What a great old-school horror read!

The Broken Places left me in suspense and kept me unsure of what was going to happen next; that coupled with the intensity of the writing made this the perfect horror read.

The idea of an isolated village in which people carry on old traditions mixed with folklore and superstitions helped propel this story to a new height.

I can't wait to read more by Blaine Daigle.

Ryne inherits her family’s old hunting lodge deep in the Yukons. Nothings really left of the place other than memories. He decides it be the best place to trip with his best friends, since it wasn’t the greatest year. But nothing is at all as it seems in the woods. Voice whispering through the trees. A sheer eeriness that can’t be explained.

This was what I live for, books that get under your skin and creep you out. I mean anyone can imagine going to a cabin in the woods and weird things happening. That feeling of being trapped and helpless. This is what I look for in scary stories.

The Broken Places is a dark unsettling horror novel by author, Blaine Daigle. I was originally drawn to this book because of the creepy cover. The fact of 3 friends going away to a secluded area, frozen area, with a creepy town nearby, after they are all suffering huge loss / stress. It is definitely a mix for something bad & sinister to occur.

I spent a lot of time wondering if one of the friends was 'in on it'. Perhaps it was all a set up? Lots of creepy vibes and questions to be figured out. I love the setting and the relationship between the friends. We learn more about everyone along the way.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book free for review purposes. All opinions are my own honest take on the book.

The Broken Places was a great read, it kept my attention, which helped me to finish the book in just under a day. The creepiness held my attention and I had to keep turning the page to find out what happened next and why.

The main characters, Ryne, Shawn and Noah, weaved their way into my heart, most especially, Ryne. The path his life was forced to take, through no fault of his own, was painful to read. The bond of friendship was heartwarming, how the bond became a brotherhood that assured they could depend on each other no matter what happened or where they were in their lives.

The one issue I had with this book was the overkill of too many catchy descriptions. While I enjoyed Blaine's writing style, show don't tell was missing in many instances. Still, the story was interesting and I never got bored.

I very much appreciate receiving an advance copy of The Broken Places...it was an enjoyable story with subtle clues that didn't give too much away, keeping me enthralled. I liked that the story behind everything that happens is impossible to guess, making it a page turner. I will definitely recommend this book to family and friends.

This is an excellent folk horror tale about loss, featuring a cabin and a snowstorm. In relation to the folk horror tradition, we've also got some cult activity and body horror. This is being compared to The Ritual, which is absolutely on point, but I also want to rec this for fans of Peter Straub. Great debut!

The Broken Places was just creepy and claustrophobic enough to be true horror. Too often the horror is over the top and forced on you or so subtle you forget it is there, This book was unrelenting in it’s building tension. You never at any moment feel like these guys are safe.

There is some shock value along the way, too. It’s not all build up. At some points I was a lot grossed out by the vivid descriptions from the author. Still, I absolutely loved the ending. The worst part of horror is often the ending, but Blaine Daigle managed to write one that really worked. I will add this author to my list to watch.

I couldn't get into the story, unfortunately. It's one thing to set a scene; descriptive terms and adjectives are useful in that regard. I would consider rereading it if a strict editor went over it and removed the excessive adjectives.

I am so happy to report in that this book is really good! I think it's Daigle's first novel which makes it that much more impressive. The Broken Places uses folklore and legends to whip up scares and it works. Very readable and nicely paced. This is a very solid novel and really good horror!

Three friends travel to a Yukon cabin, but meet unexpected unearthly happenings. With enough chilling horror and unexplained sightings, this is a well written horror story.

Wow what a great horror book! From the very start this one will suck you in and not let go. This is definitely my favorite Horror read this year. I thought this was fast paced and I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good horror book. I can't wait to see what Blaine Daigle writes next!


Thank you NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

All the Broken Places is an unsparing exploration of how mistakes of the past can weigh on individuals and the burden of complicity. ‘By doing nothing, you did everything. By taking no responsibility, you bear all responsibility.’ The book poses some difficult questions. If someone you love commits terrible acts is it right to still love them? Can anything you do ever make up for the sins of others? Is taking one life to save another justified? Moving, powerful book

After a tragic year filled with trauma and loss, Ryne takes his two best friends up to his family’s cabin in the Yukon wilderness. The group soon discovers that Ryne’s family had been keeping some dark secrets hidden; secrets that the group is forced to face head on.

This was a wild ride that I would recommend to all horror fans. It was action packed but also had really strong character development. It also had a lot of my fave horror elements: family secrets, folk and cult horror, and body horror. I loved the way Blaine revealed each character’s history and backstory. I felt connected and invested in them. Especially Ryne. I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fast-paced, twisty turny horror read that grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go for a long time.

I'm a sucker for stories about broken people, generational curses, and haunted places. Daigle's haunting imagery of the Yukon and the cabin was a perfect backdrop for the turmoil in the main characters, and especially Ryne Burdette. Though there were times the prose was a bit repetitive and I skimmed through it, for the most part I loved how everything was detailed. The scenery became vivid. Transitions between visions and the "real world" were seamless. The monster itself was terrifying and cleverly done. I was very satisfied with the ending and loved that we got an epilogue of sorts to show us the consequences of the choice Ryne made. All in all, I was itching for some good horror and this ticked all of the boxes.

Three life long friends head out for a weekend trip to a secluded cabin to support each other and heal over loss, grief, and tragedy. The weird happenings begin before they even reach their destination and an unnatural storm keeps them trapped once they arrive. The few people they encounter are strange and the behavior of wildlife is abnormal.

The broken places is a slow burn literary/folk horror with shades of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher but happily for me there are no aliens or Sci-Fi here.
Strong characters and family bonds drive the story forward at a slow but steady clip for the first half of the story, picking up speed in the final half and culminating in a heart stopping climax.
The chills are plenty and not just from the cold howling winds and heavy snow.
I can't say much about the plot without giving anything away so I will just say prepare yourself for some heart wrenching circumstances, difficult choices, and gruesome body horror.

Horror for me is always best when it makes me feel something. I'm more about the story than the gore. I loved these characters and the depth of their friendship. I was in constant dread of what would happen next because I wanted them to be ok.

The sins of the father are visited upon the son in this cabin in the woods novel.
Three friends are headed for a hunting trip in the Yukon. Ryne’s cabin has been in the family
for generations, and together with his friends Shawn and Noah, they are seeking respite from lives that have gone wrong. What they find are buried secrets and strange happenings in the cold merciless woods of the north.
The Broken Places is full of dread, whispering voices, and wildlife acting strangely. It is a story about family and the understanding that we can never really know anyone completely. With compelling characters, a fantastic setting, and an atmosphere of otherness this novel delivers.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the cold dark woods of this one.
Review copy provided by Net Galley.

Immediately interested when I saw it described as a mix of The Ritual and Dan Simmons The Terror. You know it’s going to involve some messed up stuff in the woods! And what’s scarier than that?

Friends Ryne, Noah and Shawn are up against on their hunting trip to Ryne's family cabin. Each man is dealing with his own personal grief. Loss is a big theme for The Broken Places. Ryne has recently lost his dad, uncle, and marriage after a miscarriage. Noah died for a brief moment and hasn't been the same since coming back. Shawn sustained a major leg injury that ruined his dream of playing baseball professionally.

Ryne's family had many rules when they came to the cabin. Keep your distance from the locals and don't eat any meat from the land. When the wild animals start acting strange and the men hear the voices of children singing at night they begin to fear all is not well. To make matters worse a horrific snowstorm has hit and no one will be able to help them. Each man must face his fears in order to survive.

Full of folk lore and tradition, The Broken Places is perfect for readers that love spooky cabins in the woods. They grew up loving Evil Dead and wanting to know more about the spirits living amongst the trees.

This is Blaine Daigle's first book and I'm excited to read more from him in the future! Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Broken Places by Blaine Daigle. I have written this review voluntarily.

Recommended books: The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher and The Hunger of Trees by Samantha Eaton

TW animal gore and miscarriage

4.5 stars

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me the chance to review this book!

This was a really great horror! Straight from the start we were into the creepy atmospheres and haunting scares. I think the buildup was paced very well. I love this type of horror, folky, cult-y, in the woods, some cosmic horror mixed in as well.

I also really liked the ending. It was slightly ambiguous, which I know some might not care for, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My only big complaint is that there were a few grammatical and spelling errors that I think should be looked into before official publication, as there were quite a few. Not bad enough to hinder enjoyment, but definitely noticeable.

All in all this was an EXCELLENT horror!!

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the free digital arc.
I was always a sucker of isolated cabins in the wilderness where things go wrong ... The book is a great reminder of The Ritual, or even more so Stolen Tongues. The native American theme was interesting, and i enjoyed the atmosphere. It maybe a tad slow in places but still an enjoyable read

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

three men are off to a remote cabin for some hunting and bonding, they are friends since childhood and are very close but each have been touched by tragedy in one form or another

but a storm is coming and the woods arent as friendly as they use to be.....

a strangely creepy horror book

I recently was given an early copy of "The Broken Places" by publishers to review. It comes out on March 24th, so if you enjoy folk horror, haunted forests, and evil cultists, here are my complicated thoughts.

Overall, this book was a slog. I love folk horror, but it took mental energy to finish this one. It involves 3 friends who go to a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness, and are targeted by an ancient spirit of the forest.

Think "The Ritual". It basically is "The Ritual". I mean, you could just go and watch "The Ritual". It has local cultists who worship the forest spirit. Like "The Ritual". The three protagonists are plagued by horrible visions, like "The Ritual".

Unlike "The Ritual", we get the Magical Native American trope.

So that's awful.

On the good side... the writing is actually very impressive. Daigle's style is moody, atmospheric, and poetic.

The three main characters - Noah, Shawn, and Ryne - aren't very distinct. All broody, angry, straight men, who love to hunt, think about their trauma, and glare at each other. None of them are very likeable. That's OK, I am fine with not "liking" characters, if they can still be interesting

But I might have been low key rooting for the evil forest spirit to take them all out, though, by the time I got to the end.

So if you enjoy a beautifully written folk horror about three alpha male friends who you simply cannot wait to see get torn to pieces, this might be the book for you.