I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma Published by Tor.com on October 15 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 176
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
The nitty-gritty: A short but powerful tale of the dark emotional lives of a family, Ormeshadow is an exceptional novella with the promise of magic just around the corner.
I had no idea what to expect when I started Ormeshadow, but I have to say this was a surprise of the best kind. Priya Sharma has written a dark and dangerous family drama with just a touch of fantasy. The story is set in an unidentified time period (think Wuthering Heights) that feels like the early 1800s, perhaps, and takes place in a small English village called Ormeshadow.
Young Gideon Belman and his family have left their comfortable life in Bath and are headed to Ormesleep Farm to live with Gideon’s uncle Thomas and his family. Gideon isn’t told the reason for the move, but it has something to do with his father’s job at the university. John Belman is eager to help Thomas on his sheep farm, but Gideon and his mother Clare are bitter about having to leave their home to live with strangers. When they arrive, they are greeted warmly by Thomas’ wife Maud, but Thomas turns out to be a hard and unfriendly man whose violent nature seethes just below the surface.
Gideon and his parents slowly adapt to the harsh farm life, and Gideon’s only joyful moments are the times when his father takes him out to the Orme, the large outcropping of rocks that overlooks the bay, and tells him stories about the sleeping dragon who lives in the earth. According to John, the Orme is actually a dragon who, hundreds of years ago, flew down into the waters of the bay to cool off and fell asleep. She turned to rock, and trees and brush grew around her. John tells Gideon that it’s their responsibility to watch over the Orme until she awakens. Gideon doesn’t necessarily believe the stories, but he loves spending time with his father, away from the grim realities of the farm.
But one day, tragedy strikes, and Gideon’s life will never be the same again. His only hope for happiness is to search for the truth in his father’s stories, and to discover once and for all if the Orme is real.
If you are intrigued by stories that excel in character development and “slice of life” vignettes, then you’ll love Ormeshadow. The format is a bit unusual. It’s divided up into short, titled chapters that are almost individual stories themselves, yet each is seamlessly woven together to form a whole. Sharma focuses on big and small moments that happen on the farm between family members, and even though some of these moments seemed insignificant at the time, I found each to be profoundly important by the end of the book.
Sharma’s tale is a claustrophobic one, full of darkness punctuated only by candlelight at night and a cold sun during the day. Ormeshadow sits near the cliffs, and harsh winds, muddy fields and uneven, rocky ground lie in wait to make the characters’ lives miserable. Even worse is the anger and jealousy that simmers between the characters, ready to explode at any moment. These emotions were palpable, and I loved reading a story where the thing that made me keep turning pages wasn’t exciting action, but the terror of seeing just what these characters were capable of. There’s an unsettling feeling of isolation and being trapped, and I felt for Gideon and his mother, who have no way out of their situation.
As for the characters, I loved the relationship between John and Gideon the most. John hasn’t been dealt the best hand in life, but he loves his family and he’ll do anything to make the best of a bad situation. He’s a born storyteller, and I adored the moments where he weaves his magical tales, passing down stories that his father told him. But his kindness is almost negated by his brother Thomas, a horrible man who demands obedience from both his farm dogs and his family. He encourages fist fighting between his own sons and Gideon, and all the boys end up bloody at one time or another. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kill a character more than I wanted to kill Thomas!
The fantasy element I mentioned is subtle, and honestly, I’m still not sure I understand what happened at the end of the story. But Sharma’s gorgeous writing seduced me and made me desperate to believe that the implied magic was real. In any case, I loved the way everything comes full circle at the end—and when you read Ormeshadow you’ll understand what I mean. This is a powerful story told by a master storyteller, and I cannot wait to see what Priya Sharma writes next.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Trigger warning for animal violence.
You have me intrigued by the characterisation and the implied magic angle. Everything about this mix is entirely compelling. Must. Know. More! Thank you , your review was fabulous and comprehensive as always.
Thanks Verushka! It’s such an unusual story that could almost be classified as literary.
Some of these stories where magic and fantasy are only implied can be really powerful. Almost makes then seem more plausible. Maybe, just maybe, it’s real. Reminds me of being a kid, knowing these things aren’t supposed to be real, but… could they actually be? Great review, Tammy. Added to my TBR.
Thanks Todd, it did have an element of that “wonder of childhood,” although I can’t believe I’m saying that because poor Gideon’s life isn’t that wonderful.
Sounds really good. Excellent review!
Thanks Paul!
Such a wonderful review for this story. I’m so intrigued now! This sounds like it would be a wonderful movie too.
Laura Thomas recently posted…The Root Of Murder by Lauren Carr ~ Review and Giveaway
I think you’re right, it would be a really good movie.
I’m quite intrigued by your description of the dark, forbidding atmosphere of this story, which seems to be another character indeed…
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…TOP TEN TUESDAY: Books On My Fall 2019 TBR
Yes, you’re right! The atmosphere is almost it’s own character:-)
Wonderful review! I’m just starting to see some of these and they all seem positive so far. Sometimes I love stories like these (justrecenfly enjoyed Station Eleven) but sometimes if I don’t connect with the characters I get really bored. Glad it worked for you though!
It was really different from stories I usually read, which is one reason I loved it so much, I think.
Really like that cover. I never heard of this one before. It does sound interesting
Now that I’ve read it, the cover really fits the story:-)
I’ll be honest, nothing about this one really jumped out at me at all when the book landed on my doorstep, but your review has made me think I should take a second look 🙂
The cover and description are very unassuming, that’s for sure. I was surprised by how dark this was, it just worked for me!
Tammy, I just wanted to thank you for reviewing Ormeshadow. I’m always grateful to reviewers for taking the time to read and review, even if they don’t like my work, so extra thanks for the lovely comments. It’s very different from my other work! You’ve made my day. All the best, Priya
Thank you so much for visiting my blog, Priya! I’m so happy to have discovered Ormeshadow and I look forward to reading more of your work!
Tammy, thanks again. If you ever get time to read anything else, I hope you find something in it to like x
Lovely review, Tammy! Sounds like something that merits to be read as soon as possible. I love the sound of the drama and the characters in this novella.
Lashaan Balasingam recently posted…Heroes in Crisis by Tom King
Characters, atmosphere, drama. A great mix!
Oh wow. Great review, this one sounds amazing. I like that it’s a family drama, those are always interesting if done right because family dynamics are pretty varied and that always intrigues me. Glad you liked this one so much!
You would never know from the cover, but the family drama was very dark but riveting!
I saw this on your twitter feed. It sounds amazing and definitely like something I would love. I’ve added it to my wishlist.
Lynn
It was quite surprising, in a good way:-)
This one sounds beguiling, Tammy. I like the fact that it is so unusual – and your wonderful review, once again, has me wanting to add this one to my teetering TBS pile…
I hope you get the chance to read it, plus bonus, it’s pretty short!
If this were made into a movie or TV series, I suspect it would look a bit like “Poldark”!
It sounds beautifully written, although a little confusing.
This sounds like a great October read, especially for the chilly nights.