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Hekla's Children by James Brogden (view source)
Revision as of 14:28, 16 April 2017
, 14:28, 16 April 2017no edit summary
Throughout it all we're drawn to Nathan who may be a bit of a twit but he more than paid for a mistake that he's living with for life. All he wants is to be able to put it behind him and form a relationship with the love of his life while she's being either argumentative, unattainable or both. Meeting Barkfoot, a man of many parts, and his associates isn't what Nathan signed up for.
''Hekla's Children'' has homage-type echoes of ''The Weirdstone of Brisingamen'' by [[:Category:Alan Garner |Alan Garner]] which scared me just as deliciously as a child. The novels share the idea of a past warrior being discovered; producing mayhem and supernatural happenings but this book is most definitely for adults and follows its own path.
This Alan Garner connection dawned on me before going to James' blog and there he confirms it, along with the other influences on his work and life, making some more fascinating reading. Sorry – I digress… meanwhile back at the book…
Gradually the truth of the disappearances comes out and our perceptions shift. There's a good reason why Olivia has taken to drugs to dull her terrifying knowledge. The reason unsurprisingly includes what happened to the children, which is revealed in flash backs that are gut wrenching and unputdownable. Personally I've never gasped at the sudden realisation of a leg's identity before this novel; such is the power of Mr Brogden's pen.
We can tell that James got as much fun out of writing this as we do from reading it; especially in the final third when ''that'' happens and he… Let's just say it's an unforgettable thrilling climax! Indeed James writes with imagination, authority and gets a highly recommended B+ from me. I'm definitely looking forward to what Mr B thinks up next.
Further Reading: If you like to raise a few neck hairs, we also heartily recommend…
[[Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt]] which brings us a whole town living in terror and/or[[Under A Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill]] about a murky past that won't let go.
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[[Category:Fantasy]]
[[Category:Thrillers]]