One million years of evolution didn't change our nature. Nor did it bury the horrors predating civilisation. Ancient rites, old deities and savage ways can reappear in the places you least expect.
Lifestyle journalist Katrine escaped past traumas by moving to a coast renowned for seaside holidays and natural beauty. But when a vast hoard of human remains and prehistoric artefacts is discovered in nearby Brickburgh, a hideous shadow engulfs her life.
Helene, a disillusioned lone parent, lost her brother, Lincoln, six years ago. Disturbing subterranean noises he recorded prior to vanishing, draw her to Brickburgh's caves. A site where early humans butchered each other across sixty thousand years. Upon the walls, images of their nameless gods remain.
Amidst rumours of drug plantations and new sightings of the mythical red folk, it also appears that the inquisitive have been disappearing from this remote part of the world for years. A rural idyll where outsiders are unwelcome and where an infernal power is believed to linger beneath the earth. A timeless supernormal influence that only the desperate would dream of confronting. But to save themselves and those they love, and to thwart a crimson tide of pitiless barbarity, Kat and Helene are given no choice. They were involved and condemned before they knew it.
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[In the coming darkness, stepping off the stony cliff path and into thin air did not seem unfeasible]***
(Ritual Limited, 31 October 2019, 420 pages, ebook, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I've had a high opinion of Nevill since I listened to the audiobook of The Ritual. In case you're curious, it's one of the best book I've ever read (or listening to in this case) and it blew me away. The Reddening was a terrific read. I've not read much folk horror and I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of The Wicker Man (the movie, I've never read the book). I love horror fiction and I've sadly been neglecting it in recent years. Nevill reminded me of how much I love horror fiction and just how good it can be. The Reddening is well-written and engrossing; Nevill knows how to weave a story. Another impressive thing is how well developed the characters are. There's nothing worse than horror fiction with flat, dull characters. The book felt so real it times it was unsettling. I loved how much world-building goes into this book.