A family gathering in an English mansion devolves into horror in a chilling novella by the "Master of British Sci-Fi" (Reactor)Elena Mendes thought she understood what “old money” was. She knew her boyfriend Ross Enderbough was rich. Like, “old money” rich. She knew he was the scion of some eccentric British line that predates the whole United States. She knew he didn’t really get on with his family, and that he fled to America to study free of their influence. Ross has been summoned to Enderby, the family mansion built as a monastery centuries ago, for an exclusive, mysterious family gathering that happens only once a generation. Spouses and partners aren’t invited, but Ross has asked Elena to come anyway for moral support. But there are secrets in the mouldering old pile, and terrors in the unkempt woods on the estate. And Elena slowly comes to realise that “old money” means so much more than she’d ever imagined…
Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of my favourite authors. I love the way he blends ecology, politics, and speculative fiction. Preaching to the Choir is a little different from his usual work, but a similar heart beats beneath the horror. As I read, I felt able to connect the dots between the story and the ecological ideas it draws upon, which added considerably to the experience. The whole book feels remarkably believable: the characters are convincingly written, and the events gain a certain verisimilitude from Tchaikovsky’s understanding of ecology.
It's one of the few horror books where I didn't immediately guess the ending! I really like the protagonist; she is competently written and doesn't do anything too stupid that would break my immersion. This book also includes pictures of artefacts in the story, which was a nice touch.
The final act and conclusion of the book were exceptional. No notes, 5 stars