Every once in a while we are luck enough to witness a masterpiece before it is officially released, and this novel is exactly the case.

I was mesmerized from page one. The author's prose is just beautiful, so intricate, it resembles poetry. The plot is incredibly eerie and well woven, and the characters are perfectly built. I wanted to read it all fast because I had to know what would happen but at the same time I wanted to slow down my reading pace so it wouldn't end. That's what an amazing book does to a reader.

This, I believe, will become a classic. There's not much I can say about the story itself without spoiling it for other readers so I'll just say this: read this novel. You'll be scared and will love it.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with and ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the concept of this horror, though I think it would have made a better novella, with a hundred or so pages of bloated purple prose cut out. I liked the beginning, the ending, and the major plot points, but everything between them was too drawn out and overwritten. There were moments when I considered not finishing it, but in the end I actually finished it in less than 24 hours.

Mina's car breaks down at the treeline of a forest that you won't find on any map. In the middle of nowhere, Mina is forced to seek help inside the trees, where she discovers three people living inside a concrete bunker. She soon learns they are trapped there by the stuff of nightmares. When night falls, they need to be inside the bunker, or the watchers will get them. During the day, they can stumble helplessly through the forest looking for an escape, but heaven help them should they stray too far and not make it back before dark.

The best parts were the use of Irish mythology and the eerie forest setting, though I would say, overall, that my mood was more intrigued than it was scared. The scariest part for me was the penultimate chapter.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I'm always excited when new authors come with with horror novels.  This is a difficult genre to find book you like.  Personally, I don't want to read torture porn (anything like Saw) or sexual abuse (a really, really common element of the horror genre) or just completely gross things.  I guess I prefer more psychological; horror, but I also  love Stephen King, so a certain amount of gore & grossness is ok.  Having said all of that, I have found a new author that has written a pretty great debut novel.

Set in Ireland, The Watchers is the story of Mina, an aspiring artist who is trapped in a in an unhappy existence. Her only family, a sister, is frustrated with her lack of direction. Her art is not selling the way that she wishes and most importantly, Mina does not lover herself.  Asked by a friend to deliver a parrot to a buyer, Mina takes off with only a map to guide her. Her car breaks down at the entrance to a scary looking woods that is not on her map.  Taking the parrot, Mina travels through the forest looking for help (of course she walks into the scary woods and not back along the road) . Suddenly she hears a woman screaming at her, "Run! Get in the building!". Of course Mina does and thus, her adventure into horror begins.

Mina finds three people in the concrete building, they call the Coop. Covered in glass on one side, the three people all live in this strange edifice.  There is Ciara, a beautiful twenty something devastated by the loss of her husband to whatever is outside, Daniel, a beaten down teen running away from home and finally, Madeline a mysterious woman who seems to know more than what she says. Outside of the coop, something, or some things, scream and scratch on the glass and doors. Because of the glass restricts their sight, Mina is not sure what is terrorizing them every night. Mina quickly realizes that they are captured in some sort of zoo/prison and are only safe during the daylight. Lost and with no ay to sustain four people in their surroundings, Mina is determined to find a way for them to escape while also trying to find out who has them captive and why.

The trapped people and not seeing the monster (either at all or only in the end) is a well known horror trope seen in movies such as Alien, The Blair Witch Project, and, of course, The Evil Dead (the first one).  This is such as great device as it ratchets up the tension while leaving you with the apprehension of what could it be.  Shine does a very good job of keep that tension and suspense going throughout the novel. The way the characters are starting to fall apart due to fear and stress is realistic.  The effect is that the reader keeps changing who he or she is rooting for with each new development.  When we finally do find out who/what the monsters are, I was pleasantly surprised.  Shine was able to take creatures that are stereotyped within genre fiction and find a new facet to look at (no, I won't spoil what they are).  It added to the complexity of the story and I hope in future installments we learn more about them.

Since Mina is our guide through this story, she has the most POV chapters, while the other three get at least one chapter each of their own. I do wish there were more POV chapters from Ciara and Madeline.  I think it would have made the characters more vibrant and it would have added tremendously to the overall story.  The ending was a bit meh, but I can see how it is setting the story up for a sequel. Something, that I will definitely buy. A.M. Shine is a writer to watch.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 2.5 stars

The Watchers follows a group of individuals who are trapped in an enchanted forest where it's really not a good idea to be away from shelter after dark. The Watchers, mysterious and deadly denizens of the wood, basically just stare at them all night long through a mirrored window. Super creepy, right?

If you're looking for a book with atmosphere, this has plenty of it. The voyeuristic nature of the Watchers made me genuinely uncomfortable while reading, and the nod to Irish folklore was a cool inclusion.

Unfortunately, this suffered from a few issues that detracted from the genuinely creepy story. First, the prose was over the top. There's a fine line between descriptive detail and straight up purple prose, and this book crossed that line fairly regularly. This was a real disservice to the text, as it messed with th pacing - a vital component to any horror.

The overwriting is also responsible for the second issue: this book is too long. Clocking in at only 240 pages, this may seem like an absurd comment. However, I really think this would've hit harder as a novella or short story, where the author could really let their ruthless worldbuilding shine without worrying about a page count

The Watchers by A.M. Shine is a horror read. The story in this one will make you invest in a good GPS and is told by changing the point of view between the various characters.

When Mina agreed to deliver a parrot for her friend Peter for a little extra cash she never could have foreseen what was coming. As Mina was traveling in the remote roads her car broke down right at the edge of a forest. With nothing behind her for miles Mina heads into the woods with the parrot in tow.

Just as night is beginning to fall Mina sees a woman calling out to her to hurry to a shelter. Mina finds that in the shelter are other travelers who are just as trapped as she now is by the things watching them out in the surrounding woods.

The Watchers by A.M. Shine was a fast paced addicting horror story. I quickly flew through this one engrossed in what was out in those woods and trying to figure out where the story would lead. As weird as it sounds with a group of strangers being trapped the story still had plenty of action then of course a few twists to keep a reader engaged. Definitely a creepy and thrilling tale.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you for my copy of The Watchers! I was so excited to read this story and was drawn in immediately by the synopsis. Overall I really enjoyed the story, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. By the end of the story I was left with more questions than answers. I would still recommend this thrilling story to others and definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Big thanks to Netgalley, A. M. Shine and Aria & Aries publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When you don't meet your destination, when your only option is to walk into a forest, what would you choose to do?

Mina is supposed to bring a bird to a buyer through a twisting road not frequently traveled, only to have her car stop working. Needing to find someone or help of any kind, she trudges through the forest, caged bird in hand. The evening darkness slowly eating away the days light isn't Mina's main concern. But it should be.
Brought into a building, known now as the coop, Mina must work with the others to stay alive. Foraging for food and water during the day, keeping the door locked tight at night. Because if the door isn't locked with every key turned and chain strung, they might get in. And once they get in, no one will survive.

This is not my go-to genre but I do enjoy a good scary movie and thriller once in a while. I got the feeling that the basic storyline is a recurring theme among horror thrillers and physiological thrillers but I can't name a specific movie that follows this plot line off the top of my head, so it's not a super unique storyline.

I didn't really enjoy Mina as a character. She was an 'artist' but she just seemed so trashy. She was a chain smoking drunk before she found the coop. I think I would have felt more a of a relationship to Ciara had the story focused on her more but even in the end she was a but whiney and didn't really contribute anything.
<spoiler> The ending, although well done, wasn't a huge surprise. I had feelings for Madeline by the end and, maybe I'm a bit of a masochist when it comes to the antagonist but I'm sooooo happy for her </spoiler>

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 cause, although it wasn't directly said they are fae, it was sort of implied and I love a good fae story.

Short Review: Damn!!! Please excuse me while I dig my nails out of the couch cushion. This one will make you keep the lights on at night.

Long Review: You know that prickly feeling you get on the back of your neck when you feel like someone is watching you? Well, someone is.

In a remote area of Galway, Ireland, things aren't quite what they seem. Go too far into the woods and cars stop running, phones stop working, and people go missing without a trace. There are creatures in the woods that have been awakened and don't t want to go back asleep. You can't see them, but they can see you.

Mina has accidentally driven too far. She's stranded and forced into the darkness of the forest. Now, she's found herself imprisoned with three other people in a strange bunker deep in the woods...and desperate to escape.

Written in multiple POV's, this book is an intense mystery/horror thrill ride up until the very end. WHAT AN END! I totally loved it. Get it on your must read list.

I am not too ashamed to say this book was creepy and had me a little scared! I absolutely had to find out what happened next and couldn't turn the page fast enough! Perfect thriller for fall!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“The Watchers” is not only a good read, but it is also an inventive horror novel. In this novel, we are introduced to Mina as she agrees to do a simple delivery job in Connemara, Ireland. As she travels farther from civilization, Mina approaches a forest that isn’t on the map and really shouldn’t be there. Just outside the treeline, Mina’s car breaks down and her cellphone goes dark. Left with no other option, Mina walks into the forest in search of rescue. Hours later, Mina comes across a woman shouting at her to run into a concrete bunker as screams begin to echo through the nighttime air.

Inside, Mina finds a room with a wall of glass, a blinding electric light and three strangers. The light activates automatically at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. Trapped in an apparent fishbowl, Mina and the others are captive during the night while the creatures observe them. Anyone who doesn’t reach the bunker before nightfall faces a fate far worse. Mina and the others are essentially imprisoned by the Watchers. Mina wants answers, but the question also arises: will escape ever be possible?

The characters in this book are well-developed and engaging. As a reader, I found myself rooting for some characters and disliking others. That kind of emotional engagement is always a good sign. It left me feeling invested in the characters and their fate. Because of this, I tore through the novel in a day. The book is a well-written, fast read. The story itself was inventive and an interesting twist on some standard horror and fantasy fare with an excellent ending. I gave it 4 stars only because the pacing just seemed to get a bit off at the end. It began to get a bit overly detailed at the very end, when I was just dying to get to the big finale.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It definitely didn’t feel like anything I’ve read before, and I have read a lot, especially in the horror genre. I was highly impressed with this book, and I would recommend it for horror fans and for readers looking to introduce themselves to the genre. I’ll most certainly be looking for more books by this author!

An interesting and quick read. Not as horrifying as I wanted. (But I enjoy books that make me keep lights on afterward). I loved the concept of the story. I do wish there wasn’t so much unnecessary descriptions in it and I wish we could get more backstory before it just jumped into a memory.

Definitely an author I would love to read more from. This book immerses you in the most unexpected story that you just need to keep reading, need to know more about.

I loved how the book was set up in the beginning and how the author described the atmosphere ‘ An eternal coldness was trapped there, rising as a mist by the deeper pits. It was a cemetery of trees whose black earth sank soft without need for rain and the feeling of death and rot haunted it like the residue of some horrid dream.’ The more A.M. Shine describes this book the creeper it becomes. ‘It was a dead place even the animals knew to avoid.’ This line is chilling and makes the setting all the more frightening.

The ending was such a surprise for me wasn’t expecting it to go that way, that final chapter such a twist couldn’t believe it.

Thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book! My heart was racing with each turn of the page I just had to find out what happened next!

Mina’s car breaks down near the tree line of a mysterious and creepy forest, with a unique reputation. This forest is not on any map. Left stranded with no other options Mina wanders into the forest.

She hears screams, a woman shouting urging her to take shelter. But from who or what is she running from? What resides in the forest? You can’t see them. They are called the Watchers and they just can’t keep their eyes off you. Who are these Watchers? What do they want? Why are they watching us?

This creepy, atmospheric thriller left me wanting to keep the lights as I slept in the best possible way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Ares for providing an advanced copy of this book.

The Watchers follows a small group of survivors who are taken by a forest which seems almost alive. Confined to the safety of a bunker by night, they are stalked and observed by the Watchers. The group slowly unravel the mystery surrounding these Watchers and plot their escape from the forest, but they can only do so by the winter daylight.

This book was a strong mix of horror and fantasy, providing a captivating monster which is never fully described only to add to the tension. The atmosphere is thick throughout the first 70% of the text and it feels like a worthy addition to horror literature.

However, whilst the final 30% of the book holds the biggest plot twist, this twist is diminished slightly as the majority of this final 30% is devoted to purely setting up a sequel. This book would be better served as a standalone with potential spin-offs as it is suggested that the nature of the sequel will be wildly different from the content of this story and I am not sure I would rush to purchase it. Unfortunately this, combined with the sometimes questionable choices the characters make, weakens what this book could have been.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I really enjoyed this book!
It is a spooky Irish horror story which I loved.
I highly recommend you read this book if you are a horror fan and it's a great read for Halloween!

The Watchers is a standalone debut horror novel from author AM Shine.

The story follows Mina after she breaks down and ventures into a forest in search of help. There she meets Madeline, Daniel and Ciara who are all stranded in a shelter unable to venture outside at night or risk being killed by the Watchers. Inside there are mirrors through which the Watches watch the group. What do they want and who are they?

I wanted to like this book so much. The premise and idea sounded incredibly scary and thrilling but the overall execution fell a little flat to me. The book is quite short, and quick to read. The pace slow at first but then moved really quickly, it felt like there was more focus on setting and action, rather than character development.

The story is told in third person with chapters focusing on Mina, Madeline, Ciara and Daniel. There is also a prologue told by Ciara's husband John. While the idea of each the changing characters seemed interesting, I dont feel this really added much. Id have rather stayed from Mina's POV. The characters don't feel very fleshed out, id have liked to get more backstory or sense of who each person was. I didn't feel overly invested in any of the characters or whether they lived or not.

The setting was claustrophobic and tense and helped build suspense. Generally it felt creepy to me but not overly scary.

The end was well done and the twist at about 80% in I didn't see coming at all and left me gasping and having to go back and check to make sure I read correctly. Id like to re-read it again knowing what I know now and see what clues I might have missed out on.

Overall, I enjoyed this book I just felt like more could have been done. It wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad at all. Id read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I’ve never read a book quite like this before and I liked it. I didn’t really connect with Mina, and sometimes the writing got a bit strange (I don’t know how else to say it) but over all I liked the story, the atmosphere and it was enjoyable to read.

This book gave me chills and just kept creeping me out in the best way possible.

Set in an unknown forest in Galway, Ireland (quite a perfect setting if I must say), a group of travelers accidentally find themselves trapped in a woodland of supernatural geography. Their only warning is to "Stay in the light" to protect themselves from the watchers lurking inside the darkness cloaking the forest. Escape seems just out of reach with the inability to outrun the daylight, until they have no choice but to leave the safety of the coop in nail-biting quest for a way out.

There's is nothing creepier than being watched, even more so when the creature watching you borders on a paranormal legend carved from the most terrifying stories of Irish folklore. Shine weaves a world so beautifully dark it feels real. I could feel, see, smell every tangible and intangible experience the characters went through. The prose is lovely, the world building is so thoroughly constructed. The characters had just enough backstory that I cared about their lives, rooted for them every step of the way, felt the deep sense of lows and highs with every loss and victory.

I craved more emotion from those coop nights, however. This group is going through something so terrifying and life altering, I would have expected more extreme emotional responses, besides just the single moment of betrayal by Danny. These people are starving, sleep deprived, emotionally drained, the mental struggle and the psychological effects could have been more emphasized.

I had a feeling the story would end the way it did, but the last few pages completely blind sided me in the best way! Overall, this did not feel like a debut novel, the writing was STUNNING! I absolutely loved this thrilling adventure and highly recommend it to all horror lovers!

A great book! I was hooked from page one and loved it till the very end.

These are characters to root for and a story that never loses its pacing. There were moments that I literally wanted jump because it was that tense. Definitely one of the better horror books I've read.

4.5/5