What do you think?
Rate this book
The Balance
When myth becomes nightmare… The price of blood is always blood.
Natalia’s in trouble. She only looked away for a second, and now her brother’s hurt. Her relationship with her mother is fractured, her brother’s condition is deteriorating, and her only hope lays deep in the unforgiving forest. A secret spoken only in whispers offers a way out. But when help comes in occult forms a sacrifice may be the only way to restore the balance.
Humanity and nature collide in The Balance by Kev Harrison, a modern reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, set in Cold War Poland.
Natalia’s in trouble. She only looked away for a second, and now her brother’s hurt. Her relationship with her mother is fractured, her brother’s condition is deteriorating, and her only hope lays deep in the unforgiving forest. A secret spoken only in whispers offers a way out. But when help comes in occult forms a sacrifice may be the only way to restore the balance.
Humanity and nature collide in The Balance by Kev Harrison, a modern reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, set in Cold War Poland.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2020
7 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Kev Harrison
38 books157 followersKev Harrison is a writer of dark fiction and English language teacher from England, living and working in Lisbon, Portugal. He has previously lived in various areas of the UK, as well as Turkey and Poland.
His Independent Press Award-winning debut novel, Shadow of the Hidden, is out now from Brigids Gate Press. His latest novella, 'Below' is also available from the same publishing house.
His debut novella 'The Balance', was released through Lycan Valley Press, while his debut collection 'Paths Best Left Untrodden' was released through Northern Republic.
His forthcoming release, Pyres, is a politically-charged novel of supernatural horror, set in the New Forest.
He is a staff writer for This is Horror and has had short fiction published in a variety of magazines and anthologies and podcasts.
His Independent Press Award-winning debut novel, Shadow of the Hidden, is out now from Brigids Gate Press. His latest novella, 'Below' is also available from the same publishing house.
His debut novella 'The Balance', was released through Lycan Valley Press, while his debut collection 'Paths Best Left Untrodden' was released through Northern Republic.
His forthcoming release, Pyres, is a politically-charged novel of supernatural horror, set in the New Forest.
He is a staff writer for This is Horror and has had short fiction published in a variety of magazines and anthologies and podcasts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 28, 2020
Every so often, I’ll download something to my Kindle I’m really excited about so I’ll read the first couple of pages to ‘see what happens’. I don’t mean what happens in the book--I mean, what happens to me; to my reader’s heart. Will the story urge me to go on past those first few pages?
It’s an exciting experiment that I love trying out. THE BALANCE by Kev Harrison is just over one hundred pages so I figured, if I get sucked in, I could probably just breeze through it in an hour or so, and guess what? That’s exactly what happened.
Fans of horror featuring witches, folklore, and a well-paced story are going to want to buy this for their Autumnal/Halloween reading list. I can’t think of a better book to binge-read on Halloween night. Imagine a little village set in Cold War Poland. A sixteen-year-old girl and her ten-year-old brother live with their mother. Out in the woods, tragedy strikes. With a depleted, emergency health care situation, the children turn to alternative medicine. All of the events that happen after this single, life-altering event, set into motion ‘The Balance’.
I am in awe of Kev Harrison’s storytelling voice. My reading experience took me back to the days when I would read out of Grimm’s Fairytales to my little sisters. A re-imagined tale of Baba Yaga for a modern generation of horror readers. This was captivating, unputdownable, and deliciously suspenseful. I had to know what was going to happen. My reader’s heart was one hundred percent emotionally invested. Again, horror lovers looking for the perfect Halloween read, this is your book.
It’s an exciting experiment that I love trying out. THE BALANCE by Kev Harrison is just over one hundred pages so I figured, if I get sucked in, I could probably just breeze through it in an hour or so, and guess what? That’s exactly what happened.
Fans of horror featuring witches, folklore, and a well-paced story are going to want to buy this for their Autumnal/Halloween reading list. I can’t think of a better book to binge-read on Halloween night. Imagine a little village set in Cold War Poland. A sixteen-year-old girl and her ten-year-old brother live with their mother. Out in the woods, tragedy strikes. With a depleted, emergency health care situation, the children turn to alternative medicine. All of the events that happen after this single, life-altering event, set into motion ‘The Balance’.
I am in awe of Kev Harrison’s storytelling voice. My reading experience took me back to the days when I would read out of Grimm’s Fairytales to my little sisters. A re-imagined tale of Baba Yaga for a modern generation of horror readers. This was captivating, unputdownable, and deliciously suspenseful. I had to know what was going to happen. My reader’s heart was one hundred percent emotionally invested. Again, horror lovers looking for the perfect Halloween read, this is your book.
January 8, 2021
The Balance epitomises everything that I love about folktale horror. It’s a story of balance, order, the coming full circle. There’s secrets at every corner, an unknown set of scales allowing harmony and control. What happens when humanity grasps for more control, more power? Will that balance tip and allow everything to come crashing all down? Time doesn’t exist whilst reading this book. Yes, you can hear it whittling down, each tick getting louder and louder until it beats furiously in your brain, making the tension all that more palpable.
The balance is a work of art.
This book crept up on me and felt like a sledgehammer on the back of my head. Where even do you begin with this story? Natalya’s 10-year-old brother injures his leg whilst climbing a tree, the fall makes him break his leg but that isn’t the most worrying part – he has a laceration that most likely will become infected, which of course it does. The local doctor heals the bone to the best of his abilities, but he has no antibiotics and pretty much no access to any. The boys condition worsens, and Natalia is in a bind…allow her brother to either lose his leg or succumb to septicaemia or seek help from a shunned member of the community. Help that lives deep in the forest.
The Balance is a story that will have goosebumps creeping up your arms. Kev Harrison has nailed his exquisitely torturous method of storytelling, something that would have fit right in on “Tales from the Crypt.” It’s referred to as a retelling of the Slavic folktale of Baba Yaga. I was completely enthralled by the prospect of a gatekeeper, if you will, keeping the balance between nature and the village. The villagers may feel threatened or frightened of her but there will come a time when you will need her influence.
They say there is always consequences for your actions, and nothing has been truer for the residents of this small Polish village. Don’t expect the secrets to be revealed at a nice steady pace, Harrison likes to give you a swift kick to the genitals where the action is concerned. Once everything becomes unravelled its like an avalanche in the alps. I won’t lie, I loved everything about it!
The Balance was utter perfection. There was nothing that didn’t work. Characterisation, worldbuilding…gah, just everything *insert chef’s kiss* I particularly enjoyed Natalia’s resilience. Despite her brother’s accident, she manned up and took responsibility, despite her mother being a complete dragon about it. Even though seeking out alternative help would land her in the shit with her mother again, she did what was best for her brother, to hell with the consequences. Harrison is an author that deserves all your trust because he can deliver. The authentic feel of the small village, frustrations and strains, the author had me from the start!
The Balance is like nothing you’ve read before, forget it all! Intense, atmospheric, and beautifully told. Harrison is a fabulous teller of stories and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
The balance is a work of art.
This book crept up on me and felt like a sledgehammer on the back of my head. Where even do you begin with this story? Natalya’s 10-year-old brother injures his leg whilst climbing a tree, the fall makes him break his leg but that isn’t the most worrying part – he has a laceration that most likely will become infected, which of course it does. The local doctor heals the bone to the best of his abilities, but he has no antibiotics and pretty much no access to any. The boys condition worsens, and Natalia is in a bind…allow her brother to either lose his leg or succumb to septicaemia or seek help from a shunned member of the community. Help that lives deep in the forest.
The Balance is a story that will have goosebumps creeping up your arms. Kev Harrison has nailed his exquisitely torturous method of storytelling, something that would have fit right in on “Tales from the Crypt.” It’s referred to as a retelling of the Slavic folktale of Baba Yaga. I was completely enthralled by the prospect of a gatekeeper, if you will, keeping the balance between nature and the village. The villagers may feel threatened or frightened of her but there will come a time when you will need her influence.
They say there is always consequences for your actions, and nothing has been truer for the residents of this small Polish village. Don’t expect the secrets to be revealed at a nice steady pace, Harrison likes to give you a swift kick to the genitals where the action is concerned. Once everything becomes unravelled its like an avalanche in the alps. I won’t lie, I loved everything about it!
The Balance was utter perfection. There was nothing that didn’t work. Characterisation, worldbuilding…gah, just everything *insert chef’s kiss* I particularly enjoyed Natalia’s resilience. Despite her brother’s accident, she manned up and took responsibility, despite her mother being a complete dragon about it. Even though seeking out alternative help would land her in the shit with her mother again, she did what was best for her brother, to hell with the consequences. Harrison is an author that deserves all your trust because he can deliver. The authentic feel of the small village, frustrations and strains, the author had me from the start!
The Balance is like nothing you’ve read before, forget it all! Intense, atmospheric, and beautifully told. Harrison is a fabulous teller of stories and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
August 13, 2021
The Balance, Kev Harrison's debut novella, is an engrossing mix of fairytale folk horror. The book creates a mystique around the legend of Baba Yaga, offering a particular viewpoint on the legend, but also leaving an air of mystery to the imagination of the readers. Focusing the narrative from the point of view of a young adult reinforces the fairytale viewpoint, making Harrison's book read with a bit of magic. When the reader learns the reasoning behind the title, a landscape has already been established in which to wreak havoc. I'm a sucker for horror mixed with mythology, and I highly recommend this book which pulls from a less familiar mythos, providing a little variety to your chills.
December 7, 2020
When I think of Folk horror, I Immediately imagine secluded little villages or settlements like those in Eggers ”The VVitch” or M. Night Shyamalan's ”The Village”, both providing overt ominous religious overtones, and The Balance is right alongside them.
The dread that is prominent from start to finish, will creep into you, latching its talons into your brain. While reading I found myself transported to the small Polish settlement where our tale is set, on the outskirts of this town there's a forest and in that forest a cottage. In the cottage lives the current Baba Yaga, yet she's not truly Baba Yaga, and there's no cottage standing on chicken legs. Harrison has completely crafted a tale all of his own, where benevolent entities remain at bay, only if the balance is held. If the balance is disturbed, all hell breaks loose. This is a beautiful reimagining, that is terrifying and captivating. A read that readers will surely enjoy. You won't put this down.
I found myself sympathizing with our protagonist, Natalia, who looked away for just a second, and everything changed. What, could she do to rectify her mistake? Natka, shares her grief, shame, and fear with readers. It creates a bond that demands you to join her and stand with her. She's a truly commanding character! The distance she will go, and her choices along the way determine everything.
Readers will begin to believe that, they have it all figured out, but the ending isn't what you think. When the bells toll.
The dread that is prominent from start to finish, will creep into you, latching its talons into your brain. While reading I found myself transported to the small Polish settlement where our tale is set, on the outskirts of this town there's a forest and in that forest a cottage. In the cottage lives the current Baba Yaga, yet she's not truly Baba Yaga, and there's no cottage standing on chicken legs. Harrison has completely crafted a tale all of his own, where benevolent entities remain at bay, only if the balance is held. If the balance is disturbed, all hell breaks loose. This is a beautiful reimagining, that is terrifying and captivating. A read that readers will surely enjoy. You won't put this down.
I found myself sympathizing with our protagonist, Natalia, who looked away for just a second, and everything changed. What, could she do to rectify her mistake? Natka, shares her grief, shame, and fear with readers. It creates a bond that demands you to join her and stand with her. She's a truly commanding character! The distance she will go, and her choices along the way determine everything.
Readers will begin to believe that, they have it all figured out, but the ending isn't what you think. When the bells toll.
January 25, 2021
A fine mixture of old folklore and horror makes a great recipe.
Natalia and Kuba are our playing when Kuba takes a tumble, shattering his ankle. Natalia and Kuba's distraught mother blames Natalia. With this being a time and place where modern medicine doesn't exist, the village doctor wants to chop that thing off before it's too late.
Natalia has other ideas. Enter BABA YAGA!
The story is great. The story is intense when it needs to be intense, and intimate when it needs to be intimate. The beautiful writing, both prose and narrative, make the story really come alive.
Everything from the story development to character development to the action, the drama, the hurt, the regrets and everything leading up to the finale that would make Hitchcock blush are perfectly placed along this journey.
Chapter 10 starts off breathtaking and doesn't stop. Your blood pressure will rise a bit, but it becomes worth it for the pay off.
From beginning to end, The Balance is flawless.
Enjoy
Natalia and Kuba are our playing when Kuba takes a tumble, shattering his ankle. Natalia and Kuba's distraught mother blames Natalia. With this being a time and place where modern medicine doesn't exist, the village doctor wants to chop that thing off before it's too late.
Natalia has other ideas. Enter BABA YAGA!
The story is great. The story is intense when it needs to be intense, and intimate when it needs to be intimate. The beautiful writing, both prose and narrative, make the story really come alive.
Everything from the story development to character development to the action, the drama, the hurt, the regrets and everything leading up to the finale that would make Hitchcock blush are perfectly placed along this journey.
Chapter 10 starts off breathtaking and doesn't stop. Your blood pressure will rise a bit, but it becomes worth it for the pay off.
From beginning to end, The Balance is flawless.
Enjoy
April 19, 2021
I love EVERYTHING about this novella!
The cover, the floppiness, the texture of the pages, right down to it's scent! but the GUTS, the guts of this story, HECK YES!
This was my first experience with Kev Harrison's work and it absolutely will NOT be my last.
I knew the moment I saw Well Read Beards review on YouTube that I needed a copy of this read but first and foremost I needed to go, find the author's socials because I am all about support. That's when Kev offered to send me a copy of this beauty and I was ecstatic.
This is folk horror at it's best!
The story is engrossing, it is full of revenge (which I am of course here for) the characters are so good, extremely memorable. My favourite part of this read is when the title of the story comes to life!
The Balance will leave you with a world of emotions. Of course I highly recommend this read.
Thank you so much Kev for sending me a copy to read and review, it means so much to me and I know I'll be picking this one up again in the future for a re-read. Until then, I also look forward to any of your future releases.
"Be careful my children, as you choose your path."
Thank you all for reading
Your BALANCED Book Worm
Nichi
The cover, the floppiness, the texture of the pages, right down to it's scent! but the GUTS, the guts of this story, HECK YES!
This was my first experience with Kev Harrison's work and it absolutely will NOT be my last.
I knew the moment I saw Well Read Beards review on YouTube that I needed a copy of this read but first and foremost I needed to go, find the author's socials because I am all about support. That's when Kev offered to send me a copy of this beauty and I was ecstatic.
This is folk horror at it's best!
The story is engrossing, it is full of revenge (which I am of course here for) the characters are so good, extremely memorable. My favourite part of this read is when the title of the story comes to life!
The Balance will leave you with a world of emotions. Of course I highly recommend this read.
Thank you so much Kev for sending me a copy to read and review, it means so much to me and I know I'll be picking this one up again in the future for a re-read. Until then, I also look forward to any of your future releases.
"Be careful my children, as you choose your path."
Thank you all for reading
Your BALANCED Book Worm
Nichi
December 5, 2020
I love folklore and tales of Baba Yaga, so this novella was something I was excited to pick up.
Happily, it met my expectations.
This was a great read. An excellent tale of folk horror. I could imagine this being made into a Guillermo del Toro film.
Highly recommended!
Happily, it met my expectations.
This was a great read. An excellent tale of folk horror. I could imagine this being made into a Guillermo del Toro film.
Highly recommended!
May 21, 2020
Kev Harrison is a new writer to me but after his offering ‘The Balance’ he is a writer I will continue to read and seek out!
‘The Balance’ is a strange beast it’s like the offspring of the folklore brilliance one expects from the Brothers Grimm and absurdity and visceral writing of James Herbert - and I bloody loved it!
Folklore is a huge part of our lives, we have all heard tales issued forth from families and communities about the places we live or visit - shared around campfires and hushed conversations, the Slavic folklore of Baba Yaga is something I know about and Harrison adds to this cannon with this beautifully crafted novella.
He takes the concept of Baba Yaga and adds his own interpretation, adds his own slice of horror and reimagining of this lore and in doing so creates a deftly crafted slice of horror.
The characters are fully rounded, each lending themselves to the unraveling of the story and the horror within, the sense of place and time is also richly woven into the fabric of his storytelling. You are fully immersed in the world Harrison has crafted and that is the mark of an expert storyteller.
The horrors that he writes about are delightfully and deftly put across - visceral and gory, the attacks from nature are dark and delicious in their affect on the reader - ‘His mouth hung open, brambles like stitches woven in and out of the now blue lips. Where his eyes once were, two poppies had bloomed, their dense black stamens coated with seeds at the centre of the paper-like red petals.’
The Balance is balanced, folklore deftly spliced with horror that creates the perfect horror infused fable... a book you need to read!
‘The Balance’ is a strange beast it’s like the offspring of the folklore brilliance one expects from the Brothers Grimm and absurdity and visceral writing of James Herbert - and I bloody loved it!
Folklore is a huge part of our lives, we have all heard tales issued forth from families and communities about the places we live or visit - shared around campfires and hushed conversations, the Slavic folklore of Baba Yaga is something I know about and Harrison adds to this cannon with this beautifully crafted novella.
He takes the concept of Baba Yaga and adds his own interpretation, adds his own slice of horror and reimagining of this lore and in doing so creates a deftly crafted slice of horror.
The characters are fully rounded, each lending themselves to the unraveling of the story and the horror within, the sense of place and time is also richly woven into the fabric of his storytelling. You are fully immersed in the world Harrison has crafted and that is the mark of an expert storyteller.
The horrors that he writes about are delightfully and deftly put across - visceral and gory, the attacks from nature are dark and delicious in their affect on the reader - ‘His mouth hung open, brambles like stitches woven in and out of the now blue lips. Where his eyes once were, two poppies had bloomed, their dense black stamens coated with seeds at the centre of the paper-like red petals.’
The Balance is balanced, folklore deftly spliced with horror that creates the perfect horror infused fable... a book you need to read!
March 1, 2022
This was my first Kev Harrison read, and what it did was assure me that I will return for more. I'm easily distracted. If an author's prose takes getting used to then I'm in trouble. Kev's prose is wonderful, unfolding the story itself in a logical, straightforward way, holding the reader's attention with no wasted words.
As for the story itself, I believe some of the other reviews left here cover it pretty well and I don't care to spoil things any further, but if you appreciate a revenge tale where "Mother Nature" comes calling...don't miss "The Balance."
As for the story itself, I believe some of the other reviews left here cover it pretty well and I don't care to spoil things any further, but if you appreciate a revenge tale where "Mother Nature" comes calling...don't miss "The Balance."
December 21, 2020
4 star review coming to Kendall Reviews!
August 21, 2020
One of the emerging genres of the last few years has been folk horror. Books such as Water Shall Refuse Them by Lucy McKnight Hardy, Andrew Michael Hurley’s excellent trio of books The Loney, Devil’s Day and Starve Acre and Pine by Francine Toon are just a few examples of the superb books to be discovered within this genre. Even films, through the likes of Midsommar and The Witch have shown us the value of folk horror. The folk horror revival shows no sign of slowing and The Balance by Kev Harrison is another example of a superb piece of work in this remit.
The Balance is a reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, I wasn’t familiar with the story before reading this excellent novella. The story is centred around Natalia and her brother Kuba. After Kuba falls from a tree, breaking his leg, the prognosis isn’t good. There is a lack of medicine in the village and the doctor decides the leg must be amputated. Natalia, who is blamed by her mother for not watching her brother closely enough, feels awful. In her desperation to make it right, she seeks the help of a strange woman who lives in the woods, who some claim to be Baba Yaga, to help save her brother’s leg and possibly life. When the rest of the village finds out what she has done all hell breaks loose but you need to read the novella for yourself to find out more!
One aspect of this story which I absolutely adore is the setting. It is set in Cold War Poland, but in many ways, it feels much older than that. There is a mystical quality to the village which I really enjoyed. One doctor for everyone who lives there, a lack of medicine and the struggle to survive all highlight what life is like for the people who live there. The terrible snow drifts, which cut the town off, add to the creepy atmosphere and the sense of isolation. It is the perfect setting for this story. Kev Harrison has done a wonderful job to bring it to fruition, no doubt aided by his time spent living in Poland.
The characters are interesting but none more so than Baba Yaga. She has a sinister edge, despite never showing anything other than kindness to Natalia and Kuba. She has a mysterious relationship with nature, and it is never exactly clear why the villagers all fear and hate her so much. My only quarry with the characters is that I would have loved for Baba Yaga to have featured even more heavily in the telling of the story, but I understand why, given the narrative, this wasn’t really an option. The rest of the village are an intriguing cast of characters, Natalia’s mother ranges from a horrible bully to a gentle, frightened mother trying to protect her children. The doctor seems to have a kindness which many others in the village lack. It isn’t easy in a novella to get a reader to care about characters. You have less words for exposition and the story needs to keep moving but Harrison has done an excellent job with the pages he had to make the characters engaging and interesting.
One issue I did have with the book was that, on occasion, I felt that the dialogue was slightly clunky. It didn’t always flow as well as the rest of the book. It was never a massive issue and it didn’t pull me out of the story but every so often I found myself reading something a character said and questioning whether that is how they would have really reacted. I would like to reiterate that this was a very minor issue and didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book in any way, but over a longer format I could have seen how it might have caused more problems.
This book didn’t out and out scare me; however, the entire book has a superb, creepy atmosphere which stuck with me. The way this novella gets under your skin and disturbs really is brilliant. It is my favourite kind of horror. One scene, featuring a church, had my skin crawling and my mind whirring. It is a testament to the quality of the writing that this atmosphere is maintained throughout the book and there is no let up.
Kev Harrison has created an excellent horror novella. It is short, sharp and packs a punch. In an age where time seems hard to come by, this is the perfect experience for those of you looking for a fix of horror, but don’t feel like dedicating yourself to a 1000-page Stephen King epic. The writing is superb, the setting creepy and the characters wonderful. I wholly recommend that you check this book out.
I would like to thank Kev Harrison for sending me a copy of this book to review. It in no way affected my opinion of the book and the thoughts shared in the review are entirely my own.
The Balance is a reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, I wasn’t familiar with the story before reading this excellent novella. The story is centred around Natalia and her brother Kuba. After Kuba falls from a tree, breaking his leg, the prognosis isn’t good. There is a lack of medicine in the village and the doctor decides the leg must be amputated. Natalia, who is blamed by her mother for not watching her brother closely enough, feels awful. In her desperation to make it right, she seeks the help of a strange woman who lives in the woods, who some claim to be Baba Yaga, to help save her brother’s leg and possibly life. When the rest of the village finds out what she has done all hell breaks loose but you need to read the novella for yourself to find out more!
One aspect of this story which I absolutely adore is the setting. It is set in Cold War Poland, but in many ways, it feels much older than that. There is a mystical quality to the village which I really enjoyed. One doctor for everyone who lives there, a lack of medicine and the struggle to survive all highlight what life is like for the people who live there. The terrible snow drifts, which cut the town off, add to the creepy atmosphere and the sense of isolation. It is the perfect setting for this story. Kev Harrison has done a wonderful job to bring it to fruition, no doubt aided by his time spent living in Poland.
The characters are interesting but none more so than Baba Yaga. She has a sinister edge, despite never showing anything other than kindness to Natalia and Kuba. She has a mysterious relationship with nature, and it is never exactly clear why the villagers all fear and hate her so much. My only quarry with the characters is that I would have loved for Baba Yaga to have featured even more heavily in the telling of the story, but I understand why, given the narrative, this wasn’t really an option. The rest of the village are an intriguing cast of characters, Natalia’s mother ranges from a horrible bully to a gentle, frightened mother trying to protect her children. The doctor seems to have a kindness which many others in the village lack. It isn’t easy in a novella to get a reader to care about characters. You have less words for exposition and the story needs to keep moving but Harrison has done an excellent job with the pages he had to make the characters engaging and interesting.
One issue I did have with the book was that, on occasion, I felt that the dialogue was slightly clunky. It didn’t always flow as well as the rest of the book. It was never a massive issue and it didn’t pull me out of the story but every so often I found myself reading something a character said and questioning whether that is how they would have really reacted. I would like to reiterate that this was a very minor issue and didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book in any way, but over a longer format I could have seen how it might have caused more problems.
This book didn’t out and out scare me; however, the entire book has a superb, creepy atmosphere which stuck with me. The way this novella gets under your skin and disturbs really is brilliant. It is my favourite kind of horror. One scene, featuring a church, had my skin crawling and my mind whirring. It is a testament to the quality of the writing that this atmosphere is maintained throughout the book and there is no let up.
Kev Harrison has created an excellent horror novella. It is short, sharp and packs a punch. In an age where time seems hard to come by, this is the perfect experience for those of you looking for a fix of horror, but don’t feel like dedicating yourself to a 1000-page Stephen King epic. The writing is superb, the setting creepy and the characters wonderful. I wholly recommend that you check this book out.
I would like to thank Kev Harrison for sending me a copy of this book to review. It in no way affected my opinion of the book and the thoughts shared in the review are entirely my own.
November 12, 2020
Sinister and Sublime
The Balance is a creepy mixture of horror and folklore that I breezed through in only a couple of sittings. I especially enjoyed the atmosphere, the bitter cold, the feeling of isolation, and the overall setting in this beautifully crafted novella. The writing is tremendous, and the characters had me invested from the beginning; I had to keep reading to see what happened next. The Balance was the first offering I've read from this author, but it definitely will not be my last. I intend now to read anything Kev Harrison releases. Highly recommended!
The Balance is a creepy mixture of horror and folklore that I breezed through in only a couple of sittings. I especially enjoyed the atmosphere, the bitter cold, the feeling of isolation, and the overall setting in this beautifully crafted novella. The writing is tremendous, and the characters had me invested from the beginning; I had to keep reading to see what happened next. The Balance was the first offering I've read from this author, but it definitely will not be my last. I intend now to read anything Kev Harrison releases. Highly recommended!
October 24, 2022
Baba Yaga knows how to keep the balance between nature and the town. Now you’ve gone and upset it. What a great read for an autumn feel. Creepy and exciting
December 15, 2024
The Balance is a fantastic example of Harrison finding his feet in the world of folk horror. It's a subgenre he now excels at. The pacing is spot on, as is the depth afforded to this novellas characters, and overall, the writing is very clean. I enjoyed the story, which featured chills aplenty and an interesting family dynamic. Paranoia through religion is also explored as it is put in its place by the ancient power of nature. The climax of the narrative is 100 mph with an enjoyable twist.
Side note - Only Kev Harrison could make me feel hungry while describing Cold War era Polish food!
Side note - Only Kev Harrison could make me feel hungry while describing Cold War era Polish food!
December 31, 2020
This story immediately drops you into conflict and gives you a protagonist you can really empathize with. I truly feel the guilt and sorrow Natalie carries after her brother's accident, as well as the emotional weight that increasingly burdens her as the story progresses. She faces a lot of tragedy and death throughout, including an unbelievably difficult decision in the later half, and I was rooting for her the entire time!
Baba Yaga has always been a fascinating character to me, and I like the twist this story takes on her mythology. There are also a lot of horrifying scenes where nature is reclaiming the town and its people, often in gruesome and disgusting ways. Those were a lot of fun, and they added narrative punches that kept the story clipping along at a good pace.
I'm a big fan of creepy folktales, curses, and eco-horror so this story really found its mark with me! Other things I found fascinating include: the time period and setting, the lore for the backstory, and the dramatic tension between Christianity and paganism. My only complaint is that I feel like the story ends in a very abrupt manner, but otherwise it's great and I can't wait to read more from the author!
Baba Yaga has always been a fascinating character to me, and I like the twist this story takes on her mythology. There are also a lot of horrifying scenes where nature is reclaiming the town and its people, often in gruesome and disgusting ways. Those were a lot of fun, and they added narrative punches that kept the story clipping along at a good pace.
I'm a big fan of creepy folktales, curses, and eco-horror so this story really found its mark with me! Other things I found fascinating include: the time period and setting, the lore for the backstory, and the dramatic tension between Christianity and paganism. My only complaint is that I feel like the story ends in a very abrupt manner, but otherwise it's great and I can't wait to read more from the author!
July 26, 2020
Well-written dark fairy-tale horror. Strong sense of place and nightmarish horror sequences.
March 18, 2021
Creepy folklore tale with a dash of Vodka. Bring a mug of witches' brew, this one's best enjoyed in front of a cozy fire out in a cabin in the woods.
April 1, 2021
Great example of how to write folk horror. Atmospheric, relatable characters, crisp prose, all rolled up into one. Can't wait to see what Kev does next!
November 26, 2022
The setting is a village in Poland during the Cold War. Natalie is supposed to be watching her younger brother Kuba when he breaks his leg. With no access to antibiotics and Kuba in danger of losing his leg, she seeks help from Baba Yaga, the old woman in the forest. This upsets her mother, the villagers, as well as the church.
The story drew me in right away and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I really grew to like Natalie. She tries to do the right thing when faced with difficult choices. An outstanding folk horror novella about balance and sacrifice.
The story drew me in right away and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I really grew to like Natalie. She tries to do the right thing when faced with difficult choices. An outstanding folk horror novella about balance and sacrifice.
May 6, 2022
Harrison provide a well-conceptualized landscape of cultural horror. Creating a main character that could both see the evil coming and couldn't help but be swept along with it. It is a story of misconceptions, scapegoating, and the dangers of misplaced ideology and how potent a force that culture can be, particularly in the tension between the past and present. This was a really good read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Harrison's work.
July 16, 2024
All horror fans are going to enjoy this novella!
This is the perfect Halloween read, devourable in one sitting while enjoying your pumpkin something 😬🎃🥃
It’s such an entertaining read, I love Slavic myths, specially Baby Yaga ones, and this was such an original take on it. The Balance is all about balance, and it gets to us and all our current world issues even though the story is set post WWII in Poland.
I don’t want to blurb it, you don’t need to know much just make sure you’re ready for some folklore horror, nothing too much, but still in the genre, and for an interesting and enjoyable tale.
Is it perfect, for me it wasn’t, there were tiny hiccups in editing specially on the last chapters, also a few things I found less believable in terms of the characters behaviour, and I felt it lacked a bit in terms of their arc.
This is the perfect Halloween read, devourable in one sitting while enjoying your pumpkin something 😬🎃🥃
It’s such an entertaining read, I love Slavic myths, specially Baby Yaga ones, and this was such an original take on it. The Balance is all about balance, and it gets to us and all our current world issues even though the story is set post WWII in Poland.
I don’t want to blurb it, you don’t need to know much just make sure you’re ready for some folklore horror, nothing too much, but still in the genre, and for an interesting and enjoyable tale.
Is it perfect, for me it wasn’t, there were tiny hiccups in editing specially on the last chapters, also a few things I found less believable in terms of the characters behaviour, and I felt it lacked a bit in terms of their arc.
September 7, 2020
I read this novella over just two session as it was so compelling. So what were the elements I loved?
It reads like a folk tale, which it is, of course, but not every author is able to do those folklore elements justice. This one did. It kind of felt like I was a child again, being read an old favorite but with adult-level, horror included. One of my top five ever reads is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, and The Balance reminded me of that in its telling.
Well written, with an old-fashioned homely feel that lulls you into a false sense of comfort before ripping into your heart. Loved it!
It reads like a folk tale, which it is, of course, but not every author is able to do those folklore elements justice. This one did. It kind of felt like I was a child again, being read an old favorite but with adult-level, horror included. One of my top five ever reads is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, and The Balance reminded me of that in its telling.
Well written, with an old-fashioned homely feel that lulls you into a false sense of comfort before ripping into your heart. Loved it!
November 10, 2021
All I knew about this book before diving in was that it involved Baba Yaga. An old witch in the woods whose creepy cottage you don’t want to happen upon on your jolly ramble through the trees.
But Kev Harrison’s Bab-Yag is a very different kind of lady, and not a villain after all. Yeah she lives in the woods, but it’s her job to help maintain the balance.
The locals, however, are certainly of the persuasion that she’s an evil witch in league with the devil. When she helps a local kid with an infected broken leg on the verge of a necessary amputation, these local do-gooders are not best pleased. And that’s putting it mildly.
You see, Natalia feels responsible for her younger brother falling and breaking his leg whilst out playing one day. When the wound turns nasty and the doctor is unable to get his hands on the required antibiotics, it seems Natalia has only one choice. She doesn’t think that Baba Yaga is the monster the locals portray her to be, so she takes her bro for some natural medicine.
Cue the full-on lynch mob crazy villagers!
This novella is not a balls to the wall scare-fest, and I’m glad about that. Whilst the whole thing holds a dark vibe, it’s the story that drives it. You just know there’s something not quite right about the whole situation, and the prose grips tightly, imploring you to keep on reading.
I blasted through this in a couple of days, and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The ending is an action packed battle with death, gnarly injuries, and a twist that I didn’t see coming.
While not pants-soilingly frightening, there are some genuine scares on offer. When nature fights back against the fire n’ fork wielding locals, there are some great descriptions of the carnage. My toes curled at one or two!
I went into this preparing to be scared by an old lady in the woods, yet ended up being right on her side. I can’t really say too much more without being a big old spoiler pants, but I’m definitely recommending this to all horror lovers, especially those with a penchant for folk horror tales.
But Kev Harrison’s Bab-Yag is a very different kind of lady, and not a villain after all. Yeah she lives in the woods, but it’s her job to help maintain the balance.
The locals, however, are certainly of the persuasion that she’s an evil witch in league with the devil. When she helps a local kid with an infected broken leg on the verge of a necessary amputation, these local do-gooders are not best pleased. And that’s putting it mildly.
You see, Natalia feels responsible for her younger brother falling and breaking his leg whilst out playing one day. When the wound turns nasty and the doctor is unable to get his hands on the required antibiotics, it seems Natalia has only one choice. She doesn’t think that Baba Yaga is the monster the locals portray her to be, so she takes her bro for some natural medicine.
Cue the full-on lynch mob crazy villagers!
This novella is not a balls to the wall scare-fest, and I’m glad about that. Whilst the whole thing holds a dark vibe, it’s the story that drives it. You just know there’s something not quite right about the whole situation, and the prose grips tightly, imploring you to keep on reading.
I blasted through this in a couple of days, and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The ending is an action packed battle with death, gnarly injuries, and a twist that I didn’t see coming.
While not pants-soilingly frightening, there are some genuine scares on offer. When nature fights back against the fire n’ fork wielding locals, there are some great descriptions of the carnage. My toes curled at one or two!
I went into this preparing to be scared by an old lady in the woods, yet ended up being right on her side. I can’t really say too much more without being a big old spoiler pants, but I’m definitely recommending this to all horror lovers, especially those with a penchant for folk horror tales.
June 20, 2020
The Balance pulls off a nice trick of telling a modern horror story while fully embracing the fairy-tales of old. In this case, the fair-ytale is the witch Baba Yaga that is popular in Eastern Europe and Russia but might be less familiar to English audiences. The writing captures the sense of one of these ancient children’s tales that might be too brutal for children. In fact, I’m not sure it was meant for a younger audience, but the language and themes would make it easily accessible to teens. Although, the more gory and heady scenes of horror might be a bit much for younger readers.
The book follows Natalia as she tries to first help save her younger brother and then tries to help save her entire village. The young girl is up against not only the supernatural, but also the restrictions imposed by her government and dogmatic religious officials, as well as her own disciplinarian mother. Her heart is always in the right place, and it is impossible not to root for her, and I couldn’t help feeling she represented the modern eye looking back at a restrictive and non-environmentally friendly culture. A culture that still exists, if marginally less prevalent.
If I were to quibble about anything, it would be the lead-up to Natalia’s fateful decision that kicks off the main action is a bit long for the novella format. Also, I could help but think the setting of rural, communist Poland could have been utilized to greater effect. But these were small reservations, and I enjoyed the book overall. Kev Harrison has proven himself an ardent supporter of horror fiction and with The Balance he is showing himself to be a promising talent in the genre as well.
The book follows Natalia as she tries to first help save her younger brother and then tries to help save her entire village. The young girl is up against not only the supernatural, but also the restrictions imposed by her government and dogmatic religious officials, as well as her own disciplinarian mother. Her heart is always in the right place, and it is impossible not to root for her, and I couldn’t help feeling she represented the modern eye looking back at a restrictive and non-environmentally friendly culture. A culture that still exists, if marginally less prevalent.
If I were to quibble about anything, it would be the lead-up to Natalia’s fateful decision that kicks off the main action is a bit long for the novella format. Also, I could help but think the setting of rural, communist Poland could have been utilized to greater effect. But these were small reservations, and I enjoyed the book overall. Kev Harrison has proven himself an ardent supporter of horror fiction and with The Balance he is showing himself to be a promising talent in the genre as well.
October 4, 2020
When I said horror is tough but teaches us lessons, this is what I meant. This book started from page one made me feel the dread of what’s to come. The character connection is immediate and you can’t help but feel for the characters. I got folklore and grief horror from this one. I’ve never heard of Baba Yaga so I had no idea what to expect but I was definitely pleased with the results.
Here is a snippet of the story: When myth becomes nightmare… The Price of blood is alway blood. Natalia is in trouble. Her brother gets hurt under her watch and his condition is worsening. The church and local doctors are no help with the mounting snow so she seeks out help in the unforgiving forest.
“𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.”
The town that is built around this story is small with the Catholic Church in its prime. Religion in books always seems to give me the creeps. It terrifies me when people follow a leader blindly. No if, and or buts because god will smite you or something. Maybe even a lightning bolt will come down to strike us. I really enjoyed the instant connection I had for this story but also the grief weighed on my heart the whole time. I loved Natalia as the main character. She is a strong, fierce little girl who will do anything to make things right. My mind took me places and tried to predict the future of where this book would take me. While I could predict the ending, I couldn’t predict the journey we would take to get there. I gave this one 4 ⭐️.
Here is a snippet of the story: When myth becomes nightmare… The Price of blood is alway blood. Natalia is in trouble. Her brother gets hurt under her watch and his condition is worsening. The church and local doctors are no help with the mounting snow so she seeks out help in the unforgiving forest.
“𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.”
The town that is built around this story is small with the Catholic Church in its prime. Religion in books always seems to give me the creeps. It terrifies me when people follow a leader blindly. No if, and or buts because god will smite you or something. Maybe even a lightning bolt will come down to strike us. I really enjoyed the instant connection I had for this story but also the grief weighed on my heart the whole time. I loved Natalia as the main character. She is a strong, fierce little girl who will do anything to make things right. My mind took me places and tried to predict the future of where this book would take me. While I could predict the ending, I couldn’t predict the journey we would take to get there. I gave this one 4 ⭐️.
May 20, 2020
Folklore has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, so when I noticed the Baba Yaga mentioned in Kev Harrison’s novella, The Balance, I was quick to snap it up. And, I’m very glad I did! Not only does the story reimagine the Baba Yaga legend, but Harrison insightfully weaves in elements of eco-horror as well.
The novella begins in Cold War era Poland, with Natalia rushing home after her brother, Kuba, fell while climbing a tree. With the bone protruding from Kuba’s leg, it’s clearly been broken, and the village doctor sets the limb as best he can with his limited medical supplies. Natalia and her mother pray for Kuba to recover without infection, but as the wound becomes gangrenous, Natalia turns to the old witch in the woods for help.
All the villagers, including Natalia’s mother, fear the Baba Yaga, claiming her powers come from a pact with the Devil. But Natalia isn’t convinced. She’d seen the old woman years before when her grandmother had gone to the Baba Yaga for medicines and teas. Besides, even if the woman is a witch, Kuba will surely die without help, so Natalia makes her way through the woods to the stone cottage covered in moss. Her decision sets off a series of events which upsets a long-held balance between mankind and nature, putting the entire village in grave danger.
To say more about the plot would be a grievous spoiler, but I’ll just say you’d better buckle up! Once you hit chapter six (about forty percent through the novella), the story dives into intense battles, including angry villagers with pitchforks, a swarm of insects and rodents taking over the church, possessions, and a climactic clash between humanity and elements of nature. Themes of man versus nature, ancient beliefs conflicting with modern faith, and even pressures of self-sacrifice round out the plot, providing deeper layers to the story. And the conclusion caught me completely off guard with a surprising and well-done twist.
While there was a lot I liked about The Balance, I never felt a real connection with the main character, Natalia. The entire story is from her point of view, but little is revealed about who she is as a person or what her hopes and dreams may be. I’m not even entirely sure how old she is, and never got a sense of what her life looked like prior to Kuba’s injury. Don’t get me wrong, she is a likeable character who had me rooting for her every step of the way, I just wanted a deeper connection.
Similarly, setting details were also a bit lacking. Based on the Goodreads synopsis, I gathered the story was set during the Cold War era but without the synopsis I’m not sure I could place when the tale was taking place. Once all hell breaks loose, the descriptions of settings painted detailed, grotesque images, which were fantastic, and I only wish I had been able to picture the village as clearly earlier in the story.
Neither the character work nor the setting details were huge disappointments, and in most other books I’m not sure I would have noticed the lack of development, however Harrison does so well with the rest of the story that these elements stuck out slightly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novella from Kev Harrison, and am looking forward to reading more of his works in the future. If you love tales of witches and mankind at the mercy of the natural world, you are in for a real treat with The Balance.
*This review first appeared on Kendall Reviews.*
The novella begins in Cold War era Poland, with Natalia rushing home after her brother, Kuba, fell while climbing a tree. With the bone protruding from Kuba’s leg, it’s clearly been broken, and the village doctor sets the limb as best he can with his limited medical supplies. Natalia and her mother pray for Kuba to recover without infection, but as the wound becomes gangrenous, Natalia turns to the old witch in the woods for help.
All the villagers, including Natalia’s mother, fear the Baba Yaga, claiming her powers come from a pact with the Devil. But Natalia isn’t convinced. She’d seen the old woman years before when her grandmother had gone to the Baba Yaga for medicines and teas. Besides, even if the woman is a witch, Kuba will surely die without help, so Natalia makes her way through the woods to the stone cottage covered in moss. Her decision sets off a series of events which upsets a long-held balance between mankind and nature, putting the entire village in grave danger.
To say more about the plot would be a grievous spoiler, but I’ll just say you’d better buckle up! Once you hit chapter six (about forty percent through the novella), the story dives into intense battles, including angry villagers with pitchforks, a swarm of insects and rodents taking over the church, possessions, and a climactic clash between humanity and elements of nature. Themes of man versus nature, ancient beliefs conflicting with modern faith, and even pressures of self-sacrifice round out the plot, providing deeper layers to the story. And the conclusion caught me completely off guard with a surprising and well-done twist.
While there was a lot I liked about The Balance, I never felt a real connection with the main character, Natalia. The entire story is from her point of view, but little is revealed about who she is as a person or what her hopes and dreams may be. I’m not even entirely sure how old she is, and never got a sense of what her life looked like prior to Kuba’s injury. Don’t get me wrong, she is a likeable character who had me rooting for her every step of the way, I just wanted a deeper connection.
Similarly, setting details were also a bit lacking. Based on the Goodreads synopsis, I gathered the story was set during the Cold War era but without the synopsis I’m not sure I could place when the tale was taking place. Once all hell breaks loose, the descriptions of settings painted detailed, grotesque images, which were fantastic, and I only wish I had been able to picture the village as clearly earlier in the story.
Neither the character work nor the setting details were huge disappointments, and in most other books I’m not sure I would have noticed the lack of development, however Harrison does so well with the rest of the story that these elements stuck out slightly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novella from Kev Harrison, and am looking forward to reading more of his works in the future. If you love tales of witches and mankind at the mercy of the natural world, you are in for a real treat with The Balance.
*This review first appeared on Kendall Reviews.*
June 20, 2020
Weaving together elements of folk and eco horror, Kev Harrison’s take on the Baba Yaga legend is an enjoyable and satisfying read. Set in Poland, it’s a story of bold decisions and terrible consequences. I liked that Natalia – the young girl whose story we follow – is headstrong and independent; while Baba Yaga plays a more maternal, less villainous role (despite her outward appearance). And I think this is the real strength of Harrison’s novella – that time and again he confounds expectations while leading the reader willingly – sometimes blindly – into the horror that results when the balance is disturbed. True to the rest of the story, the ending is completely unexpected without being unbelievable. I enjoyed this one very much.
February 24, 2023
This twisted fairy tale veers quickly into the macabre and delivers a unique and captivating spin on an old legend. Natalia is compelling character, one who earns your sympathy and keeps you invested in the story straight through to the heartbreaking finale. Highly recommended for lovers of folkloric terror.
June 7, 2020
The Balance is a story with a strong moral to it, set in rural Poland, in a small village. Natalia, our main character is a 16 year old girl helping her mother with the housework, errands and upbringing of her young brother – as many girls from these rural villages do, in the absence of a Father.
One day whilst Natalia is supposed to be watching her Brother he falls victim to an accident and breaks his leg. Medical help proves not to be too effective, as drugs are difficult to come by, but Natalia finds another way.
Kev Harrison takes us through the effects of judgement on another who is not like you, why you should always think before doing, and why you should always be careful with that which you do not understand.
This story is tamer than many I’ve read but holds a far stronger message, one that we can use in our day to day lives, and it is told in such a way that you can’t help but get sucked into it.
This was another story which I more or less inhaled, the imagery drew me into the Polish woods until I could have been following Natalia and Kuba through the woods myself. The Characters are well rounded and the story flows naturally.
It is evident, if you’ve ever been to Poland, that this author has experience of the location he has chosen, which is think is part of why it works so well. The story explores witchcraft and the occult in an extremely natural way, and it really tips the scales in terms of what we think is right.
Each time I read Kev Harrison’s work I’m more and more intrigued by what he’s going to come up with next, I’d definitely recommend it. I found The Balance to be an easy read to relax with, which is interesting given the content of the book. If you can bring across a story like this in a way that not only grips your reader but forces them to sit back, relax and allow the story to unfurl at it’s own pace, you’re onto something.
Check it out! I think anybody could enjoy this, and if you’re not that keen on horror, it should be tame enough for you too.
One day whilst Natalia is supposed to be watching her Brother he falls victim to an accident and breaks his leg. Medical help proves not to be too effective, as drugs are difficult to come by, but Natalia finds another way.
Kev Harrison takes us through the effects of judgement on another who is not like you, why you should always think before doing, and why you should always be careful with that which you do not understand.
This story is tamer than many I’ve read but holds a far stronger message, one that we can use in our day to day lives, and it is told in such a way that you can’t help but get sucked into it.
This was another story which I more or less inhaled, the imagery drew me into the Polish woods until I could have been following Natalia and Kuba through the woods myself. The Characters are well rounded and the story flows naturally.
It is evident, if you’ve ever been to Poland, that this author has experience of the location he has chosen, which is think is part of why it works so well. The story explores witchcraft and the occult in an extremely natural way, and it really tips the scales in terms of what we think is right.
Each time I read Kev Harrison’s work I’m more and more intrigued by what he’s going to come up with next, I’d definitely recommend it. I found The Balance to be an easy read to relax with, which is interesting given the content of the book. If you can bring across a story like this in a way that not only grips your reader but forces them to sit back, relax and allow the story to unfurl at it’s own pace, you’re onto something.
Check it out! I think anybody could enjoy this, and if you’re not that keen on horror, it should be tame enough for you too.
Read
July 10, 2022Wonderful novella. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Harrison's work. Finished this in one session, and the time seemed to fly by. Excellent bit of folklore that reads like a fairy tale unfolding, edged with just enough horror for my morbid brain to indulge in.
I have to admit to one nitpick, however, in that some of the characterization fell a little flat for me. The conclusion threw me for a loop initially, but I think it was because I was expecting a little bit more than what transpired. It sort of floated away from me rather than land with impact.
But the story is very atmospheric, the setting is built up beautifully, and I was consistently interested to see where the plot would lead us. Overall, really pleased I picked this one up at a friend's recommendation. Cracking read.
I have to admit to one nitpick, however, in that some of the characterization fell a little flat for me. The conclusion threw me for a loop initially, but I think it was because I was expecting a little bit more than what transpired. It sort of floated away from me rather than land with impact.
But the story is very atmospheric, the setting is built up beautifully, and I was consistently interested to see where the plot would lead us. Overall, really pleased I picked this one up at a friend's recommendation. Cracking read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews