Every year they gather, while the girls shoot their arrows and the boys hunt them out. The air is riddled with spiteful shadows – the wounds and fears and furies of a village year.
On a remote and unforgiving island lies a village unlike any other: Neverness. A girl is snatched by a water bull and dragged to its lair, a babe is born with a wing for an arm and children ask their fortunes of an oracle ox. While the villagers live out their own tales, enchantment always lurks, blighting and blessing in equal measure.
Folk is a dark and sinuous debut circling the lives of one generation. In this world far from our time and place, the stories of the islanders interweave and overlap, their own folklore twisting fates and changing lives.
A captivating, magical and haunting debut novel of breathtaking imagination, from the winner of the 2014 Costa Short Story Award.
Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Bloomsbury India for the Review Copy but the thoughts, opinions and feelings expressed are my own!
My reason for requesting to review this book was at first; was purely aesthetic – LOOK AT THAT COVER! Do you even blame me? It made the heart of a certified #coverho go into pitter – patt mode; like the sound of falling in love for the very first time!
And then i read the blurb; this collection of short stories sounded enchanting; certainly alluring enough to hold my interest for it had it’s foundation in folklore; which if written perfectly could be end up being a dazzling read; I believed I was in for a fantastic time!
As a collection of short stories occurring on an island; so it is highly probable to assume that there should have been connected with each other – yet somehow they still felt disjointed at times, and I do believe it was mostly because the characters failed to leave a mark on me!
The writing though; the writing steals away your heart and burrows down in your soul! Ms. Gilbert has this lyrical way of writing; a brilliant balance between metaphors and reality that enchants the reader with the fairytale-sque quality of the story!
Which ends up being as much as a pro as well as a con; for the connections between the different characters and the individual stories never ended up being that strong enough or impactful enough to leave a mark on my mind!
I would still recommend this book; if solely for the writing style; which has made me a fan of Ms. Gilbert for life! ❤
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5
Amazon US | Amazon IN
For The Love of Fictional Worlds 
How often do you get a book from Bloomsbury? And is there any criteria for being selected for giving copies?
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Hii!
I usually end up requesting books from Bloomsbury! I do not know about any criteria per say; I think you need to contact them for the review copies that you are really excited about! ❤
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Thanks for the reply! I had requested but there seems to be no reply. Can you send the email ID you have been contacting via message? Have you contacted Sneha Khaund?
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Hey love! So Sorry for the late reply, i have been unwell this past weekend. Sneha is my contact at Bloomsbury India. She is a sweetheart! Have you talked to her?
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I am confused so as to whether i should get the book or not 😛
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Hahaha how about this? If you love a writing style that eclipses everything even a story or their characters; and if you are okay with not being too attached to the characters then yes you should definitely get this book!
Plus; the cover? Looks amazing on your bookshelf 😉😉
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yes, the cover 😛 I have to admit I have a weakness towards pretty books. Let’s see if I get this book or not. Because no matter how incredible the writing style, I always looks for characters who can connect well to me
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Same! But the characters is in this are a bit forgettable. I only liked this for the lyrical writing style, which in itself is a wonder for if I don’t connect to the plot, or even the characters, i do not end up liking the books!
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That’s terrible
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