Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

I absolutely loved Gorse by Sam K Horton. It is a magical tale, which tells of Nancy and Pell, from the old ways and Cleaver who is the rector and the discord between the two and what this then opens up.

I don't want to give and spoilers, which is very hard.

Nancy grows up learning from Pel who is the Keeper of the Moor, responsible for keeping harmony between the Underfolk creatures and the folk who live in Mirecoombe, loosely based around Cornwall and its moors. Pel I'd the old keeper who is struggling with his responsibilities and is not doing as much as he could to keep harmony.

There have been some deaths, which Pel and Nancy have been quietly looking into but the village is starting to fall under the spell of the church, meaning disharmony finds its way through the cracks.

This is a tale of flawed individuals, good v evil and what happens when fear takes hold.

I absolutely loved it and am keeping everything crossed for a follow on book.

A great read for anyone who likes strong characters who develop as the story unfolds and don't mind fantasy and magic.

This is my first 5-star book of the year!
What a deliciously decadent novel; I am both incredibly excited that this is a first in a series, and beside myself with grief at how long I might have to wait for a sequel. Please, please Sam K. Horton will you give us more of C (x) and perhaps a little romance with Nance?

Anyway, I digress. I only give five stars to novels that have BOTH a fantastic plot as well as the most beautiful writing, and Gorse certainly succeeds in both. I read this book over the course of two days (neglecting all other everyday responsibilities). The world building is very well set up and clearly well researched, and the descriptive language (some might call over-indulgent but I am all here for it!) means it is literally dripping with atmosphere. I’m sure I could feel the rain on my skin more than once. I will borrow a quote from the novel itself: “These are not the sort of books that can be flicked through idly, they require an active read.” Every single word, every sentence demanded you slow down and really consider its meanings… the metaphors were so clever. Oh, and that’s not even taking into account the stunning cover!

A real treasure.

Did I mention I can’t wait for the sequel?

If you loved this -do make sure you read You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce, another 5-star read of mine with very similar vibes!

Ps. I will forgive you for using “okay” in an 18th century novel, but only because it’s an ARC… I hope it’s removed by the time it’s published!

<i>I received the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

British folklore is my catnip, both personally and academically, so when I spotted this cover on Netgalley, I snatched it so fast!

The blurb and the cover promised something like Zoe Gilbert's [book:Folk|35892355] - a remote village with old customs and beliefs and its own logic and law. And it delivered in this regard but where Gilbert needs a few words to paint the atmosphere, Horton needs pages and pages.

The book drags, there is no other word for it. The plot picks up at about 50 %, the point when I was thoroughly fed up with the writing style. Horton seems to think that to make the writing interesting/poetic/atmospheric, he has to make it disjointed. Like this. Forming sentences without a a proper verb. Adding several to each page. Making readers weep and tear their hair.

I did like the story and the characters are fascinating (especially Nancy and the tattooist - I would love to read more about them together as there was a hint of feelings and that part was very well written) but the style is hindering both. It seems to get better as the book progresses, as if Horton himself got bored by the artificiality of it.

All in all, this book needs more merciless editor's help. This reads like a pretentious self-edited draft of someone who loves their words too much to cut them.

Gorse is the dark folk fantasy of my dreams. I loved it. It hit so many of my favourite beats--folklore, small town nonsense, complicated platonic relationships--and felt folkloric itself in being a familiar story-shape richly executed with the very satisfying 'oh yes I know this story, it's a good one, can't wait to see how this storyteller tells it to me'. In particular the web of mirroring and influence between the four leads was delicious, and so narratively and thematically satisfying, and oh, the ATMOSPHERE. I could roll around in it forever.

Overall this is a lush, gorgeous debut from an author I'm so excited to keep following. Thank you very much to Solaris and NetGalley for the eARC!

This book is so captivating, it thrives on toeing the line between religion and folklore. I chose this for the enticing cover, and I have no regrets, I was hooked!

Nancy is a great and fierce character, I loved her passion to protect the moor/hill and what may lie within it. Pel is abit unlikeable but hes been through a lot. Cleaver is truly despicable, I disliked him in most chapters!

A really captivating dark fantasy, folklore murder mystery read. The writing is beautiful but really descriptive that said, it’s a truly engaging read. I’m looking forward to book 2 now!

The premise of this book really excited me, and i found the prose and writing style beautifully poetic. However - I will admit, this ended up actually making it pretty hard to get into this book and past all the heavy description.

It took me quite some time to get into the book since it's very desciptive but I ended up really liking it!
It was a rather slow read for me but the dark fantasy or rather dark folklore theme kept me going. It was amazing how the underworld and overworld are built and how the characters interact with both of them. Super interesting!

For years, the villagers of Mirecoombe have turned to their Keeper, the old and battle-scarred Lord Pelagius Hunt, mediator between the worlds of men and fey, for help. But this is a time of change. Belief in the old ways has dimmed, kindled instead in the Reverend Cleaver’s fiery pulpit. His church stands proud above the mire; God’s name is whispered, hushed, loved. And now, death stalks the moor. There are corpses in the heather. There is blood in the gorse.

Nancy Bligh is determined to do what Pel will not: maintain the balance between the fey and the human world, be the Keeper that he refuses to be. Blessed with natural sight, friend to spriggans, piskies and human locals of Mirecoombe, Nancy has power that Pel never had and never lets her use. But as Mirecoombe falls into darkness, perhaps her time has come.

A poignant examination of faith, love and grief, all told in a beautiful lyrical prose that will leave readers dreaming. This novel asks the reader what we choose to believe, and how that may shape who we are throughout our lifetime? A dark fantasy novel with folkloric elements where faith, magic and belief collide in the eighteenth century.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘮 𝘒. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯

If you take a good chunk of English folklore, mix it in with a hint of "The Bear and the Nightingale" and Ursula le Guin and you'll get Gorse - a dark, magical, fantasy and (hopefully) the first in a series from Sam Horton.

In a sleepy English village, a religious conflict is brewing between those who follow the old ways and those who believe in Christianity. The absence of the Keeper, the one who keeps the balance between the mirefolk and the villagers doesn't help the situation. So when a series of unexplained deaths occur, fingers begin to be pointed. We follow Pelagius Hunt, the Keeper, and his student Nancy as they attempt to solve the murders and bring balance back.

The story is beautifully written with incredibly descriptive language. I loved the differences between the aboveworld and the underworld and how the two main characters interact with both. It is a heavy book to read but once you get into it, you're hooked! A great first book and I can't wait for the next installment!

I found the book to be both exciting and fascinating. As someone who enjoys this type of literature, I appreciated the well-developed characters and the clear narrative structure that made it an easy and enjoyable read. Excellent writing and folklore are a perfect combination that creates a mystical ambiance, perfect for a captivating novel. In the beginning, the book is a little bit slow, but we have to remember that this is the first book of this story, so the order has to introduce us to this world and the war building was fascinating for me, so I think it's a win-win with this book.

Pen is the Keeper of the moor, balancing the people of Mirecoombe with Them - the residents of the Undermoor, the fairies and sprites who both help and hinder the people who live and work there. Pen keeps them in line and upholds the traditions, with the aid of Nancy Bligh, a changeling child who can see Them. There is tension in the town between the old ways and the church, and the minister of the church has a broken relationship with Pel after the death of his son some years before.

There's an underlying murder mystery, which I did guess about half way through the book, but the main focus is on the church/old ways tension (which I feel was better done in The Bear and the Nightingale referenced in the blurb) and on the development of the lore. It's quite slow, and although it's clever it's not the most absorbing book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped, although I did think Nancy was a great character. I felt a bit like the book was missing something to hook you in.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for the e-ARC**

"Gorse" is a novel about changing times, traditions and new ways. Set in the early 18th century, it follows Pen, an old keeper, Nancy, his ward and the deaths happening in the moors, while the village's Reverand looms in the middle. There is a fair bit of folkore, which was, for me, the most interesting part. The battle between said folkore and the Church gives way to the plot and its mystery, though it is rapidly obvious who and whats going on there.
The characters are perfectly imperfect, a fact leading the slow resolution of the murder mystery in the moor. Their relationships are old and complicated, nourishing the difficulties encountered by the main protagonists. I can't say I felt for them, at least not for the main characters and important characters except one. This novel doesn't feel like the kind of book seeking to bound the reader that strongly to the characters. I cared more about the folkore than anything else to be honest, and for the atmosphere.
Overall an enjoyable tale, quite dark and soggy, like the moor.

"Gorse" is a speculative fiction novel set in the 18th century, marketed as "Poldark" meets "The Bear and the Nightingale". While I had anticipated a story akin to "Poldark" but with magic, "Gorse" offers a unique narrative that sets it apart from this comparison.

The book delves into the transition of societies from magic traditional beliefs to Christianity and explores the relationship between the two systems. While it took some time to immerse myself in the plot and understand its rules, the two main characters, Pel and his student Nancy, are intriguing. The novel unfolds slowly with heavy descriptions, making it less suitable for light reading. Despite its beautiful language, it may not appeal to everyone, and its marketing should not oversell its resemblance to "Poldark." Overall, I enjoyed the book for its well-written prose, thorough research, and exploration of thought-provoking issues, even though it wasn't exactly what I had anticipated.

Whimsically dark and twisted.

I will start by saying that it does take a minute to really get into the the book and start picking up on the world building. But once you get your footing into the lore and figure out exactly what’s going on it’s very easy to fall into the world and get sucked in. I’m not a huge fan of multiple povs, but I think the author does a good job of balancing between characters and the tones for each so it feels cohesive but you still get a really good insight into the thoughts and motives of the different characters.

The plot and story is where it really shined though. I’m a big fan of stories dealing with battling religions and especially the “old versus new” of folklore and fae magic. I think the magic of the world was fascinating and the author really did an amazing job of setting a complex world that the readers could imagine in their heads like a movie. All in all it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and rebellion for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was advertised as a mix of the bear and the nightingale and poldark. I never read poldark so I can’t judge for that but I saw the bear and the nightingale influence back in the way the folklore was woven into the story. I also thought that people who really like Emily Wilde’s encyclopedia of faeries but missed a what higher stakes plot in that will like this one.

The beginning did leave me a bit confused but the book gives you enough time to figure out who is who and what the situation is. There is a dual pov which I could have done without. As it made it a bit confusing.

The way the story tells the conflict about conflicting religions and the change of society I did really like and thought that is was portrayed as something the real world would also deal with in a similar way.

There are parts where there is not a lot happening but more like preparing for the end of the plot. At those point I did feel my concentration waning a bit.

I would recommend this book if you are interested in a fantasy book that feels a bit different than the rest, has traditional folklore faeries in it, deals with the conflict of changing times and a strong fmc who will find her place in her own society.

I enjoyed this one.
I do like a story with folklore, and magical being, and the good old fight between new faiths and old.
Well written, and sets the scene nicely with plenty of atmosphere.
Characters I'd put my faith in 😁
Looks like it's going to be a series as this is book one.
That's good news.

Loved this dark and whimsical book with magical creatures, folklore and mystery
Very well written with a dark and eerie atmosphere, complex and interesting characters and lots of intriguing little creatures!

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc