins series, but apparently I was reading more into his quote than I should have.
The only similarity between this book and what I had hoped it would be is that it's set in Wales. And it contains words. Lots of words --words like "torture" and "rape" and “gobbet.” Ever notice how “gobbet” almost always signifies something horrible? It’s always “gobbets of blood,” never “gobbets of chocolate?” Not among my favorite words, I must say.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love a good creepy or scary or terrifying book. I really love the kind of story that makes you read way past the time when you should have put the book down -- but you're too afraid to turn out the light, so you just keep reading.
But this one was just not for me. If a Phil Rickman book is like The Sixth Sense or The Blair Witch Project, then Turner is more like Friday the 13th Part 745, when Jason just kills everyone in the Continental United States with a scalpel or something else that takes a while to do the job and gets him up close while you're doing it. There's definitely a market for this book -- maybe you're part of it? -- but Survivor Horror is not for me.
I gave this book 3 stars instead of 2 because it wasn't Mr. Drinkwater's fault that I was expecting something different and because the atmosphere was wonderfully creepy. Mr. Drinkwater did a terrific job of creating a menacing vibe that kept me reading. I felt as if I needed a good shower when I was done, but I did manage to finish it -- even after the scene with the jokes about getting ahead.
April 14, 2013
Author Karl Drinkwater has cost me much, including many hours of sleeplessness, blood-shot eyes, trepidation of the formerly normal noises in my own house, and a deep-seated phobia of people in red coats. I’ve never had any of these problems before, but since reading Turner, I’ve got them in spades!
I have never “felt” a story as vividly as this one. From the first pages, Karl has woven a tale full of rich detail – the kind that makes you feel the exhilaration of flying down a steep road on a good bike, the eagerness to explore a new place, the apprehension at meeting odd strangers, the cold and wet of a blinding storm, and then the fear. No, wait – that’s wrong. It’s not fear, it’s FEAR! There were times it was so intense, I had to put the book down and catch my breath. That didn't last long though, I had to know what would happen next!
Set on a remote island in Wales and peppered with phrases in Welsh (translations follow each passage), the author uses British vernacular, not American, so US readers need to bear that in mind. He takes us through some history of the island, and of ancient pagan rites, but does it in such a way as to never let the story lose its momentum. It does not come across as a history lesson, but serves to heighten the events as they occur.
The characters have depth and purpose. Some may be introduced and then not be seen for a while, which leaves you to wonder “What happened to…?” but rest assured that all loose ends will be tied up. You will root for the visitors. You will rail against the bad guys – but at the same time you may feel a bit sorry for some. You will think you know who is going to be the hero and what’s going to happen next – and quite probably you will be wrong. You will ask “What about Spotty?” and you will eventually find out.
I highly and sincerely recommend Turner. Get your ticket for fastest-paced ride you’ve ever been on, and hang on tight!
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
I have never “felt” a story as vividly as this one. From the first pages, Karl has woven a tale full of rich detail – the kind that makes you feel the exhilaration of flying down a steep road on a good bike, the eagerness to explore a new place, the apprehension at meeting odd strangers, the cold and wet of a blinding storm, and then the fear. No, wait – that’s wrong. It’s not fear, it’s FEAR! There were times it was so intense, I had to put the book down and catch my breath. That didn't last long though, I had to know what would happen next!
Set on a remote island in Wales and peppered with phrases in Welsh (translations follow each passage), the author uses British vernacular, not American, so US readers need to bear that in mind. He takes us through some history of the island, and of ancient pagan rites, but does it in such a way as to never let the story lose its momentum. It does not come across as a history lesson, but serves to heighten the events as they occur.
The characters have depth and purpose. Some may be introduced and then not be seen for a while, which leaves you to wonder “What happened to…?” but rest assured that all loose ends will be tied up. You will root for the visitors. You will rail against the bad guys – but at the same time you may feel a bit sorry for some. You will think you know who is going to be the hero and what’s going to happen next – and quite probably you will be wrong. You will ask “What about Spotty?” and you will eventually find out.
I highly and sincerely recommend Turner. Get your ticket for fastest-paced ride you’ve ever been on, and hang on tight!
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
December 1, 2012
A solid 4.5 stars. But...Not for the squeamish!
When I read this, I had been on a horror/scary book kick. However, zombies and sparkly vampires need not apply. Try as I may, I just can't seem to get into the vampire/zombie genres. I also like reading books by self and/or independently published authors. Unfortunately, there seems to be an absolute glut of vampire and zombie indie books out there.
Until I came across this one.
While some readers may bemoan a premise that has been done ad nauseum - takemisfit psychos an isolated population who is lorded over (quite literally) by the ultimate psycho-crazy-baddie, add in bad weather, and unfortunate tourists (they should really fire their travel agents) - the reason behind why the island's citizens are the way they are is intriguing. I won't say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything. I will say I found myself googling pagan rites that I hadn't previously been aware. From an anthropological/historical viewpoint (which I will freely admit to LOVE reading books like this), I find books that are based on legends and belief systems from pre-history absolutely fascinating. I wish more books like this were available. After all, nearly every culture has its own version of the boogeyman, why not use them as your villain? It strikes something deep and primal.
That being said, and if history ain't your thing, it will still appeal to modern readers as it's also a big ol' slashy mess at times. Much like the premise, the characters are intriguing, too. While, admittedly, because it is a slice 'n' dice book, you don't get too much background on most of the characters, the 2 big ones, the evil Lord and foil, have enough fleshed out about them so the reader can understand why they are adversaries beyond the whole 'captor/prisoner' relationship.
Recommended! I'll definitely be on the look out for other titles written by Mr. Drinkwater.
When I read this, I had been on a horror/scary book kick. However, zombies and sparkly vampires need not apply. Try as I may, I just can't seem to get into the vampire/zombie genres. I also like reading books by self and/or independently published authors. Unfortunately, there seems to be an absolute glut of vampire and zombie indie books out there.
Until I came across this one.
While some readers may bemoan a premise that has been done ad nauseum - take
That being said, and if history ain't your thing, it will still appeal to modern readers as it's also a big ol' slashy mess at times. Much like the premise, the characters are intriguing, too. While, admittedly, because it is a slice 'n' dice book, you don't get too much background on most of the characters, the 2 big ones, the evil Lord and foil, have enough fleshed out about them so the reader can understand why they are adversaries beyond the whole 'captor/prisoner' relationship.
Recommended! I'll definitely be on the look out for other titles written by Mr. Drinkwater.
August 20, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
The fact that I like horror movies is something that most people who know me are aware of. Someone from my church recently told me that he'd been told I only drank Diet Coke... and that I like horror movies.
I always find the genre of slasher horror to be interesting. I think it's fascinating to see the kinds of things people will do in order to survive. I have to say, though, that I think sustaining that level of horror throughout the course of a novel is probably very difficult.
This book was fairly short, so I felt it worked really well. The characters were interesting and Chris especially wasn't really obvious in his motivations. There were some moments in the book that really creeped me out and even though I would have liked a bit more explanation for certain things, I felt a lot of it did make sense... and it didn't have much of an open end.
I could see a lot of the events happening in my mind and cringed along with some of the descriptions. There were a number of things I didn't expect in the book and I felt that, although there wasn't much of a mystery, it was still really interesting.
The Welsh phrases and words worked well, but the footnotes were a bit distracting. I kept having to break the flow of the narrative to check the translations. Apart from that, though, I felt this book was interesting and it was cool that the island was actually a real place. I would like to see something about the aftermath of what happened there.
I'd probably read other books by this author at some point in the future. If you like horror books, this is a quick, entertaining read.
(This review may contain spoilers).
The fact that I like horror movies is something that most people who know me are aware of. Someone from my church recently told me that he'd been told I only drank Diet Coke... and that I like horror movies.
I always find the genre of slasher horror to be interesting. I think it's fascinating to see the kinds of things people will do in order to survive. I have to say, though, that I think sustaining that level of horror throughout the course of a novel is probably very difficult.
This book was fairly short, so I felt it worked really well. The characters were interesting and Chris especially wasn't really obvious in his motivations. There were some moments in the book that really creeped me out and even though I would have liked a bit more explanation for certain things, I felt a lot of it did make sense... and it didn't have much of an open end.
I could see a lot of the events happening in my mind and cringed along with some of the descriptions. There were a number of things I didn't expect in the book and I felt that, although there wasn't much of a mystery, it was still really interesting.
The Welsh phrases and words worked well, but the footnotes were a bit distracting. I kept having to break the flow of the narrative to check the translations. Apart from that, though, I felt this book was interesting and it was cool that the island was actually a real place. I would like to see something about the aftermath of what happened there.
I'd probably read other books by this author at some point in the future. If you like horror books, this is a quick, entertaining read.
May 16, 2013
I was lucky enough to get a copy of the book from the author himself, which I am thankful for.
A very interesting book. I can agree with the book being described with a filmic sensibility as I have watched tons of horror movies and can relate the two.
The story takes place in an isolated welsh community, which is being lorded over by the main antagonist, the tourists, stuck there due to bad weather, do whatever they can to survive. There is not a lot of information on the background of the characters, but that doesn't mean they are not well developed. One thing I really like is the historical references referring to pagan rituals, satanism and legends etc... Which only make it more terrifying as the author uses it to heighten and understand events that occur. There is always a new plot twist or event to keep readers going.
The title 'Turner' is not completely random it actually has a few meanings in the story depending the context it's used, however the significance/relation of the two names is not really explained.
There are words written in welsh and there are also translations which were helpful. I found it easy to understand, fast-paced and very gory with nightmarish scenes (Which I have no problem with). So it's not for the faint hearted.
Overall, I really liked it. I will be keeping an eye out for future titles by Mr Drinkwater.
August 11, 2013
Turner is a page turner! Sorry, I just couldn't resist the pun. This is a classic horror thriller. The ingredients are all here- a couple of outsiders, some strange and threatening locals and a remote Welsh island cut off from the mainland, add in some mysticism and mythology and a character with delusions of grandeur and you have an exciting read. The smattering of Welsh words and phrases was helpfully translated by the author and added to the feeling of place. There was some blood and gore and a few grisly scenes but they weren't over the top, though I did wince on one or two occasions. The tension was relieved somewhat by some humour. Without giving too much away, one particular scene with a lot of creative swearing was very funny and I just hope I can remember some of those expressions if I ever feel the need to taunt a psychotic character. My only gripe, I'd have loved more about the character Bran Ddu (sorry my tablet doesn't do the ^ over the a) I thought she was rather enigmatic and think that there is more to her story. Altogether an enjoyable read. Disclosure here, this was sent to me as a gift by the author, but I am looking forward to buying his next novel.
April 10, 2013
A terrific read. Suspenseful. Fast-paced, but won't break your neck.
A true page-turner. As a horror writer myself, I take pride in a certain level of familiarity with the types of stories that are out there. This book had me guessing (mostly wrong) the whole way through. The narrative flows with it's own voice while also giving you a sense of familiarity, certain passages reminding of the styles of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft.
I want to make it a point that the author writes in true English and not American English. Certain parts are also written in Welsh, though they are all followed by translations. Both of these facts only add to the work, as the story reaches back through history. They add a sense of age to the work which makes it all the creepier.
If there was anything I didn't like about the story, it's that you had to be careful which characters you get attached to. This is one of those book where NOBODY is safe from getting the ax. Though, thankfully, the dog stays unharmed.
A true page-turner. As a horror writer myself, I take pride in a certain level of familiarity with the types of stories that are out there. This book had me guessing (mostly wrong) the whole way through. The narrative flows with it's own voice while also giving you a sense of familiarity, certain passages reminding of the styles of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft.
I want to make it a point that the author writes in true English and not American English. Certain parts are also written in Welsh, though they are all followed by translations. Both of these facts only add to the work, as the story reaches back through history. They add a sense of age to the work which makes it all the creepier.
If there was anything I didn't like about the story, it's that you had to be careful which characters you get attached to. This is one of those book where NOBODY is safe from getting the ax. Though, thankfully, the dog stays unharmed.
November 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The author starts off by introducing the individual characters completely separately. Each scene is set well and tells you just enough about the person to keep you interested. Then the scene changes and the next character is introduced. This works well as you start asking yourself how their stories will intertwine. He paces the book well. Just before you reach the stage of ‘not another character, just get on with the story’, he starts to have the characters meet each other. He times it perfectly. Throughout the whole book you are wondering what is really going on and what will happen next. You don’t want to put it down. Everything is described well enough to make it realistic while leaving just enough up to your imagination. The storyline is good and it is well written. This is a talented author.
What I really liked is that all lose ends are tied. There is one minor character that a lot of writers would have forgotten about. I really wanted to know what happened to him and I was pleased to not be left wanting.
What I really liked is that all lose ends are tied. There is one minor character that a lot of writers would have forgotten about. I really wanted to know what happened to him and I was pleased to not be left wanting.
April 18, 2013
I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book from the author himself & am extremely grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic piece of work.
I love a bit of horror & have read many books in this genre over the years but never EVER have I come across anyone who could write like my horror hero the late great Richard Laymon . . . Until now that is! Karl Drinkwater is most definitely the man who can & he's got it 100% spot on!
If like me, you love to scare yourself silly before bedtime then this is the book to do just that.
Take one remote island, a bunch of creepy inhabitants, an even creepier Lord, a chainsaw wielding madman, a couple of unsuspecting visitors - sprinkle it all with a bit of Drinkwater magic & Turner is what you get!
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to give the old ticker a good workout. You won't be disappointed!
I love a bit of horror & have read many books in this genre over the years but never EVER have I come across anyone who could write like my horror hero the late great Richard Laymon . . . Until now that is! Karl Drinkwater is most definitely the man who can & he's got it 100% spot on!
If like me, you love to scare yourself silly before bedtime then this is the book to do just that.
Take one remote island, a bunch of creepy inhabitants, an even creepier Lord, a chainsaw wielding madman, a couple of unsuspecting visitors - sprinkle it all with a bit of Drinkwater magic & Turner is what you get!
I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to give the old ticker a good workout. You won't be disappointed!
October 4, 2016
I read a lot of contemporary horror, and seldom pick up a book expecting much; the genre is too often staid and plagued by limp writing. What we have here, however, is a most enjoyable yarn. The set-up – a group of disparate strangers thrown together into a situation not of their own making and forced to cooperate, an island brimming with hostile locals and a storm that prevents them from leaving – is far from original, but the author gets away with it. The writing is cinematic and serves the tale well. My main caveat was the switching of perspectives to those of the antagonists; I find that this kind of novel works best when the protagonists' viewpoint is held throughout, it helps build empathy with the reader. Antagonist motives are sometimes better left fathomless. Nonetheless, definitely an author to keep an eye on.
[Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author to review]
[Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author to review]
February 11, 2015
"I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads”
Karl Drinkwater's debut novel of atmospheric, on the edge of your seat horror survival.
Three newcomers to a remote Welsh island village all looking for the perfect escape from life, however find that is populated by an insane Lord and a village full of creepy locals; what could possibly go wrong?!?!?!? As you work your way through the book the main question on your mind will be "Who will survive the night?"
For me I found Turner to be a cross between the film "Friday 13th" and the TV series "American Horror Story: Asylum"; both of which I really enjoyed before I read this book, so definitely not for the squeamish! Fast paced action with every page just as griping as the previous.
Karl Drinkwater's debut novel of atmospheric, on the edge of your seat horror survival.
Three newcomers to a remote Welsh island village all looking for the perfect escape from life, however find that is populated by an insane Lord and a village full of creepy locals; what could possibly go wrong?!?!?!? As you work your way through the book the main question on your mind will be "Who will survive the night?"
For me I found Turner to be a cross between the film "Friday 13th" and the TV series "American Horror Story: Asylum"; both of which I really enjoyed before I read this book, so definitely not for the squeamish! Fast paced action with every page just as griping as the previous.
November 18, 2016
This was a terrific book from beginning to end. Fast paced and a perfect setting. 3 people stuck on an island with no way off, in the middle of a horrific storm, this story took me back to one of my favorite movies of all time, The Thing, where military and scientists are stuck in the middle of the arctic during a blizzard with an alien trying to kill them off. Putting characters in a seemingly impossible corner with no way to escape just heightens the tension. I also loved the use of Welsh in the dialogue (and its interpretation) was also a nice twist to the story. I found myself trying (and ultimately failing) in there pronunciation, but it was fun trying. I would definitely recommend this book. You won't be disappointed. If you like horror at break-neck speed, this is for you.
August 22, 2017
This is a very clever story and suitably scary. The concept with the tiny island and its inhabitants, who are frequently cut off from the mainland is a brilliant idea. All the characters are well drawn and believable, even those that are insane come across well. The only downside, for me, was the narrator. Tom Freeman has a lovely, well modulated and genial voice, entirely unsuitable for this genre. I felt like I was listening to a game show host and although after listening to the sample I thought that the juxtaposition of a soothing voice reading a horror story would be a great dichotomy, it ultimately simply didn't work for me. However, Karl Drinkwater has written a great, fast paced and gripping story that's definitely worth a listen.
August 19, 2013
Three strangers on a remote Welsh island poulated by an insane Lord and a village full of creepy locals. They are running for their lives (and their sanity) and there is one hell of a storm coming. It's going to be a Hell of a night.......
A fantastic, atmospheric and truly scary debut from Karl Drinkwater that really raises the bar for other authors in this genre. Comparable with Richard Laymon, Dean Koontz and Paul Kane at their best
Sorry this is a short review but my main review for this book has been sent to Theresa Derwin's Terror Tree site for publication (hopefully) on there.
This author has the potential to be a leading light in the future of the genre
A fantastic, atmospheric and truly scary debut from Karl Drinkwater that really raises the bar for other authors in this genre. Comparable with Richard Laymon, Dean Koontz and Paul Kane at their best
Sorry this is a short review but my main review for this book has been sent to Theresa Derwin's Terror Tree site for publication (hopefully) on there.
This author has the potential to be a leading light in the future of the genre
March 22, 2013
I received a copy of this ebook from a giveaway on another website.
Turner was an interesting read. The action never ceases and the story crescendos with each new twist or turn in plot, keeping the reader on their toes in anticipation. I enjoyed the ending and there was never a moment in the story that I got bored with it.
Note: This story is not for the faint of heart. There are a couple scenes were it gets a little gruesome but if you have a strong enough stomach like me then it is not an issue.
Turner was an interesting read. The action never ceases and the story crescendos with each new twist or turn in plot, keeping the reader on their toes in anticipation. I enjoyed the ending and there was never a moment in the story that I got bored with it.
Note: This story is not for the faint of heart. There are a couple scenes were it gets a little gruesome but if you have a strong enough stomach like me then it is not an issue.
May 14, 2013
Because of this book, there is a very good chance I will not wander in desolate places ever again. Being raised in an urban environment, this harrowing story about people in the wrong place at the wrong time makes me even more leery of really small towns.
Certain parts of the book is spoken in Welsh, with translations, which were helpful to say the least. I didn't know that it was so different from the mainstream English language.
I made it a point not to read the book when it was too dark. If you like to be scared, this is the book for you.
Certain parts of the book is spoken in Welsh, with translations, which were helpful to say the least. I didn't know that it was so different from the mainstream English language.
I made it a point not to read the book when it was too dark. If you like to be scared, this is the book for you.
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