I am delighted to share my review today for Small Fires by Ronnie Turner. This is the third book by this author and it is amazing 😍
My huge thanks to Orenda Books for getting in touch to see if I wanted to read and review this. My review is unbiased and completely my own thoughts and opinions.
Midsommar meets Midnight Mass in a folk horror, modern gothic masterpiece.
Evil runs through this cursed island
And these wicked sisters are about to make it burn…
When sisters Lily and Della Pedley are persecuted for the shocking murder of their parents, they flee from their home in Cornwall to a remote and unnamed island in Scotland – an island known for its strange happenings, but far away from the whispers and prying eyes of strangers.
Lily is terrified of what her sister will might do next, and she soon realises that they have arrived at a place where nothing is as it seems. A bitterness runs through the land like poison, and the stories told by the islanders seem to be far more than folklore.
Della settles in too easily, the island folk drawn to her strangeness, but Lily is plagued by odd and unsettling dreams, and as an annual festival draws nigh, she discovers that she has far more to fear than she could ever have imagined. Or does she…?
Chilling, atmospheric and utterly hypnotic, Small Fires is a contemporary gothic novel that examines possession, generational trauma, female rage, and the perilous bonds of family – an unsettling reminder that the stories we tell can be deadly…
MY REVIEW
I really don’t know where to start with this book, apart from saying it is absolutely amazing! While it is a mystery and does have a sense of a thriller, it is also a fabulous work of fiction, the author has woven in many other elements. This gives it a strong gothic vibe, which, by the way, I adore.
Two sisters travel from where they lived in Cornwall up to a remote island in Scotland. They are warned about going to the island as there is a general perception that people who live there are mysterious and isolated and it is somewhere people go to disappear or be forgotten about. It doesn’t even have a name.
The story is told and my goodness the author has brought folklore, myth, fairy tales and a good amount of creepiness to this story. This is one of those stories that just captures your attention, as the author weaves her words, they weave their way into your head.
The sisters are like chalk and cheese, they had a traumatic experience which is why they have chosen to travel away. Away from the rumours and the whispers, but even out on an island, their story follows them.
There is a mix of past and present and also that of the sisters. The rumours of the island and what its history is, well that is something else entirely. But as much as it is different, it is also very fitting for the characters that have a part to play. There are different thoughts, opinions, experiences and expectations. As much as this sounds it could be quite confusing, the author has kept the flow and the story running beautifully. But, she did take 5 years and several rewritings to get to this wonderful book.
The way the author chooses her words, phrases and the overall feel of the story is lyrical, she creates some wonderful images from her writing. The sisters are portrayed so well, I suppose I should mention that they are called Della and Lily, and they have their own traits and behaviours.
This is a gothic mystery that at times broaches into fantasy, horror and supernatural, but it is a thriller with crime mixed amidst the pages. It has such a wonderful; flow between the chapters and the characters and the island comes alive as you read the book.
I adored this one so much, it is enchanting and bewitching, about good and bad, a fabulous mix of genres and an absolute delight to read. I would definitely recommend this book, it is amazing.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
