Long review short: I’m absolutely terrified of mountains now. Also possibly all of Switzerland.

“When did the idea first pop into my head that Nick’s trauma in the mountains had awakened some dangerous thing in him?”


Nick and Sam have been together for three years, but Sam hasn’t stopped worrying every time Nick goes mountain climbing. And then, he gets the call – Nick has been badly injured in the Swiss Alps and his climbing buddy is missing, presumed dead. Nick claims he doesn’t remember what happened, but some of the circumstances of his accident don’t quite add up. Before long, even Sam can’t logically explain away all of Nick’s differences. Torn between love and fear, what will it take for Sam to finally understand what happened on the mountain?

For the most part, the story is told through documents: notes from Sam, records from various doctors, emails, all interspersed with Nick’s written journal, a slow reveal of exactly what happened in the mountains. It’s somewhat slowly paced, but the tension builds steadily. After an absolutely gripping first chapter, the story skips back to Sam arriving in Switzerland after Nick’s accident, terrified and not sure what this will mean for their relationship. Sam is a well-drawn character, someone who freely admits that he was shallow enough to agree to date Nick because of how he looked at the gym with his shirt off. Unlike Nick, who’s Dutch, Sam is American and has that particular brand of sarcasm, something that he hopes will serve him well as he faces Nick’s uncertain recovery. Sam doesn’t think of himself as the strong one; he’s the one who’s always leaning on Nick, and the prospect of having to be that shoulder for him is overwhelming. Nick describes him once as “little, fragile Sam” and while Sam takes that initially as a physical descriptor, it’s also true of him emotionally. Part of that is that Sam has his own childhood trauma that he’s dealing with, one that makes him hate the outdoors and mountains in particular.

“If you, the climber, hear the mountain’s call, it will bewitch you, it will intoxicate you, and you will realize that you could fathom her only if you succumb to it—if you go up.”


Nick, on the other hand, loves the mountains. Mountain climbing is not a thing I’ve ever been interested in, but the author frankly does a great job at explaining why Nick loves it so much. It’s a sort of spiritual cleansing for him and something that’s as an integral part of Nick as Sam’s trauma is of himself. But while the two men may seem like opposites, they’re also deeply committed to each other. And that’s the genius of this book. It’s primarily a horror story, yes, but it wouldn’t work without the unconditional love between Nick and Sam. It’s one thing to be drawn into an unspeakable primordial horror; it’s another thing entirely to watch that happen to your loved one, and you can guess which one my romance-loving heart prefers. Sam’s terror at how this will affect their relationship slowly turns to terror once he starts accepting that what came back from the mountain isn’t wholly his Nick. It’s his determination to prove that his Nick is still there, that he can be saved, that kept me frantically turning pages.

Each chapter is named for a classic horror book and contains an initial quote; it didn’t take long to realize they were foreshadowing the events of that chapter. There’s more meta bits woven throughout, like one character complaining about his hatred of jump scares. Along with Sam’s humor, those parts added enough levity to make the book not feel stifling heavy. But while for the most part I think the pacing was well done, there were a few chapters that felt bogged down, where nothing really happened to further the story.

“When you go, please drag me down with you into the darkness.”


Overall, this was an engrossing slow-burn horror tale, full of love and determination, and I will be definitely be adding this author to my watch list.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is a slow and creepy horror with some great imagination to the plot and some incredible atmospheric work. Those who have issues with body horror should steer clear. A dark, mysterious mountain, a tragic accident, and some paranormal vibes including some damn creepy birds. That's all you need to know going in.

I would recommend seeking this book out in the original Dutch if you are able to read it, as I think the majority of my issues stem from the translation and I have a feeling that the original writing would bring out even more of a gripping, frightening reading experience.

The plot is edgy and dark right off the bat, in a way that left me wondering if I'd be able to sleep after concluding my reading for the evening. I'm rarely that creeped out by a book, but this one has a little weight behind it. The writing is good and you can tell that the author is truly very talented, but some things were inevitably lost in translation. There were areas where there were serious problems with verb tense agreement and they nearly drove me batty in some places. In addition, there was some slang that was translated in a way that I'm sure was supposed to give personality to the characters, but the consistent use of "cuz" had my nerves on end. I will also mention here that the continuous return to talking about Nick's body drove me a little nuts. It was just stressed a bit too often and took away some from feeling that the relationship between Nick and Sam was truly genuine.

The construction is done in a multi-POV approach that can leave the reader a bit lost on occasion...it took me a minute in a few places to figure out what character was talking...especially when there is some 2nd person usage in the writing as a lot of the plot takes place in a kind of epistolary form. This writing does work to disorient the reader, somewhat appropriately in line with the feeling behind the plot and I will admit that it had its effect. I was constantly waiting for what was going to come next, anxiety present from page to page (in a good way).

The atmosphere is top notch. I read this in the middle of a dark and snowy winter, and let me tell you...this felt like it could have taken place in my backyard. Cold, sinister, and disconcerting vibes on point.

If you're looking for a disturbing read, this is worth a grab. Perfect for winter vibes or a creepy autumn read. Don't pick it up if you often feel the need to sleep with the lights on. Because light or dark, this one will set you on edge.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Thank you for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for honest feedback.

When I saw this book I was ecstatic as I had read HEX last year and I loved it.

There is a lot going on here in this book, you need to pay attention to ensure you don't miss anything. But the plot and the different narratives keep you going because you HAVE to know what happens next. Even the though I didn't love the characters, the story was too good to stop.

My ONLY complaint, I'm not sure if this is done on purpose as I know ARCs are not final copies and this is a book translated to English, the contractions of words is over done (coulda, shoulda, cuz etc.) to the point where I would be annoyed seeing a contracted word like that.

Over all fantastic story, lost a star because of the contractions.

Thomas Olde Heuvelt takes readers deep into the blizzard of his imagination in his book, Echo. Released in Dutch in 2019 and translated into English for release this week, the book represents excellent horror writing. It will chill you to the bone, because of its setting and its suspenseful plot.

The book’s story focuses on two young men. One is American Sam Avery, who’s been living in Amsterdam because his partner Nick Grevers is Dutch. In many ways, this relationship works because opposites attract. Nick is the strong, silent type while Sam is chatty to the point of constant oversharing. Old Heuvelt writes Sam with all the tropes of the young, present-day, rich American.

Everything’s going well for them until Nick heads off to climb a few peaks in the Swiss Alps with his mountaineering buddy, Augustin. Sam has a long-held aversion to the mountains, so he sits these trips out. Normally Nick and Augustin plan their trips with meticulous care. However, this time they make a fateful and unplanned side trip to a mountain called the Maudit.

And what follows is tragic and frightening for them, for Sam, and for the people of the nearby Swiss village, Grimentz. First, Nick and Augustin discover that time and distance on the mountain don’t follow expected conventions. What should take an hour instead takes several. Still, they summit the peak. But a huge storm blows through as they descend. And Nick starts to notice some odd things happening to his pal Augustin. And then he notices them in himself.

Amazingly, Nick makes it off the mountain. But everything Sam fears about the sport and the location come true. The climb was disastrous on several levels. And together the two men must deal with the fallout.

My conclusions
Like most horror, it’s hard to review Echo without giving away major plot points. I will say that Olde Heuvelt combines elements from ancient legends, village superstitions, weather phenomena, and climbing techniques. Plus, he injects fear and dissonance at every level. I wanted to finish the book as fast as possible because the resolution seems so elusive. At the same time, the intensity often became overwhelming enough that I turned away.

I will also say that if you’ve ever felt addicted to a sport or activity, a place, or a person, you will find a bit of yourself in this story. Now imagine taking it to the maximum limits of possibility and you have the core of Echo’s plot.

Olde Heuvelt alternates between the voices of the two men, relying more on Sam’s perspective overall. As I mentioned, Sam used 20 words when ten would suffice, which is frustrating more than charming. On the other hand, Nick is measured and careful in his descriptions of events. Until he talks about mountaineering, where he loses me in the immense quantity of details.

Still, Olde Heuvelt shifts between the two with enough frequency that they balance each other out. And he injects several minor characters who provide the men with support and information to solve the mystery. However, some of the side plots could be less prominent, since they aren’t vital to the story.

Overall, the conclusion isn’t an easy solution. Reading Echo is a bit like being caught in a whiteout storm. The plot is often cryptic, with the author leading readers up, down, and through a complex maze. This certainly heightens the suspense. It also unfortunately slows down the tempo of the book. I wanted a more direct path to the summit.

Still, Echo is a worthy horror choice from a relatively young author. I hope he writes many more books and continues to refine his craft.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan – Tor/Forge, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review.

Unique, richly written horror tale from the author of HEX. Pays homage to a number of famous horror stories while creating suspense between present and past storylines.

"Echo" , by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is finally out! I absolutely loved his previous novel "HEX", so I was very excited about this one. The opening chapter in "Echo" is one of the creepiest ones I have ever read, so my expectations instantly went high.

Unfortunately, the creepiness, while returning in certain instances, is not kept up throughout the rest of the story. The novel is very character driven, and focuses alot on the relationship between Sam and Nick, the two main characters. A lot of readers may enjoy that, but I was hoping for a more compact, straight-up creepy horror.
I was hoping for this one to be a lot more like HEX, but the two stories are very different. Having said that, it doesn't mean that if you liked HEX you won't like this one. However, if you were not a fan of HEX, I would definitely say give Thomas Olde Heuvelt another chance. 😉 Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books and Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

ECHO, by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, is an atmospheric novel that left me thinking of a combination of Lovecraftian horror and modern day horrors combined. The story is told mainly in two POVs: Nick, a fit man who has an tragic accident while mountain climbing, and his partner Sam, who couldn't be LESS inclined towards that particular activity. The events begin with a bang, and then go back to when Nick is first rescued from the mountain--without his climbing partner.

"We all tell stories when we can't face the truth. . . "

The scars disfigure Nick's face completely, but that's far from the worst of it. The Maudit--the mountain he had his accident on--is dismissed by authorities, and another location given in its stead.

". . . No human is able to resist such a primal force. It opens doors in your head that are best kept shut . . . "

While alternating between Nick's recollections of that episode, and his and Sam's current situation--with Sam hunting for the truth he feels is being hidden from them, the story of the mountain and what it symbolized held me in thrall. Unfortunately, I felt that much of Nick's telling of the day was very technical in regards to mountain climbing expertise, etc, and got to be rather repetitive--especially to someone who has never been up a mountain.

"It's unfortunate that neither of us had a good command of French and therefore didn't know what Le Maudit means. . . "

Overall, if the story had been cut by at least a third, I feel I would have given it a higher rating, as the subject itself, characters, and locations were all fascinating and well written. The problem for myself was that the complexity of mountain climbing gear, and repetition of each and every step Nick took to climb it, got overwhelming quickly. I simply wanted to go back to Sam and his search for answers.

Still, a great idea, and one that lingers after that final page.

Recommended.

This book had a The Shining feel to it, especially towards the end. It was a bit disorienting in the beginning as it skipped from Sam to Nick. I liked experiencing the different points-of-view and the author did a fantastic job of changing the tone and style of each character. It added to the character development!

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the ending! A solid horror read!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for and advanced copy!

Wow what a creepy book! Wonderfully written and executed. I liked the bit of horror added in. Amazing characters that kept me totally invested in the story.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Oh so disappointed. While the last chapter of Hex still haunts me, it’s the first chapter of Echo that will stay with me. It’s all downhill from there. I will grant you that I was scared through most of it. The first chapter had my heart racing and I couldn’t read the book at night for fear of nightmares, but the ending was meh and tying in Sam’s secondary storyline felt like an unnecessary stretch. The whole Sam as Prometheus thing could have been dropped without negatively impacting the story. The constant fear factor is the only reason I’m not panning this, but I can’t recommend it.

Echo is a horror story that throws you into the cold wilderness and has you experiencing survival with supernatural elements thrown at you.

Mountaineer Nick wants to climb the summit of Maudie, an untouched peak with extreme weather. His boyfriend Sam isn’t made for the mountains and is fearful of heights, but that doesn’t stop him for going to be supportive of Nick experiencing this once in a life time climb. Even if that means a fatal expedition. Nicks climbing buddy Augustine is dead and Nick himself comes out of a coma with a scared face and a relationship that tests some limits. Is beauty really all we have and is that all Nick took with him from the mountains?

This story is a slow building suspense. It’s creepy and atmospheric tale told in alternating voices of the boyfriends. We get tested with love and relationship on top of the horror survival. Not just nature but trauma factors that ultimately test the very existence of humans. I was so happy to have read a horror book that had a gay couple as the main characters because you don’t see that, and in a way it made me think of the struggles that same sex couples go through, and that in a way the horrors they face in their lives. A very dark ghost story for the ages.

The book starts off great. A young woman is being attacked by spirits in an isolated house in the middle of a snow storm. We don't know anything about her, other than she is in peril. Then we jump to the story of Nick. Nick was horribly disfigured in a mountaineering accident that claimed the life of his friend Augustin. But something is wrong with Nick. His boyfriend Sam can sense it. So can everyone who comes in contact with him.

As Sam tries to help Nick heal, we learn what happened on the mountain, and what is happening now. The pacing of the book is a little slow. This is what I would call "slow burn" horror. I had a sense of dread that slowly built up. The last section is when things start happening more rapidly. I thought the last 15% of the book was pretty exciting. I enjoyed this book, although I felt it took a long time to read, probably because of the pacing.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic and horrifying read. Gripping and very scary. This is the type of story that you don’t want to read before you go to bed, or you are guaranteed to have nightmares. It is not often one comes across great new horror stories, but this is the second time that I’ve been frighten reading works by this author. I believe with “Echo”, we can crown Thomas Olde Heuvett The King of Modern Horror. Great book, and I will absolutely be reading this one again.

Thank you Thomas Olde Heuvett, the publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Unforuntely I really struggled with this book. I loved the premise and there were some geniunely creepy moments (the birdcage, yikes!) The relationship between our main characters Sam and Nick was so honest and effective. The hard truths of how do you handle it when something devastating happens to someone you love or can you handle it? The issue with this book was the length. It was very drawn out and repetitive. If this would have been more concise and to the point I feel like it would have been a very effective book.
However after sitting on this for a bit, this book has stuck with me. There are images I can't get out of my head. This is a unique story that has striking imagery and is beautifully written. It just works it's way into your brain and camps out.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

The first scene in “Echo” is terrifying. It was everything I remembered about Heuvelt, as I was a big fan of his last translated book, “Hex”. There was something about the premise of that novel that I really loved; the creepy witch, the secretive town, and the fact that all the townspeople just considered their predicament as normal. “Echo” has some of the same vibes, but they don’t show up until later in the book. After that first, super scary scene featuring Julia, Sam’s sister, the book moves onto Nick and the immediate aftermath of his climb. And the book just…stalled. For me at least. The next hundred or so pages felt really tedious with glimmers of brilliance. I didn’t really care about Sam’s trip back to New York; his waffling between whether he could still love Nick now that he was disfigured. Similarly, Nick and Augustin’s first climb was covered but the climb itself was relatively uneventful, until they found the Maudit.

But, in between what felt like pages of climbing jargon and existential crisis, there were scenes that were truly amazing. Sam’s return to his grandparent’s home and the mysterious neighbor, Nick and a face full of birds, and their arrival at the town all stood out. I wanted them to spend more time in that creepy town and less time at their house, but once a certain nurse arrives on the scene things started to pick up again.

The last half of “Echo” was fantastic. Nick’s recounting of what really happened on the Maudit was so scary and visceral, the characters started to really come alive, and you really begin to root for a happy ending, even if you’re not sure if it’s possible.

I loved Sam and Julia’s relationship, and wish that Julia was in more of the book. I spent way too much time thinking about what happened to her after that first scene. Sam and Nick’s relationship was a highlight of the book, even though it was unclear whether the reader was getting to know the real Nick. I almost feel like I would have liked the book better if it was just told from Sam’s point of view with maybe one break for Nick’s story about the Maudit climb.

Overall, this book was scary, fun, and thrilling in the second half, but took awhile to get into. I would read another Thomas Olde Heuvelt book in a heartbeat, but it didn’t beat out “Hex”, which remains one of my favorite horror novels ever.

*3.5 rounded to 4*

A horror story set in wintery slopes of a mountain, YES PLEASE! However, I felt like I got half of what I wanted. I enjoyed the parts of Nick's retelling of him and his climbing partner Augustin and I wish that would've been the full story. While the aftermath of Nick's "accident" was eerie, I felt like that wasn't the story I was connecting to. The disorientation and hallucination on top the Maudit was far more interesting. Sam's character was confusing, I felt like he contradicted a lot of what he said by his actions and I wanted to scream just make up your mind! The opening portion of the book was super creepy as well but I hated that we had to wait so long to come full circle on that, it lost a lot of its impact. I really enjoyed Thomas' other book Hex and was hoping for another slam dunk. While this book did have some scary parts, it just wasn't a slam dunk for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The prologue is hands down the creepiest I have EVER read. This book genuinely scared the shit out of me many times and is by far the scariest book I have read in over a year. I nearly jumped out of my skin several times by sudden little noises in my house, and had ALL the goosebumps.

This book was overall an absolute masterpiece. Olde Heuvelt’s writing is so incredibly realistic and atmospheric at times that I found myself so swept up that I became dizzy and afraid of falling during some scenes on the mountain. The plot arc was fantastic and very unique from any horror book I’ve read before. I loooved that all of the beginnings of new chapters had quotes by classic horror books- they gave me chills. And can we talk about that magnificent artwork on the cover??

Thank you to Netgalley for my advance copy of this for review!

This was a very unique story. The opening chapter is one of the scariest and most thrilling I have ever read. It is a slow burn but, that first chapter-WHEW! All finger nails are gone!

I would say besides this being a horror novel-it contains so much more. It is about mental health, acceptance and love. I really felt for each character as they had qualities I loved and really wanted a different ending (sue me) but I also appreciated the realism of it.

The only thing I would critic about this is that it was a tad too long and could probably have been a bit shorter. All in all I really enjoyed this and hope to see more from Mr. Olde Heuvelt.

2.5 stars

“A good horror story didn’t end with death, but with something worse.”

Sam Avery is dating Nick Grevers, and gets the terrifying call that Nick has been in a climbing accident with his hiking partner, Augustin. Augustin’s body was never found, and Nick’s face is completely battered. The hospital believes he was in an avalanche, but the injuries look more sinister. They look like they’re from an ice pick.

This story is all over the place. The prologue with Sam’s sister was so spooky and had me looking over my shoulder, then it just disappeared. I honestly didn’t even realize the timeline shift at first. We basically start out at the end of the story. It flip flops throughout the entire book without reason, and it’s pretty confusing.

I enjoyed the general premise of Echo. It reminded me a lot of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, which I am obsessed with (pictured with the book). The execution, however, left something to be desired. It’s possible it’s because the book is translated from Dutch, but I had a hard time reading it. I REALLY didn’t care for Sam. The way Echo is set up, Sam is supposed to be the hero, and Nick is more the antihero. I didn’t like Sam, and felt bad for Nick. And if I read one more “hadda” I was going to explode.

There was potential here, but it missed the mark, unfortunately. Will I still recommend it? Yes; I believe someone out there may enjoy this much more than I did. If the premise interests you, I say pick it up and try it out for yourself.

“There are holes in the ice. They look just like eyes.”

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced review copy thanks to Net Galley and Tor Nightfire!

CW: injury/gore, fire/fire injury, animal cruelty and death

This is deeply horrifying, but I didn't expect it to be so wry and...romantic? It's horror first and foremost, but there's some tenderness within Nick and Sam's relationship that I didn't expect.

As much as Sam frustrated me, I quite enjoyed him and his relatable defense mechanism (i.e., using humor as deflection). I wish we had spent more time with his sister, Julia, especially after that traumatizing start to the book, but it was still an epic, supernatural, car-crash of a journey as Nick, Sam, and another character or two try to piece together exactly what the hell happened to Nick's face after his perilous journey up the Maudit. (If you know any French, this should tell you exactly what kind of mountain the Maudit is.)

Do you like alpinism, Stephen King, Dutch novels, or all of the above? Pick this up.