Nobody writes folk horror like Stephanie Ellis. There, I've said it. Her novels, The Five Turns Of The Wheel and Reborn are my favorite books in this genre.
The Woodcutter is separate from those but still delivers all the scares plus the mystery behind it all. It is, in my opinion, the best folk horror novel of the year. It's the perfect blend of psychological mind fuckery and terrifying folk horror.
You will not find an author as tuned in to these themes as Stephanie Ellis. The characters and worlds she creates are richly detailed, engaging, and written with a certain style that immerses you in them. Every character rings true and she imbues her villains with just enough humanity to make you feel a certain amount of compassion for them despite the atrocities they perform. They're not just one dimensional boogeymen.
Let's discuss the town for a moment. It's name is Little Hatchet and its surrounded by a forest called GodBeGone wood. I mean, c'mon! How could you not get creepy vibes with those names?
This one is about a man who, when he was a child, was taken away by his mother. She raised him as a loner, a paranoid person who believed his father, and the town itself, was evil. They moved from place to place because she assured him "they" were looking for him and hot on the trail.
After his mother's death (and now an adult) circumstances will bring him back to the town where he will meet a father he barely remembers and he finds he has step brothers.
Then, the bad things happen.
We're introduced to characters both lovely and flawed. Often both simultaneously. A preacher who's lost his faith, an old man living with deeply seated grief, and a wealthy outsider who is using this legend of the Woodcutter for financial gain (much to the displeasure of the other residents). Yet they all harbor secrets that have the potential to explode in a cascade of violence.
The legend of The Woodcutter and his companion, known only as Grandma, is a mystery. Are they real? Or just a local legend? We'll get there, trust me, but it's not the destination but the ride that makes this novel stand out. But it's this doubt that will keep you turning page after page. Certain things will happen that will have you, at times, believing and other times not.
The story surrounding the Woodcutter and Grandma is gruesome, bloody, and brutal. They supposedly live in a cabin deep in the woods where no human dares enter.
This is a very twisted retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. But the "big bad wolf" from the original is merely a cute cuddly puppy in comparison to the Woodcutter and Grandma!
There are a couple of twists near the end that will have you rethinking the entire narrative. These revelations come from nowhere and they gave me goosebumps as I was reading them. Nothing is as it seems in this frightening tension filled novel.
I highly recommend this amazing folk horror book. You can purchase it at this link
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Dave from Horror Reads
