THE REDDENING
Adam L.G. Nevill
Ritual Limited (October 31, 2019)
Reviewed by Ray Palen
If you enjoy your horror with a historic premise, along with a dash of the gothic thrown in for good measure, you need look no further than this terrific thrill-fest from British author Adam L.G. Nevill entitled THE REDDENING.
There is an area of South Devon in the U.K. where the Brickburgh Caves reside. This area was typically known by amateur explorers, hikers, or mountain-climbers. In any event, human activity in this area exists more than a million years after the first group of beings to inhabit here—a group of people often referred to as ‘the red people’.
This band of brutal, partially deformed, naked red people may be behind disappearances and unexplained murders for centuries in this territory. THE REDDENING provides us the direct experience with the red people and two present-day human beings. The first is lifestyle journalist Katrine, who has recently moved to this area to escape her past. However, some of the tragic occurrences she lived through are resurfacing in a different manner when she discovers what looks like human remains, along with prehistoric artifacts.
Our other protagonist is Helene, a single mother who is drawn to the Brickburgh caves to find out what may have happened to her brother, who disappeared there six years prior. It is not long until Katrine and Helene join forces and uncover the answers to some of their questions. Unfortunately for them, the answers they are looking for will be far more violent than they expected, and may put mankind in a peril they never saw coming.
THE REDDENING is full of suspense and the violent history of the red people. The gore and death is frequent, as is expected from this type of novel. Between THE RITUAL and THE REDDENING, Adam L.G. Nevill is making a nice name for himself as a horror author who specializes in exploring the legends and lore that exist all around the globe, and the peril modern folks must experience when facing something they do not understand.
There was a time not too long ago where the name Adam L.G. Nevill was only known east of North America. Now, with the cult film “The Ritual”, based on one of his best novels, and the new release of the terrific novel THE REDDENING, readers can do their part in spreading the word domestically about this great name in the horror genre.
