The Haar

De: David Sodergren

Narrado por: Mhairi Morrison

"I don't fear death . . . but they do."

Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, and she intends to die there.

But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost . . . until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland.

THE HAAR

To some it brings redemption . . . to others, it brings only madness and death. What macabre secrets lie within . . .

THE HAAR

Contains mature themes.

©2022 David Sodergren (P)2024 Tantor

More Gore-or than Horror

Moves quick and doesn't loiter. The villains are basically Saturday morning cartoon characters, but that doesn't necessarily take anything away from them being gruesomely murdered. There's a bizarre and gratuitous sex scene around halfway through that felt very out of place, but luckily it comes and goes quickly. No pun intended.

Funny, gruesome, sweet, and sensitive

I love so many things about this book, but its heart and soul shine above all. It’s a wild ride and I’m glad I went in blind as possible.

Narrator sounds like AI

The story is charming and fun, although drags a bit at times. My biggest issue is it was hard to know I liked the story because the narration was so awkward. She sounds like AI that doesn’t understand pacing and inflection. I had to listen on 1.2 to get her to sound human.

A dark horror romance about loss and mortality

So, the best synopsis that I can give you for this book without spoiling too much is if took the plot from The Shape of Water, but swapped out the humanoid fish monster with The Thing. This story really worked for me, and I do NOT like romances at all. But it's very sweet, it touches a lot on loss and mortality, and overall I really loved it. I also think the narrator did a fantastic job, she was great. If you're looking for a dark Lovecraftian romance, this is the book for you. Even if you're not looking for any of those things, I'd still recommend the book anyway. It's just great overall. The story, the characters, all of it. 8/10.

A classic horror

This was a true horror classic. I loved this so much!! It was creepy and vile but also so emotional! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Body horror, the deaths of capitalist villains, and a little bit of romance

5/5 Overall for a fantastic story and such SATISFYING deaths. I love literary horror, and while body horror requires some squirming, it's very much enjoyable when it's happening to horrible people and capitalist scumbags.

My only real complaint- and it's more of a nitpick- is that the voiceover is a bit halting at times in an effort to put a point on things, almost staccato. But I listen typically at 1.2x speed or a little faster, and that made it perfectly fine. The narrator's Scottish brogue was very enjoyable and clear even to those unused to the accent, and the American accents were well-done (not the typical bad Southern American accents I sometimes hear from UK actors on TV).

I had been told by some that they were disappointed by this story's end, but I have no idea what they were talking about now that I've finished it. The ending was beautiful and satisfying, and made a lot more sense than some grim "the world is awful and everyone died" type ending.

I simply could not put this one down, and considering the author was inspired by old horror movies and Stephen King, I think King fans will really enjoy this.

Fear not the haar, folk of good heart. It's not here for you.

Loved this!!

I'm surprised this doesn't have higher ratings. Firstly, this story was the perfect length and doesn't overstay it's welcome like most horror novels. The setting was beautiful, and the horror was gruesome, yes, but it didn't feel over the top just to be shocking. The depictions of the sea creature are also really creative. The narrator also was the perfect fit. Also, definitely has some funny moments too (I wonder who Grant reminds me of, a billionaire buying up beautiful land in Scotland for a golf course lol). I'll definitely keep an eye out for future works from this author :)

Nice little body horror

Admittedly body horror isn’t my go to. Just don’t find it scary. And the same can be said here. But the book is still a great read/listen. You’re extremely invested in our main characters life and the creature isn’t what you expect.

weak villains, good monster

Would be more fun if the antagonists had more depth. But still, it has a cool monster, a lot of gore and a likable main heroin

A horror-full lovestory

I picked this up looking for a horror novel did not expect a tear jerking love story. A nice blend of gore and passion, with a wealthy billionaire you'd love to hate.

I'm also a sucker for accents from the British Isles and the narrator's voice entranced me.