This lost a lot of impact for me as a reader because I’m single and don’t have kids. So much of the tension and fear in the story relies upon Nina’s motherhood and marriage and for me personally that just isn’t compelling. I also felt like I was missing the true depth of Nina’s backstory - we get little snatches of how her emotionally abusive mother placed a lot of blame on her and traumatized her, but there’s so much there that isn’t explored.

Most of the other characters don’t feel particularly dimensional - except maybe Jo.

Overall it just felt… underwhelming?

This was fantastic. Very cozy horror. It’s like if Small Favors by Erin A. Craig was written for adults and took place in the UK.

I really enjoyed how the plot played with the idea of fate, destiny, and divine intervention.

It was surprising and thrilling in a I-want-to-crawl-inside-this-world-and-live-there kind of way. A Summer Horror must read.

I received the audiobook from Netgalley for review. Perfect for spooky season!

I loved this book and its perfect for those that love the whole island sacrificial mythology. It was reminiscent of Midsommar or The Wicker Man for me. Which I adore those movies.

It kept me captivated knowing that Lute requires 7 sacrifices to have peace and prosperity for 7 years. When The Day comes no one is safe. I held my breath with every character, trying to figure out who was next. I had a suspicion about the ending going two ways and I was right.

I couldn't stop listening to the book and the narrator did a fantastic job with it as well.

This book had me IMMEDIATELY fascinated. It starts off with this immediate sense of apprehension and this unsaid mystery. Our narrator, Nina, knows the legend of Lute, but won't speak of it, because of COURSE it's just a silly legend!

And then things happen and we're finally told: on The Day, seven people of Lute will die. And after the seven are dead, Lute will prosper once more. In ancient times, the sacrifices were voluntary, but now, the island itself decides. Anyone, at any moment, could fall to a horrific accident. And this will happen SEVEN times.

Live each day like it may be your last, but what if you KNEW which day MAY be your last?

There's this underlying story element (I don't think I can call it a plot) where Russia and the United States are allies in a new World War, and that's, just...in the background. It's presence there is mainly to cause mild suspicion against some island newcomers and to highlight that no Lute resident has ever died in war. I expected a bit more to come from this, but the book wraps itself up tidily enough that I was still satisfied without more war stuff.

A book full of creeping dread. Unending anxiety. But so enjoyable!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

"Some part of you is saying goodbye from the time you say hello... it's the agreement we make for being alive."

Lute by debut author Jennifer Thorne is a folk horror story that is mesmerizing with lyrical and eloquent prose beautifully narrated by Victoria Blunt. Nina and Lord Treadway fall in love on a cruise. She's whisked away to be Lady Treadway on the British Isle of Lute where they are the ruling family but have no control over the hold the Island has over it's inhabitants.

Every seven years in one day seven people die on Lute; these are the only deaths. Otherwise, in a futuristic world at war, harmed by climate change, soldiers being killed, and bombs dropping, Lute's residents lead an idyllic life with good health, wealth and no deaths.

Nina has heard the stories but doesn't really believe it until it's The Day and her young son is missing, her husband is trying everything to get off the island and everyone is looking to her for comfort and protection. Nina fights for her family, friends and home in this enthralling tale of horror asking what is the price you will pay for life.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for
a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was an... interesting story... one hard to classify.

Part fantasy, part mystery, part horror, Thorne may have bitten off more than she could chew, as so many themes seemed to come together to cover and muddy eachother.

That said, the story is original, and well told. I do wish there had been more discovery around the mystery to keep the narrative fresh and the pages turning, but I'll just take it as a decent story.

The narrator, for me, was the bright spot of this story, and raised it from a solid three star to a four star production.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An edge of your seat treat! 4 stars 🤩 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nina is relatively new to the Isle of Lute. Nearly 7 years ago she met her husband aboard a cruise she was taking with her grandmother. Now married to the Lord of Lute, Nina is navigating all that being a Lady of the Isle and a mommy to two young ones entails. However, Lute has a legend...one that every seven years, on "The Day" seven people on the island will die, bringing prosperity and protection for the Isle for the next seven years to come. Nina chalks this all up to folk tales, until "The Day" comes and people begin to perish. Is there a reasonable explanation for the sudden parade of deaths? Or will Nina lose more than she can bear?

Lute was a suspenseful surprise that I wasn't ready for! The author does an amazing job slowly peeling back the layers of not only her characters, but the Island of Lute. I found myself really rooting for Nina and felt all the panic that she endured throughout the longest day ever(but in such a good way!). The lore of the island was enough to satisfy any questions I had while doing this fantastic thing of making me do the work to envision the lore's subjects. It was so satisfying as my own imagination picked up the pieces the author laid out and ran with it, building my vision of what this world had to offer. If you don't like obscurity, it could leave you wanting....but I really enjoyed it as a powerful tool.

Four stars for Lute and an interest in the author's other work from this reviewer. Recommended for those who love suspense, well done lore, and remote settings. Age recommended for 14+.

Thank you so much to TorNightFire and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Content warnings: Suicidal ideation, self harm, blood, gore, violence, death, loss of a loved one.

Wow... this book blew me away. I was immediately drawn in by this beautiful cover and synopsis and Jennifer Thorne did not disappoint. This story was dark, ominous, and a rollercoaster from page 1. I was so addicted to this haunting story that I read this cover to cover in a single sitting. And if you have access to the audiobook I highly recommend giving it a try, the narrator was fantastic.

This book was the perfect mix between dark, lush atmosphere and jaw dropping twists. This book is gory and bloody and not for the faint of heart. But when I tell you I audibly gasped multiple times through this novel... The author was not afraid to go dark.

I loved the themes of life and death and love. And overall I was just completely swept away by this world. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!!

4 stars.

Comparing this story to Final Destination isn't exactly correct. Yes, it has the element of knowing you could die at any moment but the whole escaped death and now death is after you thing isn't there.

This was a very interesting book. I must admit there is a certain appeal to living on an island where you are safe from the problems of the world and all you have to do is accept that 7 people are going to die every once in a while. No big deal, right?

Also, how the heck did this author make me have feelings about two people possibly being together when there was literally nothing going on. I just instantly switched teams. I knew almost nothing about the other guy and I was just like yep he's the one.

The link for Instagram is me sharing that the book was released and my rating.

Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne is a slow burn folk horror novel. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at nine and a half hours and is narrated by Victoria Blunt. We follow our main characters with a first-person point-of-view.

Every seven summers--on The Day--seven people die on the idyllic British island of Lute. Every seven summers, the island takes its tithe. The Treadway family helps to protect the island. Nina became Lady Treadway after marrying Lord Treadway, but she was originally born in America. She thinks The Day is just superstitious nonsense. But then it begins, and nobody who ever goes through it is ever the same.

This is the first horror novel I've read that I can describe as gentle horror, or slow-burn horror, or even minimalist horror. But I really dug the vibe and I'd love to read more books like this.

The narrator does a great job here. Her voice suited the character of Nina perfectly. I find it interesting that Blunt is a British actor using an American accent here, but in the book Nina describes herself as taking on some of the local lilt to her speech after living nearly seven years on the island, so that tracks for me.

I really enjoyed watching Nina grow as a character throughout this book. I also really liked the direction Lord Arthur Treadway takes in here as well. The community as a whole was lovely and I enjoyed getting to know everyone.

While this book is mostly character-driven, I listened to this book in large chunks because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next! The reader knows how many people are still to die so they go into each new scene with an "ok who's next?"

I could take or leave the inclusion of this all being set in the near future during WWIII where America is on the opposite side of the war from the United Kingdom. It didn't have much to do with the story itself and in my opinion was unnecessary.

I liked the epilogue, though I've seen that some other reviewers think it's more of a cop-out.

If you liked stories like The Lottery by Shirley Jackson or the Final Destination movies, you might like this book! This is a great spooky vibes kind of book for Spooky Season.

Tropes: oblivious American, fish out of water, small town, ancient traditions, local superstitions

CW: attempted self-harm, firearms, death, murder, grief, parent death (mentioned), emotional abuse, child death

The publisher provided a audio ARC of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Lute by Jennifer Thorne

Macmillan Audio
Audible Release: October 4, 2022
Listening Length: 9 hours 27 minutes
Narrator: Victoria Blunt
Genre: Paranormal Suspense
KKECReads Overall Rating: 3/5
KKECReads Rating for Performance: 5/5
KKECReads Rating for Story: 3.5/5
I received a copy of this audiobook for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Jennifer Thorne is an American author of books for adults and young readers who writes from a nineteenth-century Cotswold cottage in the medieval market town of Minchinhampton alongside her husband, two sons, and various other animals.

“It’s the way of things here.”

Nina Treadway has only lived on Lute for seven years. She’s heard the stories, the rumors, and the lore. She doesn’t believe any of it, so when her husband tries to get them away for the day, she can’t see why until things start to happen that can’t be explained. The price for a nearly perfect life? Seven lives every seven years.

I don’t know how I feel about this book. Part of me didn’t care for it because I found the main character, Nina, awful. Part of me thinks I would have enjoyed reading this instead of listening.

The storyline is interesting and has undertones of The Village and various other movies. I didn’t mind the side characters, and I enjoyed what they added to the story.

I was not too fond of the main character. I found her selfish, shallow, and unlikable in every way. I think this storyline would be a good movie or series, but mainly because this sort of thing has been done before.

It took me longer than it should have to get through this book; I read four others in the meantime. Overall, it was just okay.

Victoria Blunt was fantastic as the narration, though. She did such a beautiful job portraying the various accents and voices. It was always clear who was speaking, and her tone was pleasant. I would listen to her narrate a novel again for sure.

This story is mysteriously haunting. It seems like we’re set in the future — on the remote British island of Lute and a full-fledged war for the rest of the world. This book was a slow burn, but I wanted to keep reading (or listening since I was listening to the audiobook). I was pulled into the uneasiness with an immense curiosity to know what happens. If you were promised 7 years of joy and exemption of an on-going war in return for one day of morbid grief, would you take the deal? I’m honestly emotionally shook and hope I never have to make that kind of choice.

If you’re looking for an unsettling folk horror to read for the fall, this will fill that void. Fully thought-provoking and full of self-reflection set amongst a tight-knit community. Beautiful book cover art and the narrator was exceptional.

**3.5-stars**

On the mysterious island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people must die. This doesn't necessarily sound like somewhere I would want to move to, but after Nina meets her now husband, a native of Lute, that's exactly what she does. She moves to the island and becomes Lady Treadway.

Lute is like a place locked in time. In fact, it's difficult to determine time in general. For a while I thought this was a story set in the past, but as it progressed, maybe it is actually set in the future?

Regardless, the feel of the island itself and the mannerisms of the locals feels very old-fashioned. Nina seems, in her thoughts and actions, like a more modern lady who is now trying to mold herself into these more old-fashioned ideals.

Nina has never been on the island on a tithe day and as it approaches she becomes more and more aware of the harsh realities of The Day. The locals believe that the deaths of the seven grant them luck and prosperity, as well as protection for the island from the outside world. Nina believes this is all superstitious nonsense, but is it?

I was excited for this book due to the comparisons to The Wicker Man and Final Destination. The Wicker Man comparison is definitely apt. With this being said, maybe dark summer solstice tales just aren't for me? I've never found one that has truly captivated me. Lute was good, the writing was strong, but I never felt connected with it enough to be gripped by the narrative.

Truth be told, I could have abandoned it at any point. I found parts of it confusing and honestly, I wanted more dark atmosphere. Just because something is murky, as in confusing, does not necessarily mean it is a strong, dark, creepy atmosphere.

Overall though, I am happy I read this. It kept me entertained somewhat and I would be interested in picking up more from Jennifer Marie Thorne.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. While this didn't quite knock it out of the park for me, I am sure that a lot of Readers will really enjoy this.

I enjoyed Victoria Blunt's narration of this novel. She did a great job of distinguishing the characters voices making it easy to know who was speaking.

The story itself was very interesting; I like that the island is taking seven lives every seven years and everyone waits together to find out who it will be. I like that each death was different, they weren't excessively gory but you definitely knew the person was dead.

Highly recommend this novel and I am looking forward to reading more books from Jennifer Thorne in the future.

I loved the idea of this one and while I liked it, it fell a little flat for me. I expecting a horror story and it felt more like a dark literary fiction magical realism novel instead. It has fantastic atmosphere, but never quite got the tension, suspense or creepy vibes I was wanting. The first half is very slow before things pick up for the last 40% of the book. There was a romantic subplot that didn’t add much to the story or make much sense to me, and a few side plots such as the war and Nina’s family that I wanted more explanation and details. The writing style was beautiful and poetic and I did really like some of the side characters, but the MC was a bit too naive for me. The narrator did an excellent job and I split time between the book and audio. I think someone looking for a slow burn dark literary fiction read might want to give this a try.

Thanks to @tornightfire and @Macmillanaudio for the gifted ARC and ALC. Lute will be out on October 4.

Lute had what it took to be creepy and ominous. A mysteriously lucky island that loses only 7 people every 7 years. Unfortunately, it is all too predictable. It has been done before and you know what is going to happen. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had gotten the written copy rather than the audiobook. The narrator was distracting in her on and off again voices and accents. Also, there was no reason for the war they kept talking about. It had nothing to do with the story except to make the American MC more of an outsider. Maybe it was also just another way to make jabs at Americans. Who knows? It wasn’t really important to the plot at all and could have been left out completely. It was ineffectual. Speaking of the MC, she was annoying as heck as was her entire family.

Horror is so hit or miss with me. I don't think I've rated a true horror novel more than 3 stars this year, but Jennifer Thorne's LUTE will definitely entertain. This folk horror takes place on a small British Island called Lute. The inhabitants are enriched with safety and health, but every seven years requires a sacrifice. Our protagonist is in fact an American, Nina, who has moved to Lute to wed Lord Hugh Treadway. Nina's assimilation to Lute has been difficult, as the United States has allied with the wrong side of this new global war. Nina starts clashing with Lute's inhabitants during the first day of sacrifice on the island.

Lute dives into so many different themes—cultural differences, grief, family, and tradition are main themes I can immediately think about. The close-knit community grapples with death in their own unique way, and Nina's journey during these sacrifices is incredibly thought provoking. This book is a blend of horror, dystopia, fantasy, and mystery. It is slower paced than I expected this book to be, but if you liked the Final Destination series and Midsommar (not sure why I haven't seen people talk about this correlation yet), then this book is definitely perfect for Spooky Season!

I absolutely loved this tale of folk horror.

🏝A beautiful island
🏝Perfect weather
🏝Protected from the war in the rest of the world
🏝Friendly and happy citizens

But it all comes with a price…
💀Every seven years, the island claims the lives of seven inhabitants on the day of the tithe. Seven at random die and there is no telling who will be next.

The story is told from the perspective of an island newcomer, Nina. In the beginning of the story, Nina thinks “the day” is just old superstition, nothing to stress over. The descriptive details are done so well, you really feel like you are walking through the day beside her. You understand her skepticism, naturally, how could such things be true. But as you witness the day through her eyes, you also witness a transformation that takes place within Nina herself. You feel the terror of the realization that the day is all too real. You feel the fear she experiences over the welfare of her children. Then, you come to see the beauty of the community and understand the madness of their devotion and acceptance of the day. It is truly well written and I was sucked into the story immediately. Though maybe not enough to move there if it did truly exist 😂

I really wanted to like this book more. I think my issue is that the structure of the narrative lacked suspense. Usually my favourite aspect of folk horror is the subtle suspense and mystery as I try to figure out the secret, but the situation was completely given away in the synopsis. The characters were frustratingly unlikeable so I just struggled to connect or care about anyone's fate.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

What a great read/listen for the October season! I think what really got me into this novel was that I am in a folk horror mood and Thorne's book hits all the marks. Misty folk setting with things that go bump in the night, strange happenings... mysteries!