I'll be up front about this and say that Gorse is not particularly the kind of book I'd normally check out but I saw it on Netgalley and thought I'd give it a go. It's fairly dark folk fantasy, set in 18th century England. Religious beliefs in the person of the newest vicar are clashing heavily with the long-standing beliefs in magic in the person of the Keeper of the Moor (Pel), whose job it is to deal with the fae and stop any conflict between them and humans in the area. Alongside Pel is his student Nancy, who also plays a major part in this story.

The basic plot is that a number of deaths have occurred, deaths which the villagers feel the Keeper should have done more to prevent. Pel and Nancy are drawn into the hunt for the source of these murders, with both of them taking drastic measures of their own to get to the bottom of the mystery. Unfortunately, while very atmospheric, at times the pacing of the book dragged for me and it was a bit of a struggle to finish it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

This is a historical fantasy novel set in 1700s Cornwall when the land still teemed with folklore and people coexisted with magical beings, leaving gifts for them in exchange for help around the farm and hearth. Very atmospheric, full of moors, bogs, and fog. The magic system was wholly unfamiliar to me but fascinating. It takes awhile to get into, kind of like sinking into peat, but by about 50% of the way I was completely invested because of the character Nancy.

A similarity between ‘Gorse’ and other novels in the same genre is this deliberate choice of time period and depiction of christianity as a new (and extremely hostile and invasive) religion that seeks to eradicate preexisting longstanding centuries-old beliefs that are tied to tangible things like the land. This seems to be a common historical experience across countries in the area. The villain, a priest, was also the kind who denounced magic while hypocritically using it serve his own ends—we been knew so no surprises there.

When the King of the Undermoor talked about coexisting with the various emerging gods from the Greek to the Roman, it provided a sense of perspective. The message seems to be that there is room for everyone and there’s no need to exterminate others just because they don’t believe in your god. Just leave them alone? Live and let live. It’s a sensible moral. As for me, the message I personally got was that full-body floral tattoos are great ◡̈

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I found the writing to be quite dry and confusing at times. Maybe it was just me, and I'm sure it will appeal to many others, but it just wasn't for me.

I can say with 100% certainty that I haven't read a narrator's voice as distinct as this one in ages. The story is promoted as folk fantasy, stressing the "folk", and the narrator's voice absolutely delivers on this. The atmosphere and setting are on point. The prose is on point. The characters feel real enough to touch. The battle between old and new religion is familiar, sure, but it takes a fresh (imo) angle by celebrating how the two can successfully merge rather than fight each other. If you love fast-paced books with plenty of plot twists, then this is not the book for you, but if you love a deliciously slow grind with great atmosphere and interiority and emotion, weaved around the themes of family and blood and legacy and history, then this is definitely a book for you.

An atmospheric modern folklore tale with complicated interpersonal dynamics, the claustrophobic small town setting and eerie mystery. Absolutely loved it.

This started off dark and mysterious so I was very excited to read more. Unfortunately it ended up being mediocre. I wanted more spirits, more magic, more of the supernatural.

A dark, folksy, historical fantasy with a touch of murder mystery set in late 18th century Cornwall.
I loved this from the very beginning. It's quite slow and descriptive, so maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely loved all of the descriptions of the landscape and the environment, the little folk and the villagers.
This is described as Poldark meets the Bear and the Nightingale. The Poldark comparison is mostly just the time period and the location - although this is moody moors rather than coast and mines. The Bear and the Nightingale comparison is much closer in terms of themes - there's conflict between the local church and the old ways and a there's a young woman who can see the folk and tries to help them survive when others are losing faith in them.
It's quite a dark story, laced with grief and superstition. The folk aren't all friendly and there's a real primal wildness and edge of danger to encounters with them.
I loved the complex relationship between Pel, the Keeper of the Moor, and his sort-of adopted daughter Nancy. I also enjoyed the reflection of their relationship with that of the rector Cleaver and his son - the difficulty of their relationship and the twisting effect of grief.

Thoroughly enjoyed this moody, atmospheric folklore fantasy and I can't wait for the sequel!

A mysterious tale set in the English moors that blends a world of magic with the town politics of a traditional working village battling between the belief of whether help and guidance comes from the sky or the creatures that hide in the gorse. Both the church and the moors hold beings and creatures that provide help, protection, danger and a conflict of what is best to believe in for the villagers just trying to live an everyday working life. As an atheist and a fantasy reader the conflict of the two beliefs was a theme that stood out to me throughout reading, I found myself easily getting immersed in the magical world with creatures whilst understanding the importance and appeal of religious beliefs. The villagers blindly follow one or both with little evidence seen with their own eyes whilst Pel and Cleaver make right and wrong decisions through a strength of conviction and truth from their own world experiences. Interestingly it takes a threat made by both worlds to divide and bring together the opposing sides.

It is a slow paced read that, I thought I would get bored of eventually, but several elements of the story and writing made it a slow pace that I ended up savouring and taking my time to pay closer to the small details. The character development individually and within relationships was rich and in depth, individually the characters were well thought out each having their own growth and in relationships the similarities and differences highlighted how each character worked with and against each other within personal relationships. My favourites were Nancy and Pel, Cleaver and Pel with honourable mentions going to Madge and Pel/Nancy and the magical creatures and the villagers.

It was easy to keep an ongoing image of the worlds as I moved along the story through the various characters through the authors descriptions, yet they weren’t a distraction to the plot or finer details. It felt like I as a reader was being taken along and given full access to fully understand the experiences of the characters, they have a really enjoyable and immersive way of telling a story of emotions as well as actions and happenings.

Themes of friendship, conflict of belief, love, sacrifice, keeping the balance, magic, humanity, desperation, plot twist.

I will 100% recommend this book and be reading anymore from this series/author that are out or to come out.

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.