Happy Goat Horror

“A Battle Against Demons is a story about growing up, loss and grief. Anxiety. On the surface, it’s a classic horror mystery, and a darn good one at that. But in the depths of the story lies an even more fascinating family drama – a rural tragedy – that takes the reader on a frightening journey with autobiographical undertones. The book is full of well-developed characters and the nostalgia factor is significant for those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s.”

Welcome to Øyerstad

Robert

I find myself on a raft in Lake Mørkved, pursued by both the living and the dead. The muzzle of a gun pressed against my neck could save me from the Witch and Death but also prevent me from breaking the curse cast upon us all. How could things go this wrong?

Øyerstad

The sign welcoming you to Øyerstad is worn and torn, and if you blink, you might just miss it – the little village nestled deep in the forests of rural Norway. Everyone in Øyerstad thinks they know everyone in Øyerstad. They don’t.

The Circus

The Phantoms sway eerily outside the tent, where the scents of sweets, popcorn, grease, and oil mix with the stench of excrement. Hooves and claws scrape against iron grating. Something prowls out there, where light becomes dark, a deeper shadow within the shadows, ready to tear apart anything in its path.

Dark bleatings, my mysterious tribe! This novel was a unique reading experience for me. If I’m not mistaken, it’s a translated work, and I hardly ever get to read any of them so I was intrigued. It was so mysterious!

I will admit to being mildly confused at times as it took me a while to settle into the writing style, but once I was in, I was locked in. This story infuses classic horror, with nostalgia from decades past (1980s and 1990s), mythological concepts, and good old family strife.

I really enjoyed the story and the way it was told, and I suppose an element for me that really added to my enjoyment – and I’ve said this a couple of times recently when reading works by authors from Nordic and Scandinavian countries – was the influence of local (to the country) folklore. Every time I read a book written by an author that’s from a country I’ve never visited (especially if it’s a country with urban legends, folklore, and mythology that’s entirely alien to me and different from my own Welsh heritage) I end up going down an Internet rabbit hole trying to figure out what the author was drawing from versus what they completely conjured up of their imaginings.

I’d recommend this to horror fans who are looking for some extra depths, who would like to experience art from another culture (I wholeheartedly insist that you do), and for those looking for just a damn good story.

If you’d like to check out the book, I’ve popped the link below for you:

A BATTLE AGAINST DEMONS

Bleeeeat!