Cinders Of A Blind Man Who Could See by Kev Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is yet another Short Sharp Shocks! story that hooked me in from the beginning and kept me there until the end.
When Owen's son barges into his house and tells him he's got his eyesight back on the eye he lost to an accident, he's suspicious. Especially when David tells him how it happened.
All of a sudden, Owen's life gets turned upside down, because the more his curiosity bites and the more questions he asks, the deeper he falls into some very strange things going on in his own village...
I really enjoyed this folk horror story. A lot.
Everything starts out so simple: a miracle that causes a character to investigate, several conversations that add to the mystery, and finally taking notice of what's right in front of him. As all of these things are going on, something dark and dreadful is slowly bubbling to the surface. Leading to a shocking ending.
There are several important characters in this tale, but my fave was (obviously) Owen. I liked how he dealt with everything with a nice cup of tea. Was amazed at how he'd become so withdrawn that even though he worked in the council, he didn't see all of this coming. I mean, who would? Most of us just want to get on with our lives without thinking about some shitty, ancient cult.
Also, the environmental aspects were interesting too. With all the clearing being done in forests, jungles and bushland, who the hell knows what ancient things are being disturbed? And that's where horror authors come in. 😁
This is a great story with one of my fave horror tropes: creepy towns. But hey, there's a lot more to like about this spooky tale.
And just like all the others I've read so far--as well as my own--Adrian Baldwin nailed the cover because it totally fits the moral of the story.
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