This was unusual but interesting and well written. Each chapter is set at a different time in the ‘life’ of a remote village, from its founding. As with previous novels from the author there is a sense of menace and otherworldiness. With something so ambitious, I felt some chapters worked better than others, but overall it was enjoyable and memorable.

With thanks to NetGalley and John Murray for the arc.

This was such a good read. Telling the story of the valley of Barrowbeck on the Yorkshire Lancashire border this is more of a collection of short stories, woven together through a shared history and strong sense of place.
I’ve read several of Hurley’s works before and I think this may be amongst my favourites - coming a close second to Starveacre, although it lacks that book’s shock factor. Hurley is becoming adept at creating an underlying sense of unease, creepiness and the uncanny in his writing, and although some of these ‘short stories’ work better than others, overall the whole makes for an eldritch, page-turning read. Perfect for fans of Daisy Johnson (whose book ‘Fen’ this really reminded me of), and writers such as Benjamin Myers whose books are closely tied to the landscape they are situated in. Highly recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6604121616
This is another wonderful book from Hurley - I’m really hoping that the release of the film version of Starve Acre will create enough interest in his work to persuade a publisher to reissue his short story collections, which I can’t find anywhere! One of Hurley’s consistent themes is the interaction of people with a particular landscape through time, and the final story feels like an elegy for lost places.

An excellent collection of linked short stories. Unnerving, thought provoking, and sometimes down right creepy, Hurley shows again why he’s such an exciting name in British Folk-Horror.

Excellent new book from Hurley, composed of linked short stories which form a mosaic-like overall picture rather than a complete novel as some readers may expect. Some stories are clearly stronger than others (‘Autumn Pastoral’ is one of the best things he’s written) but the book overall is remarkably consistent. Will recommend to existing fans of the author and new readers alike.

Hurley changes things up a little in this collection of linked short stories set in the village of Barrowbeck from its founding right up until the mid 21st century. The stories themselves do differ in mood, however there's enough of a sinister undertone throughout to satisfy any fan of folk horror.

The stories themselves never outstay their welcome and on a couple of occasions they didn't feel long enough. Barrowbeck is peppered with memorable and intriguing characters, so I did feel slightly frustrated that my time with them was over faster than I would have liked but that was the only real annoyance with this book. Hurley's gorgeous prose and striking visuals more than made up for it.

Barrowbeck is likely to please established fans of Hurley and a decent starting point for any readers wanting to try the author.

Recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

On the surface Barrowbeck could be seen as a series of 13 short stories set over the centuries, each imbued with folklore and simmering tensions. However I read this as one story of the main character, the village of Barrowbeck, and how humans changed its life over centuries. As with Hurley's previous books which I have really enjoyed, especially The Loney, I found his scene setting and descriptive writing to be superb. I could see the village very clearly in all its states from first settlement on the banks of the River Arfon through to its destruction by flooding due to quarrying. This is a book that merits very close reading to consider how the human characters interact with the landscape, climate and each other. Each time period has characters who are a little bit 'different' who seem perhaps to have more of an understanding of the land and, perhaps as a result, have some particular skills, aptitudes or attitudes more in tune with Barrowbeck than those who live there unthinkingly. The book Barrowbeck is a fable and the author, Andrew Michael Hurley is a master storyteller. Thank you to John Murray Press for an ARC of this title.

Hurley has once again brought his particular blend of folkhorror and setting in this latest offering. The place - Barrowbeck - itself is really the main character here and the book is comprised of 13 short stories stretching across 2000 years of events in this area. I really enjoyed this format and the stories themselves. Highly recommend.

Wasn't sure what to make of this book really. It sounded intriguing so I was willing to give it a go. Overall I think it worked well and the short story format was a good idea, It did suit the overall narrative. It's not a love but I did like it

Barrowbeck is a series of short stories set across 2000 years but centred around the same small settlement. As the stories advance through the ages, long-standing themes start to emerge: folklore mixed with a bit of otherness and an undercurrent of horror. I enjoyed the realness of this book and found the ending quite thought provoking and relevant.

I'm not usually a great fan of short stories, preferring a deep dive into a longer read, but Barrowbeck really blurred the lines, as it was essentially a collection of short stories set in the same village over the course of 2,000 years, from the first settlers finding the place while fleeing attack to the final outcome in the future. There was a sense of unease and something not quite right about the village, running as a thread through each story. Beautifully written and totally absorbing. I haven't read this author before, but I will look out for more now. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

This didn't quite live up to my expectations.
It's still a more than decent read, with a hint of menace running through most of the book.
The short stories feel to the book is probably why I didnt enjoy it more.
As with all his work, some great moments, and enjoyable writing.

This is a set of stories based upon one village around the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire. They are, I discovered, based upon a series on the radio, though I didn't hear it. They have the author's clever, almost poetic, writing, working on a set of characters, many of whom are memorable some time after finishing the book. There's something about the village of Barrowbeck, strange, haunting and magical, that makes you question the way you see your own surroundings. Folk, myth and a tinge of horror bind the stories together. The first few set the scene, and include the origin of the village. Once that scene is set I felt the stories fell into place better and seemed more connected. A very enjoyable read.

For the village of Barrowbeck, the strange can sometimes be the norm.

Two thousand years ago, a small village of Celts was attacked and forced from their home. Desperate and on the run, they turned to their spiritual leader who led them to a river in a valley, surrounded by high sides, that would keep them safe. A village that would be called Barrowbeck.

Through the centuries we see snippets of life in Barrowbeck, all of them strange or odd, and all of them showing what life in this blessed - or cursed - valley is like. Each story has a point, and they are all leading to something coming.

I loved this book, each snippet, or short story, is really well written and you never know where they are going until they end. A great read.

First of all, what a great cover!

Fans of the author have been waiting a while now for a new novel to enjoy since the brilliant Starve Acre.
In this latest work, he has created a series of 14 short stories set in Barrowbeck, located somewhere on the North Yorkshire/Lancashire border. It opens with the first settlers in ‘ First Footing’, when a group are driven from their lands by vicious incomers, think Viking though they predate their arrival on our shores.
It ends with a glimpse into the near future in ‘A Validation’ set in 2041.

The first people in Barrowbeck are encouraged to live in this valley, this place of sanctuary surrounded by hills, known as fells, and beside the river Arfon by a shaman like figure. The mystical tone so typical of the authors work is immediately apparent and the solitary, bewitching, otherworldly atmosphere of the place is palpable through the descriptive writing. Barrowbeck is a character all by itself and the inhabitants through two millennia must do what they can to cope with its vagaries. Is the devil in the soil? Does a darkness run in the river? Is there magic in the air or is it folklore, hallucinations or just a difficult place to live? Maybe it’s a combination of all of them.

Some of these stories are first produced for BBC Sounds and I can imagine just how well they would work in that format. The stories are a real mixture and though I don’t find horror as apparent as in some of the authors other books but you do certainly get a strange, mysterious, eerie, off kilter sensation, with some creepiness in some of the stories which I really like. I love seeing how the place changes (or not) as it takes us to the prophetic warning of the last story with the valley having its final say. In some of them you get some fantastic creative imagery especially in ‘ Natural Remedies’ (I love that one). The other standout stories are ‘ An Afternoon of Cake and Lemonade’ set in 1970, ‘Sisters’ set in 2022, ‘A Covenant’ set in 2029 which links well to ‘ A Valediction’ set in 2041.

Overall, I love the concept of the short stories, seeing how things change or don’t through time. Some are a bit sinister in tone and atmosphere whereas others make you feel uneasy with the final story being all too easy to believe. Another very good read from a terrific author.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Hurley before, but this one missed the mark for me unfortunately. The book read as mini short stories rather than one comprehensive novel. As the book progressed to modern times I found myself more interested in the characters but I still felt that the chapters were too short to sink my teeth into the stories. I also didn’t find the book to be particularly compelling in terms of horror, there was an element of unease but it wasn’t bone chilling.

This author is an absolute genius. I was not expecting any of what happened, and it left me with an air of nervousness. I will be looking for more by this author.

I was expecting a Starve Acre style book, but this is very different. Absolutely brilliant, he is a storytelling genius. Would highly recommend for all fans of folk horror!

Having been blown away by 'Starve Acre' I was really excited to read 'Barrowbeck'. It felt much more like a linked short story collection than a novel, with tonal differences between the stories and some resonating more than others, but I enjoyed it. Some of the images - particularly the two retired "sisters" curled up in hibernation and the unfurling of the plant-born baby - will stay with me for a long time, and the terrifyingly prescient final story was haunting to say the least.

I should start by saying I'm a big Hurley fan, and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this, his latest publication. I had very high expectations and was not disappointed. Hurley has created an epic novel using 13 interlinked short stories about a place, Barrowbeck, taking the reader from its beginnings, straight through time to 2041. That, in itself, is clever, but the writing... oh... beautifully sinister and unsettling because Hurley is the master of that. 'An Afternoon of Cake and Lemonade' is truly mesmerising writing, and as the stories develop, you get the impression that Hurley is not just writing 'folk horror', he's making a comment about environmental destruction, and the way he uses fiction to convey this is genius. Highly recommended. My grateful thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.