This unfortunately did not do a lot for me. Temporally the plot was confusing and therefore didn’t really make sense. There was a lack of signposting when it came to time periods.

This is a dark Oxbridge based mystery involving a student from a modest background getting into the inner circle of a charismatic, damaged and wealthy student. Comparisons with Saltburn are inevitable and although I didn’t love this as much as other readers, I have to acknowledge that it is compelling and accomplished. I often struggle with stories where I find myself unable to engage with the characters and this was the case this time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry but this is a DNF for me. I got to 30% and just couldn’t be bothered to go on.
Narrated by possibly the most uninteresting character I have ever had the displeasure of reading, I just couldn’t face another 70% of the book in the characters company, no matter how the book went.

His fawning over a charismatic magician in college was uncomfortable to read and bizarre in the extreme. The whole shtick just felt unnatural and incredibly boring.

I’m sorry that I didn’t finish this having had the publisher supply a review copy but I just couldn’t continue with this one.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I enjoyed this tale of Cambridge students and dark magic, although the ending wasn't what I wanted.

The initial third of the book was a bit slow, and I was tempted to put it aside. The main character, and narrator, is such a pathetic wet-wipe, which is clearly intentional, but it was making the book tough going! Thankfully, the pace picked up and I became engrossed in the main relationships, the descriptions of Cambridge Uni life, and most of all, by the spooky goings on. The main character is pitifully hung up on the big man on campus, Bryn, a charming, larger-than-life jerk who also seems to be into black magic. The author is clearly talented and created some really nice spooky moments, and I was looking forward to how it would all pan out...

...but the ending wasn't what I personally wanted. There was a twist, which was cool in it's way, but I felt it undercut a lot of what I'd enjoyed about the book.

3.5 stars but I'll round up in case I get hexed.

I enjoyed this book, in spite of many of the characters being complete clichés. The storyline is compelling, and the author conjures up the very unreal world of university life very well. There are obvious comparisons with The Secret History, and this book isn't quite as brilliant as Donna Tartt's masterpiece, but it is still a very good read, and one I will definitely recommend.

I read somewhere that setting your story in an old crumbly university where bad things sometimes happen is not good enough to qualify it as dark academia, that there should be critique of the institution’s colonial history or the way academia gatekeeps prestige or basically some overt attempt at de-romanticising the setting. I think this book does that quite well. The unnamed narrator is a small-town low-income student of music in Cambridge, struggling to afford his time there while surrounded by rich kids whose parents literally bought their way in. He becomes obsessed with the main character of their year, Bryn Cavendish of the old money Cavendish clan and infamous magician father who dabbled in the occult.

When I say obsessed, I mean Obsessed. He cannot go a moment without thinking about Bryn, thinking about how best to get into Bryn’s inner circle of friends. He dates Bryn’s cousin, and when that fails, becomes best friends with his girlfriend. He definitely neglects his studies and his real friends who worry about his uncharacteristic partying and drinking. He also sees things that suggest Bryn is actually a dark magic practitioner. All this is told in recount, as the now-adult narrator returns to Cambridge to commemorate Bryn’s untimely death. It’s very reminiscent of The Moth Diaries.

What’s interesting about this book is how adamant the narrator is in romanticising his memories of that time, which are revealed to be inaccurate at best and highly skewed at worst. People tell him to his face that he needs help and he foolishly ignores them all, hell-bent on believing his fantastical narrative that proves he had a brush with something extraordinary. NGL, there’s something alluring about this level of delulu.

And He Shall Appear, Kate van der Borgh’s haunting debut, is a powerful exploration of privilege, obsession, and envy, narrated by an unnamed protagonist whose insecurities and delusions bring remarkable depth to the story. With poetic prose and layered storytelling, van der Borgh examines the fragile nature of trust and loyalty, drawing readers into a darkly compelling world where ambition and envy blur the lines between admiration and obsession. This novel resonates with a chilling beauty, capturing vulnerabilities with stunning precision. Fans of Saltburn and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History will find much to admire in this atmospheric, thought-provoking work.

I love a good dark academia read! And He Shall Appear has the perfect blend of magic, mystery, and macabre. There’s the ancient, ivy-covered Cambridge University … the gloomy weather and the eerie ambiance.. shadowy corridors .. dimly lit spaces and hidden dangers. The characters themselves are well-developed, and have relatable struggles.

The story follows the unnamed narrator/ protagonist who becomes fascinated/obsessed with Bryn and his magical talents. He goes out of his way to be closer to Bryn and gain his approval. However, as the story progresses, the darker side of Bryn’s character emerges - his manipulative and sinister side. As such, our protagonist begins to question his own reality and mental state until he has to decide whether to break free from Bryn’s influence or risk losing himself entirely.
The perfect read for a gloomy weekend.

Well this book gave me the creeps and i absolutely loved it. Highly recommend. Read it!! Thanks NetGalley, and publishers for the early release. 4/5

Dark Academia is a new genre to me, and heralded as 'The Secret History' meets 'Saltburn' seemed like a winner, though I'm not so sure that would be my description. Van ver Borgh has an interesting writing style in which the use of an unnamed narrator, a flickering structure and (obviously) an academic setting is melded with, in places, some really effective atmospheric narrative style. Music features well and adds to the cadence of the general tone of the novel as well as harnessing a specific timeframe. Obsessive 'friendship' is the main theme, but - and it's a big 'but' - I wasn't convinced by the characters. I hate to say that, I really do, because there is a lot of good stuff here, but there it is... Don't get me wrong, I love an unlikeable character or two or three, but that unlikeability has to be narratively important - it has to be an element of the whole of the novel's ingredients, and I just didn't feel that here, so that unstuck the glue of the plot a little. I am, however, grateful to NetGalley and to the publishers for the privilege of the early read.

Unsettling and creepy this obsessive and magical story will hook you in. Smart, soaring and brilliant. This is an outstanding read.

While I can appreciate the writing skills of the author this turned out to be just not the sort of book for me and I can't say I enjoyed it that much. Pity but nevertheless my thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Part of me should have known this wasn't for me. But the synopsis intrigued me.
Sadly though I just couldn't get into this.
The pacing felt slow and the characters were so unlikable it just struggled.
Maybe books compared to Secret History aren't for me.

Was all set to be spirited away by this story, loved the setting and certainly the writer achieved the feel of student life at Cambridge both in the past and the present though it was sometimes difficult to discern the time difference.! Our main character is entranced by Bryn, the young man of the moment, the ‘in’ person surrounded by his adoring fans. However there is more to Bryn than meets the spiritual eye! His father was a famous magician and Bryn’s aim in life is to emulate his hero. There are dark shadows sliding along roof tops, things that go bump in the night, odd illusions which are difficult to explain. The story creeps along but nothing really seems to happen and I was waiting for the grand finale which never really happened!

Having finished reading And He Shall Appear, it has left me rather puzzled, what really is at the heart of the novel?
Initially we follow the trials and tribulations of a young man coming to terms with a life so different from what he's used to, as he begins the first year of his life at Cambridge University. The writing is exceptional and for the first third of the book you become hooked. But where was it headed? Would it be homo-erotic or a young man with just an obsessive crush on a charismatic student with a penchant for magic? It was the latter and certainly a rather unhealthy crush as he could not really discern how little his friendship meant to the 'magician', a certain Bryn Cavendish.
I am afraid the latter two thirds of the novel became wearisome and other than the death of a female student, rather predictable.
The author possibly got some inspiration from the life of Peter Warlock (Philip Arnold Heseltine), although I would suggest that Hilaire Bellock was the source of the lyrics to which Ha'nacker Mill became one of the student's favourite works of Warlock. Halnaker Mill being in West Sussex.

Really dark and gripping book and as a dark academia reader I really enjoyed this. I would love to read more by this author! Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

"And He Shall Appear" was promoted as The Secret History meets Saltburn in this decadent dark academia thriller but for me it didn't have the plot of The Secret History and I'd argue it was less of a thriller and more of mystery.
The story is told by an unnamed narrator using the device of him having to attend a function back at his old Cambridge college and the journey and event triggering a series of memories from his earlier time there, so the story switches back and forwards between the two timelines. This sets up some excellent foreshadowing making the book hard to put down in places.
The writing is very atmospheric, with good use of metaphor and descriptions of things, sounds, smells, lights etc that are enough to make a chill run down your spine. Kate van der Borgh's knowledge and understanding of music also comes across as our narrator describes the soundtrack to his time at Cambridge.
The characters, most of whom are high class, wealthy and egotistical do not come as people you'd particularly want to get to know and I didn't even bond well with the narrator either. However, I suspect there is more than an element of truth in their descriptions and quirks and they all shine from the page.
The ending is tragic and wistful, fitting for a very well written book that pulls you in. It is an immersive and gripping read but I should have like a more tangible plot for fives stars.
I would happily read another work by this author and it is a great debut novel.
With thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Oh this was really fun!

There's a lot of "dark academia" around and it really ranges in quality.

This has a perfect mix of a classic setting - very Saltburn. A young awkward man starts university and becomes mesmerised by a rich and popular boy, with his rich and popular friends. So far, so Saltburn.

But what And He Shall Appear does well is a really haunting dual narrative. While I much preferred the university sections, these add much needed weight and context, Plus a plot twist that I had to reread twice and nearly made me drop the book.

This one is fun and should be massive.

Our narrator arrives at a Cambridge College to study music. He is from a Northern Comprehensive and he finds it quite difficult to settle and make friends. Life generally is so different when compared with life back home with family and friends around. In Hall there are a number of students who either went to the same, or similar ( boarding) schools.. Their general demeanour,, language and accents coupled with their air of self confidence had little regard for might be thought of as normal.. Happy to challenge College rules with some only attending lectures as and when it suited them etc.. Bryan Cavendish was their natural leader and he dictated whether you could join them or not. The rest were very much followers. Out of favour one might simply be dropped or driven out through unhappiness.
Bryn was a magician, a skill acquired from his father., and happy when seemingly finding an egg in one’s ear.. But other tricks or deceptions could be more sinister where the butt of the joke fell on one of the group or a passing outsider. Life moved on until one fateful day when the bodies of Bryn and his then current girl friend were found under the bell tower. Learning how and why requires you to read the book. Similarly, to find out what happened post University ….. although the book’s title “And He Shall Appear” provides a clue.

This is a goo, well constructed, book particularly if you are into “ young people noir” The characters and their interactions are so well written you can imagine you were there observing it all.

Recommended.

And He Shall Appear by Kate van der Borgh is a haunting and intricate debut that blends dark academia with an unsettling supernatural twist. The story follows a young man who arrives in Cambridge for his first year, immediately feeling like an outsider. While his peers seem well-versed in the traditions of punting, politics, and parties, he struggles to find his place. That is until he meets Bryn Cavendish.

Bryn is a captivating figure – notorious for his wild partying and impressive magical abilities. To be within his orbit is to escape the confines of ordinary university life, basking in a haze of ecstasy and rule-breaking. But to be excluded from his inner circle means a life of haunting isolation on the fringes of campus life.

As the academic year progresses, Bryn's magic tricks take on a more sinister tone, and the narrator begins to question whether Bryn's influence stems purely from his charm or if something darker is at play. Is his power fuelled by charisma alone, or has he tapped into something far more dangerous?

This book is a deeply atmospheric and eerie exploration of obsessive friendship, shrouded in mystery, magic, and gothic undertones. The layering of reality with a ghostly, dream-like quality makes for an intoxicating and perplexing read. It's ideal for lovers of dark academia, with its occult elements and an ominous sense of foreboding.

For those who enjoy creeping into the shadowy corners of the human mind, and exploring themes of power and obsession, this book is tailor-made. However, be warned – it delves into occult practices and devil worship, which may not appeal to every reader. If that's your kind of unsettling thrill, And He Shall Appear will certainly not disappoint.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.