An Unusual and Gothic Horror Read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for this Advanced Review Copy.

I haven't ever read a book quite like this, I don't think. The main character is a parasite with hosts throughout numerous human bodies, across what remains of the known world, and who has memories and experiences spanning centuries.

"The sight of this old train car saddens me, though I cannot quite articulate why." ... from this opening line, we meet the new 'institute doctor' [AKA parasite] on their way to replace the old one, who's just died at a remote chateau. Quite quickly, things get weird and intriguing. Completely out of the parasite's experience, he/she/it cannot remember huge chunks of the 'doctor's' last days at the chateau. And that's only the beginning of the strangeness. It turns out another pathogen is on the loose, and it becomes a race against time for the 'doctor' to identify, find, and neutralise this threat, which seems able to disconnect the 'institute parasite' from its host[s]. All clear enough so far?

I don't know in what genre I would place this, and other reviewers call it 'Gothic Horror', which seems as apt as any, so I'll choose that too. First up, this book needs trigger warnings for content. As the story progresses, the reader will come across: dysphoria, child sexual abuse, blood & gore depiction, medical experimentation, and arson, etc. The chateau and its baron are awful, to put it lightly. So, at times, this makes for heavy reading. The narrative also has its light moments with a wonderful sense of humour throughout. The story is both chilling and morally complex, and from that perspective, incredibly well written. Here are some lines I loved ...

"He lied so well even he didn't know it."

And ...

"Fortunately, he is not the kind of man who explodes. He only simmers and melts."

And ...

"... she knew never to look in a mirror in that place, lest her reflection move without her."

Near the end, we have a lovely line which rounds off wonderfully to where we started on the train ... hint: it's about a pair of institute gloves. I don't want to put in spoilers, so I'll say no more here. Sadly, the ending fizzled out somewhat, after so much struggle and pain and perseverance, and the reader doesn't get to learn whether or not the surviving characters make it. This felt like a let down for me. So, all in all, I found this an enjoyable read--if confusing at times--but one that didn't satisfy in the closing. The book contains some wonderful lines and descriptions, and tackles difficult topics, with vivid and real-to-life characters and fantastic world-building. For certain, I found it compelling and had to keep going. It gets a soft four stars from me. If you enjoy something a bit different, then this might be the book for you.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.


5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

Every so often, a dark weird little book comes along that gladdens my blackened heart. This has certainly been the case with Leech by Hiron Ennes. Crossing multiple genres -- horror, sci-fi, dystopia, climate fiction, gothic, fantasy -- Leech is a difficult book to pin down, but I shall do my very best.

In a post-apocalyptic future, medical practitioners have all been taken over by a hive-mind parasite, known to itself as the Institute. In a bleak, far-north setting, in a strange gothic castle, the Institute finds one of itself dead, and suspects it may have parasitic competition. What follows is a twisted story that, without ever feeling overly laboured or 'academic', raises questions of gender, humanity, the climate crisis, trauma, and probably several more heavyweight topics I missed.

The fact Leech covers so many issues might put off some hardcore genre readers who are mostly looking for a great story. Don't. Leech more than delivers on twists and turns, on fantastic world building, on strange likeable and hateable characters, and on beautiful, engaging writing. Like the work of Michel Faber or Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this book can be enjoyed just for itself, or can be dug -- or, more appropriately, incised -- into by those looking for deeper meanings.

A number of questions are still left open at the end of the story, which I can sometimes find frustrating when I've really enjoyed a book. However, I like these little mysteries. They're not integral to the plot and I don't feel that they've been side-stepped or forgotten about. Rather, the author has left me with some gems to mull over and inspect on finishing the book. I can watch them gleam from many angles, and decide for myself how I think they best fit together.

Leech is a book I think would appeal to a wide cross-section of readers, lovers of genre or literary, those craving a story or academic depths, but particularly those looking for a strange new world to be lost in, and a diverse cast of peculiar characters to ride along with.

With thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.co.uk for the e-advanced review copy.

Leech by Hiron Ennes is published on 29th September and can be preordered here.

A complex rather dark / gothic novel with supernatural or sci fi elements
I was quickly engrossed in the world of this story ,it took me some time to understand the many bodies one consciousness principle in the Doctor character and had to go back to the blurb to start with to understand this .The concept is revealed slowly with tiny hints in the storyline which are easily passed over in initial reading

I enjoy a dystopian novel and was drawn to this novel because of the dystopian elements of a world after climate change had created effectively another Ice Age .I loved the description of snow so deep that only upper stories of dwellings were visible over the snow and where the wind was so chilling that face masks were needed to prevent death .This device was very effective as it gave the novel a very locked in feeling adding to the claustrophobic gothic feeling of the novel
The characters themselves were defined mainly by their actions as apposed to their feelings .Sometimes I find this puts me off a novel but with this story somehow I found it worked
The life species that the Doctor finds taking over the residents of the region is sinister and frightening and described in horror detail .I loved the fact that it became slowly clear that the life form has many similarities to the life form taking over the bodies of others to develop more Medics .In this way we gradually develop a sympathy for them both
This is a fast moving atmospheric novel that might appeal to Stephen King lovers but also to those who like me love dystopian fiction and sci fi
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published 29 September by Pan MacMillan .Many thanks for granting me access to read the book early

For the Interprovincial Medical Institute, to grow is to survive. For hundreds of years they have done this by taking root in young minds, possessing them and shaping them into doctors, slowly replacing every human practitioner of medicine.

But now it appears they have competition. Following the mysterious death of one of their doctors in an isolated castle to the far north, a replacement is sent to investigate. Yet upon arrival they find not a simple cause of death for the doctor, but a parasite. And in the dark depths of the castle, already a pit of secrets and lies, it’s spreading.

With the other inhabitants trapped inside by the freezing winter winds, these two enemies will battle for ultimate control.

The question is not who will make it out alive, but what?

This story gripped me from the first page. It is dark and twisty, yet thought provoking and chilling and at times? I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Leech is just the kind of story to stalk you and turn your dreams into nightmares!

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

This was definitely a dark, disturbing, chilling little read. At first I felt it was a little confusing, but In time it all fell into place. I loved the gothic setting and it was terrifying at times. It was definitely something fresh and new, and I have a feeling more excellent things will come from Hiron Ennes.

A different and great take on horror and mystery. Keeping you on edge till the very end. A suspenseful must read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4739078402

This is probably another addition to the 'dystopian future' genre. Set in a catastrophic future era, people have essentially destroyed the earth and are trying to survive amid rusting machines they know longer know how to use and the various plagues their forbears have managed to unleash - including several highly evolved parasites which can colonise and take over human bodies.

On the plus side, the author is great at creating a creepy, claustrophic atmosphere, and for any given character the 'are they/aren't they colonised by a parasite' question keeps the reader on their toes.

On the downside, although the plot is very clever and had all fallen into place for me by the end, I did spend the first third at least wondering who some of the characters were, how they all fitted together and what exactly was going on (with the parasite question adding greatly to that!). I also thought the ending was a bit overblown - there seemed to be about ten unnecessary false endings/final twists to plough through before reaching the real one.

Overall, however, a smart, ambitious and relatively unique novel. Possibly one for those who like fantasy and horror books, with a slight sci fi overlay.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have no idea what to say. I am thoroughly confused. No idea what I’ve just read.

Some scenes I just managed to grasp what was going on, and I enjoyed those parts. Totally different from anything I’ve read before. However the rest… I was just completely lost.
This book would creep anyone out. So strange. I think I would benefit from reading this book a second time, that way I might understand a little bit better what the heck is happening.

Leech by Hiron Ennes is a pathogenic horror with a Gothic feel, a hive mind protagonist and a post post apocalyptic setting with a new weird sensibility. Dark secrets collide with a deadly parasite in a book that manages to combine all of these elements effortlessly into a moody and morally dark tale.

Leech refuses to stick to one genre, but gothic horror is probably the best description of it before having to work in too many adjectives. We have a character taking a rickety old train to a forbidding wintery land, staying in an ancient castle where the rich family who live there have a whole wealth of secrets. Only the protagonist is actually a hive mind virus (able to control hundreds of human bodies simultaneously) that has taken it upon itself to carve out a niche in the post-post apocalypse as doctors, preserving knowledge and catering both to the rich and poor.

When it finds out that its last body was infected with a macroscopic pathogen that prevented it from being able to communicate or see through its eyes, it starts getting disconnected itself, seeing strange flashes of memory. Most of the story is the protagonist (who doesn’t have a name – other than perhaps the Institute) trying to unravel the secrets of the pathogen, while preserving itself and (as a secondary objective) save the lives of those in the town.

While the protagonist has a hive mind, each body has some amount of intellectual autonomy, allowing it to talk to itself. It’s fascinating getting a glimpse into its strange mind, a creature that is not wholly dispassionate, but so terrified of not existing that it makes itself vital to the human race (chasing away or disposing of other doctors when needed). It clearly has some empathy, but not enough to outweigh its own needs.

The secrets in the town that are unravelled are incredibly dark, paired with the gruesome scenes of those infected with the pathogen. It’s not a book for those who wish to avoid triggers like body horror and sexual assault, although neither are mishandled as far as my opinion goes. All the foreboding builds and builds until things start to unravel spectacularly.

I found the climax came a little early for my liking, with things sort of meandering on after that until the ending, but ultimately it didn’t detract much from my enjoyment.

If you enjoyed The Thing, but wished it was more Gothic, or you wanted your pathogen horror with a side order of hive mind, or if you like your generational trauma in the backdrop of a VanderMeerian post-post apocalypse, or alternatively you like fresh combinations of genre and story, then check out Leech!

Rating: 9/10

I can honestly say that I've never read a book quite like LEECH by Hiron Ennes. The closest thing I think I can come to it in "weirdness" is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. Not in story mind you, but in total accumulation of wtf moments. I mean, how do you wrap your head around a story where the main character and narrator is a parasite that has taken over a number of hosts throughout the centuries, and whose latest body is a pathologist investigating a mysterious death inside the chateau of a reclusive baron. Oh and as that investigation unfolds, something even worse is discovered below the mines outside of the chateau grounds. Pretty cool-sounding plot, wouldn't you say? And that's just the first few chapters, the truly bizarre and intense stuff comes after that. Have I hooked you yet? Piqued your curiosity a bit?

As I said before, LEECH is an incredibly unique read to be sure. There are many instances where the narrative truly wraps you up and I felt myself being pulled into its tangled clutches for large stretches. Fair warning though, the language/dialogue is written in an older style, hearkening back to some of the works of 19th century novelists like Mary Shelley and Wilkie Collins. But that's also what makes the book stand out as it fits nicely with the desolate setting, which is very reminiscent of the frigid landscape scenes from Frankenstein and the dark wandering manor house halls from The Woman in White. So in that respect, the language definitely compliments this seemingly old school gothic horror/scifi tale.

I have to admit that I didn't really know what was going on when I first started reading this book. There were a few times when I put the book down in my lap, stared at the wall and thought what the heck just happened there? I'm really glad that I stuck with it though because as the story progresses, things that are merely hinted at in the beginning start to take on a sharper focus and become clearer. This is not a book for people who crave instant gratification, but rather it unfolds its secrets tantalizingly slowly. These can be the best types of books because the reward for paying close attention is so gratifying in the end.

Speaking of the end, the climax was not what I expected and that kept right in line with my whole reading experience with this one. I enjoyed LEECH and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good gothic read with some truly weird elements. This book is not for the squeamish as it does contain a fair amount of body horror, violence, and just plain icky scenes that left me making the squinty gross face pretty regularly. But I appreciated the compelling plot and also how author Hiron Ennes took chances and didn't sugarcoat anything with regard to many of the depictions of the characters. They truly have a solid grasp on their craft and the uniqueness of this book cannot be undersold. Definitely a wonderfully original book that took me out of my comfort zone at times but that I was so glad that I had a chance to read. Certainly check this one out because it is creepy and disturbing in all the right places and ultimately quite emotional. Very fitting that it will be released around the Halloween season too.

I was adamant that I was not going to enjoy this.
If I see a book advertised in banner ads on websites I visit, I am immediately dismissive. It's a turnoff. Most books I see in ads don't turn out to be good. That's red flag number one for me. I opted to read it anyway and was sent a digital copy that was improperly formatted. Red flag number two. Usually, in these cases, depending on how bad the formatting is and how long the book is, I’ll tough it out. I had to put down a book by an Author I love because the formatting of the ARC was missing portions of sentences. Contrary, I just finished a book that was all lower case. Weird, I know, but I fought through it.
In this case, a picture that was split between five pages kept appearing (I'm assuming the cover). Also, the letter combinations of fi and fl were absent. So, when I came across "ngers" in the opening, I thought it was the N-word and stylistic language was being used until I figured it out. Flaws would be "aws". Fire would be "re". You'd be surprised how many words use those combinations.
Ultimately, I was wrong.
This book is so fucking good, none of that mattered. Of course, when *you* read the book, it will either be on paper or properly formatted. Those ads might be long gone. So you're going to read this possibly based on my word and I'm telling you it's the perfect book to read in a dark, cozy place. I was hooked by the very first sentence. I can't think of one other time in my reading history where I fell right into the story, so quick and fast.
What really sells this book is the atmosphere. I can’t recall if I felt the same for the book as I did the movie, but does anyone remember The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remake that David Fincher did? There was a chilling and foreboding atmosphere when Blomkvist was on the island trying to solve the mystery of a girl’s disappearance. Despite the time period differences between that and Leech, I felt the same sense of dread. Speaking on that more, I’d also point out the fluidity in Hiron’s writing. At times, it’s easy to forget the setting, when this is taking place, the identities of certain characters meaning what they really are. This is a smartly written piece. A weird detail here or there plays out much later. Even as things are revealed you kind of are still just at the beginning of discovering the fuller picture.
I really….it’s hard to not go into too much detail. This is a book I feel you really have to experience genuinely. If someone had spoiled House of Leaves for me before I read it, I wouldn’t have been interested. The complexity of the main character also comes into play. There are many levels of psychological horror at play here. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Hiron delivers. When you get to the climax of the book, all these revelations wash over you. I’m biting my tongue here to prevent spoilers but I was left physically exhausted. This book is creepy and it's far out and it's threateningly calm then mind-rocking explosive. Ah, delicious.
There’s a chart floating around the internet. It has this book in the center and other books around it with a little blurb about what each has in common with Leech. Don’t look for it. It gives away the goat. Please, experience this book blindly.

I really enjoyed this read, it was dark, disturbing and chilling. I couldn't put it down and at times I just wanted to throw it down. I slept with a light on the night I finished it. I loved it.

Leech for me fits more than one genre. It's a chilling, morally complex masterpiece in my honest opinion. Definitely would recommend reading this.