A review by davemusson85
Starving Grounds: Tales of Folk Horror by Jay Alexander

5.0

I’ve always found folk horror a slog. Most of the previous examples I’ve read have been too pretentious, too earnest, and too boring to get me enthused. But, it turns out I just needed the right person to guide me in, and that person turned out to be Jay Alexander.

As Jay himself notes in his afterword, this is his first attempt at this genre. And, reader, he nails it. The seven tales here are bloody, goorey, and creepy as anything. More than anything though, they’re brilliantly told; Jay’s narrative voice has the pacing and mystique of a camp fire orator - his words draw you in, and take you down paths you would never normally dream of treading, before bringing you out in a clearing full of all sorts of awful horrors. It’s a thrilling ride.

There’s something noteworthy about every single story collected here. The blood, snow, and antlers of Elken lulls you in before a quite terrifying and heart-racing climax, The Hucker Hole is dark, disturbing, and shocking, while the Fen King’s structure and story are both disorientating and tense. The Soft Parts is grim and gross before hitting with a surprise finale, The Bowls interweave a plethora of timelines with a really strong pair of nasty lead characters, while Black Dogs in the Dark bring the infamous Norfolk tale of the Black Shuck to life vividly.

But, it’s Why Doth Nana Cleave Me So? that takes the prize as my favourite here. It is devilishly dark, shockingly violent, and downright bleak. Also, the way the author uses the sentence ‘the pain was incredible’ made me wince as my guts twisted and whole body shuddered.

It’s obvious that the writer behind these tales is a talented one, but Starving Grounds is impressive for more than just being of incredibly high quality. They nail the folk horror brief because they feel well-worn, lived in, like they’ve been handed down through the generations - as well as being all kinds of scary. You can feel the wind whipping your face, smell the musty undergrowth of those creepy woods, and the thought of sunset will make you shiver.

Jay’s passion for the wilderness, and the stories hidden within, are evident and it feels like he has truly found his niche. If this is how good his first attempt is, I can’t wait to read more.

Thanks to the author for the ARC.