The Dark Between the Trees

dnf at 29%

I originally had the e-arc and I think I must've deleted this off my Kindle whilst going through my arcs. Since it's a 2022 arc (yes, I know, quite late but this is what we do), the e-arc was archived. Only the audiobook was available for me from the library. Unfortunately I think that might've added to my reason to dnf? I didn't like the narrators.

Furthermore I didn't feel like the characters were interesting, at all. I think I maybe was more interested in the past characters but only because I wanted to see what would happen to them, not their personalities. I didn't really care much for the characters in the present. I think the writing wasn't really capturing my attention so all of together just had me click the dnf button

This one features two narratives four hundred years apart that twine around and echo each other, as a group of Civil War soldiers stumble into a dark and mysterious wood, and a modern day all-female team of archeologists attempt to retrace their steps and solve their disappearance. The publicity mentions the obvious parallels with The Ritual and The Descent, and they are indeed strong, but there's also a lot of the unresolved eeriness of Picnic At Hanging Rock and the sense of ancient landscape Alan Garner evokes. Very atmospheric, creepy, and a real page turner - I blazed through it.

I just finished The dark between the trees by Fiona Barnett

A group of 17th century soldiers end up going into Moresby wood after being ambushed... A place teeming with witchcraft... A place the devil likes to walk.

17 men go in and none come out....

Present day and 5 women go into the woods to see if they can unveil the secrets the woods hold. They are armed with the latest tech and maps, they are ready for anything.

The problem is, they have no idea what they have just walked into.

Did that give you chills? It should have because the whole book has an undercurrent of creepiness that would set the devil himself at ill ease.

Firstly this book is more literary fiction than horror so bear that in mind before you crack it open. I loved the writing. Some serious talent went into these pages and each page delivered the kind of entertainment a serious reader needs.

The plot was fantastic, I actually quite enjoyed the 2 timelines and really felt it bought the whole thing together. Not much in the way of character development for me, but I find that horror reads don't need that so much. The descriptions of the woods and whole vibe in general really hit the high notes for me.

Don't get looking for an explanation of the supernatural because you won't get one. That would usually bother me but as I read this from a literary perspective instead of horror, it worked really well to give the ambience of the unknown.

This book is rock solid so if you are a literary fiction fan who loves a dash of horror then this book is a winner!

4.5 stars!

Thank you #netgalley and #rebellion for my review copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it