Lute

by Jennifer Thorne

Overview

Wicker Man meets Final Destination in Jennifer Thorne's atmospheric, unsettling folk horror novel about love, duty, and community.

On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less.

Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.

Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.

Then The Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina—and Lute—will never be the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250826107
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	276,186
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Jennifer Thorne is the author of Lute, The Wrong Side of Right, The Inside of Out, Night Music, and (with Lee Kelly) The Antiquity Affair. American by birth, she now lives in rural England with her husband and two sons.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2022

This understated folk horror tale, Thorne’s adult debut (after the YA novel Night Music, written as Jenn Marie Thorne), follows Nina Treadway, an American expatriate on the remote British island of Lute, as she tries desperately to protect herself and her loved ones from the mortal terrors of “The Day.” It’s an event that recurs every seven years and is said to claim the lives of seven of Lute’s inhabitants as tribute to the forces that keep the island safe and prosperous. Now, as the bodies pile up, Nina’s marriage to Lord Hugh Treadway begins to break down, and she’s forced to learn Lute’s horrible history and race to outpace its curse—even as the phantoms of her own past resurface. This is slow-burning horror writ large, and the terror resides in Thorne’s use of atmosphere to construct an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia even after Nina begins to make sense of her situation. This slow, methodical approach to story crafting occasionally results in a sense of inertia, especially combined with Nina’s relative lack of agency. Still, Thorne’s subversion of folk horror tropes and focus on small, intimate beats make for a gripping reading experience recommended for fans of Midsommar and Jennie Melamed’s Gather the Daughters. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

An NPR's Best SFF & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022

"The novel’s pages are dotted with gore and loss, sure to pull on the heartstrings—and occasionally the stomachs—of even the most stoic of readers."

—Bookpage (starred review)

“[Thorne] melds traditional gothic horror with folk horror in this exceptional tale. Themes of family, community, longstanding tradition, and love are thoroughly explored in this deliberately paced novel that takes place over a handful of days. A very close exploration of grief, along with the ways it brings a community together and tears them apart, is the beating heart of the novel, palpable on every page.”

— Kathleen Townsend, Booklist (starred review)

"Thorne’s subversion of folk horror tropes and focus on small, intimate beats make for a gripping reading experience."

—Publishers Weekly

"Lute is an understated masterpiece of folk horror by Jennifer Thorne, an exceptionally talented new voice in the genre....Thorne’s prose is elegant in its simplicity, embracing a quiet minimalism that only enhances its sense of horror. Lute is a stunning achievement for an author new to the genre. This is the type of novel that will haunt you for years to come."

—Grimdark Magazine

"A creepy, atmospheric story... [Thorne] teaches a master class in slow-burn terror."

—Paste Magazine

'Dreamy, moody, mysterious, and haunting... [Lute] will capture your imagination as bodies drop to the floor."

—Charlotte Hollingsworth, Horrorbound

"Equally horrifying as it is beautiful, Lute will slip under your skin, haunting you until you've turned the very last page. Folk horror at its finest."

—Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author of The Grace Year

"Lute is as alluring as it is terrifying. Thorne’s prose is exquisite, her storytelling masterful, the setting a haunting character in itself. I wanted to savor every passage, but I was desperate to see who the island would claim next. I devoured this book.”

—Elle Cosimano, author of Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead

"Is there a dark side to paradise or a bright side of hell? That's the genius of Lute, a book made magic by its captivatingly isolated setting, spine tingling suspense, and characters with a heartbeat . . . or at least for so long as they survive The Day. This is the only creepy island I was actually sad to leave when I turned the last, spellbinding page."

—Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Husbands

“Riveting, atmospheric and haunting, Lute feels like a dark, mesmerizing spell. I promise once you begin this taut, unrelenting stunner, you won’t be able to put it down.”

—Lee Kelly, author of City of Savages

"A creepy, atmospheric tale of familial drama, bizarre history and supernatural events, this entertaining story explores the nature of sacrifices and the way we sometimes become prisoners of our decisions."

— Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home

From the Publisher

08/01/2022

DEBUT With a Shirley Jackson—inspired premise, YA author Thorne's (Night Music) adult debut centers on an island called Lute, where every seventh summer, seven people die as a tithe for the good fortune the inhabitants experience. Although fictitious, Thorne has steeped her island in the real geography and history of England. Lute has endured for millennia, and there are disturbing reasons as to why. The protagonist, Nina, becomes a Lady of the main estate on Lute by marrying Lord Treadway, whose family has a long history of protecting the island. She doesn't believe in the supernatural or ghosts and thinks it's all just a bunch of nonsense until she finds out the hard way that there are sinister things lying in wait for her and her children. The Celtic myths that Nina has heard become more frightening and real as the impending death ritual advances. Someone wants her family dead, and they won't stop until the task is done. VERDICT Fans of gloomy British horror will adore Thorne's novel, with its references to the Shining Ones and other fae creatures. Recommend to fans of Catriona Ward, Sarah Pinborough, and Kristin Cashore.—Anita Siraki

Library Journal

Victoria Blunt performs an unsettling horror novel in which years of peace are guaranteed by human sacrifices. The island of Lute is remote and is blessed with prosperity and fortune. Nothing can cast a pall on the land, not even war, except that one day every seven years the island takes seven human sacrifices. Blunt brings the newest denizen of the island to life. Nina has married into a family that protects the island. Blunt’s narration adds to the beautifully realized characters, even as the atmospheric horror begins to mount. The story is mesmerizing in its minimalist prose, and Blunt’s capable voicing brings the too short horror novel to a head with an engaging performance. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Victoria Blunt performs an unsettling horror novel in which years of peace are guaranteed by human sacrifices. The island of Lute is remote and is blessed with prosperity and fortune. Nothing can cast a pall on the land, not even war, except that one day every seven years the island takes seven human sacrifices. Blunt brings the newest denizen of the island to life. Nina has married into a family that protects the island. Blunt’s narration adds to the beautifully realized characters, even as the atmospheric horror begins to mount. The story is mesmerizing in its minimalist prose, and Blunt’s capable voicing brings the too short horror novel to a head with an engaging performance. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile