The Dark Between The Trees

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This did mean however that I had a bit of a hard time singling out characters or needing a while to figure out that the pov had actually changed until I got more familiar with all the individual names. Some stood out more than others of course but even then I occasionally lost a beat in needing to figure out whose eyes I was seeing through exactly. (Side note this only happened within either of the two timelines of course, as past and present were clearly divided.) Haunting and heart-stopping. The Dark Between the Trees marks the arrival of a bold new voice in British horror.”— MR Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts Barnett employs one of the story telling devices I enjoy the most which is unfolding parallel plots, one in the past and one in the present. Overall the book was excellent but I was deflated from the ending but it really left me wanting more. I look forward to what the author next brings out.

There are a lot of characters in this story, and at first I found this too much, that it made the story overwhelming and difficult to get to grips with. But something pushed me through these early struggles, and I'm glad they did, since with every new chapter, and every new detail, I became more and more invested in all of these characters. Their conflicts, both internal and relational, are so well written. My timelines alternate between the group of soldiers in the 1640s, and the group of historians in the twenty-first century who’ve gone to search for them. The big advantage of switching between the two groups is that it can highlight their similarities and differences: the choices they make, the conclusions they come to, and the ways they behave towards each other as their journeys progress. Does anyone come out of that comparison looking great? I don’t think so, but it’s fun to watch. Such a unique and different read from what I go towards but definitely an amazing read at that. It reminded me of the Blair witch vibes as has too by my friends who have read an arc which is amazing as I love that movie so I more than ever flew through the book, I loved it. All three elements contain themes of conflict and otherness. The Moresbys, who gave their name to the wood, seek to set themselves apart from the rest of their community and move off to the forest, the Civil War soldiers are, obviously, involved in a war of division and the 'others' here could be seen as either the Papists/Catholics or the ones who either believe or don't believe the superstitions. The 21st century theme is one of academic infighting and division and it's so well done you'd have to wonder if the author has come through similar experiences! Admittedly, I'm undecided on the ending. I sort of expected something bigger, something that would act as more of a gut punch. But maybe the understated element of the chosen ending is brilliant, maybe this is in fact the better ending.A small group of Parliamentarian soldiers are ambushed in an isolated part of Northern England. Their only hope for survival is to flee into the nearby Moresby Wood... unwise though that may seem. For Moresby Wood is known to be an unnatural place, the realm of witchcraft and shadows, where the devil is said to go walking by moonlight...

Full of horror and dread, The Dark Between The Trees is a terrifying trip into a dark, imaginary world. In both old and modern times, rational thinking slowly devolves into hallucination. Whether this is caused by ghosts, a witch or Moresby Woods itself, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t read this thriller alone at night and…if you happen to be in a forest, don’t look behind you. 5 stars. First of all, my gracefulness and major thanks to NetGalley and Rebellious Books for allowing me the pleasure to read an ARC of this book. This review has no spoilers, and is quite detailed, so I would appreciate your patience. Looks well written so far. New writer, but I'm hopeful this looks well put together. Leaving a review to encourage to go the distance and make sure the rest get's posted. so far so good, keep it coming. One perspective is told from present day by a scientist named Dr. Alice Christopher, a PhD who has dedicated her career studying the Moresby Wood (in England)— the myths, legends, and stories. Though the stories are strange, it is the one about the missing soldiers that is most intriguing to Dr. Christopher; seventeen soldiers enter Morsbey Woods, and only two come out. What is even more perplexing is that the soldiers spoke of shifting landscapes, disappearing trees, and a monster.Today: five women are headed into Moresby Wood to discover, once and for all, what happened to that unfortunate group of soldiers. Led by Dr Alice Christopher, an historian who has devoted her entire academic career to uncovering the secrets of Moresby Wood. Armed with metal detectors, GPS units, mobile phones and the most recent map of the area (which is nearly 50 years old), Dr Christopher’s group enters the wood ready for anything. The way the characters are well developed, and so many of them, that it doesn’t feel like a debut novel. The mix of folk and history, the woes of academia, the risks and thrills of an adventure into the unknown: they all feel amazing. I also like how several questions remained unanswered, although it might be something frowned upon. This is because those have been left unanswered quite strategically, in a way where they don’t feel like plot holes, or become one. It was also an unputdownable read, unless like me you read it alone in darkness in the middle of the night while the weather outside is exactly like Moresby woods. I also really liked Dr Alice Christopher’s monomania over uncovering the secrets of what happened to the soldiers that got lost in the wood, having dedicated her entire academic career to it. Our very own modern Captain Ahab! I feel like any academic can relate to her when it comes to struggling for funding their research. Whereas Nuria, a student at the end of her dissertation, was the character I could relate to more and ultimately felt the most for. The pace of the book was impressive, although around the middle it seemed to slow down. But that was easily overcome, and the story advanced fast. A special mention goes to the end, extremely mature and fulfilling. The slight open-ended way of ending it was also a welcome move, making the story not give up its uncertain nature. The characters were great to follow around and study. It is truly pathetic how the fate of the dead ones turned out, or even of those trapped in the woods. The concept of time was something being hinted at quite early in my opinion, as I could tell the intersection from the moment both parties passed the charcoal pit. But even then it happened it an unexpected way, and was quite exciting to read. Pretty good editing, first chapter felt okay, but second one seemed even more polished, think author is finding their feet.

The book was set in a creepy wood which is one of my favourite settings. There’s just something about a wood that draws my interest, both in real life and I’m books Seventeen men enter the wood. Only two are ever seen again, and the stories they tell of what happened make no sense. Stories of shifting landscapes, of trees that appear and disappear at will... and of something else. Something dark. Something hungry. I’ve never been an academic historian, but I have occasionally gone down an extremely in-depth historical rabbit hole. A few years ago I researched and presented a podcast on the British Civil Wars, and it really ignited my enthusiasm for the whole period. In particular, I got very interested in ordinary people and the strange things that sometimes happened to them, which are only in the historical record because someone alluded to them once as an aside in a letter. You can get a very good story out of asking, “Hang on a minute, what bizarre stuff was going on over there?” Pas I stated, this is a character driven novel and this book isn't about the destination but the journey. Because the ending is ambiguous and things don't get resolved into a nicely wrapped bow, it may be off-putting to some. But I didn't mind at all. It leaves room for my imagination to wonder what has actually happened and what it means.Fiona Barnett lives in Edinburgh and grew up near the New Forest with stories of Roundheads and Cavaliers, and ancient secrets in the heart of the woods. She has podcasted on the British Civil Wars, and her short fiction has appeared in Haunted Voices: An Anthology of Scottish Gothic Storytelling. Rebekah Simmers interviews her on the release of her novel, The Dark Between the Trees, a Gothic thriller set in 1643. It's a multiple timeline tale of people trapped in a single piece of sinister forest somewhere unspecified in the north of England. There's a medieval storyline (told through the modern storyline), an English Civil War narrative, and a 21st century story, as well as an overarching sense of the ancient - long predating all of those historical periods. Monomaniacal characters are extremely fascinating to me, especially when the author can show that devolution or character decay in a gradual but inexorable manner that really hooks the reader. Barnett, I think, did pretty well in that regard here! Captain Davies was ambushed, lost men in a firefight, and escaped into Moresby Wood in 1643. His experiences are described in alternating chapters with those of the Christopher party. Those experiences begin to be startlingly similar to what Alice and her team see now.