Dark, chilling, and steeped in Irish folklore, Grace is a haunting modern Gothic horror that lingers long after the final page.

Grace was adopted at four years old and has never known the truth about her origins. When a mysterious phone call draws her back to the remote island where she was born, she finds a community bound together by decades of secrets, guilt, and whispered tales of strange deaths and vanished children. But something ancient and malevolent has been disturbed – and it is beginning to spread.

A.M. Shine delivers an atmospheric, oppressive setting that almost becomes a character in itself, with the island’s isolation amplifying the creeping sense of dread. This is folk horror at its core, exploring how far people will go for survival and the moral compromises made in the face of fear. While I would have liked more detail around certain elements, such as the orphanage, the tension and mythology woven through the story kept me gripped.

An unsettling, evocative tale of buried sins and the darkness that refuses to stay hidden.

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Firstly, thank you @netgalley and @headofzeus for kindly gifting me an early copy for an honest review. Horror isn't usually a genre I read much of but I don't know what it is about A.M. Shine books but I love them. I love how he weaves folklore, rural settings and horror into one in a remote setting where the uneasiness is high. The storytelling is excellent with such a chilling atmosphere throughout! I couldn't put this audiobook down!

Grace is a Gothic horror based on Irish mythology and folklore. The story unfolds on an isolated island full of mystery. Strangely there are no children on the island and stories of strange deaths and secrets. Grace, one of our main characters was adopted at 4 from this island and has never been back. However, a mysterious phone call leads her back to the island. Evil is on this island and threatens to destroy Grace's and the Islanders lives.

The suspense is excellent in this and left me on the edge of my seat throughout, I wanted to learn more about the island, the people and their secrets. I loved the multiple pov and that everyone had a secret to hide on the island. The slow suspense of the revealing of secrets was excellent and really gripping. The atmosphere Shine presents really creates the sense of unease as to what's going to happen to the characters. He completely transports you to the island. I loved the book so much, I even ordered myself a fancy special edition from the broken binding company. Overall, a fantastic book that I would definitely recommend if you enjoy suspenseful eerie stories in a remote setting.

Favorite quote: "Surrounded by more stories than she could ever read in a single lifetime."