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A review by klaartjesmits
Country Roads by Colin Leonard
4.0
In this folk horror novel we follow Luke and Sophie, a young couple who have just moved from Dublin to the countryside with their baby. They're looking forward to the calmer small town life and living next to Luke's friend Declan, a local Garda. But lately strange things have been happening near the Twisted Tree where people leave offerings to cure them of ailments. The countryside might not be so quiet after all...
The first two chapters are incredible and immediately pulled me into this very unsettling, eerie tale! There's a constant sense of foreboding as the author gradually reveals more about the dangers lurking in the shadows of the countryside and the inhabitants of the town, some of whom are genuinely terrifying as well. Leonard writes interesting, nuanced characters that feel very distinct and real - even those who don't get much 'page time'.
I won't spoil what the horrors are precisely, but I love that they are based on Irish folklore. I have a thing for books inspired by mythology and folklore, especially in the horror genre. Creatures and other elements in horror books are often much more frightening and fascinating to me when they're based on stories tied to a certain place, as was the case here. Leonard conjures up some very disturbing imagery I won't quickly forget!
I had hoped, though, that there would be a bit more information about the folklore behind the creatures, but that's just my personal preference. The ending also left me wanting more and doesn't tie everything together as much as I anticipated, but that does make me very interested in a sequel!
Overall I really enjoyed this horror debut and would recommend it to all lovers of folk horror, folklore, complex characters, countryside settings and terrifying creatures!
Thank you to the author, to Brigids Gate Press and to BookSirens for the free digital copy.
Content warnings: alcohol consumption, blood & gore, body horror, cheating, death, drug use, misogyny, police brutality, pregnancy, sexual harassment (off-page & talking of), violence
The first two chapters are incredible and immediately pulled me into this very unsettling, eerie tale! There's a constant sense of foreboding as the author gradually reveals more about the dangers lurking in the shadows of the countryside and the inhabitants of the town, some of whom are genuinely terrifying as well. Leonard writes interesting, nuanced characters that feel very distinct and real - even those who don't get much 'page time'.
I won't spoil what the horrors are precisely, but I love that they are based on Irish folklore. I have a thing for books inspired by mythology and folklore, especially in the horror genre. Creatures and other elements in horror books are often much more frightening and fascinating to me when they're based on stories tied to a certain place, as was the case here. Leonard conjures up some very disturbing imagery I won't quickly forget!
I had hoped, though, that there would be a bit more information about the folklore behind the creatures, but that's just my personal preference. The ending also left me wanting more and doesn't tie everything together as much as I anticipated, but that does make me very interested in a sequel!
Overall I really enjoyed this horror debut and would recommend it to all lovers of folk horror, folklore, complex characters, countryside settings and terrifying creatures!
Thank you to the author, to Brigids Gate Press and to BookSirens for the free digital copy.
Content warnings: alcohol consumption, blood & gore, body horror, cheating, death, drug use, misogyny, police brutality, pregnancy, sexual harassment (off-page & talking of), violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual harassment