Hekla’s Children

De: James Brogden

Narrado por: Matthew Lloyd Davies

A decade ago, teacher Nathan Brookes saw four of his students walk up a hill and vanish. Only one returned, Olivia, starved, terrified, and with no memory of where she’d been. Questioned by the police but released for lack of evidence, Nathan spent the years trying to forget.

When a body is found in the same ancient woodland where they disappeared, it is first believed to be one of the missing children but is soon identified as a Bronze Age warrior, nothing more than an archaeological curiosity. Yet Nathan starts to have horrific visions of the students, alive but trapped. Then Olivia reappears, desperate that the warrior’s body be returned to the earth - for he is the only thing keeping a terrible evil at bay.

©2017 James Brogden (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

This is a really incredible read

This book took me on some wild rides. I am about to go buy everything this man has written. I finished the plague stones yesterday and bought Hekla’s children, hoping he wasn’t a one hit wonder. Wow! This book is terrific. Some definitely Guillermo del toro vibes with the ending. Did not expect to end the book in tears, but here I am all misty eyed.

Couldn't stop listening

This was an excellent "read". Horror, fantasy, anthropology, and mythology all in one - and all well done? How? The horror is actually scary. The anthropology and mytholgy elements felt... realistic. The main characters are engaging and sympathetic even when they aren't "the good guys". Even the minor characters felt fleshed out and integral to the story. It's always a treat to find a book that that can simultaneously scare you, make you laugh, and make you THINK.

Also, the narrator was EXCELLENT. I'm excited to check out more of Brogden's work - this was 100% worth the credit.

Great story loved the narration

Loved it all and read every title by this author. Can’t wait for another. Loved the historical blend of fantasy, which I do not usually like. Excellent read!!!

I enjoyed it.

Highly digestible, quasi-existential dread. Great pacing and narration. I'll be looking for more from this author!

strange and atmospheric

Strange, atmospheric, and quietly unsettling. This story blends folklore and reality in a way that feels dreamlike and a little disorienting, letting the mood carry the horror more than outright scares. It’s a slower, more thoughtful read that lingers once you finish.