Wakenhyrst

 

By Michelle Paver

Review

A 2023 Top Rated Read

Deep in the Suffolk fens, in the village of Wakenhyrst, stands Wake's End manor house. In 1913, 16-year-old Maud Stearne watched her father leave the house with an ice-pick and a geological hammer in his hands. She knew his intention that day was murder. But why did he do it? The only person who knows is Maud. Now, more than 50 years later, she's ready to disclose what really happened at Wake's End all those years ago.

Wakenhyrst is an Edwardian gothic horror tale with intensely creepy undertones. The tension is palpable. Atmospheric and claustrophobic, it's a masterful piece of writing from author Michelle Paver. Having read two of her earlier novels, Dark Matter and Thin Air, I know how wonderfully adept she is at creating a sense of time and place — Wakenhyrst is another fine example of this. The story didn't disappoint in any aspect. With beautiful writing and a spine-chilling theme, I absolutely loved it.          

★★★★★

• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Publication Year: 2019
• Author: Michelle Paver
• Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Synopsis

In Edwardian Suffolk, a manor house stands alone in a lost corner of the Fens: a glinting wilderness of water whose whispering reeds guard ancient secrets. Maud is a lonely child growing up without a mother, ruled by her repressive father.

When he finds a painted medieval devil in a graveyard, unhallowed forces are awakened.

Maud's battle has begun. She must survive a world haunted by witchcraft, the age-old legends of her beloved fen—and the even more nightmarish demons of her father's past.

Spanning five centuries, Wakenhyrst is a darkly gothic thriller about murderous obsession and one girl's longing to fly free.