Mists and Megaliths, the newest short story collection by Catherine McCarthy, is steeped in Welsh folklore and could only be told by a storyteller such as McCarthy. The love and reverence McCarthy has for her homeland and its folklore are apparent throughout the book. Some stories contained in this collection include, but aren’t limited to:
Cragen- a young girl’s imaginary friend will do whatever it
takes to keep her to itself.
Two’s A Company, Three’s A Shroud- when burial accommodations
become tight in your village, you never know who your new neighbor might be.
Jagged Edges- an old railway guard reminisces about the rail
lines that he worked his entire life and the disuse and ruin that they have become.
MARA- a couple’s life is turned upside down by the spirit
box they bring home from holiday.
I loved this collection. While the stories fit in the horror
genre, I would say that they are firmly more of the quiet horror variety. Even
so, McCarthy has given us a wide variety to read: Eco-horror, cosmic horror,
dark comedy, and even heartfelt as you will find in the story “Coblynau,” which
was my favorite of the entire book.
Take the time to read the short notes included before each
story, they really enhanced the reading for me.
5/5 Stars
Many thanks to Catherine McCarthy for providing me an eARC
of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions of this work are my
own.
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