My Five word TL:DR Review: Like Gorse, Beautiful and Atmospheric

Ragwort is the second book by Sam K Horton that takes place in Mirecoombe, Cornwall during the 1700s.  Once again the story has a mystery at its core combined with a world at strife, the church vying for control and the superstitious villagers still holding firm beliefs about the ‘others’.

If you haven’t read Gorse then I would encourage you to do so first.  Gorse is such a beautiful story to read and I think you would miss seeing Nancy before she is thrust into the role of keeper.  Also, be aware that spoilers for the first book (like Spriggans) may be lurking in this review.

Nancy is struggling with the loss of her father, Lord Pelagius Hunt, and the additional burdens this has placed at her door in the form of becoming the new Keeper (before she was ready).  On top of this there are whisperings of the return of ‘Mother’.  Concerning rumours that see Nancy travelling abroad across the Cornish moors in search of her grandmother.

What I love about this series.  The writing.  Its beautiful and evocative.  A fantastic combination of atmosphere and folklore.  The setting is wild, a little harsh and yet beautiful.  I mean, as with the first story there is a mystery unfolding here and Lord Pelagius Hunt is still stirring the pot (in spite of his demise) and yet I think I could read these books just for the sheer beauty of the prose and the way they make me feel.  Cornwall, and its rugged beauty springs off the pages and it’s quite simply lush.

Which isn’t to say that the story isn’t intriguing, it just took second fiddle to the writing for me personally.

Getting to the story, this one felt a little more convoluted than the first book and it took me some time to get on board with what was going on, but, enjoyable nonetheless and certainly a demonstration of the fact that people are not always as ‘dead’ as they may at first appear.

Nancy played her part very well.  She’s a little unsure of herself in this instalment which was no surprise given her hasty advancement into the role of Keeper.  She also takes herself out of her comfort zone, trekking across the Cornish wilds in search of answers and at last coming to the seaside.  I loved the inclusion of this coastal visit.  Once again Horton’s writing excels and brings the place to life.

In conclusion, this was a great instalment in the series, hopefully there are more stories to come from this fascinating and beautiful world.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars