The Archangel Michael defeated the Devil in Helston and cast him into Hell forever. This legend is retold every spring at Helston’s Flora Day. But the legend is about to become a reality.
Underground in the rocks and sea-caves of Cornwall, Lucifer is stirring. Soon he will wake and break free. And this time he will prevail against his old adversary Michael.
Verity is entranced by a beautiful stranger she meets on the cliffs. The young man cannot tell her who he is or where he is from. Unbeknown to her, Lucifer is bringing her under his spell. Verity’s friends fall away from her, frightened by her obsession, and she finds herself alone when a cosmic battle is fought in the skies of Cornwall.
The future of all mankind is at stake.
It's my pleasure to be sharing my review of The Summer and the May by Lucinda Hart today. Many thanks to Sarah Hembrow from Vulpine Press for sending me a digital copy of the novel.
I love reading stories inspired by folklore and it's always so fascinating to learn about local legends. Cornwall, of course, is renowned for its mythology and the story behind Helston's name is particularly interesting; it was said that the Devil was flying across Cornwall with a boulder to block the entrance to Hell but the Archangel Michael defeated him in a battle which saw the boulder fall to the ground. The place where it landed was named Hell's Stone and then eventually Helston. However, in The Summer and the May, we are told that this isn't the true story behind the epic battle, which actually ensued some miles to the south and resulted in the Archangel banishing the Devil to Hell before using his own stone to block the entrance to the underworld forever. Unfortunately the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates over millennia have caused cracks to appear in this doorway to Hell...
This evocative tale at the start of the novel introduces what ultimately becomes a desperate contemporary fight between good and evil. While there's a sense of malevolent foreboding evident throughout The Summer and the May, the rise in tension is gradual and Verity is initially entranced by the area and especially the mysterious, charismatic man that she meets. Verity is on holiday in Cornwall, staying by herself in a cliff-top house in Mullion, with views across Mount's Bay. The intention is for her to be joined later by her stepdad, Tim and twin brother, Jack but other plans are afoot which change everything. Although most of the book is set in Cornwall, Tim in particular is an important character and the scenes which follow his own ordeal in Bath are just as intriguing as the main storyline. It's clear that Lucinda Hart knows the area well and the sense of place she creates is excellent. One of the most exciting passages occurs at Helton's annual Flora Day where Verity, who has been befriended by the family who live next door to her in Mullion, has a more integral role to play than she realises. Lucinda Hart captures the excitement of the celebrations so vividly but cleverly laces it with menace and the result is chillingly compelling.
As it becomes obvious that Verity is in terrible danger, others are also drawn into the struggle. The relationship she has with her neighbours, Caroline and Frank Tripconey, and their young sons, Jonny and Andy undergoes some dramatic changes as Verity's obsession with the stranger grows. Caroline is a wonderful character and her anguish as she battles to protect her sons is almost palpable. Andy has a pivotal part to play, too and there are some terrifying scenes involving him which had my heart racing. Meanwhile, as Tim realises the extent of the peril that Verity faces, he and Jack also have much to endure. I loved Tim, who has cared for the twins since the death of their mother and his fear for Verity, coupled with the knowledge he possesses of what she faces, adds a further layer of exciting tension to proceedings. Verity herself is only in her early twenties but at times she seemed older than her years – I thought that the earlier interactions between her and Caroline didn't always reflect their age gap. Nevertheless, she is a captivating figure and the development of her character is effective throughout.
The Summer and the May is a beautifully lyrical novel but this is no gently paced tale; it's genuinely terrifying in parts and two separate but equally dramatic car journeys really had my heart pounding. Lucinda Hart leaves readers in no doubt as to the extent of the evil in action and it's worth pointing out that this includes some darkly violent scenes of a sexual nature. The fearsome series of events which tests the characters to their physical and emotional limits leads inexorably to the inevitable climactic denouement. While this scene is undoubtedly intense, it's the addictively spine-chilling build-up to the conclusion which impressed me the most.
The Summer and the May is an irresistibly menacing dark fantasy novel, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by Lucinda Hart in the future.
The Summer and the May is published by Vulpine Press, it can be purchased here.
About the Author
Comments
Post a Comment