The Widows of Winding Gale Review

Title: The Widows of Winding Gale

Author: Kealan Patrick Burke

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Subgenre: Gothic/Cosmic

Pages: 160

Summary

"For the people on the rugged Irish island of Winding Gale, life has always been hard. Now in the wake of the second World War, the island is dying, the young taken away by death or the appeal of better lives elsewhere, leaving behind only a handful of adults.

But on the night the men of the island disappear while fishing in uncharted waters, the women are forced into a conflict with something both new and unfathomably old.

A strange greenish mist rolls in, cutting off the island from the mainland. Spiral symbols appear in the sand, fashioned from dead fish and stones. Seductive voices lure people from their homes to walk into the sea. Ancient ships materialize in the fog. And specters of the past will rise to take their vengeance in blood.

Because this is Samhain, a time when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest, and there is something rising from the deep that will thrust the women of Winding Gale into a war against an unspeakable evil." Via GoodReads

Review

This book is a love letter to The Fog. There is isolation and a sense of dread that buries itself deep in your bones. The horror in this story is ancient and it combines deep seas horror with elements of folklore. The gore is in all the right places and doesnt feel like it was put on the page unnecessarily. There is also a cosmic horror twist at the end that left me wanting more. This is a wonderful novella that was so immersive I could picture the island, and smell the sea air. If you are a lover of ocean horror like I am then you NEED to pick this book up.

👻 The Horror Report

Scare Factor: 😱😱😱😱😱

Gore: 🩸🩸🩸

Atmosphere: 🌫️🌫️🌫️🌫️🌫️

WTF Factor: 🤯🤯🤯