Agony’s Lodestone: Book Review
Hello my dearest reader!
I have yet another review/interview combo for you this week! I’ve been a busy, busy bee — speaking of bees:
My short fiction, “Buzzkill”, was adapted into audio form by the lovely folks at The Nosleep Podcast!
Episode art by Kelly Turnbull
Produced by: Phil Michalski
Cast: Narrator – Atticus Jackson, Anthony – Kyle Akers, Anthony’s Wife – Sarah Ruth Thomas
Now onwards to the review! This book releases on April 14th, so I kept this review spoiler-free for you, dearest reader.
The Author
Laura Keating is a horror writer from St. Andrew, New Brunswick.
Her short fiction has been published in many fine publications. She authors stories about monsters both human and unnatural, traditional creep-fests, and contemporary quiet horror filled with dread. Her debut novella, Agony's Lodestone, is due for release April 2023 from Tenebrous Press.
She lives in Montreal with her husband, son, two cats, and possibly one ghost. — Laura Keating’s website
A fellow Canadian horror author, you can catch Keating on her website or on Twitter.
The Book
The night Joanne went missing, Aggie’s world ended. When a videotape arrives twenty years later containing hints of their sister’s fate, Aggie and her two remaining siblings set off in search of answers and closure. As they track Joanne’s last known movements to the rocky Atlantic coast, their surroundings embrace them almost too completely, and the cryptic tape’s message changes. And changes. And changes again.
Lost in a labyrinthine forest that shifts right in front of their eyes; trapped, exhausted, and pushed to their limits; by day, Aggie and her family struggle to defy the unearthly force that has taken hold of their fate, while by night a hideous figure stalks them from the shadows. — Keating’s website
Coming out from Tenebrous Press on April 14th, Agony’s Lodestone, follows siblings reuniting after years after separation. As kids, their sister went missing. As adults, they get a second chance of finding out why.
An amazing special pre-order is available right now so don’t wait!
The Review
Fans of found footage, weird fiction, and cosmic horror: Agony’s Lodestone is the book for you! As for me, I absolutely loved this book.
Right away, the novel grabs you by the throat with the awkward reunion of the siblings, along with a mysterious video tape, then it doesn’t let go. Broken up by flashback chapters, the novel is fast paced and ripe with dread.
I loved the found footage introduction at the very beginning, which hooked me immediately. I mean, a mysterious VHS? Who doesn’t love that?
From that point on, Agony’s Lodestone doesn’t let go. Keating skillfully weaves in the natural landscape of the Canadian coastal area, folklore, and grief to create a weird, twisting horror tale like none other.
One of the strongest aspect of this novel is Keating’s use of atmosphere and the landscape, you can practically feel the woods around you, feel the ancient stone beneath the scrub and grass, and hear the booms of the distant sea. Also making appearances are some natural (though rather unsettlingly unnatural-seeming) landscape features of that region. (Also peep the call-out to my hometown, Winnipeg!)
The characters, as well, form a powerful focal point of this book. Each of the siblings shoulder their own traumas surrounding the loss of their sister, and their own methods of coping. After twenty years, they are forced to face these traumas and their own relationships head-on surrounded by a hostile landscape. Aggie, especially, is such a compelling character.
Fans of The Blair Witch Project and The House of Leaves, should definitely check Agony’s Lodestone out!
10/10
x PLM
p.s. don’t forget to check back in on Thursday when I interview Laura Keating on writing and Agony’s Lodestone.
