Hill of Souls
Author: Richard Davids
3.5 out of 5 stars
Jen and Davie and their parents are visiting the coast of Combe Haven, Devon for their Easter school holiday. While exploring behind their holiday cottage, Jen and Davie find some old tools in the river. Later, while playing hide and seek in the woods, Davie falls into a cave and meets the spirit of Joseph. Joseph wants help to reveal the truth about the circumstances around his death, the crime he was falsely accused of, and the cruel Baron that ruled the area in the 1500s. Will Jen and Davie be able to find the truth and help the spirits in the area move on?
Overall, the plot was good. It started as a basic ghost story and mystery where the truth about something had been hidden, although it did focus more on the paranormal than the mystery. But towards the end, it took some interesting turns, like when a giant winged creature attacked two characters. All I could think was, “There are demons in this story now?” After finishing the story, I think it’s supposed to be a personification of the anger that’s holding the spirits there, but it still surprised me.
The writing had good and bad elements. There were some nice descriptions that had plenty of details. However, the overall flow of the story felt stiff and awkward, including some scene transitions that felt a bit abrupt.
The characters were well-written and had good characterization. However, there was one thing that bugged me for the entire story. How old are Jen and Davie? It’s never outright stated, so I could only go off of context clues and the way they are sometimes described. I ended up thinking they’re between 9 and 12. There was also nothing that indicated which sibling was older. It didn’t really affect the story, but I would’ve liked to have known.
Due to the writing issues I mentioned, I’m rating this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The interesting plot and good characters were enough to not give it less. If you like paranormal mysteries and stories about revenge and forgiveness, then you’ll like this book.
Current price through Amazon Kindle: $6.71
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GX78NF8
(I do not benefit from the use of this link.)