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Hekla's Children
A decade ago, teacher Nathan Brookes saw four of his students walk up a hill and vanish. Only one returned – Olivia – starved, terrified, and with no memory of where she’d been. After a body is found in the same woodland where they disappeared, it is first believed to be one of the missing children, but is soon identified as a Bronze Age warrior, nothing more than an archaeological curiosity. Yet Nathan starts to have terrifying visions of the students. Then Olivia reappears, half-mad and willing to go to any lengths to return the corpse to the earth. For he is the only thing keeping a terrible evil at bay...
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2017
About the author
James Brogden
35 books306 followersJames Brogden is a writer of horror and dark fantasy. A part-time Australian who grew up in Tasmania and the Cumbrian Borders, he has since escaped to suburbia and now lives with his wife and two daughters in the Midlands, where he teaches English. When not writing or teaching he can usually be found up a hill, poking around stone circles and burial mounds. He also owns more lego than is strictly necessary.
His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and periodicals ranging from The Big Issue to the BFS Award-Winning Alchemy Press. His most recent novel, ‘The Plague Stones’ was published by Titan Books in March 2019, and his new novel ‘Bone Harvest’ is due in November 2020. Blogging occurs infrequently at jamesbrogden.blogspot.co.uk, and tweeting at @skippybe.
His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and periodicals ranging from The Big Issue to the BFS Award-Winning Alchemy Press. His most recent novel, ‘The Plague Stones’ was published by Titan Books in March 2019, and his new novel ‘Bone Harvest’ is due in November 2020. Blogging occurs infrequently at jamesbrogden.blogspot.co.uk, and tweeting at @skippybe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
November 18, 2020
This was entirely
not
what I was expecting, and I kinda don't know how to feel about it.
The blurb sounded more like a sinister crime novel but this is way out of the box. Less crime, more ... sinister evil weird time travel monster. There's a thing, and it is evil, and it steals children from it's place in 'Un' - the 'other side'. I mean I kinda got it but also goodbye any sense of reality.
This story travels a long distance. First you get Nathan and the mystery of the disappearing kids, then you get him going back to figure out what's going on, and then slightly weird time travel moments and craziness and then it kinda progresses to full-scale batsh*t insane and it's both fascinating and completely bizarre. I don't know if I enjoyed it, but I certainly couldn't stop reading once I'd reached a certain point.
I feel like the story was actually pretty clever. The fact that it was so involved but I still managed to follow it is pretty miraculous. And massive props for originality because I've certainly never read anything like it before. Huh. Look at me warming up to it.
The tense changes were a bit annoying, but definitely made sense in the context of the story so I'll let it slide. I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters but I was too intrigued by the setup to really care about emotional connection. There is a very subtle horror, here. The notion of time, and being trapped by it; of facing the horror of our true natures; opportunities lost. There's actually very little gore, all things considered.
Honestly, I feel like I'll be pondering this bizarre mess for a little while.
If you want to read something mildly spooky that is unlike anything you've ever read before, get your hands on this one. Don't expect any kind of reality, or scientific explanations, or logic. There is no sense here. But if you like convoluted time-travel stories that kinda make sense in their own nonsensical way then you'll eat this right up.
SO. FREAKING. BIZARRE.
The blurb sounded more like a sinister crime novel but this is way out of the box. Less crime, more ... sinister evil weird time travel monster. There's a thing, and it is evil, and it steals children from it's place in 'Un' - the 'other side'. I mean I kinda got it but also goodbye any sense of reality.
This story travels a long distance. First you get Nathan and the mystery of the disappearing kids, then you get him going back to figure out what's going on, and then slightly weird time travel moments and craziness and then it kinda progresses to full-scale batsh*t insane and it's both fascinating and completely bizarre. I don't know if I enjoyed it, but I certainly couldn't stop reading once I'd reached a certain point.
I feel like the story was actually pretty clever. The fact that it was so involved but I still managed to follow it is pretty miraculous. And massive props for originality because I've certainly never read anything like it before. Huh. Look at me warming up to it.
The tense changes were a bit annoying, but definitely made sense in the context of the story so I'll let it slide. I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters but I was too intrigued by the setup to really care about emotional connection. There is a very subtle horror, here. The notion of time, and being trapped by it; of facing the horror of our true natures; opportunities lost. There's actually very little gore, all things considered.
Honestly, I feel like I'll be pondering this bizarre mess for a little while.
If you want to read something mildly spooky that is unlike anything you've ever read before, get your hands on this one. Don't expect any kind of reality, or scientific explanations, or logic. There is no sense here. But if you like convoluted time-travel stories that kinda make sense in their own nonsensical way then you'll eat this right up.
SO. FREAKING. BIZARRE.
Read
March 4, 2020I'm really enjoying this author's weird historical/rural fantasy/horror mash up thing. This is a terrific twisty story based on palaeolithic rituals, a kind of toxic masculinity you don't often see presented as toxic, and a powerful theme of how people use and consume others. (I don't know if the title is meant to resonate with Thatcher's Children but by God that works.)
Well written, with the drive of a thriller and some proper nasty bits.
Well written, with the drive of a thriller and some proper nasty bits.
February 14, 2017
Nathan Brookes is in love with Sue, who is engaged to another man. Their doomed relationship finally implodes during the supervising of students on a Duke of Edinburgh training walk and as a consequence. Nathan takes his eye off the duty-of-care ball. The four students under his care are seen walking up a hill and vanish without trace. Liv, the fragile loner, reappears the following day; she is distraught, severely dehydrated, and with a rambling tale of monsters and vanishing worlds. Wracked by guilt, Nathan loses his job – he remains silent on his tryst with Sue that would have given him an alibi.
For ten years he drifts through a series of casual teaching posts around the globe before returning to teach outdoor pursuits in Snowdonia. Around that time human remains are discovered in the very spot from which his four students vanished and Sue breaks her long silence to send him the news clipping. Naturally he returns to the scene. The bones are carbon dated as coming from the Bronze Age old; yet one leg appears to have received 21st century medical treatment, and is suspected by some to have belonged to one of the missing students.
Hekla's Children is set within the wild woods and heath land of Sutton Park, situated on the northern edges of the Birmingham conurbation. Brogden has used this as a location in previous fiction and it is not hard to see why. Though circled by housing estates and arterial roads, Sutton Park is a wild place full of ponies, deer and more than its share of tales from ancient myth to urban legend – and in many respects Sutton Park is a character in its own right.
Though mainly concerned with the fate of Nathan Brookes, the story of Hekla’s children, and Liv in particular, is told through various eyes. Its narrative threads shift between reality and dream in a beautifully researched novel, though archaeology, mythology, shamanism, time travel and a dozen other things besides. But first and foremost this is a carefully crafted tale of guilt and the revenge exacted by and to the various protagonists, on loss and the worst nightmare of any teacher, carer or parent, of all the dire and macabre possibilities that exist when children of any age drop out of sight.
Nathan travels through increasingly tangled threads of his own making, and those woven by others drawn into the web by association. Lines between life and myth become blurred, but his obsession with finding the remaining lost teenagers drives him deeper into nightmare, and as his history unfolds he slowly comes to realise that he may not be the hero of his own story. His odyssey winds through shifting planes that not only leap between various eons but blurs the linear narratives of the characters themselves. One day in the here might be weeks passed in the there, yet the protagonists are affected by those timescales in a different manner all together - if indeed they are there at all. Yet these anomalies are so skillfully constructed that they are perfectly logical in every respect.
The publicity blurb places James Brogden in the company of Neil Gaiman, Tim Lebbon and Joe Hill, which I would not disagree with, but for me there was also a strong and pleasing likeness to the magical dream-states of Robert Holdstock. James Brogden has a penchant for the darker side of ancient myth and his knowledge of folklore woven into the fabric of Hekla's Children makes for a riveting read.
Highly recommended.
For ten years he drifts through a series of casual teaching posts around the globe before returning to teach outdoor pursuits in Snowdonia. Around that time human remains are discovered in the very spot from which his four students vanished and Sue breaks her long silence to send him the news clipping. Naturally he returns to the scene. The bones are carbon dated as coming from the Bronze Age old; yet one leg appears to have received 21st century medical treatment, and is suspected by some to have belonged to one of the missing students.
Hekla's Children is set within the wild woods and heath land of Sutton Park, situated on the northern edges of the Birmingham conurbation. Brogden has used this as a location in previous fiction and it is not hard to see why. Though circled by housing estates and arterial roads, Sutton Park is a wild place full of ponies, deer and more than its share of tales from ancient myth to urban legend – and in many respects Sutton Park is a character in its own right.
Though mainly concerned with the fate of Nathan Brookes, the story of Hekla’s children, and Liv in particular, is told through various eyes. Its narrative threads shift between reality and dream in a beautifully researched novel, though archaeology, mythology, shamanism, time travel and a dozen other things besides. But first and foremost this is a carefully crafted tale of guilt and the revenge exacted by and to the various protagonists, on loss and the worst nightmare of any teacher, carer or parent, of all the dire and macabre possibilities that exist when children of any age drop out of sight.
Nathan travels through increasingly tangled threads of his own making, and those woven by others drawn into the web by association. Lines between life and myth become blurred, but his obsession with finding the remaining lost teenagers drives him deeper into nightmare, and as his history unfolds he slowly comes to realise that he may not be the hero of his own story. His odyssey winds through shifting planes that not only leap between various eons but blurs the linear narratives of the characters themselves. One day in the here might be weeks passed in the there, yet the protagonists are affected by those timescales in a different manner all together - if indeed they are there at all. Yet these anomalies are so skillfully constructed that they are perfectly logical in every respect.
The publicity blurb places James Brogden in the company of Neil Gaiman, Tim Lebbon and Joe Hill, which I would not disagree with, but for me there was also a strong and pleasing likeness to the magical dream-states of Robert Holdstock. James Brogden has a penchant for the darker side of ancient myth and his knowledge of folklore woven into the fabric of Hekla's Children makes for a riveting read.
Highly recommended.
June 11, 2017
I enjoyed this a lot! An awesome plot steeped in British myth and legend's it made for a really good read. In places it got a bit confusing, but I loved how it all mended together. I haven't actually read a plot quite like this Ever. It was modern and well thought out, it's not like your typical horror that's been done time and time again. This is original and new in some aspect's Highly recommended.
May 23, 2017
Picked this up when a library patron returned it. Very odd book - almost feels like two books in one. The first part is well-written, feels like a thriller with horror elements, then it takes a very weird turn into what can best be described as fantasy of the alternate-reality type. In the last chapter or two, though, we're back from that fantasy world, for the final showdown as it were.
Overall, I really don't know much else to say about this. Still trying to figure it out myself.
Overall, I really don't know much else to say about this. Still trying to figure it out myself.
October 20, 2021
The book is a complete hodgepodge of tones and ideas.
I think it would have been better served by either choosing to focus on the material world or the Jungian spirit realm molded by the collective unconscious.
But it just kind of jumps between them without any real rhym or reason.
The perspective we're supposed to be following is messy too. Nathan is our focus for much of the book, but towards the end, the book commits to an unfortunate and predictable twist which forces the perspective to shift over to a minor character we haven't heard from in about 30 chapters.
Speaking of the twist, I can't quite figure out the way it's supposed to be interpreted.
As far as I can see, its a Greek tragedy. Where a man trying to be better, is doomed to live out some wibbly wobbly timey wimey hell loop/grandfather paradox. Quite literally by they fates. He's even judged by some budget Furies, all of which are women from his past that he's let down?
But the point of those classic tragedies is that the heroes are the architects of their own demise. i.e. Oedipus.
Nathan's only crime, that I can discern, is that he falls in love with a married/engaged woman. And is confused that her reciprocation was only physical, not emotional. And as a result of that emotional confusion, he loses track of his charges and they're pulled into the other world.
A crime that he is punished for in the physical world.
We then follow Nathan as he tries to make up for that mistake as he wades through the tatters of his old life. Whilst he's never portrayed as a hero, he seems to attempt to do what he thinks is right.
But then he's judged and deemed unworthy to make the final sacrifice in taking up the function of Barkfoot. Which condemns him to the evil spirit/grandfather paradox storyline.
He wasn't really deserving of that fate, and his transition into the hungry spirit doesn't seem to fit the character we've seen. The spirit is an allegory for greed and unchecked lust. But Nathan didn't really embody any of that throughout his journey.
If anything he consistently took the harder path to avoid compromising his principles. First he loses his job to avoid messing up the life of the woman he had an affair with. He ends up becoming a slave because he refuses to take part in slaving. And he finds some semblance of love and happiness that he gives up to try and put things right. This all points to a man with some level of character.
Yet all the characters in the know act as though he's become this thing as a consequence of his own actions.
Basically, I don't think the punishment fit the crime. Whilst Nathan wasn't a particularly likable Protagonist, he certainly didn't deserve his fate. Especially when we consider that the married woman he had a trist with was somehow considered an adequate fury to judge his crimes?
The whole thing is just messy, even if it had some interesting ideas.
I think it would have been better served by either choosing to focus on the material world or the Jungian spirit realm molded by the collective unconscious.
But it just kind of jumps between them without any real rhym or reason.
The perspective we're supposed to be following is messy too. Nathan is our focus for much of the book, but towards the end, the book commits to an unfortunate and predictable twist which forces the perspective to shift over to a minor character we haven't heard from in about 30 chapters.
Speaking of the twist, I can't quite figure out the way it's supposed to be interpreted.
As far as I can see, its a Greek tragedy. Where a man trying to be better, is doomed to live out some wibbly wobbly timey wimey hell loop/grandfather paradox. Quite literally by they fates. He's even judged by some budget Furies, all of which are women from his past that he's let down?
But the point of those classic tragedies is that the heroes are the architects of their own demise. i.e. Oedipus.
Nathan's only crime, that I can discern, is that he falls in love with a married/engaged woman. And is confused that her reciprocation was only physical, not emotional. And as a result of that emotional confusion, he loses track of his charges and they're pulled into the other world.
A crime that he is punished for in the physical world.
We then follow Nathan as he tries to make up for that mistake as he wades through the tatters of his old life. Whilst he's never portrayed as a hero, he seems to attempt to do what he thinks is right.
But then he's judged and deemed unworthy to make the final sacrifice in taking up the function of Barkfoot. Which condemns him to the evil spirit/grandfather paradox storyline.
He wasn't really deserving of that fate, and his transition into the hungry spirit doesn't seem to fit the character we've seen. The spirit is an allegory for greed and unchecked lust. But Nathan didn't really embody any of that throughout his journey.
If anything he consistently took the harder path to avoid compromising his principles. First he loses his job to avoid messing up the life of the woman he had an affair with. He ends up becoming a slave because he refuses to take part in slaving. And he finds some semblance of love and happiness that he gives up to try and put things right. This all points to a man with some level of character.
Yet all the characters in the know act as though he's become this thing as a consequence of his own actions.
Basically, I don't think the punishment fit the crime. Whilst Nathan wasn't a particularly likable Protagonist, he certainly didn't deserve his fate. Especially when we consider that the married woman he had a trist with was somehow considered an adequate fury to judge his crimes?
The whole thing is just messy, even if it had some interesting ideas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2017
Παράξενες οι βουλές του μυαλού, άβυσος η ψυχή του ανθρώπου - χάος το κεφαλάκι του αναγνώστη και η δραστηριότητα των εγκεφαλικών νευρώνων του με το πέρας μιας ακόμα ανάγνωσης: τι είναι οι προσδοκίες; Αξίζει να τους δίνουμε σημασία; Τί είναι καλό βιβλίο; Γιατί ακόμα και κάτι καλό μπορεί να γίνει σαχλό;
Αυτά και άλλα παρόμοια σκεφτόμουν άτακτα εν μέσω των καθημερινών μου βασάνων όταν τέλειωσα το βιβλίο του Μπρόγκντεν.
Το βιβλίο μου πλασαρίστηκε ως κάτι σαν τρόμος μέσα από κάποιες κριτικές, από έναν τουλάχιστον υποσχόμενο συγγραφέα. Τον τρόμο τον αγαπάω, είναι ένας από τις κύριους άξονες που ορίζουν και έχουν διαμορφώσει τα γούστα μου. Τούτο εδώ δεν είναι τρόμος, όχι όπως τον εννοούμε οι αναγνώστες και μάλλον κατ' ευφημισμόν και χάριν διαφήμισης και ταμπελοποίησης ονομάστηκε το Hekla's Children έτσι. Ο Μπρόντγκεν γράφει ένα είδος που βρίσκω εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον: literary φαντασία. Είναι όμως στα σπάργανα ακόμα θαρρώ, και συχνά υπάρχει ένας δισταγμός ως προς τι θέλει να πει ένα συγγραφεάς όταν θέλει να συνδυάσει δύο διαφορετικές συγγραφικές παραδόσεις. Κι ενώ τα αποτελέσματα μπορεί να είναι εντυπωσιακά στα μάτια των μεν και των δε αναγνωστών που θα ήθελαν αυτόν τον συγκερασμό καλής γραφής και πιασάρικης φαντασίας, το αποτέλεσμα μπορεί να γίνει νερόβραστο.
Οι χαρακτήρες, οι διάλογοι και οι περιγραφές είναι εξαιρετικοί στο βιβλίο. ΚΑι είναι μεγάλη η αντιδιαστολή όταν εισέρχεται το φαντασικό με μια χλαπαταγή. Φέρνει προ των αδυναμιών της την φανταστική λογοτεχνία, με έναν άδικο, για τα γούστα μου, τρόπο. Ο Μπρόντγκεν είναι έξυπνος άνθρωπος και καλός συγγραφέας - δεν γνωρίζω ποια είναι η βιβλιογραφία του, αλλά κάνει φιλότιμες προσπάθειες στο φανταστικό/περιπετειώ��ες κομμάτι. Έχει, δε, μερικές εξαιρετικές ιδέες. Οι οποίες, όμως, μένουν σε ένα καθαρά προσχηματικό επίπεδο αισθητικής προσέγγισης και ανεκμετάλλευων ιδεών. Η περιπέτειά του είναι ένας αχταρμάς από την μέση και μετά, από την οποία εγώ δεν έβγαλα άκρη και ούτε με ένοιαζε, για να πω την αλήθεια. Το τέλος ήταν βιαστικό και σαχλό, όπως και άλλα σημεία, στα οποία υπερεκτίμησε τις δυνάμεις του, ποντάροντας σε έναν αναγνώστη που θα μαγευτεί και δεν θα εστιάσει στις αδυναμίες του γραπτού.
Το διάβασα εύκολα, αλλά με την απόλαυση να μειώνεται, γυρνώντας μετά την μέση τις σελίδες λίγο εκνευρισμένος. Δεν ξέρω αν μπορούσε να γίνει καλύτερο για τα γούστα μου, αν κάπου ο συγγραφέας το έχασε και κυρίως αν ο ίδιος αυτό ακριβώς το αποτέλεσμα επιθυμούσε ή είχε ένα άλλο βιβλίο κατά νου. Όλοι μας κάνουμε όνειρα που καταλήγουν σε ένα αποτέλεσμα επηρρεασμένο από τις συγκυρίες, την καθημερινότητα και τα αρχικά νοερά προσχέδια χαμένα στις μονοκοντυλιές της τύχης. Με αυτά έχει να παλέψει ένας συγγραφέας καθημερινα και για αυτό σέβομαι τον κόπο του. 3 αστέρια, λοιπόν, για ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο.
Αυτά και άλλα παρόμοια σκεφτόμουν άτακτα εν μέσω των καθημερινών μου βασάνων όταν τέλειωσα το βιβλίο του Μπρόγκντεν.
Το βιβλίο μου πλασαρίστηκε ως κάτι σαν τρόμος μέσα από κάποιες κριτικές, από έναν τουλάχιστον υποσχόμενο συγγραφέα. Τον τρόμο τον αγαπάω, είναι ένας από τις κύριους άξονες που ορίζουν και έχουν διαμορφώσει τα γούστα μου. Τούτο εδώ δεν είναι τρόμος, όχι όπως τον εννοούμε οι αναγνώστες και μάλλον κατ' ευφημισμόν και χάριν διαφήμισης και ταμπελοποίησης ονομάστηκε το Hekla's Children έτσι. Ο Μπρόντγκεν γράφει ένα είδος που βρίσκω εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον: literary φαντασία. Είναι όμως στα σπάργανα ακόμα θαρρώ, και συχνά υπάρχει ένας δισταγμός ως προς τι θέλει να πει ένα συγγραφεάς όταν θέλει να συνδυάσει δύο διαφορετικές συγγραφικές παραδόσεις. Κι ενώ τα αποτελέσματα μπορεί να είναι εντυπωσιακά στα μάτια των μεν και των δε αναγνωστών που θα ήθελαν αυτόν τον συγκερασμό καλής γραφής και πιασάρικης φαντασίας, το αποτέλεσμα μπορεί να γίνει νερόβραστο.
Οι χαρακτήρες, οι διάλογοι και οι περιγραφές είναι εξαιρετικοί στο βιβλίο. ΚΑι είναι μεγάλη η αντιδιαστολή όταν εισέρχεται το φαντασικό με μια χλαπαταγή. Φέρνει προ των αδυναμιών της την φανταστική λογοτεχνία, με έναν άδικο, για τα γούστα μου, τρόπο. Ο Μπρόντγκεν είναι έξυπνος άνθρωπος και καλός συγγραφέας - δεν γνωρίζω ποια είναι η βιβλιογραφία του, αλλά κάνει φιλότιμες προσπάθειες στο φανταστικό/περιπετειώ��ες κομμάτι. Έχει, δε, μερικές εξαιρετικές ιδέες. Οι οποίες, όμως, μένουν σε ένα καθαρά προσχηματικό επίπεδο αισθητικής προσέγγισης και ανεκμετάλλευων ιδεών. Η περιπέτειά του είναι ένας αχταρμάς από την μέση και μετά, από την οποία εγώ δεν έβγαλα άκρη και ούτε με ένοιαζε, για να πω την αλήθεια. Το τέλος ήταν βιαστικό και σαχλό, όπως και άλλα σημεία, στα οποία υπερεκτίμησε τις δυνάμεις του, ποντάροντας σε έναν αναγνώστη που θα μαγευτεί και δεν θα εστιάσει στις αδυναμίες του γραπτού.
Το διάβασα εύκολα, αλλά με την απόλαυση να μειώνεται, γυρνώντας μετά την μέση τις σελίδες λίγο εκνευρισμένος. Δεν ξέρω αν μπορούσε να γίνει καλύτερο για τα γούστα μου, αν κάπου ο συγγραφέας το έχασε και κυρίως αν ο ίδιος αυτό ακριβώς το αποτέλεσμα επιθυμούσε ή είχε ένα άλλο βιβλίο κατά νου. Όλοι μας κάνουμε όνειρα που καταλήγουν σε ένα αποτέλεσμα επηρρεασμένο από τις συγκυρίες, την καθημερινότητα και τα αρχικά νοερά προσχέδια χαμένα στις μονοκοντυλιές της τύχης. Με αυτά έχει να παλέψει ένας συγγραφέας καθημερινα και για αυτό σέβομαι τον κόπο του. 3 αστέρια, λοιπόν, για ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο.
April 7, 2018
Woah this is can brilliant! A real page turner.
February 25, 2017
“Hekla:
In Icelandic lore, a mountain where witches held their meetings. “
There’s a fine tradition here in the UK (and I’m sure some other places as well!) for horror based on ancient myths and folklore. From King Arthur to The Wicker Man, the idea of something unknowable and ancient wanting to do evil and unspeakable things has waxed and waned as the market has fluctuated. Whilst I’ve always enjoyed such stories (for example, see also Alan Garner’s Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Robert Holdstock’s highly regarded Mythago Wood books and Mark Chadbourn’s brilliant Age of Misrule series, amongst others) it’s a place I’ve not visited much lately. James’ Hekla’s Children has reminded me that perhaps I should revisit more often.
Nathan Brookes is an outdoor education teacher, who ten years ago on an expedition to Sutton Park in England has four students disappear. Only Olivia reappears the next day and she is unable, or unwilling, to explain what happened. The remaining three children are never found. When in the present day a body is discovered in the park, it is thought to be one of the missing students.
Osteoarchaeologist Tara Doumani is given the responsibility of determining the body’s age. Through Tara we discover that the body is connected to local legend Bark Foot, dubbed the Rowton Man, although he also seems to be assembled of many body parts. This includes a limb from one of the missing children.
If this wasn’t creepy enough, we also discover that the body has a much more sinister reason for being buried there – that he is the warrior guardian of the gateway between our world and the Land of Un, a place beyond our time and space. With his uncovering from the ground, the barrier between the two places is weakened. Nathan, and others such as his ex-girlfriend Sue Vickers, begin to have frightening visions of the lost children and an unnamed evil presence. Nathan realises he must travel to Un and not only try and find the remaining three children but also stop an evil, the afaugh, that is now strengthened by the un-burying of Bark Foot, from escaping to our world.
Much of the middle part of the novel is spent with Nathan trapped in Un, where a Bronze Age world seems to exist on the landscape now covered by Sutton Park in the present day. At the same time the afaugh has escaped to our modern world, where it runs rampage. Being able to possess bodies, it is determined to make the most of its return from exile and ensure it never has to return to the untamed landscape of Un.
Towards the latter part of the novel the focus of the story shifts a little to the children, now grown up, who were transported to Un a decade ago. We meet again Brandon/Bran, the nerdy one determined to make the most of his new situation, and in particular Catharine ‘Scattie’ Powell whose role in the story becomes increasingly significant.
One of the key themes of these sorts of portal fantasy, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to Mythago Wood, is the disparity between the mundane world we know and the mythical world we don’t. Much of the enjoyment in such tales is of reading what happens when these two mis-matched worlds intertwine and overlap.
James’s observations of the present day are surprisingly astute and remarkably realistic, which makes what happens when the fantastic elements are added work so much more. The world-building is impressive and so makes the ability of the reader to disbelieve that little bit stronger. The ancient rituals have value and meaning even when exhibited in the modern world, as do the modern customs and James is careful to use these effectively. (Without giving anything away, the heart-breaking ending even involves tea!)
It also helps that the main characters of Hekla’s Children are recognisable and identifiable. As a teacher who has run a few fieldtrips in my time, I can identify with some of the more mundane things Nathan writes of in this book. Even the mystical ones are nuanced and have a depth to them that is more than the often simple nature of such elemental forces. There’s quite a few twists and turns in the story and nothing can be entirely taken at face value.
In summary, evoking the spirit of Alan Garner’s novels or the creepiness of Phil Rickman’s The Man in the Moss and Crybbe, Hekla’s Children is a tale that’s comfortable in reminding us of and respecting ancient history whilst at the same time impacting on the modern world. It creates a story that’s entirely appropriate for the modern age. Horror lives and breathes, not just in the past and in old movies but also now. And Hekla’s Children is proof of that.
Impressive novel.
In Icelandic lore, a mountain where witches held their meetings. “
There’s a fine tradition here in the UK (and I’m sure some other places as well!) for horror based on ancient myths and folklore. From King Arthur to The Wicker Man, the idea of something unknowable and ancient wanting to do evil and unspeakable things has waxed and waned as the market has fluctuated. Whilst I’ve always enjoyed such stories (for example, see also Alan Garner’s Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Robert Holdstock’s highly regarded Mythago Wood books and Mark Chadbourn’s brilliant Age of Misrule series, amongst others) it’s a place I’ve not visited much lately. James’ Hekla’s Children has reminded me that perhaps I should revisit more often.
Nathan Brookes is an outdoor education teacher, who ten years ago on an expedition to Sutton Park in England has four students disappear. Only Olivia reappears the next day and she is unable, or unwilling, to explain what happened. The remaining three children are never found. When in the present day a body is discovered in the park, it is thought to be one of the missing students.
Osteoarchaeologist Tara Doumani is given the responsibility of determining the body’s age. Through Tara we discover that the body is connected to local legend Bark Foot, dubbed the Rowton Man, although he also seems to be assembled of many body parts. This includes a limb from one of the missing children.
If this wasn’t creepy enough, we also discover that the body has a much more sinister reason for being buried there – that he is the warrior guardian of the gateway between our world and the Land of Un, a place beyond our time and space. With his uncovering from the ground, the barrier between the two places is weakened. Nathan, and others such as his ex-girlfriend Sue Vickers, begin to have frightening visions of the lost children and an unnamed evil presence. Nathan realises he must travel to Un and not only try and find the remaining three children but also stop an evil, the afaugh, that is now strengthened by the un-burying of Bark Foot, from escaping to our world.
Much of the middle part of the novel is spent with Nathan trapped in Un, where a Bronze Age world seems to exist on the landscape now covered by Sutton Park in the present day. At the same time the afaugh has escaped to our modern world, where it runs rampage. Being able to possess bodies, it is determined to make the most of its return from exile and ensure it never has to return to the untamed landscape of Un.
Towards the latter part of the novel the focus of the story shifts a little to the children, now grown up, who were transported to Un a decade ago. We meet again Brandon/Bran, the nerdy one determined to make the most of his new situation, and in particular Catharine ‘Scattie’ Powell whose role in the story becomes increasingly significant.
One of the key themes of these sorts of portal fantasy, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to Mythago Wood, is the disparity between the mundane world we know and the mythical world we don’t. Much of the enjoyment in such tales is of reading what happens when these two mis-matched worlds intertwine and overlap.
James’s observations of the present day are surprisingly astute and remarkably realistic, which makes what happens when the fantastic elements are added work so much more. The world-building is impressive and so makes the ability of the reader to disbelieve that little bit stronger. The ancient rituals have value and meaning even when exhibited in the modern world, as do the modern customs and James is careful to use these effectively. (Without giving anything away, the heart-breaking ending even involves tea!)
It also helps that the main characters of Hekla’s Children are recognisable and identifiable. As a teacher who has run a few fieldtrips in my time, I can identify with some of the more mundane things Nathan writes of in this book. Even the mystical ones are nuanced and have a depth to them that is more than the often simple nature of such elemental forces. There’s quite a few twists and turns in the story and nothing can be entirely taken at face value.
In summary, evoking the spirit of Alan Garner’s novels or the creepiness of Phil Rickman’s The Man in the Moss and Crybbe, Hekla’s Children is a tale that’s comfortable in reminding us of and respecting ancient history whilst at the same time impacting on the modern world. It creates a story that’s entirely appropriate for the modern age. Horror lives and breathes, not just in the past and in old movies but also now. And Hekla’s Children is proof of that.
Impressive novel.
November 21, 2017
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.
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.
April 2, 2017
I didn't find this one particularly scary. Really, its more a fantasy novel than a horror novel. It started off alright, but as the novel tried to cover more and more it just got too diluted and slow. I was bored much of the time and massively irritated the rest -- but I can't get into the irritations without delving into spoilers.
March 29, 2017
This is a really impressive novel.
It intertwines elements of history, fantasy and horror wonderfully and manages to be gripping and fast paced but also very in depth.
The fact that it is partly set around Birmingham was nice for me as a reader, recognising certain places allowed me to build up such a clear picture in my head of where events took place. And that managed to also make it more creepy.
The horror element of the book is truly scary, skin crawling and very grim. But incredibly interesting.
Grace
It intertwines elements of history, fantasy and horror wonderfully and manages to be gripping and fast paced but also very in depth.
The fact that it is partly set around Birmingham was nice for me as a reader, recognising certain places allowed me to build up such a clear picture in my head of where events took place. And that managed to also make it more creepy.
The horror element of the book is truly scary, skin crawling and very grim. But incredibly interesting.
Grace
April 6, 2019
Well that was interesting. I was expecting a horror story but it was more reality meets mythology. If you are a fan of stranger things you would probably enjoy this. If you can accept the jump about a from different peoples points of view it is a really interesting tale. I’ll be honest though the thing that really drew me in to this book is the location As it is where I grew up and could picture the park easily. Interesting one day read. I needed a book like this.
July 7, 2017
Honestly this was just okay for me. I liked it. It wasn't overly excited about it. It felt disjointed and a bit confusing at times. It held my attention well enough, enjoyed the blending of two worlds and such but overall it was just meh.
May 27, 2020
A set pattern is easy to remember and comforting in its familiarity, a well-worn path appears more secure when compared to a disused alley are all beliefs we as creatures of habit have come to place our trust in. The material for horror and/or thriller genres arises at times from breaking this mould of predictability and introducing a stranger/an incident which derails the whole routine. Looking with these glasses on, this story begins with a terrible occurrence : the disappearance of children. A high school in England sends its class out on a field trip to the Sutton Park where they can learn basic map reading and navigation skills without the use of mobile phones and have some fun in the process. The children go out in group of fours while accompanied by a teacher and the paths they take are through a well-travelled and popular outdoor location which makes things appear all too easy for a while. It just so happens that the teacher – Nathan Brookes decides to take a little detour while trying to repair his relationship with a teacher and in the minutes that he is away, all four children disappear. Not a trace remains of the children until many days later one of them returns as a nervous wreck and is of no help to anyone while trying to explain the ordeal she has been through.
From this harsh premise begins this story of the mental unravelling of Nathan Brookes and of his delusions and hallucinations. Through Nathan, the reader comes back to the site of the disappearance 9 years after the occurrence and slowly begins to place together the story of an eternal battle between an ancient evil and a guardian spirit. The rest is spoiler territory which I will not venture into but it ought to be said that the rest of the story is built on a framework of the legends and myths of England. As the story progresses, the genre also undergoes a transition. What begins as a tragedy becomes a horror story and then morphs into the fantasy survival trope. This also happens with the central characters that propel the story forward with the focus moving among newer characters who are fleshed out with each new incident that arrives in the story. These shifts are not done in a jarring manner that affect the readability of the story but in an organic way that keeps the momentum going.
The character of Nathan Brookes is someone who set my teeth on edge with many a factor stacking up to make him unlikeable but then again the author gives a solid enough reason as to why he was what he was. Another aspect was the climactic face-off with the antagonist which for all the build-up felt a tad too underwhelming.
Recommended. It blends multiple genres and myths to come up with a very enjoyable narrative.
From this harsh premise begins this story of the mental unravelling of Nathan Brookes and of his delusions and hallucinations. Through Nathan, the reader comes back to the site of the disappearance 9 years after the occurrence and slowly begins to place together the story of an eternal battle between an ancient evil and a guardian spirit. The rest is spoiler territory which I will not venture into but it ought to be said that the rest of the story is built on a framework of the legends and myths of England. As the story progresses, the genre also undergoes a transition. What begins as a tragedy becomes a horror story and then morphs into the fantasy survival trope. This also happens with the central characters that propel the story forward with the focus moving among newer characters who are fleshed out with each new incident that arrives in the story. These shifts are not done in a jarring manner that affect the readability of the story but in an organic way that keeps the momentum going.
The character of Nathan Brookes is someone who set my teeth on edge with many a factor stacking up to make him unlikeable but then again the author gives a solid enough reason as to why he was what he was. Another aspect was the climactic face-off with the antagonist which for all the build-up felt a tad too underwhelming.
Recommended. It blends multiple genres and myths to come up with a very enjoyable narrative.
October 6, 2021
This book has a lot of interesting pieces, but for me they never really came together.
The first part is a mystery/thriller, which is wrapped up supernaturally super quickly and then it transitions into a horror story about an pretty scary monster. I liked the horror elements, but those too went away too quickly as the story pivoted to follow the most annoying character into a fantasy story that frankly bored me to tears. Eventually that too ended and the author tried to pull all these threads together into a satisfying conclusion.
I thought the conclusion made sense, but I really wish the author had spent more time developing the characters that are responsible for it. Although he sets up three women as heroes, I still felt like I knew very little about them by the end.
The first part is a mystery/thriller, which is wrapped up supernaturally super quickly and then it transitions into a horror story about an pretty scary monster. I liked the horror elements, but those too went away too quickly as the story pivoted to follow the most annoying character into a fantasy story that frankly bored me to tears. Eventually that too ended and the author tried to pull all these threads together into a satisfying conclusion.
I thought the conclusion made sense, but I really wish the author had spent more time developing the characters that are responsible for it. Although he sets up three women as heroes, I still felt like I knew very little about them by the end.
October 10, 2021
That story went off in some unexpected directions
January 9, 2023
DNF @ ~50%
Through no fault of it's own I have had to leave this book about halfway.
From snowstorms to sickness, and then finally losing access to it on Audible, this journey was fraught with obstacles. I was enjoying it, although not as much as The Plague Stones and I like to think that I will finish it one day.
Through no fault of it's own I have had to leave this book about halfway.
From snowstorms to sickness, and then finally losing access to it on Audible, this journey was fraught with obstacles. I was enjoying it, although not as much as The Plague Stones and I like to think that I will finish it one day.
May 14, 2021
3.5 stars.
This was right up my street - weird and whimsical and unsettling. I got very confused about what was happening at some points, because it got very metaphysical, but I will definitely be checking out what else this author has written.
This was right up my street - weird and whimsical and unsettling. I got very confused about what was happening at some points, because it got very metaphysical, but I will definitely be checking out what else this author has written.
October 4, 2023
This was....weird.
I think I need to process this one before I can give a true review. But this was NOT what I expected. I expected horror and possession and elements of true crime, and while there was some of that, I have no idea what the last half was...sci-fi like? I guess?
I think I need to process this one before I can give a true review. But this was NOT what I expected. I expected horror and possession and elements of true crime, and while there was some of that, I have no idea what the last half was...sci-fi like? I guess?
September 5, 2020
I had been aware of this author and his books for the last few years and this late summer I have finally read one. It seemed that his tale may have contained some of the kinds of mysterious folk horror elements I often get a kick from. This I have found to be true in some ways.
I feel I should maybe let horror be warned that this may not be as extreme or highly chilling as you may hope. That does not, however mean that it is not a very good story or not well written.
Brogden certainly does have a good way with characters and dialogue. These were probably the two strongest elements of the book and his style which came to the fore ahead of other things.
One review comment on the book suggested similarities to the work of Graham Masterton of whom I am a great fan. That was very true in the depiction of detailed and mysterious fantasy other worlds and realms. If you enjoy that from Masterton, you will very likely get much from this. The difference here being a lot less bloodshed and gore-and the story telling is fine without that. The connection of the main characters, the main mystery and events all pull and push enough without needless violence simply for kicks.
I did enjoy this book. It have been slightly different to what I may have expected but I do think I will try to read some other books from this author very soon.
I feel I should maybe let horror be warned that this may not be as extreme or highly chilling as you may hope. That does not, however mean that it is not a very good story or not well written.
Brogden certainly does have a good way with characters and dialogue. These were probably the two strongest elements of the book and his style which came to the fore ahead of other things.
One review comment on the book suggested similarities to the work of Graham Masterton of whom I am a great fan. That was very true in the depiction of detailed and mysterious fantasy other worlds and realms. If you enjoy that from Masterton, you will very likely get much from this. The difference here being a lot less bloodshed and gore-and the story telling is fine without that. The connection of the main characters, the main mystery and events all pull and push enough without needless violence simply for kicks.
I did enjoy this book. It have been slightly different to what I may have expected but I do think I will try to read some other books from this author very soon.
July 2, 2021
This is a weird book: the main character, Nathan, is quite unlikeable and a prime example of toxic masculinity -- the reader isn't supposed to like him, which is interesting and seldomly found. So Nathan is really into Sue, a fellow teacher, who is engaged to another man, but Nathan can't really give up. They're on a field trip with their pupils and instead of supervising his subgroup, he pursues Sue. The four children/teens he should've taken care of get lost. Supernaturally lost. Ten years later, a bog body is dug up near the stream, where the children vanished and one of the children, now a young woman, shows up and tried to force people to put the 3000 yo bog man back into the earth as he is the only one who can prevent a monster from crossing over from the different realm.
This was a weird mesh of horror and fantasy and while it was quite entertaining, none of the characters were really presented in depth. Nevertheless I really enjoyed this book, its weird journey through history and the weird otherworld which somewhat reminded me a bit of some of the weirder Le Guin novels. Overall quite enjoyable, but I would've liked to seen more character development, so the book could've had a few more pages...
3.5-4 Stars
This was a weird mesh of horror and fantasy and while it was quite entertaining, none of the characters were really presented in depth. Nevertheless I really enjoyed this book, its weird journey through history and the weird otherworld which somewhat reminded me a bit of some of the weirder Le Guin novels. Overall quite enjoyable, but I would've liked to seen more character development, so the book could've had a few more pages...
3.5-4 Stars
March 19, 2018
What a wild ride this book was! This story feels like getting lost in the house of mirrors at a creepy carnival; your head is spinning, you frequently exclaim “What the shit?”, but carry on anyway because it’s sort of fun and you are kind of curious what else they can throw at you in an attempt to scare the hell out of you.
Hekla’s Children is not your average horror novel. I mean, sure, you have a healthy dose of blood and guts flying around, it’s spooky, has a great amount of mystery surrounding the bog mummy, but it also reads as a fantasy story, heavily seasoned with mythology, ancient rituals and folklore. Set in present day England and a sort of in-between world, called Un resembling what it must have been like in the Bronze Age, the story alternates between reality and the spirit world, keeping you on your toes all the time.
Hekla’s Children is a truly unique horror story, an enjoyable, quick read for fans of the genre.
Full review on Reading Under the Blankie
Hekla’s Children is not your average horror novel. I mean, sure, you have a healthy dose of blood and guts flying around, it’s spooky, has a great amount of mystery surrounding the bog mummy, but it also reads as a fantasy story, heavily seasoned with mythology, ancient rituals and folklore. Set in present day England and a sort of in-between world, called Un resembling what it must have been like in the Bronze Age, the story alternates between reality and the spirit world, keeping you on your toes all the time.
Hekla’s Children is a truly unique horror story, an enjoyable, quick read for fans of the genre.
Full review on Reading Under the Blankie
July 29, 2019
DAMN YALL.....this book started with the tragedy of a broken man and ended with the fury of women, three. AMAZING. tho confusing at times the journey of it all unfolds itself and helps make sense of the mythology and story the author has set out for us and god, this book may be dealing us a true eldritch like horror but to there was no true villain shaped like a man aside from the shapeless maniacal evil called the afaugh, sad to put this book down but glad to have seen where it went
May 2, 2022
DNF before page 30, somewhere. The writing is terrible, the dialogue is poor, and there are entirely too many POV shifts to follow. I get the impression the author likes mythology and history and archaeology, but Wikipedia has all that info without all the extra words we get here.
June 2, 2019
Really enjoyed this mystery/thriller/horror. Quite happily tootling along thinking, this is an interesting thriller when BAM the horror kicks in. That was a surprise! A real page turner with interesting characters and a pacy plot.
January 28, 2020
I read through this book on a long haul flight. It was exciting and engaging and has many elements of British mythology in the story. Not being all too familiar with British mythology I have no idea how accurate it is, but it's a fun read.
June 16, 2021
Parts of this are brilliant, and then there are a couple of plot holes that bug the hell out of me and have me docking stars. But I adore a good setting that is intrinsic to the plot, which this is! I just want a rewrite of the last quarter to get the whole mythopoesis thing down clearly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2023
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!
So I was really pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book!
May 10, 2024
A lot better than I expected. Loved the lore and the plottwists!
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