would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

though i can see its well written and flows really nicely this book i found didnt really hold my attention and i thought it was very slow...

i am sorry to say this one is not for me...not my sort of book sorry

Probably 3.5. Paver is so good at certain things - concepts, mood, plots - but it all falls down a bit in rambling narrative and slightly frustrating endings. It’s good, just not great. And that’s a shame as I always feel she could be great

This is another fantastically haunting story from Michelle Paver that grips the reader and keeps you enthralled until the very end. Her writing style fits the genre so well, building up suspense and adding more and more twists as the novel progresses.
Maud is a lonely child living in the Suffolk Fens. After her historian father discovers an ancient painted devil in the local churchyard, she begins to notice his erratic behaviour, and soon realises that she needs to act in order to stop the deadly actions he has planned.

A fantastic gothic thriller following a lonely child Maud who is desperate to break free from her oppressive father and lonely existence, when he unleashes spirits and witchy goings on after coming across a demon painting. Dark, eerie and tantalising.

What a great story that is written beautifully! Set in Suffolk in 1906, what befalls is the telling of the story of Maud Stearn, the reclusive daughter of Edward Stearn; a murderer, who died in an Asylum, before painting what has turned out to be 3 lauded paintings.
Now 69 years old Maud invites a journalist into to her home and reveals information contained in journals never shared with the police at the time. They explain clearly what happened. Many have tried to work out what might have occured all those years ago - some think the daughter is guilty, now we find out what really took place.
What transpires is a creepy, tense story of a stern Edwardian upbringing, steeped in religion, and warped, misguided folktales about the surrounding fen. It manages to capture a realistic portrayal of life at those times. The linguistics are a delight and feel very authentic. Maud as the protagonist is likeable, but alludes an upmanship that is in keeping of a young girl running a home/ servants after the death of her mother. But she is passionate about nature, judges people on their ways, not their social standing and is honest and forthright with people. She has intelligence and deviance that many over look because she is female.
Edward is so wrapped in himself, selfish to the core that along with his strict and domineering ways he is difficult to like, but nonetheless fascinating and intriguing. The book is easy to read and a great page turner that's hard to put down. Never sure which way things will turn out, it retains your heightened curiosity throughout. A very satisfying, gothic, historical mystery with a hint of supernatural superstition.

Maud lives with her father in Wakenhyrst – a house surrounded by the mysterious and beautiful fen. But when a church painting (or ‘doom’) is discovered and restored, what evil has been unleashed?

I picked up Wakenhyrst thinking from its blurb and supported PR that it was a ‘gothic horror’. I would say I probably went in with the wrong expectations of the book. There are elements of witchcraft, superstition and death which run through the book and add an air of unease throughout, but it isn’t really a horror. It’s more a thriller that includes a study of mental illness, of the church vs old customs and beliefs and the role of women in Edwardian Britain. This isn’t a criticism of the story at all though – I enjoyed it immensely and it surprised me, it just wasn’t at all what I was expecting.

Wakenhyrst is quite a slow burn; it changes perspective from Maud’s present life to reading her father’s diary – sometimes a few days behind. It’s a great way of telling the story and it keeps the tension up throughout but at times I just wanted it to go where it needed to go faster. We already know how the story ends – from the flash-forward at the start of the book so the tension building and suspense felt a little superfluous at times.

That said Maud is an interesting character, she feels realistic and well-rounded for a lady of her time with enough intelligence to realise her limitations. I liked the authors note at the end of the book that explains where she got her ideas from – which bits of the story came from history and which bits came from her life or were inspired from somewhere that she had visited. This very much shines through the narrative to create a detailed setting and truthful characters. I loved the descriptions of the fen and the way that it permeated and influenced the plot. I enjoyed the inclusion of superstitions and elements of witchcraft. Edward Stearne is also a really nicely drawn character – his descent into madness and paranoia kept me gripped throughout and you could really see the ‘logical’ steps in his actions.

Overall Wakenhyrst is an interesting Gothic thriller with a great setting and interesting characters which unsettles you and builds suspense. Thank you to NetGalley & Head of Zeus for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling, atmospheric story set in the early years of the twentieth century. A compulsive read, this is an intense gothic novel concerning Edmund Stearn, his diary and his much maligned daughter Maud. The setting of the Fens and its wildlife is magically evoked. Weaving superstition and madness with the unique fenland climate there is a stark beauty about this tale - the mists, oppressive heat, dank autumns and creeping dampness - which creates a darkly gothic feel. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The author weaves an excellent story, which shares with us, every conceivable human emotion.
As the tale went on, it gradually became clear that it centred around one man and his demons - both imagined and real.
It portrayed very clearly a feeling of his being haunted by the past, which ultimately lead to a sickness of the mind.
All of the characters were interesting and seemed like people you could meet every day of the week. Their problems and feelings, those we can all face any time.
A very believable story - thoroughly well written and highly recommended.

Set in the fictional house of Wake's End, this novel is firmly in the tradition of a classic Gothic novel with a claustrophobic atmosphere emanating from the pages right from the outset of the story. Likeable heroine, Maud Stearne, is enduring an oppressive childhood at the hands of her domineering Rector father, Edmund. Very much in the vein of Jane Eyre (who it incidentally transpires, is one of Maud's personal inspirations), through a series of tragedies and injustices meted out by her father, Maud begins to fight back - and thus ensues a thrilling battle of wills to save not only herself, but the mystical fens surrounding the house and discover the truth about her father's various subterfuges which have had such a devastating impact on her family and future.


The narrative gains its momentum via the revelations gleaned from Maud's furtive reading of her father's diary entries. By revealing his innermost thoughts, the reader is granted access to the twisted psyche of this deeply unpleasant but compelling zealot. Michelle Paver has explored themes of female subjugation, medieval mysticism, religious fervour versus the onset of science in a most engaging way.

Set in East Anglia, Suffolk to be exact, Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver is an intense gothic novel concerning Edmund Stearn, his diary and his much maligned daughter Maud. There is a fair degree of fact woven into this tale and the setting of the Fens and its wildlife, both human and animal, is magically evoked. Stearn comes across as a cruel and manipulative husband who neither feels nor demonstrates any love for his children. He sees demons in everything and the teenage Maud is forced to turn detective in a bid to second guess her father’s every move. This is character building at its best and I was absorbed by this tale right to its end. Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC

A excellent read. The novel is a thrilling, atmospheric story set in the early years of the twentieth century. It is threaded with themes of religion and superstitions, the role of women and vengeance and it's consequences. It is beautifully written and well-researched. A compulsive read, fast-paced with an ever-present sense of threat. Highly recommended.

With beautiful writing and clever construction—using correspondence and journal entries, as well as narrative prose—author Michelle Paver weaves the mystery of a infamous murder with the story of a strong-willed girl oppressed by both her father and cultural expectations. Despite actions which under different circumstances could easily be considered questionable, the protagonist, Maud, feels relatable; she could have been an anti-hero in a different context, but in her setting and story, I found myself pulling for her without compunction.

Wakenhyrst has the feel of a gothic classic. Through setting and tone, the tension starts building from the first page and draws you in with the ebb and flow of a perfect pace. When reading, I was lost in the story, but in hindsight, I admire Paver’s craft. The stories within stories, the atmosphere—the darkness, but with highlights of warmth—it is the novel equivalent of an intriguing painting, with ever more to draw you in. It was a joy to read, a sincere page-turner.

Though I was provided an advanced copy for review, these are (as always!) my honest thoughts. I thank publisher Head of Zeus, Michelle Paver, and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read and review Wakenhyrst.

I first heard of her when my daughter was working her way through the 'Wolf Brother' series of books, and decided to read 'Dark Matter' before giving it her prior to her visiting Svalbard. It was a complex read which kept me up and left me emotionally drained in places!

I was therefore exited to read this book, which hasn't disappointed! It is very dark and atmospheric in it's writing, and created a sense of confusion in my perception when reading it in a way that Neil Gaiman sometimes does.

I loved this book. It is billed as a Gothic novel, and it certainly has elements of the Gothic in it, but it also had the feel of "Without Charity", Michelle Paver's first novel which was partly set in the Fens, and concerns an unconventional young woman.

Maud Stearnes, the central character in the novel, is not an attractive individual. She is very bright, but poorly educated, and constantly belittled by her father, who died in Broadmoor. If he isn't mad, he is certainly extremely disturbed.

The fact that none of the characters are attractive or likeable is completely irrelevant, by the end of the book I was reading faster and faster as I wanted to find out who did what to whom, and also (slightly) to find out if Maud achieved some kind of closure.

Highly recommended.

This is Maud's story and in 1967, at the age of 70, she has finally agreed to tell it. Her mother died when she was 12 after which she lived with her distant, academic father and her two younger brothers in a large house on the Suffolk Fens. Michelle Paver has researched the location and the time well to offer us a tale of virtual suffocation in a household dominated by a father who has very strict rules as to how girls and servants should behave. The story concerns the mysteries of Maud's father's past and his descent into madness alongside Maud herself finding freedom and expression on the Fens. I was gripped by the story and found all the characters very well constructed, helped by local dialogue and descriptions of customs and superstitions of the time and place. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy well crafted and researched historical fiction.

This is my second Michelle Paver book and I received this as an ARC copy from net galley but I think i read a different book to the one everyone else is reviewing. I found the whole thing stolid, there was a lack of action / narrative and evocation. It could have been set anywhere for me there was little of the fens in it and far too much about chatterpies. I really could not get into any rhythm reading it and neither did I or horror at all. I think me and this author are about done as the last book I read left me feeling disappointed too

I have read Michelle Paver's previous books, darkly Gothic historical ghost stories set in unexpected places. Wakenhyrst is different, but is as well written and structured as her other work. It is set in a large manor house in the early twentieth century, and follows the story of Maud, the young girl who lives there. Her father, Edmund, is a domineering and severe man. Following the death of her mother, Maud finds herself more isolated than ever, trapped in a house full of rules, surrounded by the bleak, wild fens.

As Maud grows up, she becomes fascinated by the unruly nature that surrounds her home, and explores it in secret rebellion. Her father's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic as he grows obsessed by historical painting known as a 'doom' uncovered in their local church. As Edmund descends into madness and the Fen seems to encroach ever further on the house, Maud finds herself and those she cares about at risk.

With Paver's skill for creating a sinister atmosphere in full effect, this is a great read for any fans of her previous work.

Maud Stearne is a typical example of a Victorian middle-class girl, when convention, superstition and religious dogma were as tight-laceing as women’s corsets. Her father is a cold and distant scholar of medieval mystics, her mother the ethereal, fragile wife, who finally succumbs to her n-th stillbirth and miscarriage. The Fens, just across a footbridge from their house, are beautifully portrayed as a place that is threatening, lying-in-waiting, full of foul odours and miasmas - sometimes even invading the house itself. But is that all that’s invading and what’s that clickety-click sound at night? Can a painting come alive? If you like a brooding, creepy gothic tale, you’ll like this.

A ghost story set in rural Suffolk and the lonely,quiet fens - what else do you need?

This book took me some time to 'get into', and I was really looking forward to it with the author's recent reputation for chilling, creepy writings. Thank goodness it was well written and conveyed the East Anglian county really well, but in the end I was not convinced with Maud (the main character), and thus did not enjoy it.

This was such a treat! Gothic suspense, the creepy fens, insanity...everything I could have wished for. Maud was a fantastic character, idiosyncratic, feisty, intelligent battling against the history and the superstitions of Wakenhyrst and her father. Her deep love of the fens, of Chatterpie, of Clem made her such a sympathetic character and pulled at my heart strings.