Review: Darkened Wings Flutter by Lou Yardley

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

“The end is nigh when darkened wings flutter…”

The small town of Crow’s Foot Hollow is thrown into turmoil when a local boy called Dwayne goes missing. For teacher Beth Harwood, it soon becomes clear that the nearby forest is connected to his disappearance. Clouded in mystery, scary stories and haunting nursery rhymes, that forest seems like just the kind of place to swallow a young boy whole.

But the forest isn’t the only thing you have to worry about in Crow’s Foot Hollow. Sometimes the dangers are much closer to home. Chuck Graves lives next door to a family with their share of problems - a couple that always argues, a little girl called Imogen who creeps the hell out of everyone - but they appear to be held together by little Ryan who keeps on smiling regardless of what’s going on. Everything appears normal, but Chuck can’t help but wonder what’s going on behind closed doors.

Crawling with monsters big and small, Darkened Wings Flutter wants to get under your skin.

Darkened Wings Flutter is a story that categorically highlight the reasons why everything isn’t as it seems.  A story so dark and evil it makes your insides clench and your spine stiffen.  Lou Yardley has once again stepped up that benchmark of bone aching horror. Review of The Deal Maker.  She knows what her readers ache for and she delivers with eye popping clarity.  This is the kind of horror that unseats you, makes you deftly uncomfortable and hurtles you into the story at one hundred miles per hour.  Moths and Monsters meet humanity.  Cancel your plans, kick back and experience the high dimensional terror that awaits you!

Chuck. Ryan. Imogen. Beth.  Four people who couldn’t be more different.  Valid reactions.  Layer upon layer of mannerisms, strength and for one a realisation of what life has in store for them.  The events that spill out around them breaks the reader down to the extent that you know that you won’t be able to tear the book out of your cold dead fingers!  Individual character arcs balanced so intricately that you have to take your hat off to Lou Yardley.  She spins the story with a remarkable sense of ease but dipped a megaton of dread.  Your heart feels the chill, as does your body – the perfect combination when you have the pleasure of reading a good horror novel. 

Imogen was an almost unattainable figure for me.  She always felt like she was an ethereal being, creeping into the edges of the scene.  Threatening and pulling taut the realms of possibility.  Assessing her prey, appearing when you least expect her.  Her mannerisms appearing as creepy but is it nature or nurture?  Her brother Ryan, is much more approachable, making a firm friendship with the family’s neighbour, Chuck. 

Beth teaches in the local school in Crow’s Foot Hollow (did I mention how much I love that name?)  She has had her run ins with Imogen and feeling extremely unnerved by her aura of creepiness.  She strikes a friendship with Chuck when they pair up to search for Dwayne who mysteriously goes missing during school.  They know the forest is connected somehow to his disappearance but, how?  Chuck has long had his suspicions about his neighbours.  Strange sounds in the middle of the night.  The mum being knocked about by their father.  He’s often wanted to phone social services but what impact would that have on the children? 

I was drawn immediately to Imogen.  I viewed as a sort of Wednesday Adams character.  Her life force surrounded by black magic.  She is a figure that emits such a level of paranoia in you that you constantly have to check over your shoulder for threat.  All the protagonists become connected, in a way that you won’t see coming.  There is a punch to the jugular moment, breaking free within the pain and suffering.  Lou Yardley has exquisitely created characters that make you shiver, make you cower and above all delight in the experience. 

Darkened Wings Flutter is incredibly propulsive and unique.  It chills the marrow and Yardley is proving just how fertile her storytelling is in a populated genre.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Planted on this planet by a rogue team of aliens, Lou Yardley has largely been left to her own devices. This has resulted in a coffee addiction, an obsession with hats, and an ever-growing collection of horror stories. These tales are steeped in gore as much as possible, as Lou loves when things get messy. We really don’t want to think about what her home planet is like. We suspect it’s very sticky… and it’s best not to think about what those stains are. I wouldn’t touch anything if I were you.

Until the mothership comes to collect her, Lou is doing her indie horror thing somewhere just outside of London in the UK. She lives with her other half, Mark, and their feline overlords.

You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram or you can get more involved through her mailing list or by becoming a patron. Links are included below.

Lou would like you to know that there should be more horror films with puppets. Puppets are cool.

Links:
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