Review: Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

4 stars for Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver.

I am not a fan of historical novel nor that of gothic. But I choose to read this book because of my past reading experience with this author. I have read two of her earlier books, Dark Matter and Thin Air, and enjoyed both tremendously.

Truth be told, I am not sure if I will like Wakenhyrst initially as it is written in third person with a setting that covers the early part of the 20th century (the Edwardian era). I actually speed read after the opening frame to see if the story can entice me to slow down. Amazingly, it did. The story slowly draws me in and the unfolding of mysterious events keeps me riveted. And before I know it, my reading pace has slowed to my usual to match that of the haunting yet captivating diary entries. In fact, at some point in time, I turn the pages back to reread some of the sections that I feel I have read a tad too quickly and may have missed out some important details.

On the surface, Wakenhyrst appears to be a horror story, one that revolves around witchcraft, demons and superstitions alike. But deep down, this novel is about coming to terms with the ghosts of the past where the real ghosts are the ones that take up residence in one's mind. It is about a man who reveals his deepest thoughts and fears and inclinations in a notebook, a diary of a sort. And his daughter secretly reading his confessions and obsessions so recorded. Thus begins an emotional battle between father and daughter that leads to more than one death.

Though the diary entries of the father's form the meat of the story, the backbone is that of his daughter's. Maud. It is always Maud at the heart of the story. We see her growing up, her character taking shape and developing in strength as she moves from childhood to adolescence to maturity. We witness her restrictive upbringing and feel her burden of increasing isolation in her remote fenland house.

The fen forms the backdrop of the story and its mysterious atmosphere dominates the entire book. Its significance? Well, it means different things to different characters in the book. For the protagonist, Maud, it is a peaceful and serene place where she feels most at ease with. For old man Jubal, it is his livelihood. For Maud's father, it is a dark place he wants to rid of as it holds a secret; a terrible secret of his. For the villagers, it is a place of witchcraft to be avoided after dark. As the story progresses, it certainly seems that there are dark forces at work in the fen. But really, it is up to the imagination of the reader.

What I feel most exciting reading this book are the diary entries. Though not right, it is somewhat thrilling to gain access to the inner thoughts of another. And the entries are penned so masterfully that it feels as if I'm reading a real one.

I am not sure how many readers do this upon reaching the end of this book. But I know for sure that I contribute to the statistics; I flip to the beginning to read the opening frame once more. That is the effect of remarkable storytelling by author Michelle Paver.


Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 14 Nov 2019

@}--->>--->>-----

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.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

Add to:


Links to purchase: