Stars: 2 out of 5.

While this was a dark and immersive world, I didn't particularly enjoy it for several reasons. Firstly, the pacing was off in this book. There is no sense of urgency or how much time actually elapsed between different events. There is talk that the three brothers need to reach Cernunnos before his resurrection, but exactly how urgent is that? This whole book just reads like a long road trip movie where they just meander around and take their time. 

This would have been fine if I had enjoyed the characters, but I didn't. Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty are horrible beings. Yes, they act according to their nature and the purpose for which they were created, but that doesn't make them any less monstrous. Or does it make me less inclined to follow their stories. I don't care if Betty gets a new heart. I don't care if the Wheel turns and they are reborn. In fact, I'd rather they just pass into oblivion and not repeat the pain and suffering they seem to joyfully rain onto humankind.

I didn't particularly like Megan either. I found her mopey and dull. But then again, I haven't read the first book, so she might have a good reason for being this depressed, but it makes for a very unlikeable character to follow.

But I think my biggest gripe with this story is just how hopeless it is. The monsters win in the end. The Wheel is turning again, the weirdkin are running free to murder and torture and terrorize humankind again, and the only human in the group died without accomplishing anything she wanted. She didn't free her husband. She didn't get her revenge. She didn't even get closure, because her husband's murderer was resurrected and forgiven despite everything he had done. Talk about a depressing end of the story. 

I know that this ending opens the door for another book in the series, but I have no desire to read it. Yes, the world is fascinating, in a dark and horrifying sort of way, but it lacks even a ray of hope or a character I want to root for, so I think I'm done.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. This is my honest review.
Just yes!
I am one for a horror book but I was not expecting this! This book blew me out of the water. As the second book in this series, I can only say that I will be purchasing every book. This is a book that you will need to take the time to read because you want to be involved in this storyline.

This was my introduction to the author and to the Weald. I did not realize until some pages in that this was a sequel. Stephanie Ellis’s worldbuilding abilities helped me understand what was going on, nonetheless. Folk horror is one of my favorite horror subgenres, and I truly enjoyed Ellis’s take. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Reborn is a sequel to Five Turns of the Wheel. I did find Reborn enjoyable and I liked re-visiting old characters and conflicts. I’ve always been a bit terrified of fairies, the fae, and anything fairy like. So many rules of engagement to remember. Makes me re-think my spring/summer fairy gardens.

Reborn by Stephanie Ellis is a very worthy follow up to Five Turns of the Wheel. There's an authenticity to the book which draws you in. I wasn't sure which direction the sequel would take, liked it more for that reason. It wasn't obvious. Great stuff! @el_stevie

Reborn picks up a year after Ellis's previous book, The Five Turns of the Wheel, left off. While Five Turns was a gloriously dark and bloody bit of folk horror, Reborn falls more into the category of dark fantasy.

The book chronicles the journeys of several characters, all on a pilgrimage of sorts to the Layering, Each person travels for their own reason, racing against time and each other to reach that mysterious and ever-shifting land where the Mother and the Sister wait, the Father will soon be resurrected, and the fates of all hang in the balance.

I certainly liked the first book better, but I feel like Reborn is setting the story up for at least one more book in the series, getting all the characters from one point to another so their tale can continue with more blood and sacrifice to come.

Reborn is the the perfect mix of horror and mythology. It tells the story of old world monsters clinging to ancient traditions. Modern day humans are caught up in the horror. I really enjoyed this book because it was written like these creatures exist right next to our reality.

Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty have been trapped in Umbra, prohibited from entering back into the world to cause havoc. These skin walkers may have found a loop hole, but it is not going to be easy. They will have to bring about the return of the Destroyer in order to be reborn.
Reborn is the stuff of old legends. Vengeful demigods are still a part of everyday life.
Fun and exciting, filled with lore; Reborn invites you back to the merciless land from The Five Turns of the Wheel, just remember-“Sacrifice, voluntary or not, is always honoured with blood.”

I just finished Reborn by Stephanie Ellis

I didn’t know what to expect from this book. Honestly it was a little slow for me and I felt a little lost, even though I read book one.

I liked the consistency with the characters Tommy, Betty and Fiddler are exactly as I remembered and they didn’t disappoint.

I liked the writing but I don’t know, I just didn’t love it. Maybe my expectations were too high?

2.5 stars

Reborn by Stephanie Ellis.
Reborn is the story of Cernunnos, the Father of all, who has risen. Born of blood offerings, he travels to the Layerings—one of those places, like Umbra, which sit just beyond the human veil. Reborn is the story of Tommy, Betty and Fiddler, the infamous troupe whose bloody rituals were halted by Megan, Tommy’s Daughter. Rendered weak by Megan’s refusal to allow them to hunt in the human world of the Weald, they seek their rebirth and forgiveness from the Mother and Cernunnos. Reborn is the story of Megan, who follows Cernunnos and Hweol’s sons on a pilgrimage of hope—one that would see her husband restored to her and the dark presence of Hweol removed. Ultimately, though, Reborn is the story of Betty, the most monstrous of the three brothers. He is Nature, red in tooth and claw. He is what the Mother made him. And who are we to judge?
An OK read. Just not one of her best. 3*.

The Wheel turns yet again.

Following on the heels of the exemplary "Five Turns of the Wheel," Reborn picks up where the former left off in a worthy folk horrific sequel. The sons of the dark god Hweol (pronounced 'Wheel') are temporarily defeated: Tommy, the leader of the trio, Fiddler, the clever and ruthless master of their dances...and Betty, a towering brute with no impulse control and the vicious mind of a child. Seeking their forgiveness and the return of their father, they mean to restore the dark rites of blood that turn the wheel.

Megan, the ascendant heroine of the first novel, is seeking the soul of her lost husband, claimed by fire at the end of "Five Turns." Her ultimate goal is not only to save him, but to keep Hweol from rising again. Once promised to Betty, Megan's mother ensured her marriage elsewhere to save her.

Reborn is a more ambitious novel than Five Turns, revealing a broader host of characters and expanding the limited setting. Stephanie Ellis combines Welsh mythology with character drama to terrific effect, with a fascinating cosmology.

No less intriguing are the three villains. Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty are almost wholly devoid of good qualities. The three follow a code wholly alien to modern sensibility, and Betty is even stranger than that. In many ways, this is Betty's story foremost; a hulking monster with the mind of a child who views hunting and murdering almost everything he comes across as natural.

The cosmology and mythos are occasionally confusing, with a great deal of terminology and happenstances the reader is expected to follow. The story is best when it focuses on the characters and Ellis has a way of getting into their heads all throughout the book until an ending that demands a third novel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I enjoyed The Five Turns Of The Wheel a lot. It was everything I was expecting. Reborn, however didn't quite do it for me.

I found that the sequel moved at a much slower pace than the first book which was already a book that you couldn't rush. This made it feel like it dragged on a bit in places, making me lose interest at times.

However, there are elements of the book that I really enjoyed. Tommy, Betty and Fiddler are just as evil as they were in the first book yet somehow still just as likeable. The trio are back and as is hinted nearer the end of the first book, are ready for their "rebirth". They must leave their home of the Weald and journey amongst the true humans in order to regain their strength and ensure that wheel turns once more.

I am sure other readers, especially those who immensely enjoyed the first book, will enjoy it more, it just wasn't for me.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Stephanie Ellis has invented a whole new sub-genre called 'hard folk horror.' From the very first page there is no doubt in your mind other than what you're reading is folk horror, and yet to me she takes it one step further. This is not a book you can rush through or skim. In order to benefit most from it you need time and peace of mind to immerse yourself fully in the world Ellis has created.
I had read the prequel, The Five Turns of the Wheel so already knew some of the characters, ceremonies and settings. However, I think this one would also work as a standalone as Ellis feeds the reader enough backstory without making it burdensome for those who, like me, have read The Five Turns.
It's clear that Ellis has done her research. The result is an immersive world of dark fantasy, rituals and sacrifice that is totally immersive.
Though the three main characters are pure evil, they are also likable in a strange sort of way, the character of Betty in particular. (He's my favorite character by the way...kind of child-like with elements of a pet dog.) It's his naivety that draws me to him, his impulsiveness, I suppose. He is both fearsome and likable at the same time, and as with some of her other characters, you will find yourself in conflict.
For me, the world of the Weald is a bit like a modern version of The Mabinogion, but I urge you to take your time and savor the whole feel of the world she has created.

I loved the first book The Five Turns Of The Wheel and was really hoping for more of the same. It was a horrific and disturbing read. The author is beautifully descriptive and the story has great characters but not as gripping or as engaging as the first book. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

THE FIVE TURNS OF THE WHEEL was a horrific and unsettling novel that captivated me from beginning to end. Its sequel, however, was too slow moving. On the plus side, REBORN does develop the world greatly through it's travels. There are some unique settings, magic, and supernatural beings to be examined along the way. Unfortunately, I just never felt a hook from the story being told, and therefore lacked interest in the overall journey.

I've been looking forward to this book ever since I read The Five Turns Of The Wheel. Stephanie Ellis has created a world of folk horror unlike anything else in this genre.

The core trio of Tommy, Fiddler, and Betty are back and ready for their rebirth of sorts after the events of the last book. To do this, they must leave their home of the Weald and journey among true humans.

This is a fantastically visual world from the author and she has accomplished something that is lacking in similar books of the genre. Heart.

You can tell she's deeply invested in the characters she writes and each one is given their due diligence. Although despicable, vile, and even outright evil, these creatures are oddly mesmorizing as well. They don't consider themselves as we see them. Their world's and reasonings are what they know. And with each step, blood is required. Sacrifice and pain must be dealt to achieve their goals. It's beautifully poetic like horror here and I love it!

If you haven't read Five Turns Of The Wheel this book can be a standalone and you won't be lost or perplexed. She gives just enough background so the reader is on the same page. However, if you have read the previous book, this one will be a treat. New characters are introduced, more world building is added to the lore of the creatures, and a final bittersweet sacrifice is offered leaving room for yet another book in the future. I highly recommend this!