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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
2 1/2 stars. The back cover blurb sounded like this would be a really interesting mystery/thriller set in Sweden in the late 1700s. The reality, for me, was a little less mysterious and thrilling than I had hoped. It was quite obvious what the verger was up to early on, for example.
The only-mentioned-at-the-last-minute secret plot sounds like it would make a much more interesting novel than this one turned out to be.
The only-mentioned-at-the-last-minute secret plot sounds like it would make a much more interesting novel than this one turned out to be.
Maija has problems and her husband having issues with the sea is the least of it. Admittedly, it is rather difficult considering that he was a fisherman, but she is at least trying to adapt.
There’s the dead body that her eldest daughter found, there’s making a go of a quasi abandoned homestead, there are the strange neighbors who are hiding things, there are wolves, and a bad winter.
Ekbáck’s novel is at one level a historical novel, but it is also a horror novel. The focuses is on Maija, her eldest daughter, and the new priest for the region. They all face the winter which is a horrifying natural threat but there are also more dangerous societal ones, such as being exiled from society or the fear that perhaps you are going crazy.
So there is mystery and history but also a very real horror that people might face. It makes for an engrossing and scary read.
There’s the dead body that her eldest daughter found, there’s making a go of a quasi abandoned homestead, there are the strange neighbors who are hiding things, there are wolves, and a bad winter.
Ekbáck’s novel is at one level a historical novel, but it is also a horror novel. The focuses is on Maija, her eldest daughter, and the new priest for the region. They all face the winter which is a horrifying natural threat but there are also more dangerous societal ones, such as being exiled from society or the fear that perhaps you are going crazy.
So there is mystery and history but also a very real horror that people might face. It makes for an engrossing and scary read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What the author did best was to create an atmosphere and a feeling that pervaded the entire story and world, which added so much to the reading experience. Vivid imagery, chilling descriptions, and prose that made you feel as the characters did: unsettled, benighted, cold. Great writing, honestly, and inspired me.
The plot itself is a delicious slow burn, and the book is more about the world and the characters' viewpoints than it is about the story.
The plot itself is a delicious slow burn, and the book is more about the world and the characters' viewpoints than it is about the story.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
"Fog had descended during the night and it still lingered. It was a fog without veils, a low sluggish paleness wrapping the trees and them in nothingness."
This book is amazing! Basically, it is a historical, murder mystery with elements of survival, suspense, and mysticism. Not to mention, twists, turns, terror, and peril. Basic, right? What is not so basic about this story is the writing. It is magical, beautiful, atmospheric, eerie perfection: "There were candles in the windows. But here in the streets, the black sky had fallen and was lying face down and flat-handed on the earth itself." There was so much like this that I was re-reading sentences just because. Bliss!
Set in the early 1700s, Ekbäck transports us from seaside Finland to Blackåsen Mountain in the north of Sweden (not a real place) with peasant mother Maija, father Paavo, and daughters Frederika and Dorotea. Blackåsen Mountain is definitely a character unto itself. It is always there, always sensed, and always aware. There, the family must survive the Wolf Winter. As Ekbäck writes: "The expression 'Wolf Winter' -- in Swedish 'Vargavinter' -- refers to an unusually bitter and long winter, but it is also used to describe the darkest times in a human being's life -- the kind of period that imprints on you that you are mortal and, at the end of the day, always alone." Along with the extreme elements, the family must survive poverty, hunger, isolation, other settlers, superstition, prejudice, and political intrigue. Oh, and don't forget, there are twisty mysteries to be solved.
Put down whatever you are reading right now and devour this book! Do it now, while winter is here. The description of the blizzard alone is well worth the read. Perfection!
This book is amazing! Basically, it is a historical, murder mystery with elements of survival, suspense, and mysticism. Not to mention, twists, turns, terror, and peril. Basic, right? What is not so basic about this story is the writing. It is magical, beautiful, atmospheric, eerie perfection: "There were candles in the windows. But here in the streets, the black sky had fallen and was lying face down and flat-handed on the earth itself." There was so much like this that I was re-reading sentences just because. Bliss!
Set in the early 1700s, Ekbäck transports us from seaside Finland to Blackåsen Mountain in the north of Sweden (not a real place) with peasant mother Maija, father Paavo, and daughters Frederika and Dorotea. Blackåsen Mountain is definitely a character unto itself. It is always there, always sensed, and always aware. There, the family must survive the Wolf Winter. As Ekbäck writes: "The expression 'Wolf Winter' -- in Swedish 'Vargavinter' -- refers to an unusually bitter and long winter, but it is also used to describe the darkest times in a human being's life -- the kind of period that imprints on you that you are mortal and, at the end of the day, always alone." Along with the extreme elements, the family must survive poverty, hunger, isolation, other settlers, superstition, prejudice, and political intrigue. Oh, and don't forget, there are twisty mysteries to be solved.
Put down whatever you are reading right now and devour this book! Do it now, while winter is here. The description of the blizzard alone is well worth the read. Perfection!
adventurous
dark
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Medical content
4.78
Una lectura fuera que me sacó de mi zona de confort al principio pero que al final no pude dejar ya que el tema y el tono hicieron que quisiera ¡más y más!
Recomendable si quieren pasar una tarde lluviosa y fria en compañía de la naturaleza y una gran historia
Una lectura fuera que me sacó de mi zona de confort al principio pero que al final no pude dejar ya que el tema y el tono hicieron que quisiera ¡más y más!
Recomendable si quieren pasar una tarde lluviosa y fria en compañía de la naturaleza y una gran historia
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
