Bone Harvest

by James Brogden

Struggling with the effects of early-onset dementia, Dennie Keeling now leads a quiet life. Her husband is dead, her children are grown, and her best friend, Sarah, was convicted of murdering her abusive husband. After Sarah's tragic death in prison, Dennie has found solace in her allotment, and all she wants is to be left to tend it in peace. Life remains quiet for twelve years, until three strangers take on a nearby plot and Dennie starts to notice unnatural things. Shadowy figures prowl at night; plants flower well before their time. And then Sarah appears, bringing dire warnings and vanishing after daubing symbols on the walls in Dennie's own blood. Dennie soon realises that she is face to face with an ancient evil - but with her dementia steadily growing worse, who is going to believe her?

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult, Thriller, Audiobook

496 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2020

About the author

James Brogden is a writer of horror and dark fantasy. A part-time Australian who grew up in Tasmania and the Cumbrian Borders, he has since escaped to Birmingham UK and now lives in the Jewellery Quarter. When not writing he can usually be found up a hill, poking around stone circles and burial mounds. A recovering ex-teacher and lego addict, he is owned by two cats who do not approve of this nonsense.

His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and periodicals ranging from The Big Issue to the BFS Award-Winning Alchemy Press. His novel 'The Plague Stones' was shortlisted for the August Derleth Award in 2021 and his most recent novella, ‘The Dwimfolk’ was published by PS Publishing in October 2025. He is currently writing for Warhammer's Black Library.

@jamesbrogden.bsky.social
Insta: jameswbrogden

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moccus... The Boar Deity

BONE HARVEST by James Brogden

No spoilers. 4 stars. This is an ultra-odd story about a cult called the Farrow.

The Farrow lived in a wood untouched by humans for over 2,000 years...

They were worshipers of Moccus...

... a half human, half boar being which was recharged and brought forth from the earth during various moon cycles by blood offerings from animal sacrifice...

The story begins in 1915...

An English soldier, dying of tuberculosis, deserts his platoon and meets up with fellow deserters who introduce him to the Farrow...

But...

Just as the deserter enters the Farrow community, it is discovered that Moccus is dying. It seems he now requires human blood to survive...

Fast forward to current-day England...

The Farrow has relocated to an allotment community where the sacrifice victims are plentiful. There's just one problem:...

A seemingly senile old lady...

Denise (Dennie) and her great dane pooch called Viggo, like to sleep in the shed in Dennie's allotment garden...

And...

She sees things she shouldn't see, like Moccus the boar deity, and people in the community disappearing...

This was a fairly good story once you get past the first 23%, where the author lays out a pretty detailed background. Once you're past that point, the pace speeds up, and the story is much better.

[Book Barbarian (Tammy Smith) · Rating 3 out of 5]

eARC received from Edelweiss, thank you to Edelweiss and Titan Books (opinions are my own).

WHAT IN THE WEIRD – DEATH –CULT –BLOOD -ANCIENT EVIL IS THIS? IF YOU LIKE THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUTTA MY MOUTH, GET THIS BOOK ASAP.

WHILE READING THIS BOOK AND AFTER READING THIS BOOK: MY FACE :


This started in the trenches, in an actual war like setting, following this guy – a deserter that joins this weird deserters cult and I was like nah, NAH, there was no such speak of this war stuff in the blurb, I have been double crossed man.

BUT I needed to have a stern talk with myself, so I was like self; you literally cannot base the entire book on the first three pages of war stuff.

So this was almost over before it began but I persevered and I am so glad I did.
After we learn about the deserter’s story, we the shift to Dennie’s story, an old lady with early onset dementia leading a quiet life until three strangers move into a nearby plot.

I was keenly invested up until about 50% where I just felt the story wasn’t progressing and something was missing to continually keep me interested. This reminded me of a spectacular movie, something about it was so nostalgic. Have I watched something like this? I don’t know but I feel like I have seen this movie play out.

I just felt in the middle 45% - 70% elements were thrown in to keep it going, the plot didn’t actually go anywhere and it got quite stale but I understand why the author had to do this. I felt the same towards the end. I really struggled to rate this between a 3 and 4 star. I struggled with the last 40% but I still think it’s a well told amazingly done horror.

The writing though is SPECTACULAR throughout and never falters - its whip smart and straight to the point.

I highly recommend if this sounds like your type of horror! It’s gore-filled, humorous, dark and dirty. READ IT NOW!

I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Rating: 3.9 (very tough to decide!)

Bone Harvest by James Brogden
Standalone
Publish Date: November 17th 2020 (eBook) / Paperback published May 12th 2020
Cover Rating: 7/10
Adult – Horror - Fiction

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully bonkers, cultish horror with ritualistic sacrifice and cannibalism in deepest darkest Staffordshire.. Of course, all completely plausible, I know all the places mentioned in this book and I have to tell you it explains A LOT!! Always thought there was something a bit "off" when I visit, and now I know. In fact, I'm travelling down tomorrow ,,, GULP

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When things feel a bit grim, which they often do at the moment, I seek out the soothing balm of my favourite genre, horror. Perhaps it’s because I take some small degree of comfort knowing that fictional characters are suffering far worse than I am.

If you had told me a week ago that I would be writing a review about a horror novel that has a large chunk set on an allotment, I would have been dubious at best. Turns out that my uncertainty was entirely unfounded. This week’s review, Bone Harvest by James Brogden, is the story of a sinister religious cult moving into a quiet rural community, bringing their own unique brand of evil.

It’s not often that you get quite so much backstory when it comes to the villain in a novel. The first quarter of the novel doesn’t feature the main character at all* but follows a fellow who goes by the name of Everett as he flees the horrors of the First World War. Escaping the trenches, Everett finds himself falling in with the members of a strange church, the followers of Moccus. They are a beguiling bunch, led by a charismatic figure known as Mother, they worship a deity far older than any organised religion. To Everett, this strange group offer the chance of security, wealth, long life and all the trappings that come with it. He is able to forget his past and not worry about being branded a coward or a deserter. It becomes clear that Everett has only a passing relationship with concepts like bravery, honour and self-sacrifice. These initial chapters flesh out what drives this man to commit some unspeakable acts.

After many decades, the increasingly desperate cult ends up in a small village where they cross paths with indomitable Dennie Keeling.

Dennie has reached an age where her allotment has become her entire world. Widowed and living alone, she takes solace in tending her little patch of land. Not used to change, when new neighbours appear her innate curiosity is immediately piqued. There is a bittersweet quality to Dennie’s character I really liked. She is suffering from a degenerative condition and you know that ultimately there will be no happy ending for her. This adds a real sense of grim determination to her every action. Dennie is in a literal race against time. Part of her knows that eventually she will be incapable of stopping Mother and Everett. Indecision is not an option, Dennie has no choice but to act. I found myself willing her on every step of the way. Neighbours and other allotment owners are quite happy to dismiss the “slightly loopy old dear” but she refuses to quit. Be warned, it makes the final perfectly judged chapters quite the emotional gut punch.

As an aside, Viggo is a bit of a special character as well. I’ll offer no further spoilers, you can discover him for yourself.

It’s funny the places reading can take you sometimes. Brogden’s novel got me thinking about my maternal grandmother. She passed away from Alzheimer’s many years ago, and I found myself picturing Dennie very much like her. Also, Nan was an avid reader of genre fiction. I’ve never known anyone who could devour a paperback as quickly as she could. It was her that got me interested in horror at a young age, probably too young if I am being entirely honest. She introduced me to the likes of James Herbert and Graham Masterton and Brogden’s writing has a similar unnerving quality reminiscent of both those writers. Initially everything appears blissfully normal but the deeper you dig into the narrative the more ominous events become. I can guarantee my gran would have loved Bone Harvest**, it’s the quintessential British rural idyll gone horribly wrong. This is exactly the sort of thing she would thrust into my hands and demand I read as soon as possible. Mamie had impeccable taste when it came to a good story.

Bone Harvest ended up being a uniquely personal experience for me. I’ve not read any of James Brogden’s other novels, but based on how thought-provoking this turned out to be I need to remedy that situation sharpish. If you are looking for a horror read with a great story and some fascinating characters, then Bone Harvest is the novel for you.

*I’ll even go so far as to admit that at one point I was unsure if I was reading the correct book or not. I was reading an electronic review copy and I thought I had downloaded the wrong file. That said, Everett’s story is so utterly engrossing so I didn’t mind in the slightest.

**Trust me, this is the highest praise I can give any horror novel. If it would have got her seal approval it is a winner.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bone Harvest was definitely an interesting and bit strange horror. It was entertaining and the whole idea of the cult was cool to read about. But don't think it will be very memorable for me as the time goes but it was a good read.

[J.A. Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrors of war, domestic abuse, murders, the harsh reality of dementia, a religious cult, and even cannibalism are just a few of the things that come together wonderfully in Bone Harvest. Sounds like a lot to cover in a book, and it is, but at almost five hundred pages this novel has room to explore all these elements. If you’re intimidated by book length, don’t be. With unique twists and turns and James Brogden’s fantastic writing style, I found it nearly impossible to put this story down.

Beginning in WWI, a British deserter is trapped in No Man’s Land, surrounded by the dead and dying. Under the cover of darkness, the Grey Brigade (comprised of deserters from both sides of the war) scavenge bodies for rations, weapons, and flesh. When they happen across our main character, he’s given the option to join them or become a meal. Not having a death wish, the soldier becomes part of the Wild Deserters as they call themselves, and says his name is Everett. As an interesting aside, it’s clear this is not the character’s real name, but for the rest of the book it’s the only one he uses.

Once accepted into the fold, Everett meets Bill, a Welshman from a village called Swinley. As their friendship develops, Bill talks about his homeland and the Farrow, followers of an ancient god of the Welsh Marches. He demonstrates his supernatural ability to heal and reveals his unnaturally long lifespan, all granted to Bill by his deity, Moccus. Unfortunately, Bill’s powers have limits and he’s killed when a nearby battle destroys their hideout, which also leads to Everett being returned to Britain.

Filled with evocative descriptions, I could practically feel my waterlogged toes in combat boots, hear artillery fire, and was gagging on the stench of decay. This is the kind of writing that grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go.

As the story continues, Everett ventures to Swinley, locates Bill’s family and learns more about the Farrow and Moccus. The author creates a rich mythology for these people, infusing tidbits of facts into pure imagination, resulting in a religious cult tied to the phases of the moon, the seasons, and a boar-headed god who is literally eaten and reborn every twenty-six years. It’s a fascinating journey as the reader learns everything about the Farrow along side the main character in an arc spanning from WWI to 2020, when Everett and two allies seek to steal the powers of Moccus and establish their own village to worship him.

This wraps up Part One of the book, and in many ways, including length, Everett’s journey feels like a complete novel onto itself, almost like a prequel. If you’ve read the synopsis on Goodreads, the focus is on Dennie Keeling, her struggles with ghosts of the past and strange occurrences of the present, which even she isn’t sure she believes as her mind in slowly being ravaged by dementia. But Dennie doesn’t make an appearance until Part Two, a sizeable one hundred-ish pages into the book. The switch in focus from Everett to Dennie is so abrupt, I struggled a bit here to carry on reading. My allegiance had been so strongly built with the story of the Farrow, that the introduction of a new location and new characters felt like a betrayal. I’m glad I did stick it out, though I wished there had been a smoother transition between the two parts.

Now, the main attraction begins, centered around the Briar Hill Allotment (not being from Britain I had to look up allotment, which turns out to be a sort of community garden where plots are rented out). Since her children are grown and her husband has passed, Dennie has been spending several nights sleeping in her allotment shed to escape the loneliness of her empty house. One night, she spots a hideous beast digging in a neighbouring plot, in the same spot Sarah Neary buried her husband years ago. The next day a new couple (Everett and his companion Ardwyn) begin renting the plot. Although Dennie and everyone else in town know the grisly history of the plot, what they don’t realise is that the bloodshed is precisely why the couple want the land – the perfect spot for human sacrifices to Moccus.

After nearly all the tenants of Briar Hill attend a huge cookout hosted by Everett and Ardwyn, the small community becomes at ease with these outsiders – except for Dennie. She can feel something is off about the couple, though can’t put her finger on what exactly. In the months that follow, the residents who dined on “pork” at the cookout miraculously heal from old injuries and diseases. Although they don’t know exactly how they’ve attained a new vitality, they acknowledge Ardwyn as the source and help her and Everett establish the new Farrow Farm. At the same time, other residents go missing, and the ghost of Sarah Neary begins visiting Dennie, to warn her of what is really going on. But as Dennie’s dementia progresses, will anyone believe her and help stop the followers of Moccus from destroying her village?

In some books too many characters can lead to confusion or lapses in tension, but that was not my experience in Bone Harvest. The author does a superb job of including a wide array of characters, each well developed and facing their own unique demons. There’s a father with a deathly ill child and needs to choose between accepting the Farrow to heal his daughter or inform the authorities. A young man who for the first time has a sense of belonging at the Farrow Farm, but to prove his allegiance he may need to commit murder. Even Dennie is more complicated than she first appears as her hands aren’t clean of bloodshed either.

The expansiveness of this fictional world and richness of the characters reminded me of reading Stephen King in all the best ways possible. After finishing this book, I’m really looking forward to reading more by James Brogden. If you’re looking for a satisfyingly thick and juicy book, I highly recommend Bone Harvest.

*Review first appeared on Kendall Reviews*

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this; I thought the way the initial scenes fleshed out (no pun intended) the rest of the story was excellent and really added to the depth of the story. I felt sad for but also admired fiesty little Dennie and really liked the character of David (who for some reason I pictured as Steve Oram, probably because I just finished listening to the Children of the Stones podcast!) as well finding the whole church/cult thing suitably creepy. Top-notch writing quality as ever from Mr Brogden. However, I may have gone off pork a tad...

[Bookworm With a B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super read!!! Weird and creepy! I wish Brogden would do a prequel to this one! I'd love to see them in in the times before the war, like how they found him and how their worship was viewed at an earlier period of time.
I love that this book is centered around a dottering old lady and her giant goofy dog!

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoooooo! This book… This book will make you utter ‘fucks’ and ‘oh nos’ and ‘ughs’ like no other.

Bone Harvest is not your regular wham-bam-thankyou-mam horror where everything goes to pot quickly in a singular line with zero crossroads, making it a perfect drugstore horror shelf filler. Oh no. Bone Harvest is a folk horror you invest in. You give it your time and attention as it steadily, persistently and consistently excavates all the feels from your soul through your eyes. Yes, god damn it, I hate cannibalism elements- it’s the only thing that will forever make me so very queasy, but with this small caveat (and the fact cannibalism occurs only a handful of times *shudders*)- what is there NOT to love in this book? It’s a dirty little secret of nearly 500 pages filled with ancient mystery, historical and mystical air weaving its tendrils through modern day disbelief and it stands solid on a folktale. I mean, folktales are always somewhat the ‘unreliable narrators’ – sure, there’s probably a lot added for the passing it forward generation to generation around a campfire or what have you. But also- the story has to get its weight from somewhere, right? 😉

Hmm, let’s see what else have we got going on. I guess you could say sacrifice sits strongly in the centre of the whole story. Sacrifice of people, lambs, sanity, peace… you name it, Bone Harvest got it. You know, you got the occasional ritual orgy happening, what with fertility and natural urges driving the force of life. Yeah. So. You get the picture.

But there’s also a bit of balance to the utter madness. Some action taking place at the setting of allotments. People gardening, weeding, planting, harvesting. It’s the simple life. For some, a means to escape the struggles of everyday life, for others a serious hobby, the sticking of fingers in the dirt. And for others yet, the earth takes and gives the very life they live. Brogden really brings it all to life with skill and made me dream of a future of some sort where I could also wear wellies, and with cup in hand marvel at the various crops I have lovingly tended to. Did you know, allotments also make for perfect hiding places? You have the tool sheds where you can get up to all sorts of shenanigans… Like make a cup of tea, cut up a man or copulate… There’s also plentiful dirt to dig bodies into and so forth?

Yes! It all sounds very seedy, grim and horrible. I would even say Bone Harvest ticks the very box of all three. The prophecy has been fulfilled, Bone Harvest is The One in the Genre of Horror to deliver just what its purpose.

I have read previous work of Brogden’s as well – see my review of The Hollow Tree – and I can tell you one thing. This author puts everything into his books. There’s inspiration from the past, there’s the folktale, there’s the mysteries of bygone times, and he manages to build on a story by adding easily two to three more layers of complexity and conflict. Importantly, every chapter started perfectly with setting the scene, it was nearly peaceful and blissful and beautiful… until I was reminded what was really at hand.

In a nutshell- if you’re tired of speedy slashers and want a bit more substance to your horror, James Brodgen is your port of call and Bone Harvest will deliver on multiple fronts.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare I find a book that keeps me gripped by my throat, refusing to let go until I finish it. I’m usually pretty good at reading a few – and only a few – chapters before heading to sleep, but Bone Harvest had me staying up late just so I could find out how things would turn out. Even when I wasn’t reading it, I found myself drawn to the characters, thinking about the strangeness of the Farrow, their god, and the politics involved on a local community allotment.

I love horror, from all countries, but I have been reading a lot of USA based horror recently, and to dig my teeth into something so very British was an absolute joy.

Bone Harvest starts in the trenches of World War I, where a man called only the deserter, searches for something away from the donkeys leading lions to slaughter. The deserter finds it, in a way, with a mysterious company who follow orders from no man, and who eat whatever they can find in No Man’s Land.

It’s hard to go much more into plot without giving things away. The book jumps forward in points, and the technique was handled well, carrying the reader through the intervening years and allowing us to see the changes on the characters as the Twentieth Century turns into the Twenty-First. The main bulk of the novel takes place in a present day small community, where an elderly woman called Dennie struggles with dementia, and distrusts her new neighbours.

Various viewpoints come into play throughout the novel. The Farrow are worshippers of an ancient god, who either draw in or come up against the allotment residents. It makes for an interesting dynamic. The characters throughout are well written and believable, with Dennie refusing to admit anything is wrong, David doing anything he can to protect his family, and Angie, who just wants to maintain control of the allotments. But my particular favourite character is Everett, a man who charms those around him, who does whatever he can to remain in control, and who calls everyone ‘chum’. He’s one of those characters who’s endearing, even though you don’t particularly want him to be.

The small touches make this novel really stand out for me. The sense of Britishness comes through nicely and naturally, and the various settings – from the trenches to the village where we originally meet the Farrow, and right through to the allotment and farm later on – are drawn wonderfully, allowing the reader to vividly picture them and the characters who inhabit them.

It’s hard in this book to know who to root for. Not to say the good guys aren’t clear, but the bad guys are engrossing, and it makes you want to see them succeed, in some ways anyway. Brogden also does something clever towards the end, flipping some of the ideas carried throughout the book, and allowing the reader to see certain situations in a new light.

It’s a fantastic book that, despite its length, I tore through. I cannot recommend this one highly enough, and I suggest it gets added to your TBR asap.

[Joshua Hair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bone Harvest totally took me by surprise. It's a weird one, but I ate it up and begged for seconds. This might just make it on my "Best Of" list at the end of the year.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sat in my kindle for a bit, and when I got around to starting it, I first thought I must have the wrong book. I read a little, then put it down and read the synopsis again. I wondered what in the world orgies with dead bodies, cannibalism and deserters from the war could possibly have to do with a woman suffering early onset dementia all on her own with her husband and children gone....so I left this book alone for a while. Eventually I picked it back up even though it did not seem to be my type. At last I made it to Dennie and her allotment. The three strangers who show up to take on the neighboring allotment are from a religious cult, and they are here to resurrect their ancient god, leaving a path of death and destruction in their wake. Everyone seems easily swayed by these charismatic newcomers, all except for Dennie and her dog who are the first to suspect all is not as it appears to be. Before long it seems that Dennie will have to be the one to save the day, for even as the dementia begins to claim her, she still has the ability to see what others can't. By this time I was deeply invested in the story and it's characters, and was glad I did not give up on the story during it's unexpected beginning. There is lots of gore and bloodshed in this supernatural horror but also a lot of heart as one character grapples with what he may be willing to sacrifice to save his child.


I received a complimentary copy for review.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, easy to read - but not really horror as such.

I loved the story, this was a real page-turner and worth every second I spent it. It is quintessentially British in many respects, so some of the cultural nuances might be lost on others. A surprising amount of the lore is true as well, which adds an extra level of 'thickness' to the overall work.

However, it simply isn't scary. It is light horror (to put it mildly) and whilst genuinely gruesome in some areas, it doesn't really have a single scare in it.

That aside, I love it :)

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full-throttle folk horror, extremely well plotted. This is the first thing of Brogden’s I’ve read and he joins Matt Wesolowski and David Sodergren and as one of the most exciting new voices in the horror genre.

[ThatBookGal · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I can say after this one, is wow!! What did I just read?! The blurb had lured me into a sense of what this book was like, but it was so very much more than that. From the opening sequence to the final pages, I was captivated by this bizarre and horrifying tale.

I feel as though to talk about the plot would ruin it for anyone who choses to read this ahead of picking up the book. As with most horrors, it's best to go in blind with very little knowledge of the subject. The calm and calculated nature of the writing, really added to the suspense and allowed a delightfully slow build up of tension. You are never really sure what is going to happen in the next paragraph, as the horrific elements are carefully intersected with talk about allotments, tea and cake.

Brogden captured the essence of a small British village perfectly. From the bored, self-indulgent teens, to the village scandal, it all felt very true to how events would go down if something like this genuinely happened. Combined with the slow burning tale, it reminded me of classic British horror movies. All it really needed as the cherry on top was a creepy soundtrack playing as I read.

Altogether a great read, with some very strange and twisted elements to satisfy horror fans. I did also giggle to myself a few times that actual 2020 has turned out to be even more crazy and messed up than the one seen in James Brogden's story. Particularly when the VE day celebrations were mentioned!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book definitely wasn't for me unfortunately.

After reading the blurb I thought this was going to be a horror book but it's more of a fantasy/ science fiction book.

The character mentioned in the synopsis does not make an appearance until over 100 pages in.

I could not understand what the first 100 pages were about at all. It was very confusing and there was some scenes which just seemed completely unessceary.

Once the character mentioned on the blurb appeared, I did like the book a bit more.

But I just found the whole book very confusing, long and not very interesting. I struggled to follow the plot in this one.

If I new it was going to be more fantasy lead, I would not have picked it up. The blurb definitely doesn't market this book well. It's quite misleading.

TW: violence, murder, suicide and rape references

[USOM · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

TW: cannibalism, gore

Beginning in the middle of the trenches, Bone Harvest is a book that surprised me from the very first pages. While I had no idea that's where a good portion of the first part would go, Brogden does not shy away from human desperation. From the shadows beneath our eyes and the darkest deeds we commit in the dark. Humans continually show their ability to change. Are we able to change for the better? To pursue power and immortality?

The constant surprises in Bone Harvest kept me reading. You know those books that captivate you and then when you're finished you ask yourself, "what was I reading?" That was me basically every time I took a break. Memories unravel before us and Brogden maintains a steady pace to introduce us to all these characters. As events unfold for Everett and Dennie, the events begin to quicken and we wonder if Dennie will be able to figure out the truth.

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Aina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up! A fascinating folk horror with some great characters! I loved the first half of the book showing the deserter coming to terms with the Farrow and their rituals. It’s hedonistic and gory. Animals are sacrificed, and there’s cannibalism too. The writing is unflinching and expressive. I thought Everett is a magnetic main character. It took some time for me to realise that he might not be the hero of the story.

The second half focuses on Dennie and her suspicions. Who knew allotments could cause so much drama! I liked Dennie, she’s dismissed as a “loopy old dear” but she has steel in her bones. She has a Great Dane called Viggo and he's awesome! I did find the second half loses some intensity as it shifts focus to other characters. But I enjoyed the premise of a sinister cult shaking up a quiet rural community. It’s interesting to see ancient beliefs clashing with modernity. One of the best surprises of the year for me!

CW: animal deaths, cannibalism, domestic abuse

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.

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[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything!
Folk horror, ancient gods, cannibalism, prophetic ghosts!
I really loved it.

But (lmao there’s always a but) it didn’t know when to stop. There were a few moments where the story felt finished enough that we didn’t need any more and then another twist would be thrown in. It was a bit like when you know a sitcom should have ended a few seasons ago but for some reason it just keeps getting renewed

[Zuky the BookBum]

DNF. Big yikes. Did not like this at all, it was very tricky for me to get through 300 pages of this, I couldn’t bear to try get through the rest.

In short, I couldn’t bear to read about the main characters “cock” any longer.

[Suze · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book is pretty much a cult, folk horror story with some weird religious/cult going-ons, deaths and gore. I found the first part confusing as it starts off with the deserter in a war which the synopsis had nothing to do with but as it progresses you learn of the cult and their god, and gives a good back story into both the deserter and the cult/religion. The next part you then meet Dennie who I loved as shes the type of character that takes no crap from anyone, aswell as her beloved companion Viggo. You then understand how the deserter's and Dennie's stories tie in together. I really liked the writing style, very straight to the point and found it a well written folk horror story and had some pretty gory stuff going on, but I just found during the story it gotten a bit slow. However pushing past that I did enjoy the ending! Overall an interesting read if you enjoy folk/cult horror.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1915, and a young British soldier cowers in the mud of France. He is sick, dying of tuburculosis. He deserts his platoon and before too long meets up with other deserters. Circumstances lead him to a bizarre cult named the Farrow. The Farrow worship Moccus, an ancient deity that is half-human half-boar, a creature raised to life by regular blood sacrifices.

The story moves forward to present day England, and the Farrow live in an allotement community and go about their ways undisturbed. But there is a major problem brewing.

I think Bone Harvest definitely clasifies as a really good example of folk horror. It is not an in-your-face-slice and-dice bloodbath, so if that is what you are looking for from the get go you'll be sorely disappointed.

It's a slow burn, but if you can stick with it past the opening 25% wherein James Brogden lays down a fairly intricate history for what is occuring, then the story speeds up as the plot, and the madness unfolds. I enjoyed Bone Harvest.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a solid read and my first book by this author. I look forward to reading more from him. The allegory of when we take care of the planet it will take care of our needs, when we take more than we need, when we perverse nature it will turn against us.

There was also a message of the fact that there are so many things outside of our control, and so often we try to control those events anyway- causing people do desperate and stupid things. We see this reflected many times in history.

This was a fun book about a cult. I love that James talked about the faith, about how the cult evolved, that we follow the change in "Everette" over time. How it changes the community and the people in it. I also liked the fact that James didn't go super hard on the religions aspect of the cult itself.

If your looking for a book about a cult, world building, character building, with a message behind it this is your book. Really enjoyed it!

[Wendi Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Finally a cult story done right. And the dog doesn’t die. 4.5⭐️

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the kind of book where the suspense lies in any mystery surrounding what is going on, because you follow the villains of the piece, too. It's a strange tale of a cult practising human sacrifices taking up an allotment next to an old lady with psychic abilities and early-onset dementia - and she is the only one seeing them for what they are. Its strength lies both in its fast-moving, never a dull moment-plot and, primarily, in its characters. Especially the main character: I loved Dennie so much. Her relationship to her dog was the most beautiful thing. The ending really hooked me, because I'd come to care so much for most of the "good guy" characters involved, which is quite rare for me.
I went into this thinking it was something other than it was, which dampened my enjoyment in the beginning. But I think it speaks to this book's brilliance that I found myself really loving it despite my expectations.
I will definitely be checking out other works by this author.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/OgZWnK-_PJE

[Daniel Lloyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I was gifted this, and it’s not a book I would have picked up normally, and I gave it a good go but I had to tap out around page 184 or so.

The main flaw is that are two conflicting protagonists to his book. The “main” protagonist, Dennie, a very straightforward and likeable protagonist for a horror novel with a protective dog and a checkered past and all the usual hallmarks, whom I have no issues with. But before she’s even introduced, a strangely large amount of the novel is dedicated to what is obstensibly a bloated prologue featuring another character named Everett, who is one of those snarky and irreverent characters who is just simply too epic and intelligent to be phased by anything. So everything that happens that would otherwise be a cool story beat or something that provides tension dissipates before this smart alecy self-insert character who always has a quip ready, even when not appropriate, and isn’t phased by anything. Many scenes conclude with him firing off a snarky irreverent quip, like a sitcom character right before a commercial break, to demonstrate how utterly charming and witty he is, which becomes very repetitive very quickly, locking the novel into this monotonous tone of “its fine, this dashing, perfect, great-in-bed swashbuckler doesn’t even care about the plot, neither should you. It’s child’s play to his epic wit. We can all just go home because he’s got it covered.”

The lengthy prologue centers around an ancient cult preparing for some kind of grotesque sacrificial ceremony, but due to the aforementioned tonal issues, it comes across like a story about putting on a school play, because gore is discussed as off-handedly as costuming or choreography. You can feel the book stalling for time with multiple subplots and twists and betrayals so that it can justify obscene amounts of exposition and world-building before the main story begins, but because I’ve read the back of the book and know that the actual plot is meant to star someone named “Dennie” who is nowhere to be found, I’m just increasingly agitated for the book to stop wasting my time.

I’ve read other reviews that say the opposite, but the novel becomes vaguely better 119 pages in when it shifts perspectives to Dennie, an actually likable character with early-onset dementia, whom the murder cult move next door to in order to conduct their dark bidding, and must be stopped before it’s too late!!!! And Everett is reintroduced as an antagonist to Dennie, except he’s still the same irreverent chuckle factory who gets all the ladies and probably wears a fedora, so I think the author still wants us to like him? It’s not clear... again, it’s the tone. The story would be much better if we the audience didn’t know these characters yet, the novel slowly revealing their dark truth like a suspenseful mystery, or perhaps the novel could play around with whether or not Denny is a reliable narrator due to her mental decline, but NOPE never mind, because we already know from the bloated prologue that this is a world where ancient evil deities are not only real, but that we shouldn’t even care that they are, so okay they’re real, the end, we can all go home now.

Surprise! All of that was actually just the prologue to my real review: it’s not a very good read.

[Mark De · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book I've read in years.

The plot itself is thin but okay like a late night tv movie, though I have no idea why it would begin with detailing Everett's backstory. This makes it completely impossible to identify with the mystery the characters are experiencing from part 2 onwards as we as the reader already have all the information.

Aside from that, the writing is very inelegant, clunky, redundant, and at times directly contradictory to what was written 2 pages earlier.
The dialogue feels unnatural and makes it hard to like or identify with any single character.

It was honestly a struggle to make it to the end.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, did this book deliver! It was my first James Brogden read, and based on what I saw here, I'll definitely be seeking out some of his other works in the future. I could not put it down. The characters were fun (even the baddies), the story pulls you in, and the prose itself was fantastic. I loved the sort of comedic lean in the narrative. (Especially where Everette was involved.) Would recommend to any fan of horror!

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bone Harvest begins with a wild deserter in the trenches of WW1. A man who cast aside his allegiance, identity and humanity for survival. Living long enough in No Mans Land to find an adhoc group of soldiers who call themselves the Grey Brigade. A band of soldiers from many nations who survive by any means necessary. (Based on a very real WW1 legend that is beyond fascinating). One of the men, Bill, introduces Everett (a name the deserter stole) to his obscure but alluring religion.

After escaping the war, Everett goes to visit Swinley, a place Bill talked about during their time together, which is home to the Farrows, those worship the god Moccus. The Great Boar. He who eats the moon. The Leader of the Farrows, a woman named Mother, acknowledges Everett’s potential and accept him into their ranks. Moccus requires sacrifice to compensate for his gift of life. After many years in the cycle Everett becomes certain that Moccus requires more from them, and he’s happy to oblige his gracious god.

Dennie hates her echoey old house. She prefers the sanctuary of her allotment, a place of work and peace. Dennie sees her shed as more of a home now anyway. Her quietude is disrupted by the arrival of a millennial couple who want to occupy the plot next to her. A plot that has a dark past seeped in abuse and murder. If the couple know this, they’re not showing it. The site is cleared and a shed is built, much to the displeasure of the other tenants.

The couple, Everett and Ardwyn are gracious neighbours and quickly inject themselves into the community. Dennie is not fooled by this. She may be losing her mind slowly to dementia but Dennie has always been able to see trouble and these two are bathed in it. After several questionable night-time disturbances and people starting to go missing, Dennie shares her concerns with others but most believe her condition is worsening. Frustrated yet never deterred, Dennie sets out to discover what exactly Everett and Ardwyn are planning to do with their blood-soaked plot of land.

In a chilling and disturbing tale of human sacrifice, old gods, mental illness and loneliness, a story of turning nature into something purely evil, I was completely absorbed in the plot of Bone Harvest right until the chaotic final showdown that did not disappoint.

James Brogden is an absolute masterclass when it comes to tense, dark, slow-building horror novels that span multiple time periods, depicting unforgettable clashes with true nightmares. JB’s narratives are a potent mixture of history/legend (usually graphic in detail) and the reality of problems we face to this day, this case being mental health problems such as dementia. There is a ton of hideous and grisly scenes in Bone Harvest (such as human sacrifice and cannibalism) and James Brogden is still successful in making dementia and abuse seem like the scariest things that could happen to any of us.

You can fill a book with terrifying monsters (human or otherwise) but watching a mind losing its traction with reality is just devastating. Add two emotional subplots including an abused wife and a young daughter with cancer and it hit me with a real weight more than any of the gritty horror elements.

Not that I’m saying those parts weren’t good! They were superb. James Brogden loves insidious stories that twist the nature of our world into something angry and distorted. The evolution of the church of Moccus in this story was as fascinating as it was brutal. The development was fantastic and, because I knew what was really going on, I was on edge the whole novel waiting for very bad things to happen. James Brogden is so good at that creepy, inch by inch build up that is populated by increasing vivid graphic details that increase tension and intrigue in equal measure.

The characters in Bone Harvest were well thought out in my opinion. I want to say I was most invested in Dennie but I would say Everett was probably my favourite character, or maybe Viggo the Great Dane. Everett is an incredibly engrossing villain, maybe even JB’s best yet. Dennie is still a solid lead, juggling her failing memory and her desperation to protect her community was endearing as hell. I wasn’t a huge fan of the details behind her ability to see dark intentions etc but it was fine for story purposes.

After reading The Plague Stones (another great read) I kind of knew what I was getting myself into with Bone Harvest. It was even better than I imagined with all the dark, gritty horror I could stomach but with as much heart added in to compensate. I highly recommend Bone Harvest to everyone who like their fiction intense, memorable and fearsome yet conscious of life’s true terrors. James Brogden is proving time and again that he is a go to author for inventive horror fiction.