Aaargh! This is why I don’t read trilogies until all of the books have been released. Sure, I get to things way later than everyone else, but it saves me the agony of having to wait months or years to find out what happens. Yes, dear friends, Briardark is the first in a series of books. I read it and I liked it a lot…and now I have to wait forever to find out what happens to these characters and this insane world that S.A. Harian has written into existence. And, to make matters worse, this first book doesn’t even officially release until January 2023! Oh, the humanity! But, such is life, and so I will move on to the next book and wait patiently for 2024 or 2025 when Waywarden comes out.

What is the Briardark? Well, I don’t know. What I do know is that four people in the California wilderness have gotten themselves into a freaky-ass situation that is probably going to end up with more than one of them dead by the end of the series. The deep, dark woods can be a scary place, especially when you know people have simply disappeared there in the past. The deep, dark woods get even more scary when the world turns upside down and you start finding dead bodies in trees. I don’t really know what the hell happened in this book, but I like it and I like it a lot. The characters are well-written and interesting, and the plot moves along at a nice clip even though there are more questions than answers by the end. Thankfully, there is the promise that all of this will be cleared up at some point, even if it is in the distant future.

For the uninitiated, Briardark is a novel about four researchers who hike off into the woods to do some experiment or other on a glacier. There were four other hikers who previously went into said woods and were never found. Now, people disappear in the woods all the time, but this all seems a bit more nefarious as strange things begin to happen and the main cast begin to release information about their own pasts. On top of that, there are a couple of computer nerds who are trying to figure out what happened to this new batch of hikers, since they’ve apparently disappeared too. Sounds like your run-of-the-mill mystery, right. Well, in the immortal words of Lee Corso, Not so fast, my friend! Things are about to get weird. I’m not going to spoil it by saying any more, but if you’re into freaky nature stuff combined with freaky tech and well-paced storytelling, give this a shot. But, you’re going to be mad when you have to wait to find out what happens. Just a god excuse to read it again a year or so down the road, I suppose.

Thanks to Netgalley and Compass and Fern for providing me with an ARC of Briardark to read. I look forward to the next one.

This is a creepy, unsettling book of three stories involving Deadswitch Wilderness. Years ago, five young women disappeared without a trace after hiking there. A few years later, a group of 4 researchers travel to Deadswitch to study a glacier. Hiking up the mountain, they find a dead woman who looks like one of the missing young women then she disappears. Other odd occurrences happen once they arrive at their cabin. Without a phone signal, an eerie warning not to travel there, plus paths disappearing and reappearing lead to a frightening story. In the present, Holden finds a disturbing audio file involving the researchers. He wants to know what happened to them and as he find more audio files, he is drug into the Deadswitch mystery. I can't wait for the sequel..

I have never been so confused with an ending like this one..

I wont be writing the blurb as a part of my review, but I would just go straight to my thoughts regarding this book:

Firstly, I want to applaud the author for having a good writing style which encaptured me throught the whole plot. It's hard for me to like certain styles of writing but this author did an awesome job about it. All characters are unique in their own way which is a bonus cause the author knew how to linked these characters into a group of people who studied glacier, and from there the author makes each character perform their behaviour and action well. The multiple povs could be a double edged sword, some readers might love it, but some might not. But fortunately i am not the latter ones. I liked the multiple povs because i could see how each people acts as according to their own personality given by the author, and how they actually thinking. Eventhough it did gave me a headache trying to adapt to each voice, i managed to see their personality that shine through their own povs. The themes are paranormal, ghoulish, spooky, tragic, just gives you something thrilling-chilling-darkish vibes and i love it.
The plot also included the main character's struggles like halusination, delusional, psychological stuffs, and it kinda relies heavily on mental health, so it gave me awareness regarding this matter as i am also in the midst of educating myself towards various mental health issues.
The back and forth timeline is good, well-executed and the audiofiles was a brilliant idea. The goodreads pages, the book, the files, everything just makes me feel as if i am not readng a book but rather watching it in front of my eyes. And this is what makes a book very good. Pieces by pieces was given but not too much to spill the beans. It keeps me going forward to actually discover what the hidden agenda or secret might be?

Unfortunately the cliffhanger/open-ending left me in a dazed as Im not sure if I actually understood what is going on here. I need to wait for the second book in order for me to actually understand what is going on. Alas, this was a great kill-time and a great horror book.

Writing: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Dark Themes: 3/5
Scary: 3/5

POV: Multiple

Warnings: Language, Death

Themes: Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Briardark is an excelent horror mystery. I used all my free time reading this book because I needed to know what was happening. There were many time I thought I knew what was going on and then bam, a curveball would hit and I had to take a minute to regroup. The atmosphere and the way S. A. Harian wrote everything made me fill like I was there experiencing every horrific detail. They did an excelent job of walking that fine line of being totally lost in the story without being completely confused.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a horrific adventure in the woods where nothing is what it seems.

I received a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

Really REALLY Creepy story! Just awesome!

Holden Sharpe is a bored IT who has unearthed a strange hard drive that includes files from a mountain expedition. As he plays the recovered files we learn that a team of scientist were lost in the wilderness - after discovering a body of a long lost hiker.

As we move deeper and deeper into the story we experience the map changing, the landscape changes, strange figures in the distance and it's clear that there is something very wrong with Deadswitch mountain. This novel is so atmospheric that I had chills in the middle of the day! If you like a creepy adventure gone wrong, like when the mysterious and unexplained bleeds into the scientific or just want a new horror novel to keep you up all night, Briardark is for you! #CompassandFern

I still can't believe this is a debut novel. The sense of darkness and dread is so well done. I did not realize that it is part one of a series - so I still have so many questions!! Write faster, please! I need the next one!

I have to say, this absolutely exceeded my expectations.

The best way that I can describe this book, or compare it to something, would be to the Search and Rescue Woods stories in the subreddit nosleep, or maybe, in the same vein, the stories in the SCP Foundation archive. Essentially, the story follows a team of researchers looking to study a glacier deep in the Sierra mountains, and as soon as they enter, they begin to experience anomalous activity.

This book was an utter delight for me, and will be for fans of horror, specifically situational horror, or that kind of backpacking horror that forest/remote settings tend to provide. I enjoyed the way that Harian blended multiple storylines together into something cohesive, as well as challenging our typical ideas of time and space. I definitely experienced some dread as these mysteries were unraveling, which is absolutely what I’m looking for in a horror/thriller. The only reason this book isn’t a 5-star rating for is that I felt like all of the action was concentrated pretty heavily in the middle half of the book, making the last 25% of it feeling a little bit like a resolution, instead of that high-intensity action that the middle of the novel contained. Considering this is a series, I would’ve loved for it to end on a punch-you-in-the-gut kind of action, but it fell just a little flat if that.

All of that being said, I GREATLY enjoyed this book, and I look forward to its release in January!

“you aren’t strong enough. it will fight to keep you here. drag you deeper. you can’t let it. promise me.”

Briardark is perfect for fans of horror games. It has the same vibes as Until Dawn mixed with Annihilation and Lost.

Briardark is about 4 researchers that go into Deadswitch Wilderness in Yosemite to study a glacier. The same place where 5 hikers disappeared and were never found 7 years prior. As they make their way up the mountain weird stuff starts happening - paths disappear when you look back, signs are painted over, new paths exist and there are hidden underground tunnels.

It hooked me from the very first chapter, it was such a great introduction to what is going on. All the characters were so well formed and written, they all felt real. The author plays horror games herself and you can really feel that and tell in the way things play out. There are so many little elements that link together the more you read with everything being revealed the further in you get. We are left questioning what’s real and what isn’t and how things all come together. I literally got goosebumps when more of what is actually going on is revealed. The main character, Siena, does have mental health issues and takes medication for it, I was very worried this would be used against her, or she would be demonized but this really isn’t the case and I’m glad about it. This book is so good! The only downside, if you can even call it that is that it ended on a cliffhanger!!!! The sequel does come out sometime in 2024 and I need it so bad. Briardark is a must-read for someone wanting to get into darker more spooky books. The vibe of this is immaculate.

Some content warnings: death, death of a loved one (off page), gore, animal death, cults/occult (slight mention)

There are some edits I would make. In Holden's 2nd chapter, Dell is continuously mentioned. It feels like it's an ad/product placement. I feel monitor or PC can be said instead, those are quite widely known.

Five young women, and a gaming influencer, enter Deadswitch Wilderness seven years ago for a backpacking trip and disappear. Present day a group of scientists, enter Deadswitch on a expedition to Alpenglow glacier to document and take samples from a glacier. Cam had previously been part of the search party for the missing women. On the journey up they find a body, which looks like one of the missing women, but the body hasn't aged, and suddenly disappears. 

When they arrive at their base they discover the glacier has melted in a few days! The natural environment around them feel as if they are closing in around them. Meanwhile, Holden, finds audio files from this study and works alongside his colleague to find out what happened, the files are disturbing, but things are not as they seem.

It is a chilling and dark story. The Briardark haunts Deadswitch and influences everyone who enters, twisting time and reality. I loved every minute in this world!

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

Once, five women hiked into the woods and vanished without a trace. Then, a seemingly unrelated research expedition led by one Dr. Siena Dupont t0 study a glacier in the same region runs into some terrible and unknown danger, leaving only a series of recordings found by an IT researcher named Holden in the present. But as Holden traces the journey of the Dupont Expedition, he slowly comes to realize that whatever happened in those woods is so much stranger then he could ever imagine.

With a mind-bending plot and some seriously upsetting scares, Briardark delivers for horror fans who like books that challenge their perception and enjoy the feeling of the rug being constantly pulled out from under their feet. The only downside here is that the story isn't complete, readers will need to wait for the sequel for a deeper understanding of the cosmic dread lurking in the darkness and a conclusion to the twisting narrative presented here.

I picked this up because the cover suggested some atmospheric horror set in nature, and on that front the book didn't disappoint. It was dark and had this lingering ambience, which is always a win. However, the characters or the plot itself were just fine. I'll consider picking up the next book in the series.

The novel has hooked me from the harrowing prologue and the feeling has not left me until the end of the book where it has left me waiting for more.
It is very easy to read because the chapters are short and full of horror and darkness. No doubt the ending is open enough for a sequel that I will be anxiously awaiting.
For horror lovers it is a perfect book.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A research teams hiked into the wilderness where years ago 5 other hikers disappeared and were never found. What the research team discovers is truly terrifying and might result in them disappearing as well.

I loved the sense of horror and desperation in this book, it gave me a Blair Witch vibe. There’s nothing more terrifying to me than being lost in the vastness of the wilderness. The mystery of this book was so good as well, kept me pushing forward through each chapter in hopes of learning more.

The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, and had I known how it was going to end, I might not have wanted to read it but that’s just personal preference. There was no indication in the description regarding the ending and I’m a little disappointed.

Overall this book was incredibly creepy and a bit confusing to follow but very enjoyable.

"Briardark" was a book I requested on Netgalley due to my love of survival horror, and freaky stuff in the woods? Research gone wrong? Sign me up! I'm thrilled to say that this one is the start of a great series, and one I look forward to reading more of: it's fast-paced, creepy, and really, really good at taking dual timelines and looping them together in subtle and frightening ways. "Briardark" follows the story of Dr. Siena Dupont, struggling with personal demons as she leads her scientific team into the wilderness to study glaciers. Back home, a lonely IT specialist discovers recordings that detail shocking events in Dupont's trip, but when he tries to learn more about what happened to the team, he's rebuffed. The characters were smart, the action unfolded quickly, and I enjoyed every word of this book.

Am I sad that as the first of the series, this one doesn't really tie up loose ends or explain what's going on? A little! I was very sad when I hit the end of book one. Am I gonna read the crap out of the second book of this series? YOU BET.

Recommended to fans of cosmic horror, survival horror, and dual timelines.

This book has all the components of a good horror story - isolated wilderness, unsettling disappearances and sci if elements. It bounces back and forth between the past, where researchers are experiencing weird occurrences while working in the wilderness to study a glacier and the present, where an IT worker uncovers some mysterious recordings by the lead researcher and tries to figure out what happened. The twists and turns kept me entertained and I’m looking forward to the next in the series!

What an unexpected gem this was! The writing was beautiful and had explosions of character depth which, putting aside the horror aspect for the moment, was the main driving force of the book for me. The characters actually read like real people & were all relatable in one way or another, albeit a tad cliche at times. But overall I thought the writing and character development were top notch, especially for a horror novel as it can difficult to find a good balance between the two. In terms of plot and atmosphere, kudos to S.A Haria for creating a really unique and super unsettling addition to the cosmic horror genre. I have yet to read anything quite like it.! Mystery and horror fans alike will enjoy this one.

4.5 stars.

Ready to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Briardark? Because once you enter the woods, once you stray off the path, you may never make it out alive. I don't read much horror, much less horror with supernatural or fantasy elements, but this was something else. I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the limited characters and the past/present timelines, however, I didn't like the 'excerpts' chapters. They broke the intense pacing of the story and threw me off track a little. The final chapter was also disappointing, however, there is a book two coming and I'm excited and apprehensive about what's coming next.

**Thanks to Compass and Fern LLC and Netgalley for my free arc.

<i>*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *</i>

Briardark is an intriguing mix of horror, sci fi, magical realism and mystery - centred on strange disappearances and biological anomalies in the wilderness of the Deadswitch Woods - we follow a research team, as well as IT support at a university all get entangled in the mystery of what makes these woods unusual and causes the several disappearances.

This was a great atmospheric read, and I felt like the characters were compelling - I didn't want to put this down.

I'm absolutely curious to see where the sequel will go !

Briardark by S.A. Harian is the start of an amazing new series.

An atmospheric, engrossing, riveting, page turner!

I loved the way Harian weaved together and created a complex multi-layered story.
The reader is left guessing all the way through.
The writing flows well and is a quick and easy read.
There is great tension, compelling atmosphere and unease.

A gripping, unputdownable, with plenty of creepy, spine-chilling moments.
Overall it was engaging and gripped me from the very start.
I can't wait for book two because Harian can write an amazing story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Compass and Fern,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!