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A review by thebakersbooks
Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy
4.0
4/5 stars - atmospheric and oddly cozy for a book with so many dead people in it
Stonehill Downs follows two protagonists: Malachi, a magus who can communicate with the dead, and Avani, a woman from a land that no longer exists who makes her living herding sheep and weaving beautiful cloth. Their stories intertwine when a series of horrific murders leads Malachi across the Downs to Avani's village. Accompanied by a boy who survived a mysterious massacre and Avani's avian companion, they travel back to the palace where Malachi works as the king's vocent and set about untangling the threads linking the chilling deaths.
Sarah Remy's writing combines the best elements of fantasy, suspense, and horror; her characters feel present and powerful. Their motivations and concerns are distinct and often conflicting, and the hints of unreliable narration ratchet the tension to a breaking point. The pace was such that I could happily have read this book in one or two sittings if not for time constraints.
The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five was that the ending contained a bit of a curveball. With this kind of mystery, it's nice to be able to point at someone or something during the climax and yell "Gotcha! You're behind all the murders!" That was...sort of the case here, but other factors detracted somewhat from that clear-cut satisfaction. Serious end-of-book spoiler:"Gotcha, Siobhan! I knew you were the creepy kind of ghost! ...But evidently there are sidhe living underground that were helping you?" Regardless, I loved the story a lot.
I somehow missed that this was first in a four-book series—and it speaks to the satisfying tie-up of the ending that I didn't realize there was a sequel, although now I see the potential for one—but I'm thrilled there's more to Malachi and Avani's story. I already snatched up the next two books and I would've gotten the fourth as well, but ThriftBooks didn't have it. (I'll be back for you, The Exiled King!)
In case you hadn't guessed, I absolutely recommend Stonehill Downs. It reminds me most of Victoria Schwab's The Near Witch, so if you enjoyed that and are up for a bit more gore, definitely give this novel a shot!
Stonehill Downs follows two protagonists: Malachi, a magus who can communicate with the dead, and Avani, a woman from a land that no longer exists who makes her living herding sheep and weaving beautiful cloth. Their stories intertwine when a series of horrific murders leads Malachi across the Downs to Avani's village. Accompanied by a boy who survived a mysterious massacre and Avani's avian companion, they travel back to the palace where Malachi works as the king's vocent and set about untangling the threads linking the chilling deaths.
Sarah Remy's writing combines the best elements of fantasy, suspense, and horror; her characters feel present and powerful. Their motivations and concerns are distinct and often conflicting, and the hints of unreliable narration ratchet the tension to a breaking point. The pace was such that I could happily have read this book in one or two sittings if not for time constraints.
The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five was that the ending contained a bit of a curveball. With this kind of mystery, it's nice to be able to point at someone or something during the climax and yell "Gotcha! You're behind all the murders!" That was...sort of the case here, but other factors detracted somewhat from that clear-cut satisfaction. Serious end-of-book spoiler:
I somehow missed that this was first in a four-book series—and it speaks to the satisfying tie-up of the ending that I didn't realize there was a sequel, although now I see the potential for one—but I'm thrilled there's more to Malachi and Avani's story. I already snatched up the next two books and I would've gotten the fourth as well, but ThriftBooks didn't have it. (I'll be back for you, The Exiled King!)
In case you hadn't guessed, I absolutely recommend Stonehill Downs. It reminds me most of Victoria Schwab's The Near Witch, so if you enjoyed that and are up for a bit more gore, definitely give this novel a shot!