Three generations of women uncover an ancient evil in this epic genre-bending horror-fantasy — a “fearless” Faustian tale perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs (Cat Winters). Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil’s Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations . . . Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by …
Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember — so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?
In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward — one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.
1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.
Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching . . .
This haunting, captivating, and “delightfully disturbing” mystery redefines horror and fantasy (Kirkus).
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Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich is an ambitious, atmospheric novel. It follows several timelines through diary entries, letters, journals, and the story itself.
Story line one sets up the Gothic sensibility, with Fostos who makes a deal with the devil to live an immortal life. There is a cost, though, that Fostos willingly pays – he must give souls to hell. (Where does a soul reside, and can it be ripped from a host?) Fostos somehow finds ways to ferret out the soul through organ extrication and a water wheel, which leads to story line two. Said water wheel needed to be built, and what better place to build than over the very spot Fostos made his original pact, on a mountain of slate and death? Under an assumed name, he oversees the construction of Mill House. Workers and his own children go missing. His wife witnesses his communication with a huge black goat and fights to save her last boy.)
In the 1800’s, a young orphan with unusual abilities is taken to Mill House where she meets other wards of the mysterious Dr. Maudley. Things get a bit muddled, people go missing, a brutal sadist is hired to teach a young boy (and not Roan or the other female ward) the legend of Faust.
And in modern times, a teen named Zoey is drawn to Mill House, where her father went mad.
The novel is peppered with interesting typeface and unusual formatting, pictures and illustrations, and some DaVinci-style letters. It is presented almost like a found-footage film, which means it is disjointed. There are grisly scenes and interesting concepts, but the novel leaves the reader requiring Ms. Kurtagich’s promised sequel to tie up a good number of loose ends.
3.5 Stars.
TEETH IN THE MIST, by Dawn Kurtagich is a dark, atmospheric tale that focuses on three separate timelines: The 1500’s, the 1850’s, and present. I had no problem in following along the different characters/years, and enjoyed the one set in the 1850’s the most. The characters were the most “focused” on in this part, so they stood out the best. I loved the attitudes, suspicions, questions raised, and …. abilities that were brought into play.
For the majority of this book, I would have said it was a four star read–I had no major complaints, and simply “enjoyed” certain chapters more than others. However, all of the timelines fit together like a puzzle, and what made this more enjoyable is that we weren’t thrown all the pieces at once; rather, we had to go through and pick up the clues as they were given.
My only real disappointment came towards the very end. I enjoyed putting the facts into play, but the ending was just–too “different” from the rest of the novel, imho. There were several key issues that I would have liked more information on, and was disappointed that they were simply mentioned and passed over.
Overall, I found this novel to be very entertaining and “different” in style to many others. I really enjoyed the concept, and the sets of different characters that showed how things progressed throughout the centuries. My biggest regret was that at the end we learned a lot of key information, but more “in passing”, and nothing was gone into further. Personally, I would have liked more information on certain aspects of the mountain/house. Also, the characters from the present displayed a trait that was never really satisfactorily explained. If not for all of the questions I was still left with at the end–which seemed a little “hurried” to me–I would have rated this a solid four stars. Still, I enjoyed it enough to read more from this author in the future.
Recommended.