Phil Rickman - Candlenight

[andydecker]

Phil Rickman - Candlenight (Pan Books, 1993, 429 pages)

Cover found on the net. Thanks to the original scanner.

For Bethan, a schoolteacher, the old superstitions woven into the social fabric of her West Wales village are primitive and distasteful, which is why she's pleased to welcome the sophisticated newcomers: London journalist Giles Freeman and his wife Claire. Surely they'll let in some fresh air?

But the Freemans are keen to absorb this different culture, a whole new way of life, rejecting the advice of an old colleague who warns them of a hard and bitter land where they've always danced on the edge of the abyss. They soon learn that this community hides an ancient, bloody, and pagan secret - one that will haunt them forever.

Y Groes is a little village in Wales. Journalist Freeman and his wife Claire move in because Claire inherits a house. But the village is torn in a bitter struggle between fanatic Welsh nationalists and moderates, and an important vote is coming. Freeman tries to blend in, which is difficult because of the language barrier. But in Y Groes are dark pagan forces rising, there are four descendants of pre-christian priests.

This is Rickman's first novel. Guess nowadays it would qualify as Folk Horror. It is a long and subtle novel, in places a bit too subtle, if memory serves right. Many characters and a lot of local politics and celtic magics. Some unforseen twists keeps this interesting, but it is a slow burn and a conventional horror novel.