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Winterset Hollow
Everyone has wanted their favorite book to be real, if only for a moment. Everyone has wished to meet their favorite characters, if only for a day. But be careful in that wish, for even a history laid in ink can be repaid in flesh and blood, and reality is far deadlier than fiction . . . especially on Addington Isle.
Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book-a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It's Barley Day . . . and you're invited to the hunt.
Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run.
Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book-a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It's Barley Day . . . and you're invited to the hunt.
Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run.
274 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2021
About the author
Jonathan Edward Durham
1 book1,124 followersJonathan Edward Durham was born near Philadelphia in one of many satellite rust-belt communities where he read voraciously throughout his youth. After attending William & Mary, where he received a degree in neuroscience, Jonathan waded into the professional world before deciding he was better suited for more artistic pursuits.
He now lives with his partner in California where he writes to bring a unique voice to the space between the timeless wonder of his favorite childhood stories and the pop sensibilities of his adolescent literary indulgences. His debut novel, Winterset Hollow, an elevated contemporary fantasy with a dark twist, is mined from that same vein and is currently available everywhere.
He now lives with his partner in California where he writes to bring a unique voice to the space between the timeless wonder of his favorite childhood stories and the pop sensibilities of his adolescent literary indulgences. His debut novel, Winterset Hollow, an elevated contemporary fantasy with a dark twist, is mined from that same vein and is currently available everywhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,766 reviews
September 9, 2021
So I didn't really mean to rate my own book lol...I was kinda just fooling around on the interface here and now I feel weird about it and compelled to explain myself, so here I am leaving a written review to explain my starred review and wow if this isn't a representative glimpse into the rudderless anxiety volcano that is my brain, I don't know what is.
April 22, 2022
I am glad one of my Goodreads friends convinced me to pick this one back up. It started as a slow burn and had talking animals for cripe’s sake. Kind of hard to be afraid of a Frog that uses Gordon Ramsey as a mentor. However, once it started, it hit harder than Bing the Bear's war hammer. Who knew fictional real characters could be murderous. It sort of makes you wonder, if you ever did find yourself in the Hundred Acre Woods with Winnie the Pooh, would he try to eat you? Instead of his thirst for that jar of honey, it is full of his last victim's blood. How's that for childhood nightmare fuel. I loved the imagery this book provided. It was beautiful and went well with the heart pounding moments around every corner. Highly recommend.
March 30, 2022
Winterset Hollow is another gem of a read that has been lifted upon the shoulders of the awesome Books of Horror community on Facebook. When that group loves a book, they REALLY love it.
Imagine taking a little tourist excursion to see the home of your favorite childhood author, someone like Lewis Carroll or L. Frank Baum. But when you get there, the characters from his creations are real… and they’re not at all cuddly. You were on the hunt for a little nostalgia, but you ended up being the one hunted. Yikes!
That’s pretty much what goes down in Winterset Hollow, as our protagonists visit Addington Isle, the place that inspired a beloved book (that itself seems to be inspired by Watership Down). The first few chapters read like pretty standard contemporary fiction, until - HELLO! - life-size talking animals appear. And these animals have an axe to grind. It turns real violent real fast, with blood and guts and all the gore.
This novel pushed me outside my comfort zone, not in terms of the violence but rather how deeply it dives into the fantasy genre. Fantasy just isn’t my jam, but I still very much appreciated what author Jonathan Edward Durham achieved. His debut is on its way to being a classic. (And by all accounts, he seems to be one heck of a nice guy.)
In a nutshell, if you want to read what all the cool kids are reading these days, this is it.
Winterset Hollow is currently available and can be found in the Kindle Unlimited collection.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
Imagine taking a little tourist excursion to see the home of your favorite childhood author, someone like Lewis Carroll or L. Frank Baum. But when you get there, the characters from his creations are real… and they’re not at all cuddly. You were on the hunt for a little nostalgia, but you ended up being the one hunted. Yikes!
That’s pretty much what goes down in Winterset Hollow, as our protagonists visit Addington Isle, the place that inspired a beloved book (that itself seems to be inspired by Watership Down). The first few chapters read like pretty standard contemporary fiction, until - HELLO! - life-size talking animals appear. And these animals have an axe to grind. It turns real violent real fast, with blood and guts and all the gore.
This novel pushed me outside my comfort zone, not in terms of the violence but rather how deeply it dives into the fantasy genre. Fantasy just isn’t my jam, but I still very much appreciated what author Jonathan Edward Durham achieved. His debut is on its way to being a classic. (And by all accounts, he seems to be one heck of a nice guy.)
In a nutshell, if you want to read what all the cool kids are reading these days, this is it.
Winterset Hollow is currently available and can be found in the Kindle Unlimited collection.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
May 7, 2022
“Winterset Hollow” by Jonathan Edward Durham truly sets the bar high for a brilliantly written horror novel that has so many layers of great storytelling that it took me on an incredible ride from beginning to end. To be fair, this is definitely a slow-burn kind of novel at first but once you get past the building up of this incredible story, it’s beyond worth it and so intense because it’s pretty insane that something like this could ever happen.
From the characters, food, story, lore, twists, blood, and sheer carnage, I did not expect all this to transpire in this novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how much of a great read this was as it’s a genuine page-turner that has thrills, terror, and some very bone-chilling moments that I’ll never forget. Very creepy moments that make you shudder and wince because the way it’s described just sends a chill down your spine.
I love how it takes some classic childhood characters that we all read while growing up and adds a horrific twist to it that makes it feel so palpable. Everything happens for a reason as this is such an intelligently written novel I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves horror with a dark fantasy twist. Once it was over, the ending was very satisfying as I didn’t see it coming at all. Again, just an excellent way to wrap things up and make this a memorable read.
“Winterset Hollow” by Jonathan Edward Durham easily gets a 5/5 and considering this is his debut novel, I am following him from here on out. He’s such a terrific author that I am very much looking forward to reading his future content whenever it gets published. This was a powerhouse of a read and let’s just say, I will never look at foxes the same ever again.
From the characters, food, story, lore, twists, blood, and sheer carnage, I did not expect all this to transpire in this novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how much of a great read this was as it’s a genuine page-turner that has thrills, terror, and some very bone-chilling moments that I’ll never forget. Very creepy moments that make you shudder and wince because the way it’s described just sends a chill down your spine.
I love how it takes some classic childhood characters that we all read while growing up and adds a horrific twist to it that makes it feel so palpable. Everything happens for a reason as this is such an intelligently written novel I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves horror with a dark fantasy twist. Once it was over, the ending was very satisfying as I didn’t see it coming at all. Again, just an excellent way to wrap things up and make this a memorable read.
“Winterset Hollow” by Jonathan Edward Durham easily gets a 5/5 and considering this is his debut novel, I am following him from here on out. He’s such a terrific author that I am very much looking forward to reading his future content whenever it gets published. This was a powerhouse of a read and let’s just say, I will never look at foxes the same ever again.
December 8, 2021
Winterset Hollow is an ambitious first book that blends dark fantasy with slasher horror and has a very interesting premise: what if you found out the friendly animal characters from your favorite childhood book were real, but in a dark and twisted way? I love that concept, and I think this book is also trying to say something about the colonization of indigenous people. The execution was more of a mixed bag for me. I want to be clear though, I'm interested to see what we get from the this author in the future as they really hone their writing craft. That said, the fact that this isn't going to be a rave review is indicative of why I rarely accept debut novels for review from indie authors. (I did receive a copy of this book for review from the author, all opinions are my own)
Let's talk about the writing. There's plenty of potential here, but you can definitely tell it's a first novel. It tends toward overly-flowery, dense descriptions and the use of high-level vocabulary in places where it's not necessary. But because this is genre fiction, that distracts from the story and makes it difficult to get into the flow of reading. A more modest use of introspective analysis and lengthy descriptions would really level up this book. And especially in parts that are high action, you want it to be a page turner where you can breeze through those sections. It's definitely possible to blend a more literary style with horror (The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a great example of this) and with experience, I think this author has the potential to do that, but this first novel didn't quite strike the right balance.
One other thing about the writing that is more typical of new authors is that we do a LOT of head-hopping in terms of perspective. Within a single scene we might randomly transition to the perspective of multiple characters and without a close reading, that might be confusing. Especially because there is a very large cast of characters in the book. This also doesn't allow for the heightened level of tension and creepiness that the events taking place deserve. Ideally the author should have picked maybe three POV characters, stuck with them, and made it clear when we were moving to a different perspective.
The setting, a remote island with a large estate, is amazingly well crafted. There are so many creepy, atmospheric details that hint at revelations that come later in the story. I think the the setting, all the different places we visit on the island (the house, the maze, the gardens, the cave), was my favorite part of this book. Excellent.
The characterization was pretty good for a debut author. I do think some of our main characters fell a bit into stereotypes and could have used more nuance, but there's clearly an attempt to make them feel like individuals with specific history and personalities. The actual plot is pretty good. I like the beats of the plot structure and I like the way it utilizes elements from the slasher genre. However, this does come with a big caveat linked to the themes and how some specifics were handled. This is where the review will of necessity become a bit spoilery. If you don't want to read any spoilers, I'll just say that there was an attempt at saying something about the colonization of indigenous people that ultimately wasn't successful for me because it didn't go far enough. Representationally, it acknowledges the harm done, but ultimately still ends up centering the narrative of the colonizer at the expense of the colonized. I imagine that wasn't the intent, but the way the story plays out that's what it ends up being. Also note that content warnings for this book include self-harm, torture, murder, violence, enslavement, gaslighting, gore.
***************SPOILERS AHEAD**********************
Okay, so the animals end up mirroring ideas of animal people from certain indigenous mythologies in the United States, and their backstory is one of colonization and severe mistreatment by a privileged white family who immigrated from Europe. This includes being kept in cages for entertainment and their families being killed and stuffed as trophies. All of which very much mirrors the colonization and mistreatment of indigenous people by European colonizers in America. In this story though, the animals free themselves and seek a gruesome form of revenge on their captor and all subsequent generations of his family. In a late twist, we find out that Eamon, who was orphaned, is the last living descendant of the family and the animals have lured him to the island to finally complete their revenge by killing him.
At this point in the book, I was curious to see how the ending would play out, because this had the potential to be a very strong, pointed critique of not only historical colonization, but also the ways harm has continued to be perpetuated over time. Some of the animals, like Runny the rabbit, are portrayed in a sympathetic light. Others like the fox and the bear are portrayed as brutish and unwilling to make peace. I don't love the idea that to be "good" they should be expected to do so, or the corollary that modern indigenous people need to just make peace with their history and be cordial with white people when they continue to be mistreated in very specific ways. AND the fact that the book ends with Eamon alive, with his friends who are also alive, and EVERY single animal being dead....yikes. Honestly, I think this should have ended with Eamon dying and Runny living out his dream of a peaceful existence in the woods for the rest of his life. That would have felt like a more fitting resolution to the way this is set up thematically. OR if you want your MC to survive, don't make it a story about colonization. I don't necessarily think this is the message the author was trying to send, but it is the impact of how things play out. So while there are things I really like about the story, this needed an indigenous sensitivity reader.
Let's talk about the writing. There's plenty of potential here, but you can definitely tell it's a first novel. It tends toward overly-flowery, dense descriptions and the use of high-level vocabulary in places where it's not necessary. But because this is genre fiction, that distracts from the story and makes it difficult to get into the flow of reading. A more modest use of introspective analysis and lengthy descriptions would really level up this book. And especially in parts that are high action, you want it to be a page turner where you can breeze through those sections. It's definitely possible to blend a more literary style with horror (The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a great example of this) and with experience, I think this author has the potential to do that, but this first novel didn't quite strike the right balance.
One other thing about the writing that is more typical of new authors is that we do a LOT of head-hopping in terms of perspective. Within a single scene we might randomly transition to the perspective of multiple characters and without a close reading, that might be confusing. Especially because there is a very large cast of characters in the book. This also doesn't allow for the heightened level of tension and creepiness that the events taking place deserve. Ideally the author should have picked maybe three POV characters, stuck with them, and made it clear when we were moving to a different perspective.
The setting, a remote island with a large estate, is amazingly well crafted. There are so many creepy, atmospheric details that hint at revelations that come later in the story. I think the the setting, all the different places we visit on the island (the house, the maze, the gardens, the cave), was my favorite part of this book. Excellent.
The characterization was pretty good for a debut author. I do think some of our main characters fell a bit into stereotypes and could have used more nuance, but there's clearly an attempt to make them feel like individuals with specific history and personalities. The actual plot is pretty good. I like the beats of the plot structure and I like the way it utilizes elements from the slasher genre. However, this does come with a big caveat linked to the themes and how some specifics were handled. This is where the review will of necessity become a bit spoilery. If you don't want to read any spoilers, I'll just say that there was an attempt at saying something about the colonization of indigenous people that ultimately wasn't successful for me because it didn't go far enough. Representationally, it acknowledges the harm done, but ultimately still ends up centering the narrative of the colonizer at the expense of the colonized. I imagine that wasn't the intent, but the way the story plays out that's what it ends up being. Also note that content warnings for this book include self-harm, torture, murder, violence, enslavement, gaslighting, gore.
***************SPOILERS AHEAD**********************
Okay, so the animals end up mirroring ideas of animal people from certain indigenous mythologies in the United States, and their backstory is one of colonization and severe mistreatment by a privileged white family who immigrated from Europe. This includes being kept in cages for entertainment and their families being killed and stuffed as trophies. All of which very much mirrors the colonization and mistreatment of indigenous people by European colonizers in America. In this story though, the animals free themselves and seek a gruesome form of revenge on their captor and all subsequent generations of his family. In a late twist, we find out that Eamon, who was orphaned, is the last living descendant of the family and the animals have lured him to the island to finally complete their revenge by killing him.
At this point in the book, I was curious to see how the ending would play out, because this had the potential to be a very strong, pointed critique of not only historical colonization, but also the ways harm has continued to be perpetuated over time. Some of the animals, like Runny the rabbit, are portrayed in a sympathetic light. Others like the fox and the bear are portrayed as brutish and unwilling to make peace. I don't love the idea that to be "good" they should be expected to do so, or the corollary that modern indigenous people need to just make peace with their history and be cordial with white people when they continue to be mistreated in very specific ways. AND the fact that the book ends with Eamon alive, with his friends who are also alive, and EVERY single animal being dead....yikes. Honestly, I think this should have ended with Eamon dying and Runny living out his dream of a peaceful existence in the woods for the rest of his life. That would have felt like a more fitting resolution to the way this is set up thematically. OR if you want your MC to survive, don't make it a story about colonization. I don't necessarily think this is the message the author was trying to send, but it is the impact of how things play out. So while there are things I really like about the story, this needed an indigenous sensitivity reader.
February 5, 2024
What a wild ride that I couldn’t…wouldn’t get off of…
This is a fantasy horror novel and it did not disappoint. It was definitely interesting and one I’d recommend if you like this blended genre. Animals that are human like, a creepy abandoned mansion on an island, things that go BUMP in the night…the author does an incredible job of making you believe this is entirely possible. The sick, twisted games however, whole other level of goose pimples that made my hair stand on end. I surprised myself by enjoying this as much as I did, as this is not my typical read.
The ONLY thing I docked it one star for, was the repetition of some words - it was distracting to read the same word over and over (parse and traipse were ridiculously repeated but there were a few others). Other than that, I liked the story, it was really well written and held my attention the whole way through.
I immediately looked to see what else the author had out (nothing yet looks like) but I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for more.
If someone has some good recommendations that fall in line with this book, please share in the comments!!!
This is a fantasy horror novel and it did not disappoint. It was definitely interesting and one I’d recommend if you like this blended genre. Animals that are human like, a creepy abandoned mansion on an island, things that go BUMP in the night…the author does an incredible job of making you believe this is entirely possible. The sick, twisted games however, whole other level of goose pimples that made my hair stand on end. I surprised myself by enjoying this as much as I did, as this is not my typical read.
The ONLY thing I docked it one star for, was the repetition of some words - it was distracting to read the same word over and over (parse and traipse were ridiculously repeated but there were a few others). Other than that, I liked the story, it was really well written and held my attention the whole way through.
I immediately looked to see what else the author had out (nothing yet looks like) but I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for more.
If someone has some good recommendations that fall in line with this book, please share in the comments!!!
September 23, 2021
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
For me, personally, the hardest part of writing any review of a book is when that piece of fiction moves you in ways that you never expected and you try and do the book justice. To tell people reading this why you absolutely loved something so much, that they need to drop everything and read it immediately, while also remaining as spoiler-free as possible.
Growing up, I sought out and consumed a steady diet of ‘dark-fantastical.’ Movies that had those fantasy elements, but also the hero’s quest, of trying to overcome the longest of odds to survive and defeat evil. I also loved reading the fairy tale stories, but also the anthropomorphised tales. I grew up during the perfect time period where there was a lot of this to watch and read. Think ‘Watership Down,’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia,’ ‘Legend,’ ‘Labyrinth,’ ‘The Dark Crystal,’ ‘The Last Unicorn,’ ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ ‘The Wind In The Willows,’ ‘Willow,’ and so, so many more. The first two movies I ever saw in theatres was a double feature; ‘The Land Before Time’ and ‘The Great Land of Small.’
The one piece that I continually return to, time and time again, is ‘The Neverending Story.’ Both the movie and the book hold special places for me, to the extent that my son is named after the amulet within the story – Auryn.
All of this is to say, that when ‘Winterset Hollow’ was offered for review, I took in that gorgeous cover, read the synopsis and something was stirred. I knew I was in for a truly stunning debut novel. I wanted to experience it and find out just what Jonathan Edward Durham had created.
What I liked: The story centres around three friends – Eamon, Caroline and Mark who decide to finally take a trip to the island where Eamon and Caroline’s favorite book was written. ‘Winterset Hollow’ (the book within the book) tells the story of rabbit, fox, frog, and bear on Barley Day, the annual feast day tradition. To Eamon and Caroline, the book is so much more. For Eamon, it is a book that helped him as a child. For Caroline, it is a connection to her mother who has passed away.
With how popular the book is around the world, when they arrive to await the ferry to take them from the mainland to the island, they find a number of other ‘Winterset’ fans and so they all enjoy each other’s company and the connection they have to this piece of fiction.
Jonathan does a fantastic job of setting up the arrival to the island and really brings this book within a book alive. In fact, he has written an almost complete book within a book, which itself was a marvel. I personally could handle a separate companion release of this fairy tale, it is so well done.
But of course, to the trio, the book is just that – a book. And so after they trespass onto the gated property and discover a light on in the house, Edward Durham turns this book upside down. The characters are real. They exist and they still live on the island and in the house.
The initial opening scenes where Eamon and Caroline discover that Runny the Rabbit and Finn the Fox are real living creatures was pure delight. I would imagine it would be the same feeling as a five-year-old meeting a Disney character at the theme park. The relationship between rabbit and frog was stellar, stellar and their banter was one of the absolute highlights of the book for me. Their story arc was tragic and beautiful and at the end made me cry my eyes out. The final scene that Jonathan dedicated to their characters was so perfect that I wish I could describe it for you, but instead, I’ll beg you to read this book just for that moment alone.
But alas, this is a dark fiction/horror novel, and the moment it turns was spot-on perfect. We see Bing the Bear grow agitated as he watches his cartoons and we see Finn the Fox begin to show his anger towards the author of the novel that brought the people there for Barley Day, as well as his anger towards the novel itself and his portrayal. And as the reality of what is about to happen next sinks in, Eamon asks Runny what happens next, to which Runny replies ” You run, Eamon. You run.”
From that point on this book becomes a stunning survival piece, where the island is also their prison and as they get picked off one by one by the animals, Eamon, Caroline and Mark suffer injury and deep wounds, but also uncover the awful truths of the novel and the secrets on the island itself.
Never once does Edward Durham let up in this novel and the interspersed pieces of the ‘Winterset Hollow’ book within a book work so well to highlight certain moments or to offer dark foreshadowing for what our trio is about to face. And the introduction and visits by Olivia the Owl were fantastic. That was a great character that really strengthened Eamon’s back story.
This was so well done and so cinematic in scope that I could’ve sworn I was watching it on the big screen while reading.
What I didn’t like: While I absolutely loved this book, I would say the one part that wasn’t as impactful was the secondary human characters. Because we get introduced to them so briefly and have an idea of who they are, when the carnage and hunt begins, I didn’t really have any vested interest in if they survived or not.
Why you should buy this: I mean, if my earlier comments didn’t grab you, I don’t know how else I can tell you how amazing this book is! This made me squirm with nervousness and fright, had me on the seat of the chair at moments and made me bawl my eyes out several times. This book is not only a book that I enjoyed reading, but it’s easily cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite books and I’ll be getting a physical copy to treasure and a physical copy to be able to share this stunning story with my son when he’s old enough.
Jonathan Edward Durham has truly crafted a classic story, a fresh offering that connected me to my youth while also speaking to where I am currently as a reader and I can’t thank him enough. This book gets the highest recommendation from myself to you, if you’re reading this and honestly, I hope this book finds a home on your shelf so that you can enjoy this for years and years to come.
A stellar and phenomenal debut. Thank you, Jonathan, for reminding me of why I’ve always loved these types of stories and why they hold such a place in my heart.
For me, personally, the hardest part of writing any review of a book is when that piece of fiction moves you in ways that you never expected and you try and do the book justice. To tell people reading this why you absolutely loved something so much, that they need to drop everything and read it immediately, while also remaining as spoiler-free as possible.
Growing up, I sought out and consumed a steady diet of ‘dark-fantastical.’ Movies that had those fantasy elements, but also the hero’s quest, of trying to overcome the longest of odds to survive and defeat evil. I also loved reading the fairy tale stories, but also the anthropomorphised tales. I grew up during the perfect time period where there was a lot of this to watch and read. Think ‘Watership Down,’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia,’ ‘Legend,’ ‘Labyrinth,’ ‘The Dark Crystal,’ ‘The Last Unicorn,’ ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ ‘The Wind In The Willows,’ ‘Willow,’ and so, so many more. The first two movies I ever saw in theatres was a double feature; ‘The Land Before Time’ and ‘The Great Land of Small.’
The one piece that I continually return to, time and time again, is ‘The Neverending Story.’ Both the movie and the book hold special places for me, to the extent that my son is named after the amulet within the story – Auryn.
All of this is to say, that when ‘Winterset Hollow’ was offered for review, I took in that gorgeous cover, read the synopsis and something was stirred. I knew I was in for a truly stunning debut novel. I wanted to experience it and find out just what Jonathan Edward Durham had created.
What I liked: The story centres around three friends – Eamon, Caroline and Mark who decide to finally take a trip to the island where Eamon and Caroline’s favorite book was written. ‘Winterset Hollow’ (the book within the book) tells the story of rabbit, fox, frog, and bear on Barley Day, the annual feast day tradition. To Eamon and Caroline, the book is so much more. For Eamon, it is a book that helped him as a child. For Caroline, it is a connection to her mother who has passed away.
With how popular the book is around the world, when they arrive to await the ferry to take them from the mainland to the island, they find a number of other ‘Winterset’ fans and so they all enjoy each other’s company and the connection they have to this piece of fiction.
Jonathan does a fantastic job of setting up the arrival to the island and really brings this book within a book alive. In fact, he has written an almost complete book within a book, which itself was a marvel. I personally could handle a separate companion release of this fairy tale, it is so well done.
But of course, to the trio, the book is just that – a book. And so after they trespass onto the gated property and discover a light on in the house, Edward Durham turns this book upside down. The characters are real. They exist and they still live on the island and in the house.
The initial opening scenes where Eamon and Caroline discover that Runny the Rabbit and Finn the Fox are real living creatures was pure delight. I would imagine it would be the same feeling as a five-year-old meeting a Disney character at the theme park. The relationship between rabbit and frog was stellar, stellar and their banter was one of the absolute highlights of the book for me. Their story arc was tragic and beautiful and at the end made me cry my eyes out. The final scene that Jonathan dedicated to their characters was so perfect that I wish I could describe it for you, but instead, I’ll beg you to read this book just for that moment alone.
But alas, this is a dark fiction/horror novel, and the moment it turns was spot-on perfect. We see Bing the Bear grow agitated as he watches his cartoons and we see Finn the Fox begin to show his anger towards the author of the novel that brought the people there for Barley Day, as well as his anger towards the novel itself and his portrayal. And as the reality of what is about to happen next sinks in, Eamon asks Runny what happens next, to which Runny replies ” You run, Eamon. You run.”
From that point on this book becomes a stunning survival piece, where the island is also their prison and as they get picked off one by one by the animals, Eamon, Caroline and Mark suffer injury and deep wounds, but also uncover the awful truths of the novel and the secrets on the island itself.
Never once does Edward Durham let up in this novel and the interspersed pieces of the ‘Winterset Hollow’ book within a book work so well to highlight certain moments or to offer dark foreshadowing for what our trio is about to face. And the introduction and visits by Olivia the Owl were fantastic. That was a great character that really strengthened Eamon’s back story.
This was so well done and so cinematic in scope that I could’ve sworn I was watching it on the big screen while reading.
What I didn’t like: While I absolutely loved this book, I would say the one part that wasn’t as impactful was the secondary human characters. Because we get introduced to them so briefly and have an idea of who they are, when the carnage and hunt begins, I didn’t really have any vested interest in if they survived or not.
Why you should buy this: I mean, if my earlier comments didn’t grab you, I don’t know how else I can tell you how amazing this book is! This made me squirm with nervousness and fright, had me on the seat of the chair at moments and made me bawl my eyes out several times. This book is not only a book that I enjoyed reading, but it’s easily cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite books and I’ll be getting a physical copy to treasure and a physical copy to be able to share this stunning story with my son when he’s old enough.
Jonathan Edward Durham has truly crafted a classic story, a fresh offering that connected me to my youth while also speaking to where I am currently as a reader and I can’t thank him enough. This book gets the highest recommendation from myself to you, if you’re reading this and honestly, I hope this book finds a home on your shelf so that you can enjoy this for years and years to come.
A stellar and phenomenal debut. Thank you, Jonathan, for reminding me of why I’ve always loved these types of stories and why they hold such a place in my heart.
October 12, 2021
Winterset Hollow is a wonderfully unique tale with likeable characters (both protagonists and antagonist). I could seriously rave about this book all day, but my absolute favorite part is the masterfully crafted writing. Just beautiful.
Highly recommend for anyone who likes dark fantasy or literary horror.
Highly recommend for anyone who likes dark fantasy or literary horror.
July 1, 2022
It’s weird, but upon further reflection I feel like this is a solid 3.25 stars 😂
What I liked:
-The animal characters, especially Finn but really all of them.
-The hounds, even though I wanted more.
-The action scenes were pretty intense once the book finally got started.
-I enjoyed the horror elements. Once it got started, it was kind of like a survive the night slasher.
What I didn’t like:
-The human characters. Didn’t care about any of them really.
-All the other human characters/hounds besides our main trio were just cannon fodder. It made for some emotional scenes, and again, Finn shines through, but also again, I just didn’t really care after a point.
-The purple prose. I didn’t think it had a very good flow because of the overly grandiose writing style.
-The first like hundred pages. It took me most of the month to get through it, and I almost DNF’d it more times than I can count. If I wasn’t reading this for our Bookclub, I would’ve DNFd it for sure.
-I usually love a story within a story, but I found myself skimming the passages of the ‘Winterset Hollow’ book.
-I felt like there was too much Stephen King-esq divine intervention or Deus Ex-Machina.
-I don’t understand why Eamon’s dad went back to the island?? And he got into a fist fight with Finn??
There is actually a lot more I didn’t like or understand, but speaking with our Bookclub (the Spooky Curious Bookclub) helped me with most of the other things I didn’t quite get.
I wrote my initial review after I had just finished it, but the more I think about it, the more issues I had with it.
I really do hope that Durham writes more books in this universe, though. I think a prequel book about the first hunt, or even a book about the hounds’ backstory/origin and their relationship with Finn would be really cool.
What I liked:
-The animal characters, especially Finn but really all of them.
-The hounds, even though I wanted more.
-The action scenes were pretty intense once the book finally got started.
-I enjoyed the horror elements. Once it got started, it was kind of like a survive the night slasher.
What I didn’t like:
-The human characters. Didn’t care about any of them really.
-All the other human characters/hounds besides our main trio were just cannon fodder. It made for some emotional scenes, and again, Finn shines through, but also again, I just didn’t really care after a point.
-The purple prose. I didn’t think it had a very good flow because of the overly grandiose writing style.
-The first like hundred pages. It took me most of the month to get through it, and I almost DNF’d it more times than I can count. If I wasn’t reading this for our Bookclub, I would’ve DNFd it for sure.
-I usually love a story within a story, but I found myself skimming the passages of the ‘Winterset Hollow’ book.
-I felt like there was too much Stephen King-esq divine intervention or Deus Ex-Machina.
-I don’t understand why Eamon’s dad went back to the island?? And he got into a fist fight with Finn??
There is actually a lot more I didn’t like or understand, but speaking with our Bookclub (the Spooky Curious Bookclub) helped me with most of the other things I didn’t quite get.
I wrote my initial review after I had just finished it, but the more I think about it, the more issues I had with it.
I really do hope that Durham writes more books in this universe, though. I think a prequel book about the first hunt, or even a book about the hounds’ backstory/origin and their relationship with Finn would be really cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2022
I don't know what's wrong with me, I wasn't as infatuated with this book as everybody seems to be... Just not my cup I guess.
May 10, 2022
Boy did I end up loving this twisted lil psychotic animal story!
I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
The plot sees three friends travelling to Addington Isle - once home to the great Edward Addington, author of Winterset Hollow. The book is a favourite of Eamon and Caroline (Caroline's boyfriend, Mark, is mostly just along for the ride) who love this innocent story of animals preparing for their annual Barley Day feast. However, upon arriving at the island, the gang discover more about their favourite book than they ever wanted to know.
At first, I felt the story was a little slow but I kept reading because the writing really drew me in. The language of this book is exquisite and I really enjoyed the sensation of playing these sentences over my mental tongue. Absolutely adored the writing and, even though I'm not one for poetry and tend to skip it in novels, I was even drawn in to the verses of Winterset Hollow scattered throughout.
As the gang arrives on the island and begins to explore, I was anxiously waiting for something to happen. Yet when it did, I was wondering if I'd confused the genre. We meet a host of characters seemingly out of a children's fairy tale and I honestly had no idea where it was going so I was a bit befuddled.
When the action picked up, however, this book grabbed hold and refused to let me go. I was completely at its mercy as I rampaged through 200 pages of carnage and mayhem and just the weirdest, most entertaining horror I've read in a long time. Something about this story really excited my inner child while slaking the bloodlust I get when I read horror. It just hit the spot.
These characters truly fascinated me, and I simply adored them. Even though most of them have a few screws loose, I just loved the way they were written. There was a depth to these characters that I wasn't expecting, and it had me hanging off every word of this story.
Some of the saves were a little too convenient, but I still found myself completely immersed in what was happening so it never really bothered me. I was just reading something so unique that some of the familiar tropes never really landed as overdone. This book was totally refreshing.
This is a truly unique work of horror, so if you're looking for something a little different in the genre, I highly recommend it. It took me all kinds of strange directions and I ended up committing so much of myself to this story. It was an absolute delight to read.
**EDIT 01/22: Officially upping this to 5 stars. One of the best books I read in 2021!
Many thanks to the author for a copy to read and review.
I'll be thinking about this one for a while.
The plot sees three friends travelling to Addington Isle - once home to the great Edward Addington, author of Winterset Hollow. The book is a favourite of Eamon and Caroline (Caroline's boyfriend, Mark, is mostly just along for the ride) who love this innocent story of animals preparing for their annual Barley Day feast. However, upon arriving at the island, the gang discover more about their favourite book than they ever wanted to know.
At first, I felt the story was a little slow but I kept reading because the writing really drew me in. The language of this book is exquisite and I really enjoyed the sensation of playing these sentences over my mental tongue. Absolutely adored the writing and, even though I'm not one for poetry and tend to skip it in novels, I was even drawn in to the verses of Winterset Hollow scattered throughout.
As the gang arrives on the island and begins to explore, I was anxiously waiting for something to happen. Yet when it did, I was wondering if I'd confused the genre. We meet a host of characters seemingly out of a children's fairy tale and I honestly had no idea where it was going so I was a bit befuddled.
When the action picked up, however, this book grabbed hold and refused to let me go. I was completely at its mercy as I rampaged through 200 pages of carnage and mayhem and just the weirdest, most entertaining horror I've read in a long time. Something about this story really excited my inner child while slaking the bloodlust I get when I read horror. It just hit the spot.
These characters truly fascinated me, and I simply adored them. Even though most of them have a few screws loose, I just loved the way they were written. There was a depth to these characters that I wasn't expecting, and it had me hanging off every word of this story.
Some of the saves were a little too convenient, but I still found myself completely immersed in what was happening so it never really bothered me. I was just reading something so unique that some of the familiar tropes never really landed as overdone. This book was totally refreshing.
This is a truly unique work of horror, so if you're looking for something a little different in the genre, I highly recommend it. It took me all kinds of strange directions and I ended up committing so much of myself to this story. It was an absolute delight to read.
**EDIT 01/22: Officially upping this to 5 stars. One of the best books I read in 2021!
Many thanks to the author for a copy to read and review.
March 5, 2022
Well, I read it. I read the whole thing, and I feel dumber for it.
What's your favorite children's book? Let's say it's Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik - I can think of nothing sweeter and gentler. Let's say you've remained obsessed with this book into your twenties, maybe thirties. You win a chance to travel across the country to the author's isolated island, where her abandoned mansion is locked behind gates. It's a day trip only, so you'll have to take a ferry there and back. There's nothing on the island except the house you can't get into - no stores, no cars, no port-a-johns.
(btw, if you've done something like this in real life, I don't get it. I don't understand going somewhere just to "walk where my idol walked," and that's all you do. ???)
Anyhoo, let's say you and the other winners get to the island. You split up to explore whatever you can. A storm hits and everyone rushes to the dock to discover the boat's gone. Trying to get into the mansion seems like a good idea, so you do a little B&E. What do you find?
You find LITTLE BEAR, DUCK, OWL and the whole gang living at the house. Literally, the characters are living, fully anthropomorphized animals cooking, playing games, manically slicing off bits of their ears, picking out their favorite brain-smashing sledgehammer... whatever it is they do in the normal course of their day.
This is the point where the book and I diverged. I should've known I should stop immediately, but I was curious. I should've let my curiosity die but I let it linger, dying slowly and painfully, dragging the rest of me along for the worst ride ever.
Here's what I think. I think Durham wrote a pretty kickass poem of the cuddly, kidly variety, but he couldn't get it published. Over drinks, a friend suggested turning it into a crazy horror novel where the characters are real and out for bloodthirsty revenge. Everybody has a good laugh, but the next day JED is mulling over the idea for real. He sits down at his keyboard and voila!
5 stars for the Epic Poem, 2 stars for the weird horror novel. Next time I think of these guys, I'll imagine them plotting my demise, determining how best to season the meat.
What's your favorite children's book? Let's say it's Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik - I can think of nothing sweeter and gentler. Let's say you've remained obsessed with this book into your twenties, maybe thirties. You win a chance to travel across the country to the author's isolated island, where her abandoned mansion is locked behind gates. It's a day trip only, so you'll have to take a ferry there and back. There's nothing on the island except the house you can't get into - no stores, no cars, no port-a-johns.
(btw, if you've done something like this in real life, I don't get it. I don't understand going somewhere just to "walk where my idol walked," and that's all you do. ???)
Anyhoo, let's say you and the other winners get to the island. You split up to explore whatever you can. A storm hits and everyone rushes to the dock to discover the boat's gone. Trying to get into the mansion seems like a good idea, so you do a little B&E. What do you find?
You find LITTLE BEAR, DUCK, OWL and the whole gang living at the house. Literally, the characters are living, fully anthropomorphized animals cooking, playing games, manically slicing off bits of their ears, picking out their favorite brain-smashing sledgehammer... whatever it is they do in the normal course of their day.
This is the point where the book and I diverged. I should've known I should stop immediately, but I was curious. I should've let my curiosity die but I let it linger, dying slowly and painfully, dragging the rest of me along for the worst ride ever.
Here's what I think. I think Durham wrote a pretty kickass poem of the cuddly, kidly variety, but he couldn't get it published. Over drinks, a friend suggested turning it into a crazy horror novel where the characters are real and out for bloodthirsty revenge. Everybody has a good laugh, but the next day JED is mulling over the idea for real. He sits down at his keyboard and voila!
5 stars for the Epic Poem, 2 stars for the weird horror novel. Next time I think of these guys, I'll imagine them plotting my demise, determining how best to season the meat.
February 21, 2022
I was all set to give this a higher rating just because of the promise of the concept, even though I found Durham's writing too florid and overwrought to be able to connect with any of the characters, human or animal (although I do have a soft spot for the bitter frog chef). But in the last section Durham goes the route of my very least favorite plot device, which effectively ruined any remaining affection I felt. This one was a bummer for this reader.
February 11, 2022
DNF at 53%.
I usually like to finish books before I rate them, even if I am not really enjoying them. However, this is perhaps the only book which I physically could not will myself to read any more of, as hard as I tried. Do with that what you will.
I came across this book and was interested by the unique concept. However, from the first few sentences in this book I had the feeling that I was not going to enjoy this book, for one simple reason: the mind-numbingly terrible writing. Every sentence in this book was at least half a paragraph long and littered with unnecessarily obscure words in the most awkward places, as if each page had been churned through a thesaurus. The book had literally NO FLOW. It was a complete chore to read.
I was hoping to myself that the writing would tone itself down a bit as the book went on. But alas, I got to 53% of the book and the book was still at the same level of terribleness and I could feel my brain melting each time I started a new page so I decided I would do what's best for myself and never touch the book again.
Surprisingly people seem to quite like the writing style. To me, it was that kind of writing style that tries too hard yet ends up achieving nothing, that gives the illusion of skill where there isn't any. Most books are supposed to feel like you are inside them, experiencing what the characters are experiencing, but the way that this author writes breaks all the immersion and makes it feel more like you are being told a story by another person with a very pretentious vocabulary.
Ignoring the writing, the story still seemed like a genuinely interesting idea which only made it all the more disappointing - and I honestly wouldn't mind if someone were to take the idea and rewrite it in a way that doesn't make me want to shoot myself.
I usually like to finish books before I rate them, even if I am not really enjoying them. However, this is perhaps the only book which I physically could not will myself to read any more of, as hard as I tried. Do with that what you will.
I came across this book and was interested by the unique concept. However, from the first few sentences in this book I had the feeling that I was not going to enjoy this book, for one simple reason: the mind-numbingly terrible writing. Every sentence in this book was at least half a paragraph long and littered with unnecessarily obscure words in the most awkward places, as if each page had been churned through a thesaurus. The book had literally NO FLOW. It was a complete chore to read.
I was hoping to myself that the writing would tone itself down a bit as the book went on. But alas, I got to 53% of the book and the book was still at the same level of terribleness and I could feel my brain melting each time I started a new page so I decided I would do what's best for myself and never touch the book again.
Surprisingly people seem to quite like the writing style. To me, it was that kind of writing style that tries too hard yet ends up achieving nothing, that gives the illusion of skill where there isn't any. Most books are supposed to feel like you are inside them, experiencing what the characters are experiencing, but the way that this author writes breaks all the immersion and makes it feel more like you are being told a story by another person with a very pretentious vocabulary.
Ignoring the writing, the story still seemed like a genuinely interesting idea which only made it all the more disappointing - and I honestly wouldn't mind if someone were to take the idea and rewrite it in a way that doesn't make me want to shoot myself.
October 17, 2022
Winnie the Pooh + The Purge
A combination I didn't expect but throughly enjoyed.
I wish they had hired a proper narrator for the audiobook. The author while passionate read all characters with a singular voice so it made differentiation difficult and I had to rewind more than I wanted to.
A combination I didn't expect but throughly enjoyed.
I wish they had hired a proper narrator for the audiobook. The author while passionate read all characters with a singular voice so it made differentiation difficult and I had to rewind more than I wanted to.
December 1, 2021
I’m ready… after letting my being stitch back together from the explosion of this book. Before I say anything else, I must express that this book is just amazing. The beginning reels you in and then piece by piece you begin to explode with intricate and beautiful and frightening content. Though that may not sound like it, it’s an exciting and beautiful experience. Even the cover is eerie while still drawing you in. The writing is so eloquent and different from anything I’ve ever read.
Eamon is our main character and while he tends to seem apart from the rest of the cast, I feel like he has many relatable characteristics. I, for one, adore him and kind of just want to give him a hug. But then you’ve got this complex group of characters, and each of them only adds to the tale. The animals especially delighted me to no end. Runny is a personal favorite because of his intensity and hidden layers.
The whole book is filled with layers actually. And each one, once pulled back, gives the reader a different emotion and different memory. This is filled with beautiful, sad, and heartfelt memories. That is to say, the story has a rich past and it’s so fulfilling to delve in. Not to worry, with all the heaviness, there is also some levity. I laughed out loud and smiled more than I probably should have.
What I’d love to do is describe to you each chapter and discuss the characters in depth, but I refuse to spoil this for anyone. Instead, I must recommend this to you. All of you over the age of… well, let’s just say this is for mature audiences only and those who don’t mind a little violent yet purposeful revenge.
Thank you so, so very much to the author, Jonathan Edward Durham for the absolute pleasure of reading this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!!
Eamon is our main character and while he tends to seem apart from the rest of the cast, I feel like he has many relatable characteristics. I, for one, adore him and kind of just want to give him a hug. But then you’ve got this complex group of characters, and each of them only adds to the tale. The animals especially delighted me to no end. Runny is a personal favorite because of his intensity and hidden layers.
The whole book is filled with layers actually. And each one, once pulled back, gives the reader a different emotion and different memory. This is filled with beautiful, sad, and heartfelt memories. That is to say, the story has a rich past and it’s so fulfilling to delve in. Not to worry, with all the heaviness, there is also some levity. I laughed out loud and smiled more than I probably should have.
What I’d love to do is describe to you each chapter and discuss the characters in depth, but I refuse to spoil this for anyone. Instead, I must recommend this to you. All of you over the age of… well, let’s just say this is for mature audiences only and those who don’t mind a little violent yet purposeful revenge.
Thank you so, so very much to the author, Jonathan Edward Durham for the absolute pleasure of reading this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!!
January 1, 2024
This book had been on my TBR for a long while. And I am so glad I finally got to it. It was amazingly unique, I loved how magical it was. It was like a beautiful hug from someone you totally love, and then that someone slices your gut open. There was some deep emotional trauma represented here. I'm very used to seeing trauma in humans, but this book did a deep dive into trauma experienced by human-like animals and it was so deliciously fucked up.
I absolutely adored the poetry from the fictional book Winterset Hollow, it was spectacular. I legit would pay good money to own that fictional piece of literary art. The characters, both human and animal, were magnificent. I was attached to all of them in different ways. My only critique is the fact that the POV switched on a dime sometimes causing my brain some slight confusion. I also feel like it could have been a bit shorter, I wouldn't say I was ever bored, but there were definitely some parts that were kind of draggy.
Recommend completely, solidly entertaining.
I absolutely adored the poetry from the fictional book Winterset Hollow, it was spectacular. I legit would pay good money to own that fictional piece of literary art. The characters, both human and animal, were magnificent. I was attached to all of them in different ways. My only critique is the fact that the POV switched on a dime sometimes causing my brain some slight confusion. I also feel like it could have been a bit shorter, I wouldn't say I was ever bored, but there were definitely some parts that were kind of draggy.
Recommend completely, solidly entertaining.
July 22, 2023
The Debt Must Be Paid In Full...
WINTERSET HOLLOW by Jonathan Durham
No spoilers. 4 stars. Eamon, Carolina, and Mark embarked on a pilgrimage to the village of West Rock, Washington...
They, especially Eamon, wanted to visit Addington Isle to pay homage to author E.B. Addington, creator of the novel...
WINTERSET HOLLOW...
The novel meant so much to them, but strangely, the little hamlet had no bookstores displaying Addington's work...
... no gift shops selling his souvenirs, and no guided tours of his hometown. In fact, there was no mention of Addington at all...
But...
Eamon had gotten 3 free boat tickets to Addington Isle... good for one day only...
Barley Day, the very day the trio arrived...
The Isle was feral with a wild and wooly edge, and Addington's mansion was surrounded by a fence of bars...
Addington wrote WINTERSET HOLLOW partly because he felt bad about disturbing the wildlife when he built his mansion on the isle...
The trio took a pathway to explore the grounds and get a closer look at the fenced-in mansion...
But the sun quickly set, and It became dark and rainy, and they got lost trying to get back to their boat...
Full Dark now...
They found their way to the front door of the mansion where Runny the rabbit, a character from the book, let them inside to dry off...
In fact...
The other handful of fellow tourists from the boat were already inside warming by the fire and drinking...
Runny explained that the tourists had arrived on Barley Day. The day to say goodbye to summer and to friends and...
Say hello to a long, peaceful slumber...
The tourists were invited to sit down to a vegetarian feast. When the meal was over, Eamon asked Runny: What happens now?...
Runny answered: My dear boy, don't you know? It's Barley Day... You run Eamon, you run...
The debt must be paid, and after tonight, it will be paid in full...
If you've ever seen TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, you'll understand why I say this story reminded me of the dark side of the children's book WINNIE THE POOH AND THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD. The plot made me want to sing Give Peace a Chance at a bed-in, lol.
I loved how an epic poem was woven into the story.
WINTERSET HOLLOW by Jonathan Durham
No spoilers. 4 stars. Eamon, Carolina, and Mark embarked on a pilgrimage to the village of West Rock, Washington...
They, especially Eamon, wanted to visit Addington Isle to pay homage to author E.B. Addington, creator of the novel...
WINTERSET HOLLOW...
The novel meant so much to them, but strangely, the little hamlet had no bookstores displaying Addington's work...
... no gift shops selling his souvenirs, and no guided tours of his hometown. In fact, there was no mention of Addington at all...
But...
Eamon had gotten 3 free boat tickets to Addington Isle... good for one day only...
Barley Day, the very day the trio arrived...
The Isle was feral with a wild and wooly edge, and Addington's mansion was surrounded by a fence of bars...
Addington wrote WINTERSET HOLLOW partly because he felt bad about disturbing the wildlife when he built his mansion on the isle...
The trio took a pathway to explore the grounds and get a closer look at the fenced-in mansion...
But the sun quickly set, and It became dark and rainy, and they got lost trying to get back to their boat...
Full Dark now...
They found their way to the front door of the mansion where Runny the rabbit, a character from the book, let them inside to dry off...
In fact...
The other handful of fellow tourists from the boat were already inside warming by the fire and drinking...
Runny explained that the tourists had arrived on Barley Day. The day to say goodbye to summer and to friends and...
Say hello to a long, peaceful slumber...
The tourists were invited to sit down to a vegetarian feast. When the meal was over, Eamon asked Runny: What happens now?...
Runny answered: My dear boy, don't you know? It's Barley Day... You run Eamon, you run...
The debt must be paid, and after tonight, it will be paid in full...
If you've ever seen TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, you'll understand why I say this story reminded me of the dark side of the children's book WINNIE THE POOH AND THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD. The plot made me want to sing Give Peace a Chance at a bed-in, lol.
I loved how an epic poem was woven into the story.
November 19, 2021
I would love to have enjoyed this novel. Yet, it was a chore to finish.
There is a story somewhere ... probably a good story. Yet it was buried under half page length paragraphs. One paragraph would contain transitions to the point that when I was done reading the paragraph I had no idea where I was. And my god, the metaphors. Every single description contained a metaphor.
Also, if you decide to buy this novel, buy the Kindle edition, as the paperback began falling apart, pages ripping out, as I was reading them.
This novel will not even hit my shelf to await the next culling, it is immediately finding a home in my 'donate to the library' pile.
There is a story somewhere ... probably a good story. Yet it was buried under half page length paragraphs. One paragraph would contain transitions to the point that when I was done reading the paragraph I had no idea where I was. And my god, the metaphors. Every single description contained a metaphor.
Also, if you decide to buy this novel, buy the Kindle edition, as the paperback began falling apart, pages ripping out, as I was reading them.
This novel will not even hit my shelf to await the next culling, it is immediately finding a home in my 'donate to the library' pile.
Shelved as 'dreaded-dnf'
January 1, 2023I may come back to this at one point, (maybe in paper form?),but for right now I'm setting this aside. I am not crazy about the narrator, who in this case, is also the author.
January 18, 2022
My god! This book! Literally one of the best books I have ever read.
It was so beautifully written and beautiful told. It is simply immaculate.
From the first page to the last, I loved everything about this book. It’s dark, disturbing, grizzly but magical as well.
The 3 main human characters relationships were superbly written I felt I knew them personally and I rooted for them through the entire book like they were my own friends.
The animal characters were perfect. They were so detailed with a sadness and a darkness that pulled at my heart strings and My heart genuinely aches for them.
This is an unforgettable book that has brought emotions that will stay with me for a very long time.
It is simply perfect
It was so beautifully written and beautiful told. It is simply immaculate.
From the first page to the last, I loved everything about this book. It’s dark, disturbing, grizzly but magical as well.
The 3 main human characters relationships were superbly written I felt I knew them personally and I rooted for them through the entire book like they were my own friends.
The animal characters were perfect. They were so detailed with a sadness and a darkness that pulled at my heart strings and My heart genuinely aches for them.
This is an unforgettable book that has brought emotions that will stay with me for a very long time.
It is simply perfect
April 16, 2022
WINTERSET HOLLOW, by Jonathan Edward Durham, is a novel that took me by complete surprise. If it hadn't been nominated as a group read on Goodreads, I'm not sure I would have ever heard of it. I went into this novel--which begins with a group of friends taking a trip to Addington Isle, a secluded island where their favorite author was said to have written their favorite story--expecting an "Alice in Wonderland" type of fantasy.
I could not have prepared for what was in store.
The tale is very literary and dense at times, but even in the beginning, I clung onto each word, because they began to take on a life of their own in my mind. Though the start is "slow" as far as action is concerned, the information gleaned there is essential in setting the mood. The atmosphere starts as "uncomfortable", and gradually ramps up to "Okay, this is starting to creep me out" before the real action even begins. When a story gets under my skin like that--where I am unable to think about anything EXCEPT what could possibly come next--I know I've found an instant favorite. Before I was half way through, the characters, the motivations, actions, atmosphere--even the writing itself--had captured my undivided attention, and I knew this was a book that I would be re-reading for years to come.
Many reviewers have touched upon the parallels and critiques of men taking over new land from indigenous tribes, and I do believe that is accurate. Even with that in mind, this story that begins with a fictional book of a group of animals celebrating their yearly Barley Day festival, feels to me as if it has a life of its own. It's the darkest fantasy, mixed with real world people and problems, that lead you on a unique, violent, and extremely unforgettable journey. The many twists, which I usually try to figure out, were almost secondary to the telling of the tale--the journey was worth every minute!
"How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run."
Highly recommended.
I could not have prepared for what was in store.
The tale is very literary and dense at times, but even in the beginning, I clung onto each word, because they began to take on a life of their own in my mind. Though the start is "slow" as far as action is concerned, the information gleaned there is essential in setting the mood. The atmosphere starts as "uncomfortable", and gradually ramps up to "Okay, this is starting to creep me out" before the real action even begins. When a story gets under my skin like that--where I am unable to think about anything EXCEPT what could possibly come next--I know I've found an instant favorite. Before I was half way through, the characters, the motivations, actions, atmosphere--even the writing itself--had captured my undivided attention, and I knew this was a book that I would be re-reading for years to come.
Many reviewers have touched upon the parallels and critiques of men taking over new land from indigenous tribes, and I do believe that is accurate. Even with that in mind, this story that begins with a fictional book of a group of animals celebrating their yearly Barley Day festival, feels to me as if it has a life of its own. It's the darkest fantasy, mixed with real world people and problems, that lead you on a unique, violent, and extremely unforgettable journey. The many twists, which I usually try to figure out, were almost secondary to the telling of the tale--the journey was worth every minute!
"How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run."
Highly recommended.
January 26, 2022
One star for Mark.
I pretty much just finished this book due to the extreme hate I was feeling towards the writing. I hate read this book! Words like: maw and pike became super repetitive. Characters were all sounding alike when it was their view. This novel needed massive editing. Durham was writing in prose and making his vocabulary "floofy and pretty" but in the end it was unnecessary and I found myself trying to skim through the long paragraphs of unnecessary data. I bet the author loves to hear himself talk.
The idea of this book was a cool concept, it just wasn't done well in my opinion.
Also, my biggest issue with the book was all the "perfect timing moments". Give me a break. If this were a true horror book there wouldn't be that many easy outs. Also, the whole plot point with his dad didn't make sense. POSSIBLE SPOILER: If the dad didn't want anything to do with the family or the entire ordeal then why the fudge did he even go back to the damn island?! Why not just keep his kid away and be like, "there's some crazy ass vengeful animals there that wanna kill us. Let's never go there okay son?" !!!! Did I misread that or did I not? Idk because the paragraphs were flooded with so much fluff that I can't remember, all I remember was doing the eyebrow raise like I was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or something.
I'm so glad it's over. This book is going in the little library at the neighborhood park so I never have to look at it again.
I pretty much just finished this book due to the extreme hate I was feeling towards the writing. I hate read this book! Words like: maw and pike became super repetitive. Characters were all sounding alike when it was their view. This novel needed massive editing. Durham was writing in prose and making his vocabulary "floofy and pretty" but in the end it was unnecessary and I found myself trying to skim through the long paragraphs of unnecessary data. I bet the author loves to hear himself talk.
The idea of this book was a cool concept, it just wasn't done well in my opinion.
Also, my biggest issue with the book was all the "perfect timing moments". Give me a break. If this were a true horror book there wouldn't be that many easy outs. Also, the whole plot point with his dad didn't make sense. POSSIBLE SPOILER: If the dad didn't want anything to do with the family or the entire ordeal then why the fudge did he even go back to the damn island?! Why not just keep his kid away and be like, "there's some crazy ass vengeful animals there that wanna kill us. Let's never go there okay son?" !!!! Did I misread that or did I not? Idk because the paragraphs were flooded with so much fluff that I can't remember, all I remember was doing the eyebrow raise like I was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or something.
I'm so glad it's over. This book is going in the little library at the neighborhood park so I never have to look at it again.
January 4, 2025
Wow. Just wow! Did I get busy with this one or what! I fell head over heels for that quintessentially British animal-tale vibe, written by an American and set on an isle off the coast of West Rock, Washington!
Here’s my take - a savage, intoxicating, anxiety-inducing, slasher-mash-up of Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland and Disney’s animated Robin Hood. (I kid you not)
"How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run."
I found Winterset Hollow to be a unique and masterfully written story filled with intrigue, some wickedly dry humour, (mainly from the brilliant animal characters) and man, was it BRUTAL. Slow-burn, literary horror is my bag and this is a prime example.
This book is a feast for the eyes and a wallop to the brain. Weirdly, I found it relaxing to read in all its chaos because it was so lyrical. I’m enthralled by this book and I love that it has made me feel this way. I also feel absolutely worn out after the final 100 or so pages.
My only whinge - I felt as though there were too many obscure and/or new (to me) words to look up! (easy enough to do on kindle, mind). They were also on repeat just a bit too much, which I found a little distracting. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE new words and finding out their meanings and get so much from different descriptive words and phrases, but it could’ve been toned down just a bit.
Overall, it was a reading experience that I will never ever forget. It was oh so close to perfect. One for the ‘best of 2024’ shelf!
‘And I do wish to be happy. So, while I understand your inclination to rage at your past until you just can’t rage anymore, I hope you understand my wish to find a quiet place by the lake and let it all fall away from my bones like rotten fur.’
Here’s my take - a savage, intoxicating, anxiety-inducing, slasher-mash-up of Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland and Disney’s animated Robin Hood. (I kid you not)
"How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run."
I found Winterset Hollow to be a unique and masterfully written story filled with intrigue, some wickedly dry humour, (mainly from the brilliant animal characters) and man, was it BRUTAL. Slow-burn, literary horror is my bag and this is a prime example.
This book is a feast for the eyes and a wallop to the brain. Weirdly, I found it relaxing to read in all its chaos because it was so lyrical. I’m enthralled by this book and I love that it has made me feel this way. I also feel absolutely worn out after the final 100 or so pages.
My only whinge - I felt as though there were too many obscure and/or new (to me) words to look up! (easy enough to do on kindle, mind). They were also on repeat just a bit too much, which I found a little distracting. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE new words and finding out their meanings and get so much from different descriptive words and phrases, but it could’ve been toned down just a bit.
Overall, it was a reading experience that I will never ever forget. It was oh so close to perfect. One for the ‘best of 2024’ shelf!
‘And I do wish to be happy. So, while I understand your inclination to rage at your past until you just can’t rage anymore, I hope you understand my wish to find a quiet place by the lake and let it all fall away from my bones like rotten fur.’
October 29, 2021
I've never read anything like this before. It's set in the real world but with something of the fantastic, so it's more like magic realism with a horror theme.
Perfect for the month of Oct, this was such a powerful and dark tale that left me feeling more emotional than I expected by the end of it. To make it even better, the writing was truly beautiful.
Perfect for the month of Oct, this was such a powerful and dark tale that left me feeling more emotional than I expected by the end of it. To make it even better, the writing was truly beautiful.
November 17, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
A novel as beguiling as it is engrossing, Winterset Hollow is an immersive, evocative tale of revenge, trauma, and what happens when predators become prey.
Winterset Hollow begins with three close friends on a small road trip to visit an island that inspired their favourite childhood book. While there, fiction soon blends with reality in ways that are terrifying and grotesque. The three young people are thrust into a situation where they must run for their lives. It’s best to enter into this novel knowing no more regarding the plot, as the strange turn of events is part of the fun.
In terms of characters, Eamon, Caroline, and Mark have instant chemistry. Their dialogue is realistic, and their personalities are distinct and relatable. Eamon and Caroline share a love of the book that brings them to the island, and Mark is just along for the ride. I cared for all three. The side characters were hard to distinguish, but they also only played a small part. On the other hand, the antagonists are utterly fantastic in their depravity, sorrow, and compulsion to enact revenge at any cost.
The action/horror scenes are well-described and the pacing is steady. The tension builds and ebbs in a way that keeps you reading well after you intended to set it down for the night. There is a mystery in the background that you are almost unaware of until near the end that helps explain certain aspects of Eamon’s character.
The prose is absorbing because it’s very elegiac and flowery at times, which contrasts in an exciting way with the visceral nature of the violence in the story. For example, passages like this are common: “It was a strange and weighty affectation as if they were eating their last meal before heading off to war and they were still hiding their conscriptions from their families.”
This is novel that sticks with you. It makes you wonder and contemplate even days after the final page. There are unanswered questions, but in a way that feels intentional. Both a slasher and dark fantasy, Winterset Hollow was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
A novel as beguiling as it is engrossing, Winterset Hollow is an immersive, evocative tale of revenge, trauma, and what happens when predators become prey.
Winterset Hollow begins with three close friends on a small road trip to visit an island that inspired their favourite childhood book. While there, fiction soon blends with reality in ways that are terrifying and grotesque. The three young people are thrust into a situation where they must run for their lives. It’s best to enter into this novel knowing no more regarding the plot, as the strange turn of events is part of the fun.
In terms of characters, Eamon, Caroline, and Mark have instant chemistry. Their dialogue is realistic, and their personalities are distinct and relatable. Eamon and Caroline share a love of the book that brings them to the island, and Mark is just along for the ride. I cared for all three. The side characters were hard to distinguish, but they also only played a small part. On the other hand, the antagonists are utterly fantastic in their depravity, sorrow, and compulsion to enact revenge at any cost.
The action/horror scenes are well-described and the pacing is steady. The tension builds and ebbs in a way that keeps you reading well after you intended to set it down for the night. There is a mystery in the background that you are almost unaware of until near the end that helps explain certain aspects of Eamon’s character.
The prose is absorbing because it’s very elegiac and flowery at times, which contrasts in an exciting way with the visceral nature of the violence in the story. For example, passages like this are common: “It was a strange and weighty affectation as if they were eating their last meal before heading off to war and they were still hiding their conscriptions from their families.”
This is novel that sticks with you. It makes you wonder and contemplate even days after the final page. There are unanswered questions, but in a way that feels intentional. Both a slasher and dark fantasy, Winterset Hollow was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
April 14, 2023
I love books that transport me to another world and make me feel like I'm part of the story. Unfortunately, this was not that book.
Don't get me wrong, the author has a great command of language and style. He writes with clarity and elegance, and I can appreciate his skill. But the story itself left me cold and bored. It was a struggle for me to keep turning the pages, hoping for something engaging or surprising to happen. But nothing did. The plot was predictable and dull, and the characters were dull and unlikeable to me. I couldn't connect with any of them or their motivations. I felt like I was reading a book about strangers who didn't matter to me at all. Often I need some emotional connection to really draw me into a story or to really like a character.
Maybe this book is for someone else, someone who enjoys a slow-paced and subtle story with a lot of description and introspection. But it was not for me. I wanted more emotion and more magic. I wanted to be enchanted by Winterset Hollow, but instead, I was a little disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, the author has a great command of language and style. He writes with clarity and elegance, and I can appreciate his skill. But the story itself left me cold and bored. It was a struggle for me to keep turning the pages, hoping for something engaging or surprising to happen. But nothing did. The plot was predictable and dull, and the characters were dull and unlikeable to me. I couldn't connect with any of them or their motivations. I felt like I was reading a book about strangers who didn't matter to me at all. Often I need some emotional connection to really draw me into a story or to really like a character.
Maybe this book is for someone else, someone who enjoys a slow-paced and subtle story with a lot of description and introspection. But it was not for me. I wanted more emotion and more magic. I wanted to be enchanted by Winterset Hollow, but instead, I was a little disappointed.
January 4, 2025
Winterset Hollow is without question the most original horror novel I have ever read. It's a bizarre, weird and wonderful blend of irony, adventure, fantasy, terror, and yes...talking animals. But it just flat out works. When I was first told about the plot briefly by a friend, I just couldn't imagine how it could work well--and I'm still not sure I know why it does--but it's a brilliant thing to behold. Horror fans, particularly horror fans who also love fantasy, should not miss this one. It fully deserves its cult following.
Basic Premise:
Eamon and his two friends journey to the island home of their favorite childhood author in honor of Barley Day, the fictional day of celebration the author wrote about in his stories. The author, Edward Addington, has long since passed away, but tours still run to his island home once a year on this special day. Unfortunately, once the friends arrive, they realize it's quite difficult to truly see anything up close. The estate is surrounded by a huge fence. They decide to take a long walk just soaking in the scenery, communing with the elements Addington once saw, when they come upon a downed tree which has also taken down part of the fence. Naturally, they decide to climb through to try to find the main house. Though the sun is setting and they may miss their return boat home, they figure this is their once in a lifetime chance to see the home of their favorite author--and what could really go wrong after all?
Scattered Thoughts and Commentary:
I love so much about this novel, but first and foremost, one of the most impressive feats is that I felt very much like I knew Edward Addington's children's story. Durham does offer occasional snippets of this fictional text--written in poetic verse no less--but it's the manner by which the main characters discuss the story that really brings it to life. I was reminded of Lev Grossman's Magician's trilogy and how those characters discuss the Fillory novels. (I so badly want Lev Grossman to write the Fillory books🤣). As an aside, I sincerely hope Durham will collaborate with an artist to publish a fully illustrated edition of this book as well. I would pay an absurd amount of money for that book. The images are eye/mind candy...right up until they turn gruesome, of course.
I love the manner in which Durham takes truly absurd circumstances (and indeed this book has a touch of absurdism in many of the characters conversations) and renders them essential and wholly real. I truly couldn't figure out how "talking animals" could work in a horror novel and actually be frightening. Yet they absolutely did. I will have to further analyze just how Durham achieves this level of suspension of disbelief--it's probably a great topic for a conference paper. For now though, I'll just appreciate it.
Eamon, as our protagonist, is really an interesting character. A loner most of his life, he has a tendency toward brooding pessimism. His childhood wasn't a happy one, so Edward Addington's book was his main escape from the world. (Again I am reminded of Quentin and his love of Fillory in The Magicians). Despite his dour nature, he is definitely a character that I cared about and liked--I think he's likely to strike a cord with most readers who can relate to being the smart, nerdy kid who loves to read.
The horror conventions begin subtly and they start almost immediately as the book opens. The characters find out that the main ferry no longer runs to the island. Instead a questionable man is there at the dock offering to take the small group over to the island "unofficially." The woods surrounding the estate grows increasingly higher and denser. The open trails slowly narrow. This list goes on. And what I so appreciate is that I was almost unconscious of these shifts. Normally when reading a horror novel, I can point and say okay I see what this image is doing to me and now here's this or that convention. The terror at the heart of Winterset Hollow sneaks up on readers. Durham writes imagery beautifully and artfully, and it impacts readers gently at first. Little by little, as you progress to the turning point in the novel, you just find yourself becoming completely unnerved without being able to point to exactly where or how that started.
Grammar & Style:
Initially, Winterset Hollow was independently published, so I want to make sure I express admiration for Durham's prose and style. This is one of those rare examples of a book independently published by an author who is truly brilliant and truly knows his craft. There are no errors, the prose is smooth and cleverly varied organically to lend meaning to the storyline and the main character's thought sequences. It certainly doesn't read like a first book.
One Small Issue:
If there's room for any criticism, it's in the first 80 pages. The exposition includes a lot of information that could have been scaled back. We really don't need to know quite so much about Eamon's background. Some of his internal thought sequences could have been cut or shortened. It's almost like you can see where Durham was starting his novel--figuring out how the whole thing would unfold--then you can see or feel where he hits his stride, his rhythm and pacing, and the novel takes off. I think a decent editor would have told him to go back and scale down the opening. Personally, I find Durham's prose so interesting that I didn't mind reading a bit more extemporaneous rambling. But for the sake of the narrative, the beginning probably needs to be cut in half.
Overall, though I made a few comparisons to Lev Grossman's The Magicians, I want to clarify that Winterset Hollow is nothing like that series--I have never read any book, fantasy or horror, remotely like Winterset Hollow. For that reason alone, I love it. I read constantly and rarely do I find something blessedly new. This book is new. It's original, innovative, and I will probably reread it several times more.
I don't give 5 star ratings very often. And no book is perfect, but this is such a unique experience--impressive on so many levels. It is written on a college reading level, and it is intended for adults. Readers who prefer their horror spoon-fed may not jive with this one, but I loved it.
Basic Premise:
Eamon and his two friends journey to the island home of their favorite childhood author in honor of Barley Day, the fictional day of celebration the author wrote about in his stories. The author, Edward Addington, has long since passed away, but tours still run to his island home once a year on this special day. Unfortunately, once the friends arrive, they realize it's quite difficult to truly see anything up close. The estate is surrounded by a huge fence. They decide to take a long walk just soaking in the scenery, communing with the elements Addington once saw, when they come upon a downed tree which has also taken down part of the fence. Naturally, they decide to climb through to try to find the main house. Though the sun is setting and they may miss their return boat home, they figure this is their once in a lifetime chance to see the home of their favorite author--and what could really go wrong after all?
Scattered Thoughts and Commentary:
I love so much about this novel, but first and foremost, one of the most impressive feats is that I felt very much like I knew Edward Addington's children's story. Durham does offer occasional snippets of this fictional text--written in poetic verse no less--but it's the manner by which the main characters discuss the story that really brings it to life. I was reminded of Lev Grossman's Magician's trilogy and how those characters discuss the Fillory novels. (I so badly want Lev Grossman to write the Fillory books🤣). As an aside, I sincerely hope Durham will collaborate with an artist to publish a fully illustrated edition of this book as well. I would pay an absurd amount of money for that book. The images are eye/mind candy...right up until they turn gruesome, of course.
I love the manner in which Durham takes truly absurd circumstances (and indeed this book has a touch of absurdism in many of the characters conversations) and renders them essential and wholly real. I truly couldn't figure out how "talking animals" could work in a horror novel and actually be frightening. Yet they absolutely did. I will have to further analyze just how Durham achieves this level of suspension of disbelief--it's probably a great topic for a conference paper. For now though, I'll just appreciate it.
Eamon, as our protagonist, is really an interesting character. A loner most of his life, he has a tendency toward brooding pessimism. His childhood wasn't a happy one, so Edward Addington's book was his main escape from the world. (Again I am reminded of Quentin and his love of Fillory in The Magicians). Despite his dour nature, he is definitely a character that I cared about and liked--I think he's likely to strike a cord with most readers who can relate to being the smart, nerdy kid who loves to read.
The horror conventions begin subtly and they start almost immediately as the book opens. The characters find out that the main ferry no longer runs to the island. Instead a questionable man is there at the dock offering to take the small group over to the island "unofficially." The woods surrounding the estate grows increasingly higher and denser. The open trails slowly narrow. This list goes on. And what I so appreciate is that I was almost unconscious of these shifts. Normally when reading a horror novel, I can point and say okay I see what this image is doing to me and now here's this or that convention. The terror at the heart of Winterset Hollow sneaks up on readers. Durham writes imagery beautifully and artfully, and it impacts readers gently at first. Little by little, as you progress to the turning point in the novel, you just find yourself becoming completely unnerved without being able to point to exactly where or how that started.
Grammar & Style:
Initially, Winterset Hollow was independently published, so I want to make sure I express admiration for Durham's prose and style. This is one of those rare examples of a book independently published by an author who is truly brilliant and truly knows his craft. There are no errors, the prose is smooth and cleverly varied organically to lend meaning to the storyline and the main character's thought sequences. It certainly doesn't read like a first book.
One Small Issue:
If there's room for any criticism, it's in the first 80 pages. The exposition includes a lot of information that could have been scaled back. We really don't need to know quite so much about Eamon's background. Some of his internal thought sequences could have been cut or shortened. It's almost like you can see where Durham was starting his novel--figuring out how the whole thing would unfold--then you can see or feel where he hits his stride, his rhythm and pacing, and the novel takes off. I think a decent editor would have told him to go back and scale down the opening. Personally, I find Durham's prose so interesting that I didn't mind reading a bit more extemporaneous rambling. But for the sake of the narrative, the beginning probably needs to be cut in half.
Overall, though I made a few comparisons to Lev Grossman's The Magicians, I want to clarify that Winterset Hollow is nothing like that series--I have never read any book, fantasy or horror, remotely like Winterset Hollow. For that reason alone, I love it. I read constantly and rarely do I find something blessedly new. This book is new. It's original, innovative, and I will probably reread it several times more.
I don't give 5 star ratings very often. And no book is perfect, but this is such a unique experience--impressive on so many levels. It is written on a college reading level, and it is intended for adults. Readers who prefer their horror spoon-fed may not jive with this one, but I loved it.
March 1, 2022
The premise of this book is incredibly unique and imaginative, and I was really looking forward to reading it, but the slogging pace writing took away any interest or tension. Every page is basically a wall of text with such overwrought and florid descriptions that I had to read said wall of text two or three times to figure out what was actually happening, so that by the time I did figure it out, I simply didn't care any more. I finished it just to see how it ended, which I regret because any of my extrapolated imagined endings were better than the actual one.
To be fair to the author, the writing style reminded me of Dickens, whose writing I also can't tolerate, but lots of other people seem to think he's really good, so ymmv.
To be fair to the author, the writing style reminded me of Dickens, whose writing I also can't tolerate, but lots of other people seem to think he's really good, so ymmv.
January 21, 2022
“You run Eamon. You run.”
I’ve only just managed to finish this due to writing commitments. What can I say? I feel like this is just the beginning for this author. Jon's poetic writing filled with masterful descriptions had me hooked from the start.
To be truthful, It isn’t often I read an original story of this genre with the impression it will last throughout the ages. This for me is one of those books. Purely Timeless.
I’ve only just managed to finish this due to writing commitments. What can I say? I feel like this is just the beginning for this author. Jon's poetic writing filled with masterful descriptions had me hooked from the start.
To be truthful, It isn’t often I read an original story of this genre with the impression it will last throughout the ages. This for me is one of those books. Purely Timeless.
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