Katy Soar

All the stories in this collection are interesting, and many of them are excellent, so a strong 4⭐

As supernatural stories of unease, leaning into horror, they present the ancient sites as dangerously unsafe, and those who worship/ed there as being monstrous or satanic, which is a distorted Christianised view of the Pagan and Wiccan worldviews, so there's that. However, from an environmentally-informed perspective, the metaphor of the disrespecting of nature leading to dire consequences for show more those who transgress is strikingly apposite. show less

The Short Story is, of course, a genre in itself, and it's one I blow hot and cold on. On the one hand, I like the fact that I can read an entire story in a short time, and it doesn't require the same mental, and emotional commitment as the long form. On the other, I find them a bit clunky, and often quite unsatisfying.

I went through this collection in a couple of days, which is a measure of my enjoyment. That said, I found no real stand-out tales, and in fact there was at least one that show more would have done better to be left in obscurity. Nonetheless, they were largely enjoyable reads.

However, full disclosure: whether it's age, or some other factor, I have struggled for some years to find books (and films or TV) that give me the kind of chilling thrill one looks for in ghost stories, so it is highly likely that I am the problem! If you are more susceptible then this is probably a good collection of spine tinglers.

What I found most enthralling about this book is how it reflects the change in attitudes towards Paganism, Druidism, and the societies and cultures that gave us standing stones and stone circles. Even as recently as forty years ago, the entrenched Christian view 0f them as inherently evil is the foundation of every story within these covers. So much so that the publishers have printed a disclaimer in the front of the book.

It's all very 'Wicker Man'...

But don't let that put you off. If nothing else, it's nice to be reminded how far we have come. show less