First published: 2002
Contains spoilers
The Blurb: ”The bedclothes were gripped and pulled, as though someone was trying to drag me to the floor. A hand—at least, I thought it was a hand—brushed my cheek and searched for my throat…”
Centuries ago vampires cast their dark shadows across Celtic folklore. Bob Curran’s chilling stories reveal that vampires could still lurk beneath the surface of Irish life.
Redmond cuts his hand exploring a Famine Village. It won’t stop bleeding…
Sinéad meets a charming young stranger in the dark woods…
A mysterious collection of ancient ‘treasures’ includes one very sinister item…
Death and suspicion spread through Philip’s small village and into his home…
Read if you dare – but leave the lights on!
The review: I think I was expecting something more engaged with traditional folklore from Bob Curran but, after an introduction that mentions the Legend of Abhartach this book leaves folklore behind and is a purely fiction piece. There is the conceit that “they all contain an element of the darker folklore of the Irish countryside” but in reality you can tell they are pieces of fiction set in Ireland that Curran has weaved together.
That’s not to say that they are bad – indeed there are some interesting ideas lurking within this - it’s just not what I was expecting. The tome is also very short, with just four stories within it. However, for the right price it is a satisfying, if brief, read. 6 out of 10 (bearing in mind the short nature of the book).
No comments:
Post a Comment