I read this books as part of judging the SFINCS novella competition for Team Booked Solid. This review reflects only my own thoughts and does not represent the team’s final score.. I received a free copy of the book for the purpose of judging.
Please note that this book passed two rounds of qualifiers and is one of ten books (out of one hundred) that made it to the competition finals.
The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill
By Nicole Willson
I like the idea of horror stories, but I often find myself reluctant to read them. Perhaps I’m afraid to get scared, or I don’t want to read about people experiencing horrible things. It’s the same with movies and games. My Steam wish list is full of horror games, but I rarely buy any, and I never play them.
All that said, when I actually do read a horror story, I usually enjoy it, and such is the case with The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill. It’s a little unsettling, and a little creepy, and the basic premise is intriguing.
Our main character, Kate, is on a journey to recruit a new act for her family’s circus. Lewis, a friend of Kate’s father, and a long-time associate, has uncovered a breathtaking and hitherto unseen art, and he’s in the process of training the performers; a trio of very young girls. Only, the girls don’t seem entirely enamoured with the idea of a life as performers, and apparently there were once four of them…
The writing is on point, the story unfolds easily, and it’s just the right level of creepy. Kate is a believeable protagonist, the young girls are enigmatic, tormented, side characters, and Lewis is a bit of mystery.
What I’ll whine about
I’m aware that part of what makes horror good is a lack of knowledge of what’s going on. Once you have enough information to understand what’s really going on, it’s no longer as scary. Even then, I feel like there wasn’t quite enough information to explain some of Lewis’ behaviour and reactions.
I also admit I was a bit uncomfortable with how the children were treated by their trainer, but I believe that’s on me. It’s never gratuitous, and it’s in service of the story, so I’m probably just being squeamish – this is why I don’t read horror.
What I’ll gush about
The idea behind the shadow dancers is intriguing, and I’d have loved for it to be explored in more detail (even if it’s horror and would have made the book less scary).
Final Words
The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill is a solid and well written horror novella with just the right level of creepiness for someone who’s somewhat reluctant to read horror.
