Reviews

Hekla's Children by James Brogden

anredman's review against another edition

2.0

It’s a strange book, not necessarily in a good way. I was suspicious of the first hundred pages. Delighted with the next hundred pages. Deeply annoyed with the next hundred pages. Perplexed by the final hundred pages.

The book suffers from an identity crisis. It’s not horror, it’s more sword & sandal fantasy. The title, cover and blurb on the back only reflect the first hundred pages. The rest of the book goes off the rails and through a weird forest.

There’s some really brilliant bits. The descriptions of wilderness are top notch, if tedious. There’s a rich vein of British history and folklore. Some of the spiritual discussions (most notably the Moonbridge chapter) were refreshing. The story defies the odds by wrapping up neatly at the end. A satisfying conclusion is a rare gift.

I suppose my biggest qualm is with the characters. The MC, Nathan, is utterly unlikeable. Sue, Liv, Tara, Mark were all very thin. The enormous gulf between real world segments made tenuous characters even more forgettable.

I suppose I’d recommend this book to folks that enjoyed The Ritual by Adam Neville. I’d be interested in reading more work by this author if the subject matter was significantly different.

gen_wolfhailstorm's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Another of the soon to expire plus catalogue picks.

I really enjoyed this one but I don't think I gave it the attention it deserved as I got a bit overwhelmed with the amount of characters and when we had flash backs to before the disapeance and then after, I got a bit tangled in the narrative. 

I think I would have had a better time keeping tracknof the time line if I'd had a physical copy to follow along but despite that, I enjoyed the sinister, mirror world in the woods, with a primitive lifestyle and the missing children trying to navigate that world. It was a fascinating concept and reminded me of Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock.

jupixis's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

madeleinew's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

3.75

sinderella's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

redtailedwren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

bumsonseats's review against another edition

3.0

So good!! I am still surprised at how much I have enjoyed this. Nice mix of myths, mystery, horror and something else that I can't quite put my finger on.

knation's review against another edition

5.0

I picked up Heklas children from a bookstore on my way home from a ski trip — so I hadn’t done my usual research into what the book is about or how it’s been received.

So I was really pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book!

catbob1227's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

bellygames's review against another edition

3.0

This book was not for me, but it is a page turner.
If you're looking for a dark fantasy with some fun twists and turns, you'll probably love this.