I was a huge fan of Hex and was so excited to have the chance to review Echo. It was a unique spin on a horror story, though it did drag in parts. I also wondered a little bit at some of the translation decisions in the journal entries that comprise most of this book (there was a lot of "coulda" and "shoulda" and I know that the goal was to make the writing seem casual but it came off as trying too hard because I don't think anyone actually writes that way?) The beginning scene of this book is one of the most terrifying scenes I think I have ever read and there were a few others that took my breath away as someone who doesn't love heights... and, as it turns out, depths. I think this book uncovered a whole new fear of mine, which makes it a success as far as I'm concerned! I also really enjoyed all of the nods to other works of horror in the book.

Atmospheric. Slow. Extremely descriptive language that ups the word count. The main characters are a gay male couple consisting of a superficial, affluent, name-dropper and a handsome, athletic alpinist. Unfortunately I felt no connection to the story or the main characters. To me, it wasn’t scary and held few thrills. The prologue was very creepy, it gave me goosebumps but it’s all downhill from there. (2.5 stars rounded up) Thanks to NetGalley #netgalley and Tor Nightfire #tornightfire for the ARC.

I am 100% here for queer characters in horror. Queer characters being messy, being terrified, being angry, being villainous... That certainly wasn't the issue here.

The issue for me was with pacing. There's a totally disconnected (and rather long) opening scene with a totally different protagonist (we meet her in the context of the story later) and all this stuff happens to her with ghosts and people with no eyes, and she's all alone and there's some weather event... Well, I don't tend to like framed stories, and this bit of framing just... Didn't fit. It felt so out of place once the story started going.

Which, the story didn't really start going. The MC is speculating about everything without actually knowing things. And then he runs away and distracts himself. There just... Wasn't enough horror elements to keep me interested. And I didn't like Sam at all. So... I gave up

What a great follow-up to HEX, which is one of the best horror books I have ever read...and I don't say that lightly! I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I honestly won't say much because it's best to just go in with what little you know and let the story, creeping dread, and atmosphere take over you as you go further into it. Check this book out the second you have access to it! Mr. Olde Heuvelt has knocked it out of the park again!

I agree the opening was one of the creepiest things I have read for a long time and the whole book was creepy; but this just missed the mark for me and I don't know why. Just caught me at an off time when I am reading other things I am enjoying more.

Plus, there were some twists that were predictable. SMH. Disappointing. I really wanted to like this given the title and the first chapter of the book. Still recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Olde Heuvelt and Macmillan Tor Forge Nightlife for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 2/8/22

I can't really say too much about the main plot without being spoiler-y. Just know that it is *out there*. But once you accept it, it makes sense.

First off, this epilogue is CREEPY as hell. It generally takes a lot to freak me out and I especially love when it happens right off the bat. The pacing did slow down quite a bit in the middle, but there was a lot to unravel there.

This is the perfect time of year to read this one. The Swiss Alps locale and mountain climbing scenes were mesmerizing and I could practically feel the isolation and the cold in my bones. Sam's narration is casual and enjoyable. We get alternating narration from Nick's manuscript, which fills in the gaps and descriptions of the climb and the events that happened there.

There were a couple parts that had me a little confused, though I'm not sure if I just missed it or if you are left to infer what happened. They weren't major plot points so it really didn't bother me too much.

The ending tied in with its epic prologue nicely. This book could have been trimmed down a bit but overall it was a satisfying read for me.

Huge thanks to #netgalley and #tornightfire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I had heard a lot about Hex, so when this book popped up I thought I would give it a try.
I really loved the first chapter. It’s not often that I really get creeped out by what I’m reading, but that opening chapter had me pretty freaked out as I read it in my bed. So, a strong start for sure.
However, I was almost immediately taken out of that creepy state by the style Sam’s voice is written in. The premise and the first chapter were enough to keep me going, but there were many things in Sam’s chapters that took me out of the story. All the “picture this:” and the “hadda, cuzza, woulda” and back and forth narration that was hard to follow. I enjoyed Sam as a character but I didn’t like his narration style and voice at all.
There are still some things I have questions about, but I did enjoy the book for the most part. It really picked up about halfway through and then I couldn’t put it down.

Nick Grevers wakes up from a coma to find that his climbing buddy is missing and presumed dead. His own injuries are horrific and he’s left unable to speak, but he remembers everything.

He remembers that he was mysteriously drawn to a remote peak in the Swiss Alps, and what he found there has irrevocably changed him. Now there’s a force inside of him that threatens to endanger the lives of everyone around him—including his boyfriend, Sam.

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a transcendent, sublime piece of cosmic horror that’ll plunge you into the vast abyss and leave you falling for days.

Does the story drag in parts? Yes, but the peaks of this novel are so dang jaw-dropping that I’m willing to overlook its pacing issues. Heuvelt does an incredible job at establishing a scene and building up to genuinely creepy moments, and there are scenes of cosmic horror in here that are truly awe inducing.

However, I do want to be up front about what to expect from this book. While there are some survival thriller aspects to the story, it’s more so a meditation on love, madness, and trauma. It deals with the aftereffects of Nick’s encounter and Sam learning how to care for his now monstrous boyfriend.

All in all, Echo is an intimate portrait of a relationship mixed with an undercurrent of cosmic and folk horror, making for a truly memorable story.

Sam Avery seems like your stereotypical bored rich American expatriate, living in Amsterdam with his partner, Nick Grevers. But he has hidden depths, including a flair for languages that has him working on his master’s degree now that he’s settled down with the man he loves, after spending his first years at university partying instead of studying. The only snag in his perfect life with Nick is the latter’s obsession with mountain climbing, a hobby that Sam finds mystifying, if not outright terrifying.

But Nick is adamant about his mountaineering, explaining perhaps more clearly why in his journals than in his conversations with Sam:

QUOTE
You’ve often asked me why I climb mountains. You’ve also often asked me (I wouldn’t say begged, though it’s not far off the mark) to stop. Our worst argument was about this, and it was the only time I was really afraid that I would lose you. I’ve never been able to fully explain it to you. I wonder if it’s at all possible to fully explain to someone who isn’t a climber. There’s an apparently unbridgeable gap between the thought that I risk my life doing something as trifling as climbing a cold lump of rock and ice…and the notion of traveling through a floating landscape, progressing with utmost concentration while having absolute control of the essential balance that keeps me alive and that, therefore, <i>lets</i> me live. Conquering that gap is possibly the most difficult climb in the life of any alpinist who is in a relationship.
END QUOTE

When Sam gets a phone call informing him that Nick has had an accident during his latest climbing expedition, Sam fears the worst, and is initially relieved to hear that Nick is alive though in bad condition. His hiking partner Augustin Laber was not so lucky, perishing on the slopes of the Maudit. The surgeon warns that Nick has had extensive facial damage and will be scarred for life. Sam understands himself to be a somewhat shallow person who places a high value on aesthetics, but even he is taken aback by his own viscerally repulsed reaction to Nick’s disfiguring injuries.

Unable to deal with this, Sam flees back to New York City where the rest of his family lives, including his beloved younger sister Julia. But Nick’s parents eventually persuade him to come back to the Netherlands, asking for help with their now-reclusive son. Gathering his courage and leaning on his own better nature, Sam returns, ready to fight for his relationship. But something else may have a stronger hold on Nick now, something so unnatural and terrifying that it may have already led to the deaths of many others. What will Sam have to do in order to save the man he loves from a force ready to claim them both for itself, a force more than willing to destroy anything or anyone that gets in its way?

This is one of the most startlingly original horror novels I’ve read in a long time, putting its foot on the gas right from the get-go and barely giving you time to gasp for air as it recounts scenes from nightmare, like waking up in an empty house and discovering that you’re not alone:

QUOTE
Julia sees the people in the stairwell when she gets up at night to pee.

They’re standing there in the dark and staring up at her, frozen like a photograph, as if they’ve been waiting for her all along. Her left foot is already on the top stair and she’s about to put her right foot on the next, but her fingers clamp the handrail compulsively, and she stops. Of course she stops, because suddenly it penetrates her drowsy brain: <i>there are people in the stairwell and they’re staring at her</i>.
END QUOTE

Thomas Olde Heuvelt plays on these common terrors in fresh ways, cleverly referencing classic horror stories and mythology as he spins his eerie tale. I was genuinely creeped out at many points in the narrative, particularly with the entirely lived-in depictions of both phobias and genuine fears. Fortunately, I had Sam’s perspective and offbeat humor – a coping mechanism we have in common – to help leaven the proceedings. He is a delightful protagonist, a man who presents a wisecracking, cosmopolitan front to the world in order to hide his own unconfessed trauma and guilt. I was genuinely surprised that this was a translated work from the Dutch, so authentically does his voice resonate, as translated by Moshe Gilula.

If you’re looking for a smart, unique horror novel that knows its stuff – the chapter headings are all titles from other exceedingly relevant horror masterworks – then I highly recommend this truly scary book. I can’t wait to read more of Mr Olde Heuvelt’s work!

SLEEP WITH THE LIGHTS ON AND YOUR EYES TAPED OPEN

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??

Slight criticisms:
The book rotates chapters between two points of view: Nick, the mountain climber injured in a freak accident that left his climbing partner dead, and Sam, his American boyfriend. I loved Nick and all of Nick’s chapters, but I didn’t care for Sam for the most part. He came across as very vain, superficial, and loved dropping names and brands a bit too much for my taste. His chapters were absolutely necessary to understand the terror of what was happening to Nick, I just wish his character was more likeable for me.

Secondly, pacing- I felt sometimes it got a little repetitive and could have used some editing length-wise. I couldn’t figure out halfway through why this book was taking me so long to read but noticed that the print was tiny, and when I looked it up on Goodreads, the editions in the original language of the book were 600-700+ pages, compared to this edition’s 400. Mystery solved
Regardless, I will still tell you I thought this book was a masterpiece, and you should absolutely read it when it releases on February 8th!!

Many thanks to Nightfire for the gifted copy!

In terms of living up to the expectations set by HEX, ECHO had a tough challenge ahead of it. And I don't think it quite scaled those expectations, but that isn't to say that I disliked this book or found it to be unworthy of them. There were a lot of things about ECHO that I really, really liked. Heuvelt is so damn good at setting up dread and letting it tear through the reader's psyche. The opening scene alone gave me nightmares the evening I read it, it is so visceral and terrifying. And I loved the way that Heuvelt took the concept of a possession story and took it in a whole new direction that leaves out ideas of religion and faith and instead looks to nature. I also liked how balls to the wall unrelenting it was when it came to the build up and pay off as Nick and Sam try to contend with the fact that Nick has come back from his climbing trip all kinds of wrong, and how Sam is desperate to believe that Nick can be saved. There were some things that didn't work as well for me. I thought that some of the pacing was off, and that it dragged on a bit longer than it needed to. I also thought that some of the developments were unnecessary and contributed to that lag, and by the end while I was still interested, I did find myself thinking that it needed to get on with it. And it's trying to do a lot, which feels a bit haphazard as the story goes on. But that said, the dread factor is absolutely present in this book. It's deeply disturbing on many levels.

ECHO is a great read for a cold night. But absolutely be warned that there are many things in this book that will scare the hell out of you.

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt follows Nick and Sam, a deeply devoted couple whose lives are overturned when Nick returns from a near fatal mountaineering accident. Nick’s face has been mutilated and he is barely clinging to life. Sam struggles with what this means for their relationship, and it soon becomes clear that whatever happened on that mountain was not just an accident. In fact, it was something far more sinister, and it’s not yet done with Nick.

I was a big fan of the author’s previous novel, Hex, so when I came across this I knew immediately I just had to read it, going in with high expectations.

I was terrified from the first page.

Heuvelt knows how to create a frightening atmosphere from which the reader has no escape, which is exactly what I’m looking for when I read a horror book. I want to be afraid after putting the book down; afraid to fall asleep or turn the lights off — or even to keep the lights on, making the horrors invisible. Because, in the words of Heuvelt, “not seeing them, while knowing they’re there, is worse than seeing them.”

The way this story is told—through alternating narratives, personal notes, manuscripts—works so well to keep the suspense and forge a deeper connection with the characters. I could see myself in Sam and Nick. I could feel their desperation in clinging to a sense of normalcy as my own. That made this story even more powerful.

There were a few moments that were a little too meta for my liking, breaking the fourth wall a bit, but I’ll chalk that up to personal preference. It fit the voice of the characters and made sense in context.

I’ll be thinking of Echo for a long time, especially whenever I encounter a dark stairwell or, god forbid, alpine choughs. This book has clawed its way into my mind and made a home for itself.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Echo!

I have never read something by Heuvelt before, but I have heard good things about his previous work, Hex. This sounded interesting with elements of folksy horror along with classic mountain hiking gone wrong scenario.

Unfortunately this book was not it for me. I actually did not finish it, I stopped around the 30% mark. I am still rating it because based on what I read, I have a clear idea of what I liked and disliked.

I did not enjoy the formatting of this, the story telling aspect was far too jumbled to keep up with what was actually happening. The prologue was great, but I am still very confused as to what it had to do with anything (and other reviews say it doesn't factor in much at all). As soon as the manuscript was mentioned, I thought we would be reading that in full, as the explanation for what occurred in the mountains, but that was not the case. It felt as if we were beating around the bush as to what happened and I really didn't even get a vague idea of what happened. Additionally, I felt like each chapter/section being named after a classic horror novel was just hammy, at best, and at worst, uninspired. As if the framework and central ideas in each chapter were lifted from those works, making it predictable and a chore to read.

I also took issue with the writing. I know this is a translated work so perhaps that factors into why I was not enjoying it, but it just felt off. Some of the scarier passages, such as the prologue, were written wonderfully. But once you move into the actual story, the writing and tone were completely off for me. The chapters concerning the main character, Sam, read almost like a romantic comedy in tone. The dialogue, both internal and external, are full of "youthful" slang and phrases that it took out any element of horror. We spent too long going on about nothing and too little pushing the plot forward or revealing important bits to the story.

And my biggest issue with this book: Sam. As a character, I am unsure if he was written to be liked or not, but I detested him. I have never read a more shallow character. I read 30% of this book and 15% of it was Sam talking how great Nick used to look. Or how perfect Nick's body is. Or anything involving men's bodies and their 20 pack abs. And so when Nick's face "suffers injury"...this is a whole ordeal for Sam. Because he is "dysmorphophobic" which is a valid, but the explanation of this is weak and comes across as completely vain. I don't understand why Sam continued to assure Nick he was there for him no matter what and then on the same page go on and on about how disgusted he is with Nick's facial deformities. On top of all that, Sam shows no empathy for Nick as he is clearly struggling with something (mental or supernatural). Sam seems like the type to say to "just stop worrying" when confronted with an anxious person.

While I hate to DNF an ARC, I just do not have the energy to continue a book I know I will not like. And from the 30% I read of this one, unfortunately, its just not for me.

I enjoyed this, I read it a little late after the ARC due to COVID issues. The voice is good, it is easy to digest. I had to slow down with it, a lot more than I did with HEX. I want to try it on audio which might help me with the pacing.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me.
I'm sure it will a fantastic read for other's.
I was just bored with the way the storyline was going on had a hard time picking it up.
This was the first story for me from this author.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

*This is a translated version of my Spanish Review from Goodreads.*

Score: 2 Stars

First of all, thanks to Tor and Nightfire for this ARC.

I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting that the first disappointment of the year would come that quickly.
Thomas Olde Heuvelt is an Author whose name I've heard since a couple of years ago, especially because of his novel "Hex", which I still want to read since it has been highly recommended to me. The moment I saw that this ARC was available I didn't think it twice to request it since I was looking for a Horror novel that would give me chills.

Everything started amazingly. The novel's prologue shocked me, especially with these mysterious shadows that were haunting Julia. The hype was so high that my mind was ready for a story that wouldn't let me sleep for a couple of nights.

¿What happened then?

I don't know and I still don't understand it. Since the beginning of the first chapter, I felt a full disconnection because the story that was being told has no relation with what we read in the prologue.
The characters were another element that didn't click with me. Although the story that Thomas tells us is intriguing and has scenes that can leave you on the edge of your seat, I often found myself wanting to read a little faster and move forward through the story. Why? My lack of interest in the characters made me feel like I was taking forever to read this book.

Now, getting back to the positive things, at the beginning of each chapter you'll find an extract from famous novels and classics of the Horror and Science Fiction genres. Additionally, the book has multiple references to these novels within the development of the story, which would make a horror fan feel like a fish in the water while reading this book. It always feels good to read and understand a reference in book.

Also, the mountain scenes (In which we will know what really happened) are totally redeemable. I liked that Heuvelt created a lore that was simple but functional that embraced the novel's plot.

Finally, I really liked the scenes that involved the uncle telling his nephew and niece these stories. I wouldn't give much details because #Spoiler but I'd say that I deeply enjoyed these sections of the book.

Without anything else to say, this has been a book that promised multiple things in its prologue that, unfortunately, couldn´t fulfillment in its development. For this reason, I don't think I would recommend this book to other readers. However, if you have read this author before and you have enjoyed his writing, maybe you should read this book. As for myself, I still want to read "Hex", this book has been so highly recommended to me that I'll buy it soon, I still want to give this author a second chance since I've heard lots about him.

After Nick wakes up from a horrible accident that almost killed him, his face isn't the only thing that's different. His boyfriend, Sam, who has his share of demons as well, doesn't know how to handle it at first, and as all is slowly revealed, he - and everyone around Nick - might be in grave danger.

Although this doesn't live up to HEX in terms of sheer inventiveness (YMMV, of course), there is still a lot of good atmospheric moments and Heuvelt knows how to build tension. My biggest hurdle was the voice of Sam, whose slang was frustrating to read at times, but I appreciate that Heuvelt was trying to give his characters more, well, character, as one of my biggest complaints of HEX was that none of the characters had distinct voices or felt like real people. I think tightening up the story would have benefited the book overall, as it felt draggy in some parts, but there was more good than bad and I think Heuvelt is an overall treasure to horror novels. Also, that was one spooky start to a book.

Echo is a well-paced, terrifying read! It is the story of Sam and Nick, Sam prefers the finer things in life, while Nick is a mountaineer, but the two find love in each other. When Nick climbs an uncharted peak in the Swiss Alps, he comes home with the power of the mounting, and it is an cursed mountain. The book is told in alternating chapters from each characters perspectives. Sam’s chapters have a very Chuck Palahniuk feel to the writing, while Nicks are more of a travel log. The overall effect is a great way to reveal the story, and was somewhat reminiscent of Dracula’s epistolary style. This was a great read, and actually gave me nightmares! Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many things I loved about this book - the opening, the Lovecraftian vague horror descriptions, the characters, the genuine scary moments scattered throughout - and those are the things that kept me reading when I was tempted to put this one down. Because, honestly, there were moments I almost didn't finish -- there is A LOT of exposition and description that I felt was unnecessary and a bit redundant. I'm glad I stuck with it, but it was a bit of a slog at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

"How can you put an image into words that changes your life at a single glance? A single moment, rising on the mind’s horizon, that is so all-encompassing, that evokes so many frozen emotions and is so rich in monumental beauty and unimaginable horror, that any attempt at describing it would destroy it, annihilate it, render it formless, like the erosion of exposed landscape. Is it even possible? Okay, well, let me try."

I finished it!! Omg. This book it not what I expected. I don't want to give a synopsis - it's best to discover why for yourself. This book really made me work for it. Man this was not an easy read for me. I'm usually an escapist reader and honestly I'm generally quite lazy with my books - I like YA and domestic thrillers and fantasy that I don't generally have to ponder too much. Witty banter, plot twists, and cool action sequences are all I really need... So this book was kind of out of my comfort zone, but I think that's part of why I liked it.
This read more like a classic horror like Hill House or Mary Shelley than it did of the creepy paranormal thriller I thought I was getting after the first chapter. To be fair, the author does say in the beginning that he admires classic horror - even the titles of the chapters are all homages to the greats. There are nods to Emily Bronte, Bram Stoker and a big one to Freidrech Nietzche, and it's quite evident that the author took a lot from these works in tone and imagery.
The translator did an absolutely impeccable job - this book was truly masterfully written. This was one of the most atmospheric novels I've ever read. The scenes are painted in chilling, thoughtful prose and the story just sucks you in. This was absolutely NOTHING like I bargained for and while it did drag in parts, it pushes and pushes you until the very last page. I'm giving it 5 stars because it's a story that I'll be thinking about for a long time. (Forewarning: this shit is weird. Don't let that discourage you)
Lastly, slight spoiler: I absolutely loved that the main characters were a gay couple. This was done casually with no fanfare and I love it when authors include gay characters where their sexuality is not their only personality trait. Nick and Sam are two men with completely developed personalities and character arcs who also happen to be gay. I love this and I hope I see more of it.

Thank you to Thomas Olde Heuvelt Netgalley and Tor / Nightfire for the ARC!