I enjoyed this book! It was easy for me to get into, and I was curious as to where the story was going. I have an anthropology background so that probably helped, but I think there's a lot here to hold the reader's interest. The setting in Russia was very unique and it was a good story of a dig/experience kind of taking the participants over. It ever so slightly reminded me of The Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, which I loved. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a strange mystery that focuses on the past and present, with just a touch of dark academia thrown in as well!

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Picture yourself on an archaeological dig, with two other postgraduates you don't fully like or trust, with an advisor who is definitely a little odd, and you're in the middle of nowhere in Siberia during summer time, when the sun hardly sets. That's enough to feel a little out of it, but when you add weird sounds, scratches in the floor, and everyone's increasingly nervous behaviour, you have a pressure cooker-type of situation ready to explore. That's The Sleeping Land which cooks slowly, but reaches a boil when necessary. Thanks to Unnamed Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Before I ended up in literary studies, I held childhood dreams of becoming an archaeologist. I couldn't imagine there being anything better than actually digging up and touching history that way. I eventually moved from digging in dirt to digging in books, but a certain fascination with archaeology remained. A lot of the students I teach also study archaeology and I have to admit to mild yearning whenever they speak of going to digs over the summer. Because of this longing, The Sleeping Land by Ella Alexander was, in many ways, right up my alley. In a way, it could almost fit into the Dark Academia genre, except that instead of dusty libraries and Greek lessons, it's dusty caves and lessons on sedimentary layers and safety protocols. The Sleeping Land is, as I said above, something of a slow pressure cooker but I can imagine that, for many readers, it is too slow. There are train journeys across the Siberian tundra, odd encounters with fellow travellers, ruminations on student-supervisor relations, diffuse lives coming together to dig, and the growing need for clear answers and guidelines. I enjoy these wanderings through the minds of characters, picing up snippets of backstory here and there, but also just following their thoughts on history, who gets to tell what story, and whether who we are is set in stone.

Val, Kit, and Mark are in Russia, shortly after the collapse of the USSR. They are going on a dig with their, somewhat enigmatic, supervisor George Auberon. He is at once just a man, and yet for each also a little larger than life. This dig could end up making their careers, and yet all three are, in their own ways, uncomfortable even before they reach a quiet, far-away valley to begin excavating a cave George remembers from previous travels. While each thinks themselves at least somewhat prepared for the strain of the dig, rumours that the valley is haunted, or "occupied", does little to settle their nerves. To say anything more would really spoil the fun, but be assured that in the last 10 to 15% of the book, the tension ramps up, as all the stress and anxiety that has built up explodes. Something I enjoyed was how the POV switched between Val, Kit, and Mark pretty consistently. I would say that the majority of the focus is on Val, but you get a solid insight into the other two as well, while George remains, quite rightfully, something of a mystery. I also really liked how Alexander described things throughout the novel, it really allowed me to picture their surroundings and feel the desolation of the dig.

I went into The Sleeping Land having, largely, forgotten what it was about. I knew I had requested it for a reason, so I decided to trust past me and not look up the blurb before beginning to read. Because of this approach, Ella Alexander got to properly lure me in without me having any preconceptions or clear ideas about where she wanted to take this book. What I enjoyed about the novel is that she is working with a cast of characters who are all, in their own ways, deeply annoying and unlikeable, and yet you also get to see them as actual, conflicted human beings. From the beginning I thought that Alexander managed to build up a good sense of how deeply entangled they all are with one another, with each other's pasts and futures, with their individual hopes and dreams, and it all ends up feeling sweaty, constricting, and a little gross. Which I imagine is what an archaeological dig in a cave must indeed feel like. While the novel does ruminate on history, on who gets to shape it and what that means, I think this theme could have come through a little more strongly. As it is, The Sleeping Land is a fun balance between historical fiction and something of a historical horror. For a debut novel, I am very pleased by the end result and I look forward to reading more by Ella Alexander.

The Sleeping Land pulls you in slowly, only to take your breath away with a rapid-fire finale. If you're a fan of archaeological sites and like your horror with a side-serving of history, then this is the novel for you.

"The Sleeping Land" follows a group of archaeologists on their journey to Siberia to carry out a dig, the motive of which ends up being more sinister than originally thought. I will preface this review by saying that i greatly enjoyed the writing of this work, which drew me in from the very first pages, making me appreciate it throughout the whole book as it helped set the unsettling atmosphere needed. I do, however, understand why this book might end up eliciting polarising opinions within the general audience: to me, it felt more of a character study, focusing on the (admittedly few) characters and the relationships that tied them together, rendering the pace of the work very slow and making the dig take up almost a secondary place in the narrative. Nevertheless, I found the writing style to complement the slow pace in a skilful way, making the act of reading it very enjoyable and not boring at all.
If i have to critique this book it would be because of its inconsistently fast paced ending, which i would’ve preferred to be a bit more detailed, though it did not take away from my enjoyment of the work. Overall i found this book to be a pleasant surprise and i would definitely check out more books from the author in the future.

I liked this book. Firstly, I thought the writing was very solid. It’s beautifully descriptive, moody, and builds up a slow sense of dread. I personally liked the characterisation, too; there aren’t a lot of characters, but I felt I had a good grasp of their personalities. The concept of the book is an interesting one.

I can see this book being a little polarising; I personally liked the way the story was told, but it is a little meandering and sometimes hard to follow. The pace initially is very slow, building up to quite a pacy final 20%, but I found I didn’t mind it taking a while to get to the crux of the story. I thought it suited the book. A lot of the story is about paranoia, for me, so it worked well.

So, the book wasn’t scary, but it was certainly unsettling and intrigued me from the start. It was readable, if a bit slow at points, and the ending took me by surprise. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a slower, creeping sort of folk horror. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Death, ritual murder, death of an animal, scenes of sickness, references to infidelity.

Thank you Netgalley & The Unnamed Press for an eARC❤️



Honestly, I'm not even sure where to start with this book. I mean, I was super stoked to get my hands on an advance copy, especially since I've always been fascinated by the Soviet era (I was born just three years before it all came crashing down). But, wow... this story really got under my skin.
It's about these three junior archeologists – Valerie, Kit, and Mark – who embark on this crazy excavation in a remote Siberian cave with their advisor, George Auberon. I'm talking eerie vibes, creepy silences, and shadows that seem to move of their own accord. As they dig deeper, they uncover some pretty wild secrets that'll keep you guessing till the very end.
The writing's gorgeous, the characters are complex, and the tension's palpable. If you're into historical fiction, psychological suspense, or just a good adventure, you need to check this out. 🔥

These people were not interesting enough to be as catty as they were. I need my unlikable characters to at least be interesting. Or, if not interesting, I need the plot to make up for the slack. I was so unengaged that I felt like nothing was happening even as the story was progressing. I was bored. I only upped the rating to two stars because the last 20 percent was what I had been wanting all along.

Based on the description, I really thought I would like this book. But I could tell by the end of the first chapter that the prose and overall “feel” of the novel was not akin to my tastes as a reader. The plot seemed like it moved at a snail’s piece and I couldn’t get myself to feel attached to any of the characters. That being said, I do believe this book would appeal to readers interested in archaeological mysteries, but —at that— they’d have to be deeply invested in the archaeological. Not a fan, but thank you for the ARC!

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but unfortunately this is just not the one for me. I want to start by saying I love the premise of the book, it was the execution that fell flat for me. I found pacing of the book did not flow well for me, I found it disruptive that they left the cave in the middle of the story and then went back later. The beginning also felt a bit drug out. I also feel that I did not get to know the characters as well as I would have liked, they have a strong background with each other and this would have been nice to see more of. I just struggled to get into this, and then when I finally did, what they found in the cave just did not fully sell me.

With this all being said, I will be refraining from sharing my review to my socials.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was surprised! Based on the description, I thought it would be interesting, and it definitely was. I love the sort of vague, cryptic nature of the book as it creeps along through the narrative, but you can see the relationships build and learn who the characters are. By the time I got to the end, I felt like they were my friends and I was hoping, PRAYING, they would make it through. I found it super intriguing overall, but also a sort of comfortable, quick read if the material grabs you.

This book drew me in immediately. It is so lyrical, dark and at the same time somber. I like Val, I have opinions on the others, I am interested.

The storyline itself is really unique, at least to me. Not per se the train and it’s many interesting passengers but the motifs, the motives, the location to a degree and the plot in general. Having used such a big chunk of the narrative on the train was a good choice. It set up the characters in relations with each other but also in quiet mediation on their own lives.

And I’m taken by the three young people but oh how much I hate George. His arrogance, his abuse of power, his leading the students into a dangerous situation, his pressuring Val in the cave. Horrible. And he just keeps getting more and more unlikable.

The story on the other hand, tense and intriguing til the very end. It felt like a really good episode of The X-Files with Scully not believing in the end but Mulder knowing what he saw.

It's not dark academia if they're not actually in the academy for the entirety of the novel, but The Sleeping Land's archaeological dig group sure shares some characteristics of the genre. Charismatic and independently wealthy leader, check; simmering sexual resentment, check; a contained setting, check; things going badly wrong, check. I'd argue, though, that this novel's forebears are more VanderMeer and Strugatsky than Tartt and Bardugo. Arriving in Siberia right after the fall of the USSR, the group discovers that their access to the dig site—a sacred prehistoric cave—is mediated by a local contact named Vasiliy who seems to have a variety of shady connections, and perhaps an agenda of his own. A coke-dealing American businessman on the Trans-Siberian Express accuses them all of working for the KGB, or the CIA. Isolated at the site for weeks at a time, minor incidents make each group member begin to doubt elements of their own reality. There's a real sense in this novel of a metaphorical other world, a system of behaviour and conduct and money that underlies the seemingly straightforward imperatives and preoccupations of the explorers. VanderMeer gets at this when he writes of the Company; Strugatsky, in his descriptions of the Institute founded to study the Zone. Alexander writes so well, too, with an unshowy clarity and competence (but an eye for the telling detail) that makes it easy to surrender to the reading experience. My sole complaint is that the ending feels very abrupt, but otherwise, I'd highly recommend this. Source: NetGalley; publishing 4 March

I really wanted to enjoy this one, dark academia has been a genre that has consistently delivered for me, but unfortunately this fell short.

Something about this book just felt lacking, as if there was nothing really that it was trying to say.
The plot follows a group of archaeology students on a dig, all of whom felt somewhat flat, as if they were meant to be complex and alluring but were unable to ever feel three dimensional. And then the plot which was plodding along for 90% of the book suddenly teetered into a surreal ending that felt neither compelling nor shocking, just vaguely irritating and unnecessarily devoid of reality.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! I was so excited everytime I got on the train because I knew I'd get to read more of this. I think the ambiance of the story really is what makes it fabulous. I was totally captured by the cave, the strange happenings, all of it! Also the ending?!? THE ENDING. cray cray. The only thing that hurt this book I think was the third person close of all three grad students--I think that following Mark specifically wasn't needed (except kind of at the end?) and sometimes made it a little confusing (but this could also be from me reading this on a kindle so weird spacing sometimes). Bravo Ella I applaud u!

"Less than three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, three archaeology grad students and their enigmatic adviser arrive at a remote cave in the heart of the Siberian wilderness to carry out the first extensive Western dig on Russian soil since the execution of the czar.

Surrounded by a looming forest with eerie silences and flickering shadows, Valerie, Kit, and Mark begin their dig under the eccentric and charismatic guidance of the venerable George Auberon. The excavation yields fascinating discoveries, and excitement grows among the team, but George's true motivations soon reveal themselves to be less noble than he originally let on.

As each member of the party grapples with the challenges of the dig, going deeper into the cave, a strange feeling sets in. Is there something else in the forest with them? Or has George's paranoid ambition gotten to them?

A powerful debut with vast imaginative range, The Sleeping Land follows a cast of memorable characters as the barriers between past and present collapse around them."

T. Kingfisher by way of Michael Crichton.

The Sleeping Land had such a good premise but, unfortunately this book was not for me. I love a good historical thriller but, this just took way too long for me to get into. even through the book i honestly did not care about what was happening or how it was going to end.

I liked this book. The pacing was extremely slow, as other reviewers have pointed out but I thought it kind of added to the tension so I didn’t necessarily see it as a negative. The relationships between the main characters were interesting, I think I would have liked to have known more about their history but I don’t think it was essential to enjoy the book. Throughout the book, there’s a creepy overtone that I enjoyed, almost like in a thriller or horror movie when you know something is going to happen but you don’t know what or when. The switch between POV could have been a bit more clearly marked as I did get confused a few times about whose point of view I was reading. Overall, a quick, interesting read.

Boy do I hate when a debut novel just doesn't work for me and this really, really didn't work for me. I was excited about it because the premise is very intriguing and the cover is beautiful. However, what I got just wasn't it. Not in my opinion, anyway. 2.5 stars.

This is about a small group of archeologists who are going to a remote cave in the Siberian wilderness to do an extensive dig in a place that's said to be "occupied." Doesn't that sound great?! So, you see, I was expecting tension, eeriness, creepiness, atmosphere, or thrills of some kind. Even a little horror! But I didn't get any of that.

My biggest issue is the pacing. It was so bad and so not what I expected, it threw me off right away. It takes them 35% (!!!!) to even get to the cave and that 35% was incredibly boring, with the exception of maybe the first 5 or so chapters, where we get introduced to the characters and get a feel of the kind of people they are. They're not very interesting people, by the way, and they don't really like each other, a fact that's shoved down our throats throughout the book for no reason.

After every chapter, I kept thinking, "Okay, surely they won't be on this train for much longer, right?"

When they finally do get to the cave, things get a little more interesting and I started having hope again. There's a claustrophobic scene inside the cave that was really good and they actually dig up something unexpected, but they don't spend much time there before going back to a town or whatever, and I was shocked by that. It made no sense to interrupt their time at the cave, what the fuck?

Then, they return to the cave and it's already, like, 70 or 80%, so of course things start picking up. Weird things happen, things escalate a little, and we finally learn what's "occupying" the cave. The thing is, and this is my second biggest issue with the book, the discovery is incredibly unbelievable and zero attempt was made at making it believable within the reality of this novel, so it falls flat on its face. It just doesn't work, in my opinion. Not at all.

And it could have worked, that's the thing!!! It could've worked and it could've been such an impactful and creepy story, but it wasn't cause it wasn't established well. And the characters' reaction to this amazing discovery was sooo... flat. You'd think they discovered something completely ordinary. None of them were in awe. I have no words for how underwhelming everything was in the end.

One thing this does have going for it is the writing. Ella Alexander can write and I will keep an eye out for any future books, but this one is a no for me and I feel sorry about that.

NOT A HORROR
If that book were labeled as fiction, I would give it 3 stars. Unfortunately, it's in the horror category, and as such, it deserves 1 star.
Archeologists travel to Syberia to uncover mysteries in an ancient cave. It sounds interesting and promising. But, surprisingly, there is very little happening in a cave, which is supposed to be at the center of this book, right? I was expecting weird things to happen in this otherwise perfect horror setting.
Almost all of the book focuses on the dynamics between the members of the expedition. There is a lot of tension between the archeologists, professional rivalry, jealousy, and suspicions. The problem is that we don't get straight answers, and with sudden changes of POV, it all gets a bit messy.

Four archeologists travel to Siberia for a dig, only to find their charismatic leader, George is hiding something.

Initially, I was really excited to read this novel. I love the idea of an isolated research expedition, the potential claustrophobia and dangers that caves bring, and mysterious happenings and the suspense and tension that comes with that. And I think somewhere in this there is a really interesting story to be told, but for me personally, it was not a good fit.

There were major issues with the pacing. At the halfway point, you get the first inkling that something is off and you think, "Ah, here we go!", but nothing really happens after that to build any sense of tension, not until very near the very end of the book. Even then, when we should be hitting the climax, it falls flat because the characters we have been following are really unlikeable; in fact, they all dislike each other. I couldn't feel anything for them.

On a positive note, the setting is really interesting. And at the very end, when the characters interact with each other and talk with each other as a group, there was a better dynamic than them being in their own thoughts hating each other. The mystery of the cave and the lore of the area also had potential that I wish was explored more.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.