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The Colony #3
Harvest of Scorn
The final novel in The Colony Trilogy, inspired by the present-day repercussions of an occult curse inflicted in revenge by a dying sorcerer...
Felix Baxter, entrepreneur extraordinaire, is going to rehabilitate New Hope Island. Rich and manipulative, he wants to convert it into a glamorous getaway destination, ‘The New Hope Experience’. But will the restless ghosts of Seamus Ballantyne’s 1825 colony allow the project to go to plan?
Helena Davenport has an opportunity that could be pivotal in her career as an architect – Felix Baxter has commissioned her to oversee his New Hope vision. But nothing is as it seems in this mysterious part of the Scottish Hebrides. Helena’s site manager is the first to go missing with one single, eerie scream.
Accompanied by the survivors of the last group to visit New Hope, Ruthie Gillespie must travel back to the island one final time to end this ordeal not only for those on the island, but for themselves too…
But is New Hope Island ever worth returning to? And will this concluding trip end a curse that has afflicted all who have had the misfortune to visit it for nearly two centuries?
Felix Baxter, entrepreneur extraordinaire, is going to rehabilitate New Hope Island. Rich and manipulative, he wants to convert it into a glamorous getaway destination, ‘The New Hope Experience’. But will the restless ghosts of Seamus Ballantyne’s 1825 colony allow the project to go to plan?
Helena Davenport has an opportunity that could be pivotal in her career as an architect – Felix Baxter has commissioned her to oversee his New Hope vision. But nothing is as it seems in this mysterious part of the Scottish Hebrides. Helena’s site manager is the first to go missing with one single, eerie scream.
Accompanied by the survivors of the last group to visit New Hope, Ruthie Gillespie must travel back to the island one final time to end this ordeal not only for those on the island, but for themselves too…
But is New Hope Island ever worth returning to? And will this concluding trip end a curse that has afflicted all who have had the misfortune to visit it for nearly two centuries?
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
15 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
F.G. Cottam
19 books478 followersReading is a cheap and totally effective way of being transported to another world. The same is true of writing. Mundane concerns only afflict your characters if you decide you want them to.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
April 15, 2017
It is a huge relief to be finally off New Hope Island and realize the new hope of never setting foot on it again. And yet this trilogy – The Colony, Dark Resurrection & Harvest of Scorn – proves that F. G. Cottam deserves recognition as the principal author of full-length horror fiction in the English-speaking world. In the last two centuries two distinct species of supernatural stories have developed since Poe established and J. Sheridan LeFanu perfected the genre. There are classic ghost stories in the tradition of the master M. R. James. These tend to be placed in a homely setting such as manor house, cathedral, college – one of the greatest in a seaside hotel. They sneak up but can culminate in a climax that is scary as all get-out. They work best for me @ short-story or novella length: horse artillery – get into action fast, strike hard. Susan Hill & Andrew Taylor are the greatest contemporary exponents. Then there are the siege-artillerymen of horror fiction who create elaborate full-scale imaginary worlds. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the standard and archetype. Stephen King is the most successful contemporary commercial practitioner, Adam Nevil & Graham Masterton haven’t ever quite got it together, Sarah Rayne will be a star if she ever learns how to write a believable back-story – she excels @ horrid deaths. Mike (formerly M. C.) Carey is superb but now writes spiritual rather than supernatural fiction tho’ in that tradition, and F. G. (formerly Francis) Cottam is simply the best.
Back-story is plausible & generally accurate, tho’ I can no more believe that an 18th-century English-speaking Scot would be called Seamus instead of James (perhaps Jamie, pronounced Jimmy) than that I go about being addressed as Wilhelm rather than William (actually Will, pronounced Bill)! The tale of the slaver Andromeda and the witch-doctor’s curse, the slave ship captain who converted (like John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace), became a religious fanatic who tried to create his own utopia (one such attempt BTW is still very much with us – it’s called Utah, formerly Deseret) in the Hebrides, and the really scary apparitions of the ghost of Rachel Ballantyne were all very effective. But the contemporary cast is too large to develop convincingly. For me the characters are only types: Baxter the sleazy resort developer, Lassiter the recovering alcoholic cop, Fortescue the bereaved marine historian, Ruthie the goth fiction writer, Helen the architect . . . it goes on - I’m still wondering how the name of an infamous Belgian SS-man got attached to Monseigneur Degrelle – all tend to be mere types with a label to keep them straight. For me, in contrast, the characters in Brodmaw Bay, The Waiting Room (especially when a character travels back in time to be with his love), & Cottam’s 1st out-&-out supernatural thriller The House of Lost Souls, were much more interesting and Dark Echo perhaps the most engaging story. (But authors: please ask me before issuing military rifles!) So whilst the Colony trilogy is Cottam’s greatest accomplishment, Harvest of Scorn is not his best book. But worth the effort, even if like me you have to recruit an Audible reader to carry you over the finish line.
Back-story is plausible & generally accurate, tho’ I can no more believe that an 18th-century English-speaking Scot would be called Seamus instead of James (perhaps Jamie, pronounced Jimmy) than that I go about being addressed as Wilhelm rather than William (actually Will, pronounced Bill)! The tale of the slaver Andromeda and the witch-doctor’s curse, the slave ship captain who converted (like John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace), became a religious fanatic who tried to create his own utopia (one such attempt BTW is still very much with us – it’s called Utah, formerly Deseret) in the Hebrides, and the really scary apparitions of the ghost of Rachel Ballantyne were all very effective. But the contemporary cast is too large to develop convincingly. For me the characters are only types: Baxter the sleazy resort developer, Lassiter the recovering alcoholic cop, Fortescue the bereaved marine historian, Ruthie the goth fiction writer, Helen the architect . . . it goes on - I’m still wondering how the name of an infamous Belgian SS-man got attached to Monseigneur Degrelle – all tend to be mere types with a label to keep them straight. For me, in contrast, the characters in Brodmaw Bay, The Waiting Room (especially when a character travels back in time to be with his love), & Cottam’s 1st out-&-out supernatural thriller The House of Lost Souls, were much more interesting and Dark Echo perhaps the most engaging story. (But authors: please ask me before issuing military rifles!) So whilst the Colony trilogy is Cottam’s greatest accomplishment, Harvest of Scorn is not his best book. But worth the effort, even if like me you have to recruit an Audible reader to carry you over the finish line.
October 21, 2016
I have just visited F.G. Cottam's Colony for the third and final time. Can one feel sorry to leave such a place behind? New Hope Island is somewhere near Stornoway, Scotland, also not far away form Hell. 'Hope' Island, what a misnamed place! Abandon Hope All Ye That Enter There.
It all started in The Colony, it was the fault of Seamus Ballentyne cruel captain of a slave ship, dead this past 200 years or thereabouts. It was his sadistic treatment of one of his reluctant passengers, a man so powerful that he put a double curse on Ballentyne that set in motion the whole flesh creeping story. Ballentyne's Island is no place for the living.
The latest person to think that he can make money out of the island is Felix Baxter. He builds an ultra modern complex where the rich can go to relax in solitude, it is called the New Hope Experience. Baxter gives quaint names to parts of the island and his architect Helena Davenport has created a wonderful modern building with all the luxuries expected by his future customers whilst still complimenting the natural wilderness that is New Hope.
Baxter is either too stupid or too greedy to realise that the dreadful presence on the island will not be content to leave the intruders in peace, it will be pleased to see them!
We discover the natural form of the abominable creature that lurks in the dark corners, a form that for me feeds on my particular worst nightmare. Little Rachel Ballentyne is still earthbound there, a mixture of pathetic misery and vicious fury, longing for the eternal rest that has so far been denied her.
As work men and security guards start to go missing Baxter makes excuses for their disappearance, the weather, the rough sea but never the truth.
Patrick Lassiter and Ruthie Gillespie are forced to go back and face again their demons in order to save the lives of those on the island and also to put and end to the dreadful curse destined to be unleashed upon the visitors to the new complex.
Elizabeth Burrows makes several appearances, still reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. She was a student in the 1970's, she fell foul of the spirit of Seamus Ballentyne, she has not changed since then but she is no longer alive, she is a grotesque mannequin, ashamed of her appearance and smell of decay, unable to rest until she gives her messages and warnings to those who dare to interfere.
Can Patrick, Ruthie and the other few brave souls who dare, put an end to the horror that dwells on New Hope? They are accompanied by Edie, she was still at school when she was visited by the ghost of Jacob Parr, vile first mate of Ballentyne's slave ship. He taught her the words to The Recruited Collier and she and her mother were among the first to be involved in the nightmare.
If you have not read the first two books in the Colony series then I would highly recommend them to you. However it will not in any way spoil your enjoyment of Harvest of Scorn. Mr Cottam very subtly gives enough information for the reader to get and idea of the previous books without boring those who have already read them.
I enjoy the way that the author includes so many places in 'the real world', he describes places that his characters go to. He talks about real authors and books, real singers and songs. The way that the unearthly horror is insinuated so neatly into the normal world he describes makes the whole scenario so much more believable.
This is another book from the master of the macabre, it is a mental battle, the reader wants to turn the pages quickly to find what happens next but with a real reluctance to get to the end because you don't want the story to finish.
If you have not read these books and you like good, old fashioned ghost/horror stories then your are in for such a treat.
My review for The Colony is here on Goodreads but the one for Dark Resurrection seems to have gone missing, I shall reread the book and put up the review again shortly.
I received an advance pre publication copy free for an honest review, what a bargain! Wonderful book that gave me a great deal of pleasure. Thank you Francis.
It all started in The Colony, it was the fault of Seamus Ballentyne cruel captain of a slave ship, dead this past 200 years or thereabouts. It was his sadistic treatment of one of his reluctant passengers, a man so powerful that he put a double curse on Ballentyne that set in motion the whole flesh creeping story. Ballentyne's Island is no place for the living.
The latest person to think that he can make money out of the island is Felix Baxter. He builds an ultra modern complex where the rich can go to relax in solitude, it is called the New Hope Experience. Baxter gives quaint names to parts of the island and his architect Helena Davenport has created a wonderful modern building with all the luxuries expected by his future customers whilst still complimenting the natural wilderness that is New Hope.
Baxter is either too stupid or too greedy to realise that the dreadful presence on the island will not be content to leave the intruders in peace, it will be pleased to see them!
We discover the natural form of the abominable creature that lurks in the dark corners, a form that for me feeds on my particular worst nightmare. Little Rachel Ballentyne is still earthbound there, a mixture of pathetic misery and vicious fury, longing for the eternal rest that has so far been denied her.
As work men and security guards start to go missing Baxter makes excuses for their disappearance, the weather, the rough sea but never the truth.
Patrick Lassiter and Ruthie Gillespie are forced to go back and face again their demons in order to save the lives of those on the island and also to put and end to the dreadful curse destined to be unleashed upon the visitors to the new complex.
Elizabeth Burrows makes several appearances, still reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. She was a student in the 1970's, she fell foul of the spirit of Seamus Ballentyne, she has not changed since then but she is no longer alive, she is a grotesque mannequin, ashamed of her appearance and smell of decay, unable to rest until she gives her messages and warnings to those who dare to interfere.
Can Patrick, Ruthie and the other few brave souls who dare, put an end to the horror that dwells on New Hope? They are accompanied by Edie, she was still at school when she was visited by the ghost of Jacob Parr, vile first mate of Ballentyne's slave ship. He taught her the words to The Recruited Collier and she and her mother were among the first to be involved in the nightmare.
If you have not read the first two books in the Colony series then I would highly recommend them to you. However it will not in any way spoil your enjoyment of Harvest of Scorn. Mr Cottam very subtly gives enough information for the reader to get and idea of the previous books without boring those who have already read them.
I enjoy the way that the author includes so many places in 'the real world', he describes places that his characters go to. He talks about real authors and books, real singers and songs. The way that the unearthly horror is insinuated so neatly into the normal world he describes makes the whole scenario so much more believable.
This is another book from the master of the macabre, it is a mental battle, the reader wants to turn the pages quickly to find what happens next but with a real reluctance to get to the end because you don't want the story to finish.
If you have not read these books and you like good, old fashioned ghost/horror stories then your are in for such a treat.
My review for The Colony is here on Goodreads but the one for Dark Resurrection seems to have gone missing, I shall reread the book and put up the review again shortly.
I received an advance pre publication copy free for an honest review, what a bargain! Wonderful book that gave me a great deal of pleasure. Thank you Francis.
October 19, 2016
Already a fan of this author I must say he's outdone even himself with this novel. It's brilliant in the way it brings together threads of the other two books in the trilogy it ends, as well as hints of others.
I thought it not possible to be more frightened than I was reading Dark Echo, The Waiting Room and The House of Lost Souls. Harvest of Scorn proved that assumption dead wrong. It is by far one of the most satisfyingly scary books I've ever read.
I was moved by the last bits, which I won't spoil here, but just when the reader thinks the ending has come, he is delighted to find there are more surprises in store and a bit more to read, which one stretches out as best one can. I hate to come to The End when I like a book as much as I did this one.
Not only was it terrifying, but the ending(s) surprised even this seasoned Cottam fan. I loved the way things worked out at the end. Lessons were learned and taught. Good prevailed but not scot-free and sometimes the bad became good despite themselves. The plot is rather more complex than appears on the surface as is evident in the last couple of chapters. There was a kind of moral theology of the shadowlands of those who do not rest in death which was offered here. Those who attended to it were saved but not always in ways they expected or hoped for. Sometimes the truth one sees with opened inner eyes isn't what one might choose: it's what one must.
The word "fated" came up often in the story: the characters felt this, that they had really no choice but to risk everything as they did, even though it meant returning to a place which had killed others and nearly killed them.
Fate applied to the dead-but-still-living, as well. In some ways they too had to do what they did. Right or wrong in this tale didn't apply so much as a need to finish the weave begun in a dark, distant past.
There were some lovely ironies: the very idea of building a kind of upscale amusement park in what was possibly the least amusing place on the planet was one. The reference, perhaps tongue in cheek, to "a good merlot" (an oxymoron if there ever was one).
Felix Baxter, the creator and investor in the aforementioned park, was described as "vague" which reminded me of John Wither in the C S Lewis classic, That Hideous Strength. Like Wither, Baxter is the "head" of what appears benign and uber-modern but in fact is evil and dangerous. It isn't as if Baxter isn't forewarned. In venturing to the museum to examine the old sea captain's chest, against which he has been cautioned, he plunges ahead, and is haunted afterwards.
"State of the art" means nothing on New Hope Island, the site of the proposed park and of a vast and horrible peril which preys upon those who venture there. No matter now modern or well-equipped, everything always fails to protect (as in the prior two New Hope books).
I liked the references to The Shining, Stephen King's novel, which I also found incredibly frightening (both the book and the less-edited version of the film). In both The Shining and Harvest of Scorn, there are some commonalities. One is white-knuckled moments of delicious terror for the intrepid reader (including those like myself who read in the sunlight and not home alone). Another is the theme of alcoholism/addiction which in The Shining is a feature of the leading and tragic character which is used by the evil in the Overlook Hotel to his detriment and that of his family. Felix, the man behind the scheme to create a kind of adult Disneyland on New Hope, is a kind of narcissist, his addiction being his own glory and success, no matter the cost to others. He learns a lesson, perhaps. Shaddeh, the ancient African witch doctor whose vengeful (if completely warranted) spells added to the evil inherent in the slave trade gave life to the vile and dangerous elements on New Hope Island, learned a lesson too - long, long after he left this life. Like The Shining, a message is written backwards to warn the living: "redrum" (murder) famously in The Shining, and "evael" (leave) in Harvest.
The bracelet of talking teeth was a great touch - as was the ancient watch which keeps on ticking.
Some of the elements of the island's evil are Lovecraftian: I won't spoil it but be prepared for many things and everything. This is no simple one-horse ghost story: it's a herd.
There was the quest element, too: as in the best myths and fairy tales, there is a band (imperfect, flawed individuals who with each other are a strong and formidable presence, holding keys of which they are only partially aware: spiritual, emotional and powerful.
There are things the alert Cottam fan loves: "an affront to nature" tells one there are ghosts. In Cottam's books one is never let down with the "it was only little Tommy with a sheet over his head, there are no such things as spirits, silly." Where there's an affront, there will be apparitions.
I thought this a marvelous book. I cannot recommend it highly enough: but not for the faint of heart. If you love ghost stories with unexpected and unusual twists, well-written and suspense-filled, "do not pass go" - read Harvest of Scorn! You'll be glad you did!
I thought it not possible to be more frightened than I was reading Dark Echo, The Waiting Room and The House of Lost Souls. Harvest of Scorn proved that assumption dead wrong. It is by far one of the most satisfyingly scary books I've ever read.
I was moved by the last bits, which I won't spoil here, but just when the reader thinks the ending has come, he is delighted to find there are more surprises in store and a bit more to read, which one stretches out as best one can. I hate to come to The End when I like a book as much as I did this one.
Not only was it terrifying, but the ending(s) surprised even this seasoned Cottam fan. I loved the way things worked out at the end. Lessons were learned and taught. Good prevailed but not scot-free and sometimes the bad became good despite themselves. The plot is rather more complex than appears on the surface as is evident in the last couple of chapters. There was a kind of moral theology of the shadowlands of those who do not rest in death which was offered here. Those who attended to it were saved but not always in ways they expected or hoped for. Sometimes the truth one sees with opened inner eyes isn't what one might choose: it's what one must.
The word "fated" came up often in the story: the characters felt this, that they had really no choice but to risk everything as they did, even though it meant returning to a place which had killed others and nearly killed them.
Fate applied to the dead-but-still-living, as well. In some ways they too had to do what they did. Right or wrong in this tale didn't apply so much as a need to finish the weave begun in a dark, distant past.
There were some lovely ironies: the very idea of building a kind of upscale amusement park in what was possibly the least amusing place on the planet was one. The reference, perhaps tongue in cheek, to "a good merlot" (an oxymoron if there ever was one).
Felix Baxter, the creator and investor in the aforementioned park, was described as "vague" which reminded me of John Wither in the C S Lewis classic, That Hideous Strength. Like Wither, Baxter is the "head" of what appears benign and uber-modern but in fact is evil and dangerous. It isn't as if Baxter isn't forewarned. In venturing to the museum to examine the old sea captain's chest, against which he has been cautioned, he plunges ahead, and is haunted afterwards.
"State of the art" means nothing on New Hope Island, the site of the proposed park and of a vast and horrible peril which preys upon those who venture there. No matter now modern or well-equipped, everything always fails to protect (as in the prior two New Hope books).
I liked the references to The Shining, Stephen King's novel, which I also found incredibly frightening (both the book and the less-edited version of the film). In both The Shining and Harvest of Scorn, there are some commonalities. One is white-knuckled moments of delicious terror for the intrepid reader (including those like myself who read in the sunlight and not home alone). Another is the theme of alcoholism/addiction which in The Shining is a feature of the leading and tragic character which is used by the evil in the Overlook Hotel to his detriment and that of his family. Felix, the man behind the scheme to create a kind of adult Disneyland on New Hope, is a kind of narcissist, his addiction being his own glory and success, no matter the cost to others. He learns a lesson, perhaps. Shaddeh, the ancient African witch doctor whose vengeful (if completely warranted) spells added to the evil inherent in the slave trade gave life to the vile and dangerous elements on New Hope Island, learned a lesson too - long, long after he left this life. Like The Shining, a message is written backwards to warn the living: "redrum" (murder) famously in The Shining, and "evael" (leave) in Harvest.
The bracelet of talking teeth was a great touch - as was the ancient watch which keeps on ticking.
Some of the elements of the island's evil are Lovecraftian: I won't spoil it but be prepared for many things and everything. This is no simple one-horse ghost story: it's a herd.
There was the quest element, too: as in the best myths and fairy tales, there is a band (imperfect, flawed individuals who with each other are a strong and formidable presence, holding keys of which they are only partially aware: spiritual, emotional and powerful.
There are things the alert Cottam fan loves: "an affront to nature" tells one there are ghosts. In Cottam's books one is never let down with the "it was only little Tommy with a sheet over his head, there are no such things as spirits, silly." Where there's an affront, there will be apparitions.
I thought this a marvelous book. I cannot recommend it highly enough: but not for the faint of heart. If you love ghost stories with unexpected and unusual twists, well-written and suspense-filled, "do not pass go" - read Harvest of Scorn! You'll be glad you did!
October 16, 2016
I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book - I couldn't wait to get back to New Hope! The first book in the series introduced me to some wonderful characters and I was deeply invested in how this final book in the series would wrap up for them.
While introducing some new and well written characters, Harvest of Scorn also provided strong storylines and valuable background information on the core characters. It tied up loose ends and answered questions from prior books.
This book had lots of chilling moments, with no guarantees about who would survive. A great read that I couldn't put down. I'd totally recommend reading the whole Colony series again!
While introducing some new and well written characters, Harvest of Scorn also provided strong storylines and valuable background information on the core characters. It tied up loose ends and answered questions from prior books.
This book had lots of chilling moments, with no guarantees about who would survive. A great read that I couldn't put down. I'd totally recommend reading the whole Colony series again!
October 18, 2016
I received an advance copy of this book for review, which I am so excited about as F.G. Cottam is my favorite horror author. In my opinion he is an absolute master of the creepy, atmospheric ghost story.
Harvest of Scorn is the conclusion of the Colony trilogy, and it satisfyingly ties up all of the plot threads and story lines. Some new characters are introduced, and old favorites return. Just a warning - F.G. Cottam is aces at writing well-developed characters you grow to know and like, and is absolutely ruthless at killing them off. After the bloodbath that was the second installment of this trilogy, I read this book with a constant sense of unease for every character.
I am impressed with how Cottam has come up with three distinct yet connected stories for this trilogy. Considering the bulk of the trilogy is set on a small, isolated island it seems like that would limit the possibilities for creativity and variety. However I felt that each book brought something new and fresh to the saga while maintaining the continuity and atmosphere of the overall arc.
While I am sad to see the Colony trilogy end, I am happy to have had the opportunity to read the final book early. I really like Ruthie and would not mind at all seeing her appear in other books or stories. Really my only criticism of F.G. Cottam is that he can't write new books as often as I would like to read them.
Harvest of Scorn is the conclusion of the Colony trilogy, and it satisfyingly ties up all of the plot threads and story lines. Some new characters are introduced, and old favorites return. Just a warning - F.G. Cottam is aces at writing well-developed characters you grow to know and like, and is absolutely ruthless at killing them off. After the bloodbath that was the second installment of this trilogy, I read this book with a constant sense of unease for every character.
I am impressed with how Cottam has come up with three distinct yet connected stories for this trilogy. Considering the bulk of the trilogy is set on a small, isolated island it seems like that would limit the possibilities for creativity and variety. However I felt that each book brought something new and fresh to the saga while maintaining the continuity and atmosphere of the overall arc.
While I am sad to see the Colony trilogy end, I am happy to have had the opportunity to read the final book early. I really like Ruthie and would not mind at all seeing her appear in other books or stories. Really my only criticism of F.G. Cottam is that he can't write new books as often as I would like to read them.
October 18, 2016
This was a fantastic end to the trilogy of New Hope Island. I love a book that can creep me out in the dark. It's great to get an insight into a character, and know that doesn't guarantee that they are going to survive to the end of the story! This is one of my favourite authors for the supernatural creepy stuff that I love. Great read!!
October 22, 2016
Compelling, terrifying, unsettling and yet satisfying...Harvest of Scorn is FG Cottam's long awaited third and final book in The Colony trilogy.
So we return to the remote and terrifying Scottish island of New Hope, sight of a mysterious tragedy which befell a group of colonists lead by Seamus Ballantyne in the 1800's to start a new life, a new world and call it New Hope.
Felix Baxter is a millionaire with a dream of turning New Hope into an upmarket 'getaway from everything' attraction until his architect suffers a horrifying experience alone in the new visitors accommodation built in what was supposed to be a weather and secure proof 'bunker'.
The evil presence on the island, long known to be there, despite the disbelievers calls to ignore is waiting, biding it's time to harvest more victims. Reunited from the second expedition to New Hope, a group of friends investigate further and uncover the key to 'summoning' the unearthly ghost of Seamus's daughter and worse still the creature which knows only evil. Can they group together and make it to the island in time to save the embattled staff on New Hope and destroy once and for all the evil which taints New Hope?
A page-turning, unsettling and compelling book, Harvest of Scorn doesn't disappoint. Plot lines left unresolved from the first and second book become clearer ending in an explosive conclusion.
Wonderful Cottam at his best. Subtle horror that eats away at you page by page; reading any of his books makes you keep checking you've locked your doors and windows and shut all of your curtains!
A highly recommended, suitably exciting and terrifying conclusion to the Colony trilogy. A well deserved five stars. More please!
So we return to the remote and terrifying Scottish island of New Hope, sight of a mysterious tragedy which befell a group of colonists lead by Seamus Ballantyne in the 1800's to start a new life, a new world and call it New Hope.
Felix Baxter is a millionaire with a dream of turning New Hope into an upmarket 'getaway from everything' attraction until his architect suffers a horrifying experience alone in the new visitors accommodation built in what was supposed to be a weather and secure proof 'bunker'.
The evil presence on the island, long known to be there, despite the disbelievers calls to ignore is waiting, biding it's time to harvest more victims. Reunited from the second expedition to New Hope, a group of friends investigate further and uncover the key to 'summoning' the unearthly ghost of Seamus's daughter and worse still the creature which knows only evil. Can they group together and make it to the island in time to save the embattled staff on New Hope and destroy once and for all the evil which taints New Hope?
A page-turning, unsettling and compelling book, Harvest of Scorn doesn't disappoint. Plot lines left unresolved from the first and second book become clearer ending in an explosive conclusion.
Wonderful Cottam at his best. Subtle horror that eats away at you page by page; reading any of his books makes you keep checking you've locked your doors and windows and shut all of your curtains!
A highly recommended, suitably exciting and terrifying conclusion to the Colony trilogy. A well deserved five stars. More please!
October 22, 2016
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.
For those who have read the first two books in this trilogy, don't hesitate: buy this book now and read it tonight. With the lights down low. And a large whisky or glass of Chablis to hand. For those who haven't read the first two books a) you have a treat ahead of you and b) what are you reading this for? Just buy them.
The quality of the writing, the story and the characterisation are, if anything, better than anything Mr Cottam has written so far. Ruthie remains one of the best characters in modern horror fiction. She's interesting, she's intelligent and she's ballsy. And she likes a fag and a drink. How could any red-blooded male, or female, not fall in love with her? Will she and her raggedy party survive? Depends what you mean by 'survive'.
This final episode has more of an adventure-story feel about it but that's to be expected as a story of this kind moves towards its climax. The resolution of this tale of baleful magic, horror, redemption and revenge is... terrifying... and beautiful... and very, very moving. My vision was a bit blurry a few times over the last few page. A beautiful goodnight kiss of a final chapter.
There are only a few horror writers of the 21st Century that I feel can tell a good, engaging horror story. F G Cottam is right there at the top of the list.
For those who have read the first two books in this trilogy, don't hesitate: buy this book now and read it tonight. With the lights down low. And a large whisky or glass of Chablis to hand. For those who haven't read the first two books a) you have a treat ahead of you and b) what are you reading this for? Just buy them.
The quality of the writing, the story and the characterisation are, if anything, better than anything Mr Cottam has written so far. Ruthie remains one of the best characters in modern horror fiction. She's interesting, she's intelligent and she's ballsy. And she likes a fag and a drink. How could any red-blooded male, or female, not fall in love with her? Will she and her raggedy party survive? Depends what you mean by 'survive'.
This final episode has more of an adventure-story feel about it but that's to be expected as a story of this kind moves towards its climax. The resolution of this tale of baleful magic, horror, redemption and revenge is... terrifying... and beautiful... and very, very moving. My vision was a bit blurry a few times over the last few page. A beautiful goodnight kiss of a final chapter.
There are only a few horror writers of the 21st Century that I feel can tell a good, engaging horror story. F G Cottam is right there at the top of the list.
November 12, 2016
I saved this book for a family holiday in a 30 degree heat of unseasonably good weather and still ended up feeling chilled!
If you have any family or friends who like horror, buy them this book for Christmas if you buy them nothing else and they will thank you for it - hell, buy the whole series!
This book brings final resolution to the small uninhabited island off the Hebrides which has been the setting for previous expeditions, all wrought with pain and a ending with a sense of unfinished business.
The plot is carefully crafted and the characters are well rounded with their own inner demons and shortcomings.
Read this book, read the series! Save it for a family holiday or a night in by the fire but don't read it alone in the dark......
If you have any family or friends who like horror, buy them this book for Christmas if you buy them nothing else and they will thank you for it - hell, buy the whole series!
This book brings final resolution to the small uninhabited island off the Hebrides which has been the setting for previous expeditions, all wrought with pain and a ending with a sense of unfinished business.
The plot is carefully crafted and the characters are well rounded with their own inner demons and shortcomings.
Read this book, read the series! Save it for a family holiday or a night in by the fire but don't read it alone in the dark......
March 6, 2017
After reading the first two books about New Hope Island I thought that everything had been told, but I was wrong. This is a wonderful end to the trilogy.
Going in I was trying not to get too attached to the characters, because I knew from previous experience that no one is safe on the island, but I got caught up in their stories anyway.
As always the author delivers on atmosphere and there are plenty of scares. While reading I could almost smell the brine of the sea and the foul odour of the dead. At the end I was reminded of the last line of the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: a sadder and a wiser man he rose the morrow morn.
Going in I was trying not to get too attached to the characters, because I knew from previous experience that no one is safe on the island, but I got caught up in their stories anyway.
As always the author delivers on atmosphere and there are plenty of scares. While reading I could almost smell the brine of the sea and the foul odour of the dead. At the end I was reminded of the last line of the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: a sadder and a wiser man he rose the morrow morn.
August 31, 2017
Overall a very satisfying horror trilogy. The setting was fantastic, an infamous, remote, and rugged island off the coast of Scotland, ghosts, a malevolent African Spirit, colourful characters and very nice story telling.
This was slow paced and more creepy than gory. Very well done.
This was slow paced and more creepy than gory. Very well done.
May 18, 2019
This is the final book in F.G. Cottam's "The Colony" trilogy. In the prior books, we learned the history of New Hope Island, where two hundred years before an entire community had simply disappeared. In the first installment of the trilogy, we followed a band of characters who went to New Hope Island as a publicity stunt for a newspaper. On that expedition, many died and a few escaped when a historical ghost mystery was solved.
The surviving characters found love and friendship, but were recalled to the island when an expedition of writers disappear on New Hope Island. Again, there is a present day mystery and a historical mystery that both must be solved.
Both books were filled with eerie, supernatural happenings, chief among them being a film showing a young girl floating off the ground. The ghostly girl is the late Rachel Balentine, the daughter of the founder of the 18th century New Hope colony. She's been around for a long time, brought back as a result of a slave's curse against her father, but is there more?
Now, it is around two years later and billionaire Felix Baxter intends to build the "New Hope Experience" into a destination resort. Then, a worker mysteriously disappears. The survivors learn of this event. They have unfinished business with Rachel, and, so, they return again to New Hope Island to deal with Rachel, the curse, and perhaps something more deadly than either.
This story is fast-moving. The atmospherics of the story are creepy. The characters are like old friends after the last two books. I think this trilogy would make an excellent movie.
The surviving characters found love and friendship, but were recalled to the island when an expedition of writers disappear on New Hope Island. Again, there is a present day mystery and a historical mystery that both must be solved.
Both books were filled with eerie, supernatural happenings, chief among them being a film showing a young girl floating off the ground. The ghostly girl is the late Rachel Balentine, the daughter of the founder of the 18th century New Hope colony. She's been around for a long time, brought back as a result of a slave's curse against her father, but is there more?
Now, it is around two years later and billionaire Felix Baxter intends to build the "New Hope Experience" into a destination resort. Then, a worker mysteriously disappears. The survivors learn of this event. They have unfinished business with Rachel, and, so, they return again to New Hope Island to deal with Rachel, the curse, and perhaps something more deadly than either.
This story is fast-moving. The atmospherics of the story are creepy. The characters are like old friends after the last two books. I think this trilogy would make an excellent movie.
October 28, 2016
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, AND LOCK THE DOORS!
Harvest of Scorn, A Colony Novel, is the final book in the Trilogy featuring New Hope Island. New Hope Island is located on a desolate island in the Scottish Hebrides and 200 years ago every one of the colonists living there disappeared. Surrounded by superstition and fear, even the locals won't go near it. While the living disappeared, the evil that is there has not. And it is getting stronger every day. And hungrier.
Felix Baxter, with the help of architect, Helena Davenport, is banking on his new project, a sort of retreat from the modern world, to bring in the rich and bored, making him richer.
Things start going wrong when they are close to opening. People disappearing, inexplicable breakdowns and very little communication with the outside world, but Felix is greedy and manipulative and really doesn't care as long as his project gets completed.
When the survivors of the last island trip begin getting signs that the danger on New Hope has not been destroyed as they thought, they know they have little time to finally end this evil once and for all. The last time some of them did not return. But one of them has a promise to fulfill and the others need to be there to successfully do that.
It was so nice to see Ruthie, Phil, Patsy, Rachel and Elizabeth again. It is no secret that I am a huge Cottam fan. No one can scare me like he does! His writing puts you right in the middle of the story so well, you will have goosebumps!
I can't believe this is the last of The Colony books. Ruthie is one of my favorite characters. Are we really finished with her? Say it isn't so!
Let me say that while this is the last book in a Trilogy, you can definitely read it as a stand alone book. He is just that good of a writer. But you really must get the other two.
Very few books really scare the heck out of me but these sure do! I highly recommend all of his books.
Harvest of Scorn, A Colony Novel, is the final book in the Trilogy featuring New Hope Island. New Hope Island is located on a desolate island in the Scottish Hebrides and 200 years ago every one of the colonists living there disappeared. Surrounded by superstition and fear, even the locals won't go near it. While the living disappeared, the evil that is there has not. And it is getting stronger every day. And hungrier.
Felix Baxter, with the help of architect, Helena Davenport, is banking on his new project, a sort of retreat from the modern world, to bring in the rich and bored, making him richer.
Things start going wrong when they are close to opening. People disappearing, inexplicable breakdowns and very little communication with the outside world, but Felix is greedy and manipulative and really doesn't care as long as his project gets completed.
When the survivors of the last island trip begin getting signs that the danger on New Hope has not been destroyed as they thought, they know they have little time to finally end this evil once and for all. The last time some of them did not return. But one of them has a promise to fulfill and the others need to be there to successfully do that.
It was so nice to see Ruthie, Phil, Patsy, Rachel and Elizabeth again. It is no secret that I am a huge Cottam fan. No one can scare me like he does! His writing puts you right in the middle of the story so well, you will have goosebumps!
I can't believe this is the last of The Colony books. Ruthie is one of my favorite characters. Are we really finished with her? Say it isn't so!
Let me say that while this is the last book in a Trilogy, you can definitely read it as a stand alone book. He is just that good of a writer. But you really must get the other two.
Very few books really scare the heck out of me but these sure do! I highly recommend all of his books.
November 15, 2016
Harvest of Scorn (A Colony Novel)
By: F.G. Cottam
5 out of 5 stars
The story Harvest of Scorn (A Colony Novel) is a horror/ghost story. Eighteen months ago a group went to New Hope Island to attempt to right the wrongs committed there. Now one of the survivors of that expedition, Ruthie Gillespie is returning one final time to put an end to the ordeal that started both for her and the others going with her. Felix Baxter, who is building a getaway on the island with the help of architect Helena Davenport, soon finds that the stories of the island to be all too true as the missing on this island increase. Will this concluding trip to the island finally release all from the curse that has afflicted for nearly two centuries?
This is the third and final novel in The Colony series and it doesn’t disappoint. Following the story, the legend, and the survivors you wonder if anything can banish the darkness on the island. While you could read each of these books on their own, as a partial explanation is given on the previous visit to the island, I highly suggest starting from the beginning and reading each one. Your understanding of the characters and the curse will have a more satisfactory feel to it. When I started this series, I had not read any books by the author. He is now a writer that I will purchase his past works and his future ones as well. If you love a good horror/ghost story with the ability to make you read in daytime, with the lights on, this is the book for you. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
By: F.G. Cottam
5 out of 5 stars
The story Harvest of Scorn (A Colony Novel) is a horror/ghost story. Eighteen months ago a group went to New Hope Island to attempt to right the wrongs committed there. Now one of the survivors of that expedition, Ruthie Gillespie is returning one final time to put an end to the ordeal that started both for her and the others going with her. Felix Baxter, who is building a getaway on the island with the help of architect Helena Davenport, soon finds that the stories of the island to be all too true as the missing on this island increase. Will this concluding trip to the island finally release all from the curse that has afflicted for nearly two centuries?
This is the third and final novel in The Colony series and it doesn’t disappoint. Following the story, the legend, and the survivors you wonder if anything can banish the darkness on the island. While you could read each of these books on their own, as a partial explanation is given on the previous visit to the island, I highly suggest starting from the beginning and reading each one. Your understanding of the characters and the curse will have a more satisfactory feel to it. When I started this series, I had not read any books by the author. He is now a writer that I will purchase his past works and his future ones as well. If you love a good horror/ghost story with the ability to make you read in daytime, with the lights on, this is the book for you. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
October 28, 2016
F. G. Cottam has rapidly become one of my favourite horror authors, although horror alone doesn’t really cover it. The books are atmospheric classic ghost stories along the lines of M. R. James, but with a modern horror slant thrown in to bring the style up to date and to satiate the current leaning towards (just enough) gore too.
I was extremely pleased to receive an advance copy of Harvest of Scorn to review, having just devoured the first two books in the trilogy back-to-back (plus the additional Ruthie Gillespie novella, The Going and The Rise). The conclusion to the trilogy didn’t disappoint. New Hope Island, the setting for much of the book, is definitely ironically named. When a developer builds an exclusive retreat on the island, despite its macabre history, the body count starts to rise before it’s even accepting paying guests. Patrick, Ruthie and Edie are back, their unfinished business drawing them to the island despite the danger…will they survive? I’m not telling, because the enjoyment is in the journey as much as the conclusion so you must read it yourself.
This book could be read as a stand-alone, there is enough information given to enjoy it that way. For maximum goosebumpy, shivery immersion in the story though I would recommend that you read the full trilogy. After dark. Alone. Straining your ears because you think you can hear the faint melody of The Recruited Collier...
I was extremely pleased to receive an advance copy of Harvest of Scorn to review, having just devoured the first two books in the trilogy back-to-back (plus the additional Ruthie Gillespie novella, The Going and The Rise). The conclusion to the trilogy didn’t disappoint. New Hope Island, the setting for much of the book, is definitely ironically named. When a developer builds an exclusive retreat on the island, despite its macabre history, the body count starts to rise before it’s even accepting paying guests. Patrick, Ruthie and Edie are back, their unfinished business drawing them to the island despite the danger…will they survive? I’m not telling, because the enjoyment is in the journey as much as the conclusion so you must read it yourself.
This book could be read as a stand-alone, there is enough information given to enjoy it that way. For maximum goosebumpy, shivery immersion in the story though I would recommend that you read the full trilogy. After dark. Alone. Straining your ears because you think you can hear the faint melody of The Recruited Collier...
October 31, 2016
Fittingly, F.G. Cottam's third book of The Colony series, Harvest of Scorn explains all mysteries and lays to rest all conflicts exposed in the earlier books, The Colony and Resurrection. Or does it?
As in the earlier Colony stories, the focus of Harvest's events is New Hope Island, a fictional location in the Hebrides. As in the preceding novels, new characters venturing onto the island find themselves over matched by horrors of past events and returning characters (knowing full well that No Hope would be a more fitting name for the island) risk their lives trying to set things right. As as in the earlier books, the over-matched perish while the survivors are left with a mixed sense of having accomplished their goals.
Cottam's novels are peppered with allusions to real events and the popular culture of the various eras from which his story lines emerge, inviting readers to use their tablets and other devices to enrich the reading experience with a little independent research. They are all highly readable, peopled with heroic characters who are likable and believable, and possessed of plots that are plausible, understandable, and quick paced. Unlike its prequels, however, Harvest of Scorn lacked the tension that forces one to put the book down periodically for a deep centering breath before turning the page.
That fact notwithstanding, the Colony series is diverting and provided me with a pleasureable reading experience.
As in the earlier Colony stories, the focus of Harvest's events is New Hope Island, a fictional location in the Hebrides. As in the preceding novels, new characters venturing onto the island find themselves over matched by horrors of past events and returning characters (knowing full well that No Hope would be a more fitting name for the island) risk their lives trying to set things right. As as in the earlier books, the over-matched perish while the survivors are left with a mixed sense of having accomplished their goals.
Cottam's novels are peppered with allusions to real events and the popular culture of the various eras from which his story lines emerge, inviting readers to use their tablets and other devices to enrich the reading experience with a little independent research. They are all highly readable, peopled with heroic characters who are likable and believable, and possessed of plots that are plausible, understandable, and quick paced. Unlike its prequels, however, Harvest of Scorn lacked the tension that forces one to put the book down periodically for a deep centering breath before turning the page.
That fact notwithstanding, the Colony series is diverting and provided me with a pleasureable reading experience.
October 28, 2016
Cottam’s previous books about New Hope Island seemed to be well-rounded, finished, done. Because who in their right mind would ever want to return to an island where so many people found horrific ends…? And everything seemed settled. Seemed being the key word here. Imagine my surprise when the author came up with actual plausible reasons for the very few survivors of previous expeditions, to return to the place blessed with a misnomer. Again, the ensemble cast is filled with very distinctive personalities, people you grow to care about… And when a developer decides that New Hope Island would be a wonderful place to build a theme park-slash-retreat, and the bodies start dropping, they can’t help themselves; they come running. Reluctantly, against better judgement, yes… But they come.
The story isn’t just an unsettling one, a tale of ghosts, death, horror, guilt and shame… I spent many pages simply moved to tears. I didn’t expect it, but I embraced it. Do read the previous books before picking up this one. It can be read as a stand-alone, and it has sufficient depth on its own. But it’s a tale that builds, and the payoff is even more rewarding when the arch is complete.
The story isn’t just an unsettling one, a tale of ghosts, death, horror, guilt and shame… I spent many pages simply moved to tears. I didn’t expect it, but I embraced it. Do read the previous books before picking up this one. It can be read as a stand-alone, and it has sufficient depth on its own. But it’s a tale that builds, and the payoff is even more rewarding when the arch is complete.
October 30, 2016
I was delighted to receive an advance copu of Harvest of Souls to review it.
Harvest of Souls is the final book in the triogy of Hope Island.
However, thanks to helpful hints, and references to earlier events it is not essential to have read the first two Colony novels. Having said that, if you haven't read these, then you are missing out on two exceptionally cracking novels. So, a recommendation be to treat yourself to the whole trilogy - trust me you won''t regret it.
Many or the reviews here have given details of the plot so I won''t repeat. However enough to say that the plot is feasible, totally believeable withch characters that are brilliantly well drawn and easy to engage with.
Harvest of Souls is a real page tuner. I started it when, thanks to pouring rain, my plans for my day off were abandoned. Having started, it was a wonderful, thrilling, scary, unputdownable, and gripping read. Probably best not done at night when you are alone.
F.G Cottam is currently one of the best, if not the best, authors of ghost stories around. Harvest of Souls adds to his wonderful bibliography. Read it now and have no regrets except why Cottam doesn't write more.
Harvest of Souls is the final book in the triogy of Hope Island.
However, thanks to helpful hints, and references to earlier events it is not essential to have read the first two Colony novels. Having said that, if you haven't read these, then you are missing out on two exceptionally cracking novels. So, a recommendation be to treat yourself to the whole trilogy - trust me you won''t regret it.
Many or the reviews here have given details of the plot so I won''t repeat. However enough to say that the plot is feasible, totally believeable withch characters that are brilliantly well drawn and easy to engage with.
Harvest of Souls is a real page tuner. I started it when, thanks to pouring rain, my plans for my day off were abandoned. Having started, it was a wonderful, thrilling, scary, unputdownable, and gripping read. Probably best not done at night when you are alone.
F.G Cottam is currently one of the best, if not the best, authors of ghost stories around. Harvest of Souls adds to his wonderful bibliography. Read it now and have no regrets except why Cottam doesn't write more.
June 27, 2017
Having been a fan of the other Colony novels, I was eager to see how the story arc wrapped up. Harvest of Scorn started with much promise. A new development on the island, new characters, and a sense of urgency. Fantastic!
The disappointment for me came from the rushed feeling of the novel. The relationship between Lassiter and Helena seemed like an add-on that made no sense given what we had learned about him in the first two novels. Very out of type. The venomous infatuation of the anthropologist toward our favorite maritime history scholar? Excessive with no real reason or history.
I adored the resolution of the core story, it is these side relationships which end up feeling more soap opera than thriller.
The disappointment for me came from the rushed feeling of the novel. The relationship between Lassiter and Helena seemed like an add-on that made no sense given what we had learned about him in the first two novels. Very out of type. The venomous infatuation of the anthropologist toward our favorite maritime history scholar? Excessive with no real reason or history.
I adored the resolution of the core story, it is these side relationships which end up feeling more soap opera than thriller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2017
I keep saying I don't care for this series, but the fact that I read the entire 'Colony' series obviously means I'm lying to myself. The theme is great, and I found myself curious to see what life handed out for quite a few of the characters. What jarred me the most was the series' continuous pairing of romance/sexual tension with horror. The juxtaposition really threw me, but hey, I suppose that happens frequently in horror movies and those always seem to do well so why not? Ghosts, evil forces, and a bit of romance. If you're into all of that I'd say give the series a go. It's definitely fun!
August 5, 2017
I liked the story from the first page. I had a little difficulty with some of the language and/or subtexts since it is set in a foreign country, but overall thought it was well-written and engaging. Scary enough to keep me interested but not so gory that I couldn't stand it. LOL! I had not previously read the first two books in the series, but will likely do so, which would have also helped follow the story, although the author did a good job of integrating the past story into this one so you can follow along with what's happening and what has happened in the past novels.
October 31, 2016
Really enjoyed visiting old characters again , but was aware they may not make it to the end of the book ! The style of writing made me keep reading to find out what happened next , gave me chills in some parts, a few nice twists , a pleasurable read , thank you for finishing off the book so neatly . Glad Ruthie will feature in some other projects I like her character, keep doing what you do and I will keep reading .
November 17, 2016
This book is the haunting finish of the Colony trilogy. Atmospheric New Hope Island is revisited.
Rich characters with a supernatural edge. An ancient curse is met head on.
Old, wonderful friends are involved with new ones.
An inevitable trip to the atmospheric island of New Hope will come to fruition.
Evil forces await.
A promise is destined to be fulfilled.
The ending becomes unsettling and unexpected.
But does any supernatural epic really end?
Rich characters with a supernatural edge. An ancient curse is met head on.
Old, wonderful friends are involved with new ones.
An inevitable trip to the atmospheric island of New Hope will come to fruition.
Evil forces await.
A promise is destined to be fulfilled.
The ending becomes unsettling and unexpected.
But does any supernatural epic really end?
October 18, 2016
I received an advance copy of this book for review. I think the author has really 'hit his straps' with this story. The characters are well written, and the build up to the finale kept me turning the pages. My only unhappiness was with Ruthie's thoughts at the end - with all that had happened, to me it felt wrong. Highly recommend the trilogy.
November 22, 2016
Terrific story and great end to the series. F. G. Cottam is an entertaining author, and really has a way with setting the scarey moods!
April 24, 2017
Great ending to a fantastic trilogy! Glad to know the Ruthie Gillespie is going to be back.
January 24, 2018
Excellent conclusion to the Colony trilogy. Great atmosphere. Had to stop reading one night!
December 14, 2016
Oh, Harvest of Scorn. Why, why, why did you not use a proofreader? So many sentences ruined in rhythm and meaning by utterly wrong punctuation. It's pretty rare for me to be that pulled out of a book's narrative by those kind of problems, but Harvest of Scorn just drove me nuts.
I'd been looking forward to this book for ages – so much so that I got an advance copy for reviewing purposes. And then I was horrified by the fact I had to keep putting it down every time my eyes went to a comma just ruining everything.
To be fair, it's never happened this badly with an FG Cottam title before. Sometimes, yes, he could do with a bit of tightening up (and if, for god's sake, those Kindle editions had full-out first paragraphs instead of indented first lines I'd be a happier woman) but this time I felt like playing a drinking game looking for the next error instead of reading the plot.
This is the kind of sentence that inexperienced authors write and think is a beautiful, evocative sentence, when they're feeling a bit self-indulgent and 'artistic':
The main entrance was open, when they got to it, battening back and forth on its hinges, a quarter of a ton of steel and the sustainably sourced wood covering it, flapping, toyed with by surging, elemental force.
The truth is that it's run-on, punctuated badly, and overwrought. Whenever Cottam tries too hard to write a beautiful sentence, it comes out like that instead. A giant turd of confusion that needs to be re-read a few times and mentally re-punctuated to evoke the desire image. He's better when he's not trying so hard.
Harvest of Scorn is the culmination of The Colony trilogy; and to me it most reeks of a Scottish reimagining of the Roanoke Colony. This is not a bad thing. Roanoke fascinates people for a reason, so this trilogy is a terrific idea in terms of money making. New Hope Island is pretty much a place of total horror though, and I found it hard to swallow a few established facts. The events of Dark Resurrection were a little too underplayed by the minor antagonists. Like it or not, Felix Baxter made for a fairly obvious and thinly drawn facsimile of Alexander McIntyre. It's just hard to believe he would be that stupid.
Unfortunately, the continuation of the relationship between Ruthie Gillespie and Phil Fortescue was something of a snooze. I got to a point where I sort of wanted to see some Dark Resurrection-esque action in there, just to mix it up.
There's also a serious problem with the shifting between scenes. While The Colony and Dark Resurrection managed this smoothly, Harvest of Scorn felt choppy, haphazard and not remotely organic.
Apart from Derek Johnson, the security crew characters on New Hope this time around are extremely difficult to distinguish between and display no consistent tone or behaviour. It's hard to remember who's who, what they do or remember their respective attitudes to anything. Their fates also feel rushed and dropped in, just so there are no loose ends. The only problem is that it doesn't feel true to the one fellow who has been adequately characterised, and it does him and the plot a disservice.
I struggled with the other main new addition to the cast of characters: Helena. Helena is perhaps meant to be read as going through a period of change. Maturing, if you will. Only the expression of her limitations in the earliest parts of her storyline don't really lend itself to that maturing. One minute she's painted as a cokehead, obsessed with a younger boytoy, and not particularly guilt-ridden about all of New Hope's dirty little secrets. The next she's a woman of substance. A storyline like that can be written well, and achieved, but it's just not done here.
It's also a shame that Cottam is unable to move past his desire to stick to his formula by killing off characters who are inherently mean people. If you're a dingus in a Cottam novel, you are not long for this world. Sadly, that meant that within 10 seconds of ending up in a certain character's third-person limited perspective, I found myself waiting for their demise. And then I was hurrying it along, because their perspective was as interesting as paint drying.
'Let's all go back to the island and solve the big epic mystery and kill the big bad,' everyone paraphrasingly says and after some requisite bitching and moaning, off they all go. But not a whole lot really happens. I mean, Patsy goes and stands in a cellar for a while. That's some epic action right there. Ruthie pep talks a ghost. Hardcore.
I was irked by the fate of the major antagonist, because we were not privy to it. I was irked by the fact we were told repeatedly throughout the trilogy that The Being that Hungers in the Darkness is born carrying its own offspring, but there's never any payoff on that line of thought.
While it may appear that Harvest of Scorn is filling out the topography of New Hope Island in detail, it seems more that there are continuity errors because it contradicts original descriptions in The Colony.
I remained interested in Patsy and Rachel and invested in both of them, and I appreciated the way Rachel's storyline was resolved. However, Ruthie and Phil's presence was so forced. Scenes meant to be bantering felt like a huge effort. And the denouement is a total reach. It's another problem with Cottam refusing to move away from his set formula. You get the ending that resolves the main problem in a Cottam novel, but people have to be unhappy. Seriously unhappy! Not a little bit depressed, but down to their toes distressed about something. Perhaps it felt so much like this book was bucking the trend that Cottam tacked on some unconvincing guff at the end to avoid trying anything new.
Overall, I feel like this book should've gone through some serious development editing before it ever saw the light of day. It's an unconvincing end to what was actually a fun and interesting series, and that's a shame.
I'd been looking forward to this book for ages – so much so that I got an advance copy for reviewing purposes. And then I was horrified by the fact I had to keep putting it down every time my eyes went to a comma just ruining everything.
To be fair, it's never happened this badly with an FG Cottam title before. Sometimes, yes, he could do with a bit of tightening up (and if, for god's sake, those Kindle editions had full-out first paragraphs instead of indented first lines I'd be a happier woman) but this time I felt like playing a drinking game looking for the next error instead of reading the plot.
This is the kind of sentence that inexperienced authors write and think is a beautiful, evocative sentence, when they're feeling a bit self-indulgent and 'artistic':
The main entrance was open, when they got to it, battening back and forth on its hinges, a quarter of a ton of steel and the sustainably sourced wood covering it, flapping, toyed with by surging, elemental force.
The truth is that it's run-on, punctuated badly, and overwrought. Whenever Cottam tries too hard to write a beautiful sentence, it comes out like that instead. A giant turd of confusion that needs to be re-read a few times and mentally re-punctuated to evoke the desire image. He's better when he's not trying so hard.
Harvest of Scorn is the culmination of The Colony trilogy; and to me it most reeks of a Scottish reimagining of the Roanoke Colony. This is not a bad thing. Roanoke fascinates people for a reason, so this trilogy is a terrific idea in terms of money making. New Hope Island is pretty much a place of total horror though, and I found it hard to swallow a few established facts. The events of Dark Resurrection were a little too underplayed by the minor antagonists. Like it or not, Felix Baxter made for a fairly obvious and thinly drawn facsimile of Alexander McIntyre. It's just hard to believe he would be that stupid.
Unfortunately, the continuation of the relationship between Ruthie Gillespie and Phil Fortescue was something of a snooze. I got to a point where I sort of wanted to see some Dark Resurrection-esque action in there, just to mix it up.
There's also a serious problem with the shifting between scenes. While The Colony and Dark Resurrection managed this smoothly, Harvest of Scorn felt choppy, haphazard and not remotely organic.
Apart from Derek Johnson, the security crew characters on New Hope this time around are extremely difficult to distinguish between and display no consistent tone or behaviour. It's hard to remember who's who, what they do or remember their respective attitudes to anything. Their fates also feel rushed and dropped in, just so there are no loose ends. The only problem is that it doesn't feel true to the one fellow who has been adequately characterised, and it does him and the plot a disservice.
I struggled with the other main new addition to the cast of characters: Helena. Helena is perhaps meant to be read as going through a period of change. Maturing, if you will. Only the expression of her limitations in the earliest parts of her storyline don't really lend itself to that maturing. One minute she's painted as a cokehead, obsessed with a younger boytoy, and not particularly guilt-ridden about all of New Hope's dirty little secrets. The next she's a woman of substance. A storyline like that can be written well, and achieved, but it's just not done here.
It's also a shame that Cottam is unable to move past his desire to stick to his formula by killing off characters who are inherently mean people. If you're a dingus in a Cottam novel, you are not long for this world. Sadly, that meant that within 10 seconds of ending up in a certain character's third-person limited perspective, I found myself waiting for their demise. And then I was hurrying it along, because their perspective was as interesting as paint drying.
'Let's all go back to the island and solve the big epic mystery and kill the big bad,' everyone paraphrasingly says and after some requisite bitching and moaning, off they all go. But not a whole lot really happens. I mean, Patsy goes and stands in a cellar for a while. That's some epic action right there. Ruthie pep talks a ghost. Hardcore.
I was irked by the fate of the major antagonist, because we were not privy to it. I was irked by the fact we were told repeatedly throughout the trilogy that The Being that Hungers in the Darkness is born carrying its own offspring, but there's never any payoff on that line of thought.
While it may appear that Harvest of Scorn is filling out the topography of New Hope Island in detail, it seems more that there are continuity errors because it contradicts original descriptions in The Colony.
I remained interested in Patsy and Rachel and invested in both of them, and I appreciated the way Rachel's storyline was resolved. However, Ruthie and Phil's presence was so forced. Scenes meant to be bantering felt like a huge effort. And the denouement is a total reach. It's another problem with Cottam refusing to move away from his set formula. You get the ending that resolves the main problem in a Cottam novel, but people have to be unhappy. Seriously unhappy! Not a little bit depressed, but down to their toes distressed about something. Perhaps it felt so much like this book was bucking the trend that Cottam tacked on some unconvincing guff at the end to avoid trying anything new.
Overall, I feel like this book should've gone through some serious development editing before it ever saw the light of day. It's an unconvincing end to what was actually a fun and interesting series, and that's a shame.
September 25, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this final trilogy installment. Rather attached to the key charachters on both sides of the dark and light divide by this point and was enthusiastic to embark on this book after Dark Ressurection. As a rule im not one for the thriller / horror genre - but i think these books along with the fantastic narration (Listened to these on audible) just reinforced the experience further.
October 2, 2019
As anyone who has read my reviews should know, I am a huge FG Cottam fan. Took forever for me to get a copy of this, but it was another great entry into The Colony series. As per usual, Ruthie is still my favorite character and I look forward to more adventures with her in The Lucifer Chord :)
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