This is another bleak, dark and gothic Catriona Ward’s creative mind experience centered on two orphan girls’ lives within a cult, led by one man called himself “Uncle”. There are two other children, two women in their group living in poor conditions, ostracized by the public, at a mansion located in grey Isles of Altnaharra which seats in the black sea off the wildest coast of Scotland.

They keep practicing the rituals to get ready for the end of the world. All the events take place between 1917- 1921.

The opening of the story is blood freezing and shocking ( I don’t expect less from the author) Jamie MacRaith, the butcher of Altnaharra , reluctantly goes to the haunted mansion where the creepy lives to deliver their daily order, finding the door unlocked. He finds the entire family lying dead instead of two orphans. Dinah fights for her life, lying on the floor, one of her eyes is scratched and Eve is nowhere to be seen. She’s the one who is responsible of the massacre.

Then we move backward to find out the creepy dynamics, bizarre rituals of the family.

This gothic tale includes so many bloody murders, jaw dropping, heart throbbing moments and the story unfolds with a twist that you didn’t see it coming!

It’s a bloody fast pacing Northern Gothic for the horror fans and truly dedicated fans of the author like me! I recommend you to save it for Halloween which may increase its full impact!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor- Forge for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

A re-release of Ward’s 2018 book takes readers to a remote Scottish island where one man has formed a tiny cult consisting of two women and four children. Taking place between 1917 and 1921, this novel has a decidedly Gothic feel, and like some of Ward’s other books, is just a little too ambitious. There’s too much going on. I felt like all the characters were just out of my grasp, I didn’t have the time or information to form a connection to any of them