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reads_vicariously's review against another edition
5.0
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!
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!
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
4.0
The Five Turns of the Wheel. Folklore meets blood. One look at the intriguing cover hints at its secrets and its mystique. A skull with a gaping hole being claimed by the mud and the autumnal leaves. We are all reclaimed by the mud eventually and Stephanie Ellis does a stellar job of making it a constant theme throughout the story. The illustration mirrors the intricacies held within the pages of this dark folklore tale.
I came to this story for the author but stayed for the vivid imagery that is a true testament to Ellis’s mastery.
The Five Turns of the Wheel – a yearly event to allow the land and people to prosper. This is a summary in its most basic form, it doesn’t sum up just the author puts you in a place. I was there – I could feel the wind blowing through my hair, a land haunted by yearly visitors, I could sense the devastation, the blood still a constant threat in the air. You just have to read it to grasp the magnificence of the time and place. No word is wasted, it seeps into your blood like the sweetest poison, one I was happy to ingest.
Each year the villages are visited by mysterious visitors – Tommy, Betty, and Fiddler, who lead the Five Turns of the Wheel, a centuries-old ritual carried out to appease Mother Nature. They do not seem to age and each year their cruelty and malevolence bring more suffering than the last. It’s all surreal – reading the acts gave me a burning sensation. Fear and pain are a heady cocktail. This feeling runs until the very last page.
Each turn of the wheel brings shocking levels of violence and although this is a beautifully narrated story it is horror and Ellis can bring it with the best of them. A mother and daughter decide to bring an end to the bloodshed, they’ve suffered enough at the hands of these creatures, and someone needs to bring it to an end. But of course, nothing is simple in horror. I was really taken aback by the ingenuity of the plot and just how each thread was meticulously crafted and held together. Everything has a meaning – not one stone was left unturned. The characters are deep, and I found myself being drawn to two in particular. They are multi-faceted and discovering who they were was enjoyable. Think of an onion – each layer got you deeper, an understanding being accomplished.
The Five Turns of the Wheel is intelligent storytelling at its very core. This was an enchanting fever dream.
I came to this story for the author but stayed for the vivid imagery that is a true testament to Ellis’s mastery.
The Five Turns of the Wheel – a yearly event to allow the land and people to prosper. This is a summary in its most basic form, it doesn’t sum up just the author puts you in a place. I was there – I could feel the wind blowing through my hair, a land haunted by yearly visitors, I could sense the devastation, the blood still a constant threat in the air. You just have to read it to grasp the magnificence of the time and place. No word is wasted, it seeps into your blood like the sweetest poison, one I was happy to ingest.
Each year the villages are visited by mysterious visitors – Tommy, Betty, and Fiddler, who lead the Five Turns of the Wheel, a centuries-old ritual carried out to appease Mother Nature. They do not seem to age and each year their cruelty and malevolence bring more suffering than the last. It’s all surreal – reading the acts gave me a burning sensation. Fear and pain are a heady cocktail. This feeling runs until the very last page.
Each turn of the wheel brings shocking levels of violence and although this is a beautifully narrated story it is horror and Ellis can bring it with the best of them. A mother and daughter decide to bring an end to the bloodshed, they’ve suffered enough at the hands of these creatures, and someone needs to bring it to an end. But of course, nothing is simple in horror. I was really taken aback by the ingenuity of the plot and just how each thread was meticulously crafted and held together. Everything has a meaning – not one stone was left unturned. The characters are deep, and I found myself being drawn to two in particular. They are multi-faceted and discovering who they were was enjoyable. Think of an onion – each layer got you deeper, an understanding being accomplished.
The Five Turns of the Wheel is intelligent storytelling at its very core. This was an enchanting fever dream.
pbanditp's review against another edition
5.0
“Your suffering meant everything to us. It was as much a part of your offering as any flesh and blood.”
-Tommy
This is a gloriously told folk horror story. The underlying fear combined with jovial complacency produce conflicting emotions that actually work well together. The atmospheric writing makes it hard to remember that this takes place in current times. It feels like before electricity and you can feel the chill of the night, along with the sweat on your brow and the grime on your neck.
This book is meant to be savored slowly. Enjoy each bite like it’s a multiple course meal with friends. The flavor, the texture, and the rich feel as you swallow. Rinse it down with the complex coppery tasting wine. The candles are flickering, reflecting in the gleam of your friends eyes and in the blood dripping down their chin. That is what this book feels like to me.
The wheel gets turned once a year, the sacrifices must be made, who will be chosen?
“The Dance claims us all.”
-Tommy
This is a gloriously told folk horror story. The underlying fear combined with jovial complacency produce conflicting emotions that actually work well together. The atmospheric writing makes it hard to remember that this takes place in current times. It feels like before electricity and you can feel the chill of the night, along with the sweat on your brow and the grime on your neck.
This book is meant to be savored slowly. Enjoy each bite like it’s a multiple course meal with friends. The flavor, the texture, and the rich feel as you swallow. Rinse it down with the complex coppery tasting wine. The candles are flickering, reflecting in the gleam of your friends eyes and in the blood dripping down their chin. That is what this book feels like to me.
The wheel gets turned once a year, the sacrifices must be made, who will be chosen?
“The Dance claims us all.”
johnlynchbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Stephanie Ellis returns to Silver Shamrock with a folk/dark fantasy horror. I had no idea what to expect with this one, and I'm glad I went in blind, this one was a treat.
The Sons of Hweol have returned to celebrate the five turns of the wheel. A celebration of horrors and atrocities. Not all of the residents want to keep the status quo, but can they do anything about it?
One thing is certain for me, Stephanie Ellis is a master of setting an atmosphere. This book is absolutely oozing it. The book itself and the characters are well written and the story i found to be very interesting. It kept me turning the pages to see how the story would turn out.
Fans of folk horror and dark fantasy alike will be thrilled with this one. If those arent your cups of tea, I would still recommend giving this one a turn.
The Sons of Hweol have returned to celebrate the five turns of the wheel. A celebration of horrors and atrocities. Not all of the residents want to keep the status quo, but can they do anything about it?
One thing is certain for me, Stephanie Ellis is a master of setting an atmosphere. This book is absolutely oozing it. The book itself and the characters are well written and the story i found to be very interesting. It kept me turning the pages to see how the story would turn out.
Fans of folk horror and dark fantasy alike will be thrilled with this one. If those arent your cups of tea, I would still recommend giving this one a turn.
readingvicariously's review against another edition
5.0
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!
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!
jj_readstoomuch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was incredible. The story sucked you in from the beginning making this book difficult to put down. With detailed imagery and well written characters, this folk horror is everything I wanted it to be and more!
I did have to slow my reading down so I didn't miss any finer details. There's a lot of information and detail packed into each chapter and you could easily skip something important if you're not careful. Definitely a great read to get you into the spooky season mood.
I did have to slow my reading down so I didn't miss any finer details. There's a lot of information and detail packed into each chapter and you could easily skip something important if you're not careful. Definitely a great read to get you into the spooky season mood.
feverdream_books's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
skysbookchat's review against another edition
4.0
This truly a dark and twisted story that really pulled you into the blood and strangeness of the whole situation. I found it well written and descriptive, I had no problem placing myself within the story, seeing the surroundings and the events of the story as they unfolded.
I felt the sorrow and unhappy feelings of the characters as things went on and really found myself wishing for a good ending, and that maybe Mother Nature herself would step in and real back in her blood thirsty son.
I did not like the ending of this one mostly because it did not really conclude well and left things unfinished, but I am going to remain hopeful that there will be another book to follow this one, that will wrap up the events.
I give this one a 4 out of 5 stars for sure and will look forward to more from this author, and hopefully more of this story line.
If you would like to read a more in-depth and detailed version of my thoughts and opinions of this novel, please be sure to check out my book blog ... skysbookblog.wordpress.com
I felt the sorrow and unhappy feelings of the characters as things went on and really found myself wishing for a good ending, and that maybe Mother Nature herself would step in and real back in her blood thirsty son.
I did not like the ending of this one mostly because it did not really conclude well and left things unfinished, but I am going to remain hopeful that there will be another book to follow this one, that will wrap up the events.
I give this one a 4 out of 5 stars for sure and will look forward to more from this author, and hopefully more of this story line.
If you would like to read a more in-depth and detailed version of my thoughts and opinions of this novel, please be sure to check out my book blog ... skysbookblog.wordpress.com
brennanlafaro's review
4.0
This book, wow. I previously read Bottled by Stephanie Ellis earlier this year, and therefore expected this one to have a quiet, slow-burn element to it. There are certainly some slow-building parts, but be it a positive or negative for the reader, this is a very different story from Bottled.
It begins with a poem that lays out the lore of most of what you’re about to read, setting the tone beautifully. At its heart, this book is folk horror, telling the story of sacrifice and ritual committed in the name of otherworldly creatures. When we realize these creatures may not be content to remain in the background, we make the jump to dark fantasy. The execution is pulled off with a certain subtlety one might not expect given the subject matter. Ellis begins the book setting up a world that feels plausible. It’s where a lot of the horror comes from - the idea that people like this could be up to the events of the book miles from where you sit right now. As Ellis sprinkles in fantastical elements, we never lose that sense of reality. Rather she brings the horrors to us rather than taking us to them.
The structure of the book is one of its stronger suits. From the outset, from the title even, we understand the book will contain five events leading to the climax. Between each event, which are described in brutal and unflinching detail, we gain a deeper understanding of how Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty operate, as well as following the growing concern on the minds of our main characters. Ellis makes the motivations clear, allowing the reader a crystal-clear glimpse into the decisions being made. I didn’t find myself particularly attached to Liza or Megan, but I was able to sympathize with their circumstances.
I’ve mentioned this already, but if you’re on the fence about this book, the juxtaposition of folk horror with dark fantasy alone is worth the price of admission. I’m still reeling from some of the more graphic rituals put on display. They’re written in a manner that doesn’t allow the reader to look away and the first is unexpected. So much so that I had to rewind to the top of the page and try again. Make sure I got it straight. When it happens again, you’re still caught off-guard. For a deeply disturbing read, you can’t go wrong with The Five Turns of the Wheel.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration
It begins with a poem that lays out the lore of most of what you’re about to read, setting the tone beautifully. At its heart, this book is folk horror, telling the story of sacrifice and ritual committed in the name of otherworldly creatures. When we realize these creatures may not be content to remain in the background, we make the jump to dark fantasy. The execution is pulled off with a certain subtlety one might not expect given the subject matter. Ellis begins the book setting up a world that feels plausible. It’s where a lot of the horror comes from - the idea that people like this could be up to the events of the book miles from where you sit right now. As Ellis sprinkles in fantastical elements, we never lose that sense of reality. Rather she brings the horrors to us rather than taking us to them.
The structure of the book is one of its stronger suits. From the outset, from the title even, we understand the book will contain five events leading to the climax. Between each event, which are described in brutal and unflinching detail, we gain a deeper understanding of how Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty operate, as well as following the growing concern on the minds of our main characters. Ellis makes the motivations clear, allowing the reader a crystal-clear glimpse into the decisions being made. I didn’t find myself particularly attached to Liza or Megan, but I was able to sympathize with their circumstances.
I’ve mentioned this already, but if you’re on the fence about this book, the juxtaposition of folk horror with dark fantasy alone is worth the price of admission. I’m still reeling from some of the more graphic rituals put on display. They’re written in a manner that doesn’t allow the reader to look away and the first is unexpected. So much so that I had to rewind to the top of the page and try again. Make sure I got it straight. When it happens again, you’re still caught off-guard. For a deeply disturbing read, you can’t go wrong with The Five Turns of the Wheel.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration
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