What better way to spend Halloween night than to curl up with a spooky audiobook? That’s how I spent my Halloween, after trick-or-treating with my kids. Thanks to Giles Kristian, I had a free copy of his spooky novella Hellmouth to devour.
Hellmouth is the tale of a 14th century warrior, Galien, and his band of sword-brothers, who are sent on a quest by the church. Each of the characters have their own past traumas and inner conflicts, and the glimpses of their back-stories, along with the brutality of the opening scenes, give a sense that these are hard, violent, mysterious people.
The quest takes these warriors deep into the dark Bohemian forest, and it does not take long to realise that something is amiss. “How often has Galien walked towards violence? It is all he knows. And yet there is something else about this night. He feels it in his gut.” Tension and suspense build in every scene, and when the warriors stumbled across a bizarre castle in the middle of the woods, complete with painted-on windows, I found myself both intrigued by what might be inside, and dreading finding out.
It is at this point that the tale completely slips into darkness and the true purpose of their mission is revealed. The build-up of suspense tips over into outright horror, and I found myself unable to stop listening.
Hellmouth is a tale of grit, brutality and terror. It was a captivating read, perfect for a dark and stormy night. But the thing that made my spine tingle more than ever was the historical note at the end. It’s real.
