Erosion

Of Friendship, Dreams and the Edge of a Cliff - A Novel

by Lucya Starza

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Pub Date 1 May 2024 | Archive Date 15 Apr 2024

Collective Ink Limited | Moon Books

General Fiction (Adult) | Horror | Mystery & Thrillers

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Description

Alice wanted to write a book about a perfect summer by the sea. She didn’t think it would be about magic, bones and death...

''It all began when we found the bones…'' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

Alison wants to spend a glorious summer writing her novel, Asher wants to wow audiences with his comedy routines, Zoe wants to make a living as an artist, Jo wants to make the world a better place and Baz just wants to help his friends succeed, but the events that happen change all their plans.

Death and destruction test the bonds of friendship, yet moments of beauty entwine with scenes of horror as a magical summer becomes an autumn of devastation.

Alice wanted to write a book about a perfect summer by the sea. She didn’t think it would be about magic, bones and death...

''It all began when we found the bones…'' This is the start of Erosion, a...

A Note From the Publisher

Lucya Starza is an eclectic witch living in London, England, with her husband and cats. She is the author of the Pagan Portals books Candle Magic, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Guided Visualisations, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year. She also edited the community book Every Day Magic - A Pagan Book of Days and contributed to Weathering the Storm, Naming the Goddess, Essays in Contemporary Paganism and Paganism 101. As Lucya Szachnowski, she contributed to Rivers of London - The Roleplaying Game and co-wrote Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game supplements and scenarios published by Chaosium, including The London Guidebook, Day of the Beast, Strange Aeons and Before the Fall. You can find her daily postings on A Bad Witch's Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk.

Lucya Starza is an eclectic witch living in London, England, with her husband and cats. She is the author of the Pagan Portals books Candle Magic, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Guided Visualisations...

Advance Praise

A post-uni Bildungsroman, Lucya Starza’s Erosion explores the moral and existential choices that life presents. It draws the reader on with its easy style, engaging storyline and strong undercurrent of magical practices. Alison arrives in a run-down coastal town in 1980s Kent, hoping to write a novel. Instead, she falls in with a close-knit group of friends, amongst whom is a witch who lives on the edge of a cliff…an ancient skull is found, there are rituals, seances and deaths, friendships broken and re-made. Alison is propelled on a journey of personal transformation, as she is confronted with the great themes of truthfulness, fate and free will, to which the author gives no easy answers. On one level, this a simple tale, simply (and very readably) told, yet psychological and moral depths emerge as the story unfolds.

Barry Goddard, author of The Medicine Wheel, and Surfing the Galactic Highways: Adventures in Divinatory Astrology

Available Editions

EDITION	Paperback
ISBN	9781803414928
PRICE	US$12.95 (USD)
PAGES	176

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Additional Information

Average rating from 13 members

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Featured Reviews

Paul C, Reviewer

This was a really enjoyab;le book, with none of the tropes usually attached to the genre.

And what is the genre? Supernatural? Occult? Creepy thriller? I'm not sure, but as an avid horror reader, I loved this book even though there was nothing typically horrific.

Our prtagonaist is a wannabe writer who moves to a shabby British seaside town after Uni, makes new friends and relationships develope. The gang hang around with the local eccentric who lives on a cliff edge house where they find some ancient bones that they protect.

Things then begin to go sideways in subtile (and not so subtle) ways. I love a small town setting. I love that some of it is set in a caravan park, which really spoke to my childhood.

The character arcs are beautifully written, the pace slow and steady and the creeping dread is very real. A wondefully chunky and smooth read that will keep you reading, and wanting more.

Full marks! 5 stars!

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Christopher S, Reviewer

A gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams. Alison wants to spend a glorious summer writing her novel, Asher wants to wow audiences with his comedy routines, Zoe wants to make a living as an artist, Jo wants to make the world a better place and Baz just wants to help his friends succeed, but the events that happen change all their plans. Death and destruction test the bonds of friendship, yet moments of beauty entwine with scenes of horror as a magical summer becomes an autumn of devastation.

A very fun supernatural thriller with a very cool and unique setting. Interesting characters, great worldbuilding, and a very addicting plot. Fans of the genre will find plenty to love here!