Herald of the Hidden & Other Stories

by Mark Valentine

Herald of the Hidden is a sewn hardback of 230+ vii pages, printed lithographically, with silk ribbon marker, head and tailbands, and d/w.

Signed, numbered edition limited to 400 copies.

Herald of the Hidden collects ten adventures of Ralph Tyler, an occult detective from an obscure shire in the heart of England, without private means or any special esoteric knowledge. The Ralph Tyler stories first appeared in hard-to-find small press publications. Three of the stories are previously unpublished, including two newly written for this collection. Along with six further supernatural tales, all the stories are previously uncollected in book form.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Occult Detective, Fiction

218 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2013

About the author

Mark Valentine is an English author, biographer and editor.

Valentine’s short stories have been published by a number of small presses and in anthologies since the 1980s, and the exploits of his series character, "The Connoisseur", an occult detective, were published as The Collected Connoisseur in 2010.

As a biographer, Valentine has published a life of Arthur Machen in 1985 (Seren Press), and a study of Sarban, Time, A Falconer (Tartarus Press), is published in 2010. He has also written numerous articles for the Book and Magazine Collector magazine, and introductions for various books, including editions of work by Walter de la Mare, Robert Louis Stevenson, Saki, J. Meade Falkner and others.

Valentine also edits Wormwood (Tartarus Press), a journal dedicated to fantastic, supernatural and decadent literature, and has also edited anthologies, including The Werewolf Pack (Wordsworth, 2008) and The Black Veil (Wordsworth, 2008).

Reviews

[Glenn Russell]

Herald of the Hidden and Other Stories - sixteen tales collected here, mostly written when Mark Valentine was in his twenties and early thirties, ten of the sixteen being “Ralph Tyler Stories,” that is, featuring young Ralph in his role as private detective investigating occult phenomenon. I must say there is an irresistible storytelling charm to be found in each and every one. But enough generalization - permit me to offer a closer look at three stories I count among my personal favorites:

THE FOLLY
Ralph Tyler announces to his friend (the young man narrating this and all other Ralph Tyler stories) they have been summoned by no less a personage than the lady of the manor at Langborough Hall, a lady by the name of Mrs. Helen Arrowden, and for a very specific reason: there’s an old lodge on the property let out to paying guests who visit to take advantage of the amply stocked shooting and fishing amenities - and there's been a series of odd happenings at night inside the lodge, very odd, indeed.

Upon their arrival and in conversation with Mrs. Arrowden, Ralph and his friend learn that during the second night of his stay at the lodge, a man of advanced age was disturbed by what the lady called “hallucinations.” The old man’s third night proved even more disturbing: he claimed he was attacked by a throng of angry woodland beasts that emerged from the walls and lunged at his face and throat. Equally disturbing, upon examination of the room, nightclothes, bedding and the man himself, not one shred of evidence could be detected, not even the smallest mark or scratch.

Unfortunately, the incident could not be ascribed to an oldster’s dementia since subsequent visitors, four in number, reported similar attacks when aroused from sleep in that very same room. As Mrs. Arrowden continues, the tipping point was reached when, unaware of these recent episodes, two hale, hearty, rough and tumble hunters reported: “a pack of hideous creatures had invaded their room in their scores, sweeping all over them, biting, tearing and gnawing at their flesh, filling the place with an abominable stench, and screeching in an ecstasy of glee at their quarry. But this time there was an added refinement: they spoke of the sound of human laughter mingling with the animals’ triumphant cries, and of a low, urging whisper, as if somebody concealed nearby were directing and encouraging the attack, and revelling in their misfortune.”

Does this sound like a room you would care to spend the night? The narrator certainly has misgivings but he also has confidence in Ralph Tyler’s sleuthing abilities. Besides which, he wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to share in his friend’s adventure.

What adds particular flair to Mark Valentine’s Ralph Tyler stories is the manner in which Ralph conducts his investigations, in this case, making use of Mrs. Arrowden’s small library, listening to the accounts of people familiar with the lodge’s history and, most especially, putting aside conventional aids such as sprinkling of sacred water, burning of candles, performing rituals, to call upon his personal resources – courage and integrity, grasp of logic and depth of understanding coupled with a profound respect for all forms of life, material or otherwise.

HERALD OF THE HIDDEN
Scattered across the centuries, there have been reports of lights appearing in the forest of Solsey at night. Unsolved mystery - just the thing to grab Ralph Tyler's attention.

An engagingly provocative tale from beginning to end. At one point in their adventure deep in the forest, the narrator observes: "There was a slow flapping above us. The starlit sky was a crystalline blue-black. For a few moments I could not see what he (Ralph) had noticed. The twisting of the trees, and the curved fronds of the bronze ferns, did have a suggestion of sentience about them, as if these were living creatures suddenly caught turning from flesh to flora, from blood to sap. I had to stare hard to realize that I was surely only seeing chance resemblances, that these were not really the simulacra of animals. They were just contortions of wood and leaf, not ears, jaws, snots, horns."

This is a mere snippet of what the boys encounter in Solsey. A tale to take your breath away.

GO TO THE WEST
Not a Ralph Tyler story but a true gem from the collection nonetheless, a tale of alchemy, Gnostic wisdom and one devotee’s release from human corporeal brutishness into the realm beyond.

The devotee is Michael Bacon and as he lies on his death bed he has glimpses into nothing less than the eternal, every single glimmer well deserved since he has spent countless years in weary drudgery following his mentor Wilson’s extensive researches on the Gnostic formulae so necessary to effect the desired alchemical transformation enabling one to reach everlasting bliss.

Michael Bacon was even with Wilson during his last hour when the dying wise man exerted enormous effort to articulate his final, critical instruction: ‘Go to the West.’ Now at the hour of his own death, ever faithful to what he knows to be the most exalted wisdom tradition in human history, Michael Bacon confidently follows his master’s instructions right up til his final breath.

But, but, but . . . with his signature suavity, Mark Valentine adds a twist at the end that shifts his tale into one of Lovecraftian cosmic horror. And what is truly remarkable is the subtlety and restraint in the telling. Go to the West is only a fraction of the length of Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu but the depth of universal chaos and dark mortal dread revealed is every bit as shocking. An unforgettable read.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning Herald of the Hidden and Other Stories is a high quality Tartaras Press publication which adds much to the enjoyment of reading.


British author Mark Valentine, born 1960

"The Ralph Tyler stories reflect my affection for the occult detective form, which I'd enjoyed in William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost-Finer, in Algernon Blackwood's John Silence, and in the adventures of Arthur Machen's Mr Dyson, for example in The Three Impostors. But I tried to make my character a little different. He isn't prosperous, doesn't have private means, and hasn't been trained with any special knowledge. Sometimes, he doesn't play fair with his clients, or his friend, the narrator. He's not fancy: he smokes foul cigarettes, slumps in his chair, and has a threadbare jacket. And he's from Northampton." -- from Mark Valentine's Introduction

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Four stars?!?" you scream.

I know, I know, it's Mark frickin' Valentine!

And I love Mark Valentine's work. Love, love, absolutely love.

But everyone has to start somewhere, right? And this is what we have here: several early tales, more raw, more . . . "cheeky" is the word that comes to mind. Does this mean that it's bad? No, not at all. It's excellent. But when comparing these tales to his more mature work, one must consider that what we see in the voice of such masterpieces as The Collected Connoisseur took years to hone and perfect. Here, we see a younger Valentine, obviously incredibly gifted, finding his way, showing "flashes" as they say in the sports world, but lacking the full consistency of later work. I understand that completists will give these stories the same sort of reverence that one holds for a black metal band's "demo" tapes - a sort of worship of the raw, the untamed, the under-produced - and I can surely appreciate that sentiment. But once one has read his later work, it becomes clear that these were early tales, for the most part. One must note that certain of these stories were, of his own admittance, published in low-circulation zines back in the '80s, a sort of literary-weird samizdat that evokes the punk and metal zines of the same period.

Speaking of metal, maybe it's because I'd been listening to Watain and Cult of Fire while reading, but Ralph Tylor, lead protagonist of "St Michael & All Angels" struck me as The Connoisseur dressed in a denim jacket, black jeans, and high tops. That picture is probably all wrong, but it's how I pictured him and I'm sticking with it. Tyler is just the sort of person I loved to hang out with as a teen - smart, a bit bookish, interested in the outré, but also a bit . . . metal. This probably has to do with my teenage years spent in England breaking into haunted medieval priories and such (usually to drink and make out with girls - as one does as a teen. Or at least I did.) while absorbing as much metal and punk as I could. I see a little bit of myself in Ralph Tyler. Maybe more than just a little bit.

The second story, "The Folly," was anything but. A clever tale with a moralistic streak, it will appeal to many a vegetarian, and cause horror in the hunter. This furthered my feeling that Ralph Tyler is a less refined and less controlled individual than The Connoisseur. A sort of Hardy Boy to the Sherlock, all of which is meant as a compliment to the writing.

Ralph Tyler differs from The Connoisseur remarkably in one way, as evinced in "Madberry Hill": he is not above rank deception and might (and does) willingly endanger others to sate his curiosity about the supernatural. I had earlier thought that Tyler might be a rougher version of The Connoisseur, and, after reading this tale, I'm convinced of it. Ah, the recklessness of youth! Slap a patched denim battle jacket on that young man!

"The Ash Track" struck me on a couple of different emotional levels. First, the story itself, which I won't spoil, is melancholy and poignant, thick with pathos. Secondly, it takes place, partially, in Bedford, which is the city I lived closest to while living in the UK, so there's some emotional resonance there for me. Who knows? I might have walked the Ash Track myself, given my many ramblings about the countryside?

"The Grave of Anir" is an unsurprising story, but satisfying. The ending is something straight out of the M.R. James playbook. A nice Arthurian mystery that may or may not be a ghost story. You decide.

I loved the gothic and morose "William Sorrell Requests . . ." a great deal. The dreary funerary atmosphere lends the perfect backdrop to a story of either mass hysteria, possession, or communal guilt. Or, perhaps none of these. But then, maybe all of them. Only William Sorrell knows for sure, and dead men tell no tales, as they say. Brilliantly gray and sodden, this story sticks in the brain.

"The Hermit's House" is a little more straightforward than most of the stories in this volume. Make no mistake, it is firmly in "the Weird," but the resolution is fairly straightforward. A simple plot, but written so well (as Valentine always writes) that it can't just be dismissed as a "minor" story. Valentine's pen lends weight to what might otherwise be a flighty, ephemeral tale.

"Herald of the Hidden" is the closest I think I've seen Mark Valentine get to "cosmic horror," though of a decidedly English variety, meaning that those horrors are rooted deeply in the history, nay, pre-history of Avalon. Here is a glimpse (and we almost see altogether too much) of what came before, of what lurks in the hills and dales among the trees. It's a wonderful sort of departure from his "typical" work.

Valentine takes a shot at colonialism, by way of Ralph Tyler, in "Heritage of Fire". I honestly thought the esoteric investigator was going to meet his end here, but then who would explain the cultural implications of English development in the denouement, had he died? Someone has to bring bad news to capitalist developers, I suppose.

The Almanac" was one of my favorite stories of this volume (though not the favorite - see below). It shows a growing maturity in Valentine's writing, something that would later manifest in The Connoisseur stories. The unresolved mystery adds to the weirdness, taking it a notch further than those clearly-explained revelations of earlier tales. There's an abstract quality to it that I love about Valentine's work, that I consider his "signature". It's difficult to explain, as it seems so ephemeral. Maybe that's all that needs to be said.

"The Guardians of the Guest Room" is a ghost story proper, something that would have been right at home in the four-color horror comics of the pre-code era, but with a step up in eloquence. I'd be curious to see this one illustrated in that old, '50s graphic style. Valentine would have at least one customer for this grisly comic; namely, me.

Words are important, even critical. But Valentine's tale of crucial misunderstanding in "Go to the West," which could have become a mere trifle of a story, something that any child could write, is instead transformed by the last sentence. Oh, those words are so critical. You must understand. You absolutely must! Be careful with your signs and wonders, seekers of gnosis!

Tree Worship" is a mythic idyll of understated tone, but brilliant atmosphere, a good story to read as winter turns to spring. It is a thread of pagan Genius Loci only briefly interrupted by modern intrusion, a suburban hiccup preceded and followed by the long, steady breathing of the land itself.
Odd. Though one of the earliest stories in the volume, chronologically-speaking, "Woken by Candlelight" reads like Valentine's later, more mature works: subtlety of mood, languid action, an emergent realization of wisdom in the form of a mystical revelation. This beautiful tale is a herald of things to come in Valentine's poetry, the Connoisseur, and The Nightfarers. Definitely re-readable. The best story in this volume and one worthy of any weird-best-of collections. You need to read this tale!

In a village with little secrets running about, that crazy old lady might not be so crazy after all. Maybe she sees things as they really are and, if so, she'll fit right in with those that know "Their Special Glee". It's a story of folk and horror, of a sort, but of a sort that never confronts one directly as so much folk-horror does, but nips at the heels and toes. Clever and sly in little ways, I loved this understated tale.

In the end, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I want to recommend this to anyone who hasn't read Valentine's work, but that's not the way I encountered his work. I was thrown in the deep end with The Nightfarers, and I've not been the same reader (and indeed not the same writer) ever since. I suppose everyone needs to travel their own path, but in the end, I think that most would agree (and those that disagree are, well, just plain wrong) that Mark Valentine is one of the greatest living writers of weird fiction in practice today. So, however you choose to do it, start reading Valentine's work (I've included lots of links to reviews of some of his other books in this review). If you start here, fine. If you end here, fine. Valentine's weird fiction is a sort of ouroboros of excellence. You can't go wrong, wherever you begin.

[Tristram Shandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Problem with Ghost Finders

From my earliest reading years on, I have been a sucker for ghost stories. Well, maybe not in elementary school, but quite early, anyway, and there is a lot I like out there, from E.T.A. Hoffmann to Robert Aickman. There is also a lot, however, I dislike, and this ranges from very predictable tales to unnecessarily gory ones. All in all, the best tales, I think, are those in which the sense of the supernatural, or the absurd, or the inexplicable reigns supreme, where there is ambiguity with regard to the question whether the spook is really a spook or, in the words of one of the most famous and most beautiful ghost stories ever written, “an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato”, in short whether “there is more of gravy than of grave about” it; or where there is ambiguity as to the background of the uncanny events. One of the weirdest stories with respect to this last quality I have read recently is Robert Aickman’s The Same Dog.

It’ small wonder then that my favourite story in Mark Valentine’s collection Herald of the Hidden is the last one, which is called Their Special Glee, the title referring to the malignant delight imps feel when they play a nasty trick on somebody who has thwarted their evil plans. Here, there is a lot of ambiguity, about the things that the elderly lady sees, about what happens to her, and even about the narrator himself. A story that will not be easily forgotten by its readers! Most of the stories in this collection, though, centre on a man named Ralph Tyler, who is a detective of the supernatural, something like Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder, or – in terms of television series, and more tritely – Melissa Jones, the Ghost Whisperer. Ralph Tyler is a very interesting fellow as such, living in a rather disorderly and run-down apartment, smoking ghastly cigarettes and, above all, headstrong and wilful in his dealings with his clients, and sometimes with his friend, the first-person-narrator. In his adventures, he often does careful research, finding out the background about the supernatural appearances he has to deal with and thereby the means of pacifying or quelling the ghostly phenomenon. Usually, stories like that do not go down too well with me, because, as I said, for me a ghost story thrives on its ambiguity, and in the rank and file of the “ghost finder” type of story, this ambiguity, and the uneasiness it produces is eventually sacrificed or diluted.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading most of the stories after all, because Valentine’s style is able to conjure up a creepy atmosphere, and sometimes he also shows a sense of humour that endears the characters of Tyler and his friend to the reader. Maybe, Valentine was bowing to Holmes and Watson here, from time to time. Even though the solutions Tyler comes up with at the end detract from the eerie effect of the stories in my eyes, there are two particularly good ones, namely the eponymous Herald of the Hidden and, even more so, The Almanac, which is, in its bottom line, a story about what really matters in life and how, in retrospect, you would have liked to spend it.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desde la introducción, es imposible que no te caiga bien el autor, que admite su cariño y admiración por los investigadores de lo oculto Carnacki, de William Hope Hodgson; John Silence, de Algernon Blackwood; y Mr. Dyson, Arthur Machen, en ‘Los tres impostores’. Las historias fueron escritas entre 1983 y 2009 en diferentes revistas, para ser recogidas posteriormente en este volumen, junto con dos cuentos inéditos.

Con apenas 24 años escribió su primera historia de su particular detective psíquico, Ralph Tyler. La descripción que se nos proporciona es mínima, un tipo que fuma asquerosos cigarrillos y vive en un apartamento en 14, Bellchamber Tower. Los relatos son narrados por su amigo, una voz “tipo Watson”, y tiene lugar en Northampton. Suelen seguir el mismo patrón, se presenta un caso interesante que Tyler resuelve de manera erudita y no muy espectacular, para después el amigo preguntar, ¿qué, me dices cómo lo hiciste?, y pasa a narrar los detalles.

Hay fantasmas, mitología, folclore, leyendas que, si bien narrado muy bien, no son ni inquietantes ni terroríficos. Lo que menos me ha gustado es que en los últimos relatos no aparecen las figuras de Tyler y su amigo, parecen metidos con calzador.

[Χρυσόστομος Τσαπραΐλης · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book contains material mainly from Mark Valentine’s early writing years; specifically, there are ten occult detective stories and six others (also supernatural in hue). The main protagonist’s name is Ralph Tyler; he is apparently based on classic occult detectives like John Silence (Algernon Blackwood’s) and Carnacki (William Hope Hodgson’s), with some twists (like him not having a wealth of resources, connections and influence). Unfortunately I have just a passing contact with John Silence (and none whatsoever with Carnacki), so I cannot really make any comparisons. Still, the detective friend and companion's first person narration obviously brings into mind Sherlock and Watson. The stories’ setting is mostly pre-internet, late 20th century English rural suburbia, small villages and countryside, with a strong emphasis on the remnants of tradition.

Mark Valnetine’s lyrical language may be ornate and baroque but on the same time it is very much enjoyable, eloquent and in the end feels modern – it does not put a toll on the reader. The same goes for the structure of the stories – they are well-paced, offering enough lore to satisfy yet not so much to weigh down the narration.

As aforementioned, the first story (St Michael & All Angels) dissolves any notions about the subtlety of the supernatural – it is very real, even for most of Tyler’s clients. Unfortunately, this particular piece of fiction is not the book’s strongest, reading a lot like a trite ghost story. But the situation is rapidly improved from the next one (The Folly) forwards with the discarding (or even inversion at certain points) of some common (ghost story) tropes. With Ralph Tyler the supernatural is rarely seen as a one-dimensional adversary; occasionally it does not even fall to the category of a curiosity riddle (a thing common with the Other in detective fiction) though the investigation obviously tends to have an intellectual aspect. The supernatural is approached quite empathically, as something that can be interacted and reasoned with, as something deserving of communication attempts. The entities themselves are revealed to be multi-layered and dynamic (see the exemplary The Hermit’s House), the uncanny integrated in the setting and never reduce to thrill fodder. From ancient gods to spirits from the Far East and genius loci, these pages contain well-crafted aspects of the other-than-human.

As for the detective, despite his intellectual mien and emotional modesty, he does not discard emotion. And how could he, being well-versed in occult both theory- and practice-wise? Also, he seems to have a rather strong moral compass, which does not always align with the socially expected. In several of the stories he does not strive to drive away or make the supernatural “move forward,” but rather to intertwine it with the (human and/or geographical environment. This embracing of the Otherness is more than welcome.

The genre’s trappings are not completely absent. Despite his somewhat unpolished image (from the decrepit attire to his beloved foul-smelling cigarettes) Ralph Tyler retains at his core several of the characteristics of the quintessential detective: he is male, cool-headed, relies on intellect (though thankfully this intellect is not only the pure rationality of Sherlock but rather a love of knowledge and the wisdom stemming from it, with the unavoidable deduction thrown in); his first response to a new case is going to the library and he is obsessed with mental exercises in the form of board games. His house is the archetypal sanctuary where the team retreats to ponder, as well as a symbol of the detective’s love of reclusiveness. When facing the supernatural Ralph Tyler is cool-headed and modest, perhaps a tad too much. There is also the typical infuriating silence concerning any hypotheses and ideas about the situation before each case’s resolution (a literary need perhaps, but still something that has not aged well). Moreover, his friend, the nameless narrator, is rather caricature-ish, personifying up to a degree the voice of common sense and the common man (having for instance an inherent fear of abnormal situations and a seemingly magical distaste for taking initial, especially as far as investigation is concerned).

Finally, the six last (non-Tyler) stories read as interesting supernatural fiction. Of special note is Tree Worship, which unravels the hollowness of modernity’s obsession with security, control and individual isolation, as well as the compartmentalization of age groups, leading to an exultation of Nature in a most pagan way.

Despite embracing the environmental and aesthetic trappings of the detective and ghost-story genres, Herald of the Hidden breaks away with them at crucial points (there is more than a hint of imperialist anthropology critique in The Guardians of the Guest Room, and an ecological ethos permeates many of the stories) in an innovative and fresh (if not modern) way, all the time retaining the essence of a cozy candle-flame read.

Full review here: https://industriesofinferno.github.io...

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A transfer, lack of time, and fascination with too many books and movies at a time had prevented me from completing this book. Fortunately, duties of an observer in an exam can be excruciatingly boring, and experiencing that yesterday, I had brought this book with me today. Now, it's over, and I am happy to state that in my humble opinion, this is Mark Valentine's best book till date. The stories involving Ralph Tyler has a robust sense of adventure and humour that I appreciated more than the unearthly delicacy of his tales of the Connoiseur. Also, the non-Tyler stories are delicious examples of traditional ghost stories, having the additional refinements of Mr Valentine's unique prose. Definitely one of the best books of the year. Highly Recommended.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

really, between a 4 and a 4.5; above all, I needed something fun to read and Ralph Tyler rocks. The earlier stories were pretty good as well.

head not quite back to normal just yet, but I will be commenting on this one further soon.

most certainly recommended.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentine's Ralph Tyler stories are of a more traditional 'occult detective' bent than those of the Connoisseur but that makes them no less enjoyable. There are several stand alone stories in this collection as well, all of which are entertaining, though special mention should be made of "Their Special Glee", which is creepy in all the right ways.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ralph Tyler stories:

• St Michael & All Angels ⭐⭐⭐
•The Folly ⭐⭐⭐
• Madberry Hill ⭐⭐⭐
• The Ash Track ⭐⭐⭐
• The Grave of Anir ⭐⭐⭐
• William Sorrell Requests ⭐⭐
• The Hermits House ⭐⭐⭐
• Herald of the Hidden ⭐⭐
• Heritage of Fire ⭐⭐⭐
• The Almanac ⭐⭐⭐

Other early stories:

• The Guardians of the Guest Room
• Go to the West
• Tree Worship
• Twilight at Little Brydon Cricket Club
• Woken by Candlelight
• Their Special Glee

[Karl]

This is copy 178 of 400 copies.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good bedtime book, because every time I went to read it in the day, I soon became sleepy. That's not a solid knock against this collection of stories centered around a modern day paranormal Sherlock Holmes, because they are nice to read in a small batch before falling asleep.

Most of the tales are about places with specific ties to the past being disturbed and causing trouble. Investigator Ralph Tyler is called in to solve the problem or at the very least give an explanation and his steady partner the narrator is there to retell the tale afterwards. Some sample cases are of a church restoration being disturbed by mysterious vandalism and sightings of a large flying bird. Another has a curious road being haunted like clockwork by brooding forms. One other is simply about a "dancing" piece of paper in the house of a recently deceased man obsessed with almanacs.

Usually, Tyler does some research, visits the scene and experiences the events himself. He then makes the decision to intervene and stop it or warn his patrons off their projects. This guy obviously loves his work and has deep respect for the "subjects" he investigates if I can call them that.

The last bunch of stories are not Tyler, but still fit that mold of eerie events. Haunted candlesticks, spirits of trees, protective curtains, etc... these were all just as charming but a little but more sinister.

Here is something relaxing for this spooky season.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

…. However placid woodland may look in the sunlight of day, it is always transformed by night. A deeper stillness seems to descend, and there are brittle, echoing sounds that strike at atavistic emotions inside us. That chill sliver of a cry may be no more than a nocturnal bird out hunting: the rustle in the undergrowth will be a woodland creature seeking shelter; things drop from trees in the daylight too; and yet as we stood in a grove at the end of a rough bridlepath, all these were given a keen edge, were intensified so as to play upon our wariness, our sense of trepidation.
-- "Herald of the Hidden"


Full review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com.jayr...

[Neal Carlin]

Was surprised to find this has been my favorite of Valentine’s collections thus far. I really enjoy when he leans further into his occult weirdness and away from subtlety.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

…. However placid woodland may look in the sunlight of day, it is always transformed by night. A deeper stillness seems to descend, and there are brittle, echoing sounds that strike at atavistic emotions inside us. That chill sliver of a cry may be no more than a nocturnal bird out hunting: the rustle in the undergrowth will be a woodland creature seeking shelter; things drop from trees in the daylight too; and yet as we stood in a grove at the end of a rough bridlepath, all these were given a keen edge, were intensified so as to play upon our wariness, our sense of trepidation.
-- "Herald of the Hidden"


Full review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com.jayr...

[Jan Moens · Rating 5 out of 5]

8,5/10