The Stones of Landane by Catherine Cavendish

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Fame Tree Press

Published - 14/1

Price - £12.95 paperback £4.95 ebook

Fear her now, fear the queen,

As in her stone she reigns supreme…’

When Jonathan agrees to accompany his girlfriend, Nadia, on a trip to Landane, he imagines a short relaxing break in the countryside. But he quickly discovers that Nadia isn’t just drawn to the ancient Neolithic stone circle, she is obsessed by the megaliths. One in particular holds a fascination for her. Within hours, her personality begins to change, and it isn’t long before Jonathan starts to fear for her sanity.

Reaching far back into the past and up to the present day, those same stones have demonstrated powers beyond reason and, as Jonathan’s girlfriend becomes increasingly distant from reality, some of the ghosts of the past begin to reappear.

Now it isn’t only Nadia who is in danger.

Our fascination with the past is strong. Not simply nostalgia but looking at what our more ancient ancestors were capable of and knowing the limited tooled and materials available it is often amazing what we can be capable of. In the UK we have many places of ancient monuments that predate the romans and have dotted landscapes for thousands of years and we forget have puzzled not just modern audiences but every generation this is used very well in Catherine Cavendish very engaging horror novel The Stones of Landane which mixes the occult, folk horror and even archeology to create a fascinating tale.

Nadia and Jonathan are a young couple very much in love. Starting to reach the stage when they know they want to be around each other forever. Nadia decided she wants to show Jonathan a place she has long been connected to the small town of Landane and in particular its ancient stones. While Landane is charming and welcoming Jonathan starts to get disturbed by Nadia’s altering personality and strange dreams that haunt him at night. The couple decide to investigate and find Lamdane’s ancient and more recent past has many unexpected connections to themselves. A very long battle ot magics is coming to an end and the world will turn on the outcome.

I love it when a story surprises me not in the sense of the unexpected twisty surprise but simply when my reader expectations get an unexpected jolt. This is the type of storytelling that keeps you on your toes but knows how to deliver a great tale to savour on top.

We start in modern day Britain and I really liked how Nadia and Jonathan come to life especially as Cavendish uses Jonathan to tell the story. He’s refreshingly warm and kind but feels a recognisable young man you feel for them so as things get weird it has a pull. Nadia changes and we start to wonder if this is psychological, magical or a trap. The eerie dreams start to bleed into reality and it’s an interesting mystery to start the story.

Without getting two spoilers we then have two more plot threads set in 1900 and also 1967 all based around Landane. Cavendish cleverly creates two more very different types of tale. We move from modern day psychological to first in 1900 a more classical style archeological horror tale. We meet a young member of the gentry Olive and her close friend Grant. The story starts as a forbidden love due to being of different classes gets merged with a local professor starting to explore the stones and their finds. This too seems to starts to in motion. Cavendish really makes the tone quite different and throws enough detail of local history and culture that it feels a different location even when we know it’s just 120 years ago. More ghostly events get thrown in and strange mysteries that seem slightly connected to the modern day.

A further curve ball arrives in 1967 where we meet teenager Shelley about to go to a local music festival. Again Cavendish excels at changing the tone firstly the full on clash of swinging 60s youth against the more conservative adults of the time feels really well done but once we get the festival more strangeness begins. Shelley is fascinated with a trendy hippie named Mick and while that relationship grows again strange things happen in particular a powerful section focuses on a tormented rock star named Petra. This section feels more a 20th century occult take as more of the legends around the stones are told and some more clues as to what is going on get created. All these characters feel real and complex rather than simple cannon fodder for bad things and also echo the complex period they’re living in. We pretty much forget the larger take until some weird events start. It’s only here where we see the connections between the three periods and how the secrets of each tale are coming together.

Neatly we return to the modern day in the final part of the book and it’s quite ingenious how we then get all these tales revealed to be one larger mystical and ancient story. I loved the sense of mystery and magic that Cavendish created which builds to a more abstract conclusion that is quite satisfying although it does suddenly suggest more stories may be to come. I’m not totally against that idea though!

The Stones of Landane is an intriguing mix of the historical horror and more occult focused tales which uses its time jumps in an innovative and well told which that keeps you on your guard throughout, hugely enjoyable and perfect for a winter chiller. Highly recommended!