My first experience with dark fiction was the gruesome fairytales my grandmother read to me, those original horrors born hundreds of years earlier that acted as morality tales to keep children in line. As an adult, I've encountered similar themes in some modern horror novels, but few are capable of pulling off that same dreamy atmosphere and pervasive sense of dread.
Not this one. With The Five Turns of the Wheel, Stephanie Ellis drops us into a living nightmare, dreamy because of the strange nature of the antagonists but terrifying as we recognize our own world and its inhabitants trapped in the center. Buckle in, this ride is a doozy!
Everything you need to know about the story occurs in a poem at the beginning, a chilling piece that immediately sets off warning bells. For myself, as a huge fan of folk horror, it immediately reeled me in. We find ourselves in the Weald, a series of villages prepping for an annual ritual, the Five Turns of the Wheel. And the master of ceremonies? Only some of the most riveting yet mysterious characters I've read, Tommy and his brothers, Fiddler and Betty. They breeze into town, eager and ready, hinting at their dark plans which fascinated me, as an eavesdropping reader, but had me looking over my shoulder in case the characters heard me. Seriously, they are vivid!
If I had one tiny complaint, it would be that the Weald's inhabitants paled a bit in comparison, at least at first. Liza definitely becomes a favorite, a woman known as a Wheelborn who has suffered dreadfully at the hands of Tommy and his father/lord, Hweol. She's so conflicted and morally gray, even during her PoV sections one is unsure how she'll ultimately act -- which I love. And some of her sections... wow. She really drives home the full weight of what women often sacrifice for others.
This is the ultimate in folk horror, a bit reminiscent of The Wicker Man but it goes so much deeper and darker. The rituals themselves are brutal, enough that I was biting my nails. And following Tommy through so much of the story...I can't recall the last time an antagonist fascinated me so. I never rooted for them, but damn if I wasn't thoroughly invested in what would happen. If there are other stories set in this universe, sign me up! I'm officially a Stephanie Ellis superfan, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store!
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Folk horror with brutal violence, relentless dread, and unsettling imagery
Wow, what a tale. Steeped in the tenets of folk horror, but with a lore that is completely original to this story. Brutal violence, relentless dread, and unsettling imagery. This book is everything I wanted it to be and more!The world that we're dropped into is a dark and disturbing one. An area of land encompassing several rural villages is held under the power of ancient gods who demand annual sacrifice from the townspeople in order to maintain balance between the worlds of human and other. Everyone has a part to play, and each year the wheel turns with gruesome results. Except this time there is a family who has given too much, and a mother and her daughter who refuse to submit any longer. But the powers that bind them are strong and seeped in dark magic. When mankind challenges the ancients, can anyone survive?I can't express enough how much I love the lore/world that author Stephanie Ellis has created. The gut-wrenching rituals, the hierarchy of the supernatural order, the variety of terrifying beings, the connections/reliance on humans, and so on. It manages to somehow feel comfortably familiar while also staying full of surprises around every turn. The rituals themselves are BRUTAL, and one is constantly fearing for the safety of the main characters (and, no spoilers, but the author gives you good reason to be afraid). Thematic concepts of grief, suffering, oppression, silence, and modernity vs traditionalism are also explored and powerfully intertwined with the narrative.I absolutely devoured this book. The writing style is easy to fall into and the story is completely engrossing. I love folk horror, and Stephanie Ellis has given us a spectacular addition to the genre!
Top reviews from other countries
T C Parker
Engrossing folk horror
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2020W.Fenlon
Folk horror fans will love this!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2020