Oracle by Thomas Olde Heuvelt is the second book featuring Robert Grim. While it features the same main character you don’t have to have read the first book to read this one, however it will give you some more insight into the character and understand what he has overcome prior to the events of this book. What drew me to this book was the chilling premise, who doesn’t love a ghost ship story. I enjoyed this book but I did find it a bit long and I felt some parts could have been left out and still achieved the same overall story. Initially I felt like there were a lot of characters to get to know and at times I got a bit lost with all the names but this became easier as things progressed. I enjoyed this chilling horror mystery story and will be checking out more by this author.

I chose to read a free eARC of Oracle but that has in no way influenced my review.

Back when I was a fledgling book blogger (2016 to be precise) I read a book called HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. I loved it! Creepy witch vibes, terror in small-town America, a secret kept from the rest of the world, death peering through the window each and every day. If you haven't read it yet, you should. Due to how much I loved HEX I was keeping an eye out for anything else by this author. Which is when Echo landed on my radar (pun intended! 🤭). Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the author's storytelling and have been keen for more ever since. But it's been a while. So you can imagine my glee when Oracle appeared on NetGalley. Oracle is the second book in the Robert Grim series -- Robert was the lead in HEX so I was pleased to be reunited. Although I would be lying if I remembered everything about Robert from eight years ago. Katherine (the witch), definitely. Robert hasn't stuck in my mind quite so well! Suffice to say, this book can be read as a standalone. You don't need to have read HEX before picking up Oracle but it would be a travesty because HEX is SO GOOD!

Making their way to school through the dense fog, long-time friends Luca and Emma make a startling discovery. An eighteenth-century ship in the middle of a tulip field. They approach full of excitement and apprehension. After all, this isn't something that happens every day. Emma, confident and without fear, climbs inside the open hatch. Luca holds back, hesitant and worried. And rightly so as Emma completely disappears. Luca calls for help which results in a number of official and unofficial have-a-go-heroes climbing through the hatch. They too disappear. It soon becomes clear that this is a supernatural phenomenon never seen on Dutch soil before. Which immediately escalates the ghostly problem to the top levels of homeland security. Before long the Dutch General Intelligence Agency are involved, creating strangely believable alternatives to explain away the truth, which the Dutch people accept without question. But the authorities know they need help and there's only one man who has ever faced such an unknown supernatural occurrence before, and lived to tell the tale...

Oracle is a chilling horror/thriller crossover novel with a palpable sense of unease and an overarching sense of dread and imminent doom. The author builds the tension from the moment the ghostly ship appears, drawing Luca and Emma into its paranormal orbit. Thirteen-year-old Luca, who has been best friends with Emma for some time and has the cutest crush on her, is the more cautious of the pair. Emma is keen to investigate the apparition and climbs into the open hatch. Shortly after, the ominous sound of a bell tolling reaches Luca's ears and he knows something has gone terribly wrong. But this is only the start of Luca's harrowing journey to the truth. There are so many elements to the story that at times I wondered how the author had managed to keep the different threads as easy to understand and follow as he did. It's a complex, cinematic tale. One perhaps the reader needs to invest in a little to get the most out of.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Oracle was very different to everything else I've read recently and I enjoyed losing myself in Grim's odd, often terrifying world. There is a lot going on in this book but it all ties together well, creating an intriguing read chock-full of tension and creepy unknown forces. There are peaks and troughs throughout the storytelling creating wonderful moments of high drama alongside some rather heartbreaking, emotional scenes. I enjoyed how the initial threat mutates throughout the book becoming something else Grim and co. need to battle against and outsmart. One particular twist was done in the most frightening and nerve-shredding way and I loved it! All in all, I found Oracle to be a well-written, immersive horror/thriller crossover with interesting characters (I was on Luca's side from the moment things went a little iffy for him!) and a well-drawn, intricate, full-on plot. I don't think this is going to be a one-sitting read for many people. I felt it was a book that the reader needs to savour rather than rush. That way it delivers the gut punch it was designed to. Very enjoyable and I look forward to more from this author in the future. I'll leave you with one final thought - give and give in abundance (that will make no sense to anyone unless you've read the book so you know what to do!). Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Oracle. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

“How could a sound that had ceased forty years ago suddenly echo again on a cold winter morning … and feel so wrong?”

Luca and Emma weren’t expecting to find a ship in a tulip field on their way to school. It wasn’t there yesterday and it seems pretty impossible that it’s there now.

This sounds like a job for Robert Grim.

I can’t say that Robert Grim was exactly enjoying his retirement or even remembering much of it. He doesn’t live in Black Spring anymore, though, so that’s progress.

He’s not exactly advertising his services but even he can’t deny he has a unique skill set. His involvement in this investigation isn’t what you’d call voluntary. That’s not how these things work.

This is one of those rare series where I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book. I was all about the mystery of the ship but it turns out that’s only the beginning of this story.

While this book was still dark, there was some hope to be found. I had Luca, a gutsy kid, to cheer on and I needed that.

I struggled with the fictional animals meeting their maker in HEX. There was some of that here too but none that I’d built a relationship with first so that made it easier.

If you absolutely had to, you could read this book without having read HEX but you would be missing out. It provides much needed context for the character of Robert Grim. This book also includes spoilers for the first so you won’t want to read them out of order.

“Supernatural phenomena followed their own set of rules … until they didn’t.”

I spent the whole book trying to figure out how Robert Grim survived the Black Rock Witch and I was given an explanation but I need to know more. Thankfully this book ends with an opening for another so I may get to explore this further.

Oftentimes when I’m reading a book, I think about what I would do if I was plonked into the storyline. If I had made my way to Every Man’s End, I would unquestionably not be here to tell you about it. I would have investigated the ship that shouldn’t have been, the bell would have tolled and, well, if you read the book you’ll know what would’ve happened next.

“‘And what did you think?’
‘That they should have listened to the kid, dammit.’”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this book.

Oracle is my first read from Thomas Olde Heuvelt and it won't be my last. I was sucked right into the story, like the unfortunate people on the Oracle, and was completely gripped with this gothic horror novel.. Fantastic novel, which I feel could have ended quicker than it did. 4 stars

This is a good read, which really could have used some editing. The story of a supernatural warning from the past, I thought it was going to be far creepier than it was. The characters were brilliantly drawn, and very sympathetic, but it became messy towards the end and this is the section that really needed editing. That said, he is a very good writer, and tells a great story.

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/03/14/oracle-robert-grim-2-by-thomas-olde-heuvelt/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Scary Concept, Little Over Stretched

Oracle is a really interesting idea for a horror story, in fact I can’t recall reading anything quite like it. It got off to a great start with a slowly building sense of unease that really does turn into all-out-horror. For me, I didn’t quite enjoy the last third of the book as much as the earlier chapters, which was something of a surprise given there’s plenty of action and utter chaos at points. I preferred the creepier elements I think to the outright horror, although I would just clarify this isn’t bloodfest slasher horror.

I would mention that this is the second instalment in the Robert Grim series but I can confidently say that this can be read as a standalone.

This story really hits the ground running. We meet Luca and his neighbour/friend/crush, Emma, they’re on their way to school, it’s a foggy morning and visibility is really bad. Then, out of the blue they come across the strangest thing? obstacle? – basically, a 17th century fishing vessel, in excellent condition, has manifested from out of nowhere – literally it’s landed in a field of tulips. Lucas is very wary but Emma is determined to explore and climbs aboard. She enters the hatch, an ominous bell tolls, and she disappears. Within fairly short order a number of people have disappeared into the ship’s hold. Each time, the ominous bell tone rings out and that person isn’t seen again. Luca’s dad, responding to his desperate call also ventures on board, and in spite of taking extra precautions he also goes missing. From this point onwards the whole episode falls under the remit of a secret agency who seem to wield enough power to make the ship and all the missing people seem explainable and mundane.

I won’t go into the plot. There is a lot of cloak and dagger type subterfuge going on, at the same time, the families with missing relatives are trying to rally and desperately hoping for good news – which is in short supply.

I won’t elaborate further on the plot at this point.

What I really like about this.

Well, having read the author a couple of times already I expected there to be some chilling moments and there certainly is. He has such a great way of creating a situation, infusing it with atmosphere, inserting something so insidiously creepy that you’ll have the goosebumps and then creating pandemonium amongst the characters. And, I liked the characters, mostly. Luca is a sensible boy, he makes some good decisions and he was easy to read about – no eye rolling at all. Grim is a character enlisted by the secret agency people because he seems to be the only person who has dealt with an unexplained incident before (aka supernatural). I wasn’t totally enamoured with some of the ‘baddie’ types though They felt a little James Bond OTT villain to me.

I love all the old lore, and some of this really does go back in time and delves into the unknown, powerful deities that have been around longer than you can imagine. There are visions and oracles and fascinating undersea discoveries. This is also mixed in with the strange history of the fishing ship that appeared out of nowhere and started these strange events. The Oracle, as it was/is known, has a dark and disturbing history and it’s sudden appearance foretells certain disaster.

I enjoyed the different settings, I particularly thought the abandoned and structurally unsafe oil rig was brilliant for the grand finale – what more could you possibly want in terms of downright spookiness – oh, a storm you say – you’re covered. Of course there’s a storm with winds so strong that the characters are in danger of being swept overboard into the thrashing waters.

Now, in terms of criticisms. I don’t have anything that spoiled the read for me, but the final chapters felt a little drawn out. Strangely, this isn’t a feeling that I often experience, I’m more likely to conclude a book and feel like it was a bit rushed than the reverse, but in this case, and perhaps it’s because the author really was putting his characters through the wringer, I wanted to get to the crux of the matter and it seemed to drag a little.

Overall though, this was an intriguing story that I enjoyed by an author whose work is always compelling.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

On a cold and foggy morning, in a small Dutch town, a 1700s sailing ship appears in a fallow tulip field. Curious and enchanted, one child and then another scrabble inside to explore. As the mournful ship's bell peals, more people enter but none come out again. The premise of Oracle is captivating. The opening chapters are creepily atmospheric. Unfortunately, I found the writing after that to be quite inconsistent.

The story is roughly split into two POVs. One is the experience of the friends and family of those missing inside the mysterious ship. I loved this aspect of the story. I found their panic, confusion and determination in the face of such an inexplicable event to be the most compelling part of the book. The flip side was the government intrigue. The knock-off Men In Black in this story were very one note. The politics were tedious. The characters were flat. The author lampshades the shallow characterisation by giving Eleanor a monologue about how everyone expects a woman in power to be a 'ball-busting bitch' and she's only meeting their expectations to get ahead, but it didn't ring true.

The intermezzo short stories were some of my favourite parts of the book. The author really excels at intriguing short form writing and I wish he'd leaned into that and streamlined the overall plot.

Although this is a companion novel to Hex, I had no trouble not having read that first. I think this will giving some satisfying conclusions to fans of Robert Grim and perhaps sets up for a third book in the same universe?

I received this arc for free on netgalley.

Unfortunately this didn't have me gripped and it really should have. It started well with the disappearance of people into The Oracle, a ship that has appeared from nowhere in a tulip field in the the Netherlands. The story then moves on to this all being covered up, presumably by a government agency, I'm not sure. It gets very samey and a bit tedious from here. I just wasn't looking forward to picking it up and when reading becomes a chore that's when I give up. So sadly I didn't finish it.
I LOVED Hex so much. I was so excited to read another book by this author and was very grateful to be offered an ARC from Netgalley. Having enjoyed Hex so much I will definitely read more from this author.

Ask that one twice! I'm sorry!!

That being said, it was such a great book! Unique, atmospheric, and thrilling. An author worth reading!!

Oracle wonderfully blends together incomprehensible horror and shady government agencies to create a wild nightmare-fuelled ride of a novel. It expands on the world created in Heuvelt’s previous novel Hex, and while Oracle is a standalone novel with a separate plotline, I recommend reading Hex first (and before this review) to avoid minor spoilers.

Set a decade after the events of Hex, Robert Grim is called over to the Netherlands to investigate a sailing vessel called the Oracle that’s impossibly appeared in the middle of a tulip field. Anyone who sets foot upon the boat and hears the ship’s bell toll is never seen again. I really love how Grim is now declared the ‘expert’ in the supernatural occurrences of this world, since the comparisons with the events of Hex are few and far between – this is a new scenario with new rules. It makes Grim a clever POV character to use for the book; an expert with little more knowledge then the reader! Another key feature I loved about Oracle is the evolution of Robert Grim’s character, and the way trauma from the previous encounter has affected his mind and manner, being unable to talk to anyone about what occurred in his past.

I would definitely bill Oracle as a Horror/Thriller combo, but weighted more towards the horror aspect. It seems Heuvelt has leant more heavily on the ‘Lovecraftian’ dial then in Hex, and the graphic nature reminded me in places of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation. The style of horror here is definitely madness inducing, featuring entities that are just incomprehensible to the human mind. This horror is paired well with a solid conspiracy theory plot, as government organisations attempt to avoid panic by containing the story of the Oracle ship, and diverting away the attention of the public. Other solid thriller features are present here too; there are shady detective characters you just love to hate, and a lingering feeling that you can’t quite trust the motivations of any of these characters. I found the pacing of the novel to fluctuate in all honesty, but it’s fair to say that the building tension only went one way, and the climax of the book was pretty spectacular!

I’d strongly recommend picking up Oracle if you enjoyed Hex, or if this style of horror is up your street. I really like how this novel expanded on the world by jumping to a different location, and I’m looking forward to seeing if more stories in the same world will be forthcoming. Potential trigger warnings to flag include: Drowning, Harm to Children, and minor cruelty to animals including rabbits and (to a less explicit degree) dogs.

Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Oracle packs such a punch with its opening, which sees two teens come across an old and decidedly strange ship in the middle of a field, and the rest of the novel mostly lives up to it. After the dramatic and intriguing opening, the plot started to slow down a bit and I did find myself wanting things to get a move on. But once things were moving again I was all in. As well as enjoying the unique storyline, I loved the creepy marine and algae imagery. I’m also a sucker for old diaries that reveal dark secrets and Oracle definitely delivered on that front.

I’m really impressed with Thomas Olde Heuvelt - he reads like a younger, European Stephen King (the cultural references are typically more European than American), with a distinct vibe all of his own. This is the third I’ve read and they’ve all been deep immersive books with a slow build and ratcheting of tension as events spiral out of control.

Particularly near here is the callback to Hex - I hadn’t anticipated a link, but it’s well-managed. I don’t think it would be a problem to come to this fresh, but having the back story of what happened in America years previously is recommended for completists (like me). Sheer coincidence I’d read Hex a few weeks back.

Great characters, sense of place, inexplicable and horrible events, evil soldiers / agents. What more could you want?

Whilst not a direct sequel to Hex it certainly continues the tale of characters in that dark world, interesting, intriguing and worth investing your money and time in, possibly a third book in this universe?