Horror has been a favourite genre of mine for a long time and I really loved this book! I would highly recommend!

The Watchers is a horror story set in the forests of Galway.

Mina needs to deliver a bird to a friend of a friend. On her way, her car breaks down at the edge of a forest – one that you won’t find on any map. Unbeknown to her, the forest hides dark, deadly secrets and once you’re in, you aren’t coming out. Taking the bird with her, she enters the forest to seek help. Hearing a woman screaming at her draws her to a bunker where she finds three people hiding who tell her a tale that sounds far too implausible. Apparently, they have been there a while and by night hide within the light in the bunker and by day sneak out for food. But never too far, as what is out there will kill them before they reach the edge of the forest. The Watchers are waiting, and there is nothing anyone can do…

The book started off very slowly to me and there was a lengthy section where I almost didn’t continue with it as I thought it would just be the rest of the story about that. I’m glad I was wrong, as once it picked up, the story drew me in. The concept of the evil out there being unknown and unseen made it far more scary than a “monster” novel. The idea that you don’t know what they are or how to escape them (as verified by those there) made you think perhaps there was no way out.

The characters grew as the story progressed, and while Mina’s was the main POV, it was interesting to have some of the other chapters from the other characters’ point of view. This really helped to understand their back stories and the reasons they reacted as they did. This allows you to see how Mina views herself as so boring that no one would even miss her if she never came back. It shows how Daniel’s treatment as a child has broken him down so much that he is constantly on the edge. Ciara’s story has us seeing her going from one who is filled with optimism to a shadow of her former self. And Margaret, well, Margaret is a force unto herself. One minute you hate her and her attitude and ways, and the next you appreciate her decisions.

There were elements of the story that seemed a bit too much of a stretch, like the whole boat situation, but the plot twists definitely surprised me. You expected certain things to happen and were then presented with something else, so the story had you on your toes at times. The proofing of the book was done well, with no major errors glaring at you and interrupting the reading experience.

While not your average horror story, this one was creepy enough. I would love to have found out more about the Watchers themselves, and I was definitely rooting for “The Golden One” the whole way through.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it may be set in the horror genre but it is the perfect tale of human relationships and therefore I think would appeal to a wider range of readers

The story is well balanced between descriptive prose and plot; consequently the writer has managed to create an atmospheric world whilst maintaining pace and interest.

An excellent and surprising ending completes a well crafted story.

The blurb was right. This is perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay. I enjoyed every minute of this tense ride.

Well, this is one of those books that is hard to judge. I am torn between the parts that were really good – like it's spookey and got a claustrophobic atmosphere in the first part – and then there are those repetitive parts in the middle andso many long descriptions that didn't do anything for the story. It got a bit tiring here but I kept reading in hope, the feel of the beginning would return and for a while it did. The first big twist that revealed what the creatures really are was interesting but after that things went down the rabbit hole for me. The secret of the house in the woods was … I don't know. Not convincing? Disappointing?
After that comes the moment that feels like it should have been the ending, but the book continues. Then comes the next moment that feels like this must be the end, right? But no, here comes even more until the book finally does end, but this time it ends on a note that keeps open the possibility of a sequel. At that point the atmosphere from the beginning was lost and sadly I got a little bit bored. So, I don't know if I would recommend this book. There were many good things about it, but I think it needed more editing to support the pace of the story.

I ended up liking this way more than I thought when I began reading. It's part thriller, supernatural, fairytale, and adventure. Reminds me of the show Lost and Grimms Fairytales combined.

The prologue caught my attention right away, but after that, the first few chapters were boring. Once Mina got to the forest is when it really got interesting. It's worth the read, just stick with it!

The ending was great, I had figured it out from the beginning, but many might not see the shocking reveal coming. It leaves off with a cliff hanger, so I will be waiting for the second one!

Hopefully there's a second, anyway. It doesn't fully explain the forest and what "they" are. I'm hoping for more of an answer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus publishing for the opportunity to rate and review an e-arc of this stunning debut horror novel. I wasn't expecting much from this book besides a spooky tale but it is that and so much more. I love the premise behind the novel, the folklore it is based on, and the characters and places this author created. I genuinely think I may have trouble sleeping tonight or at least some nightmares which never happens to me. I am pretty hard to scare and I think books are one of the hardest formats to invoke the feeling of fear in someone. A.M. Shine knocked it out of the park specifically when it came to the descriptions of the watchers and creating a sense of dread from page one to the very last page. I'm not a big fan of open-ended endings normally, but for horror, I think it is a very useful tool and it is done incredibly well in this novel. Having relatable, flawed characters to center the novel around grounded me in the story and really made me care about what was going on and how our characters were going to get out of their predicament. This could easily be turned into a classic horror movie in the future that would be loved by many. This is exactly what I want out of my horror novels and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this one.

Thank you to @netgalley and @ariaandaries for sending me this eARC!

The perfect book for ✨spooky season✨👻
I thoroughly enjoyed The Watchers despite it being more of a horror/fantasy read. I was intrigued by the synopsis itself but the book was actually spine-chilling and I definitely felt the creepy vibes! Don’t get me started on the plot twists 🤭

“You can’t see them. But they can see you.”

There are creatures lurking among them. Thriving in the depths of the night. And they are watching you. But don’t worry - you’re safe as long as you stay in the light. Or so they say..

I actually enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would initially. It's creepy, suspenseful and very mysterious.
I did take a while to actually read the whole thing, but that is mainly due to my own procrastination and not entirely a fault of the book.

I will say that at times the pacing was a little slow, at which point I believe some other readers might have given up. The lack of answers is something that might have also turned off a few readers. There's no definitive anything in this novel. We are simply presented with a creepy forest, featuring a creepy cabin/shelter in Ireland, filled with humanoid monsters without any real explanation. Where did they come from? What is their goal? What exactly are they?

If you're hoping for a tied up ending with a simple explanation, I suppose this novel isn't quite the right one.

What I enjoyed most about the book was the twist towards the end. I was already growing increasingly more anxious (had to put my Kindle far away for a moment to breathe) and then THAT twist happened and I was thrown by how clever it was. I can definitely see this being made into a suspenseful horror film. It could be so terribly creepy and atmospheric and I would really enjoy it. Not sure if I could actually watch it though, come to think of it. The book itself was scary enough for me.

I would have cut out a little of the plot in the middle and perhaps even expanded on the ending a little more, as so many things are left unexplained. But otherwise, I really, really enjoyed this read.

This was a very strange, creepy little book! The middle portion started to drag a bit, but the main twist was a fun surprise! A fun combination between "A Quiet Place" and "The Body Snatchers"!

I wanted to like this book. I had heard great things about it but i couldnt get into it at all. Sadly i couldnt finish.

*dnf at 60%*
this just ended up being not exactly the story i wanted. i would have really enjoyed more focus on the creatures themselves - what they looked like, sounded like, smelt like, the fear they caused, etc. - but this kind of felt more like a survival story to me which is not my thing at all.

trigger warning
<spoiler> grief, ptsd, body horror, mention of alcoholism </spoiler>

When Mina's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, she is merely annoyed and grabs the parrot she was supposed to deliver for a friend, walking, hoping to find somebody who was smart enough to fill their phone's battery.

I like the trope of some hidden thing deep in the woods that only few stumble upon. There is some survalist stuff in here that produced a few lenghts, and some editing of that would have done wonders for the pacing.

I like the take on what's going on here, but can't tell you much since it's all about getting there.
The ending is very ambigious and I can't tell if this is the first part in a series or just a very open ending. I think that probably it was meant to be a standalone but it leaves room for the author to come back in a few years and spin the story further; however, if there is nothing coming, I am a bit dissatisfied by this.

I'd be interested to see what else the author comes up with, and hope that the problems I had with this one will be resolved when the author has more pages under their belt.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

Ugh I'm a baby and this was too scary for me. The amount of shame I have about this is insurmountable. Always thinking I can handle stuff but alas.
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A novel set in Ireland, the protagonist Mina is an aspiring artist who's struggling for money, and accepts a job from a friend in the pub to deliver a parrot to a buyer. She drives into a remote part of Galway where her car mysteriously breaks down on the outskirts of a wood. She walks along the road which leads through the woods and this is the worst mistake she could make. Because at nightfall, with screams chasing her, she’s beckoned into a building by an older woman who then slams the door shut Inside, she finds her rescuer, Madeline, and two others, Daniel and Ciara. But now the real nightmare begins, because watching them through the window are monsters, who will kill them if they leave.

The Watchers is a fantastic horror novel, which delves into ancient Irish myths. I’ve been reading a lot of horror recently, and this is one of the best I’ve come across this year. Hugely enjoyable and well worth a read.

I really enjoyed this one - the writing style is detailed yet easy to follow, and the settings and characters are well-drawn. I loved the dark take on Irish folklore and the twists that I didn't expect (some of them I did, but there was at least one that took me genuinely by surprise). The ending had me spooked indeed! Very much recommend this to anyone who enjoys horror inspired by Irish and British folklore.

I didn't finish this because of the claustrophobic aspect. I have terrible claustrophobia, so this just wasn't going to work out for me. For someone who is not claustrophobic, this could be a very entertaining read.

The Watchers is a claustrophobic survival horror that takes place mainly in one setting. Initially, I thought the premise is interesting but I was full of questions. If the Watchers only come out at night, why don’t they try to leave during the day? But the book addresses these questions convincingly. The tension and suspense are palpable, especially when the characters are racing against time. There are some terrifying scenes of the Watchers wreaking havoc.

I was invested in the characters. Their differences had to be put aside if they were to survive, and I thought the book handles the conflict well. I really liked the reveal about who the Watchers are, which involves ancient Irish mythology. But I’m not a fan of the ending which feels rushed with an open ending.. There is potential for more stories involving the Watchers but I thought the bunker scenes were the scariest and most effective parts of the book. A solid addition to the survival horror sub-genre, The Watchers would be perfect for fans of Bird Box and A Quiet Place!

The Watchers has a bit of a Cabin in the Woods feel to it and had me hooked from the beginning. It lost me somewhere in the middle but soon reeled me back in.

Mina and three others are stranded in the middle of a forest after their cars broke down on it’s edge. The forest appears on no maps and creatures who terrorise them after dark.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, their shelter features a mirrored wall and a light that only activates at night. Within those walls they are studied by the creatures.

Mina wants answers but she may change her mind once she learns what these creatures are and what they want from her.

The writing in this is on a whole other level of creepy.

“The screams came from just outside, from the darkness where moments ago she had run towards the light. She looked to the many locks – some bolted, others mere chains – that stood between them and whatever had overrun the woodland.

‘You’re lucky to be alive’ the woman, said reaching out her hands.”

I can see why this book has received so much hype. I had an inkling about one of the major shifts but that just added to the suspense for the big reveal.

On the whole The Watchers was definitely a book worth reading.

Unfortunately, this was not the right book for me, and it was not the book's fault. Spooky fiction is not my typical genre, but the description and the cover caught my eye. The writing itself is very atmospheric and lush, and the story is based in mythology. I did not end up finishing it, but I would recommend this for people who enjoy mysterious, haunting fall books and lyrical writing.