Lute

Today's post is on Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne. It is 274 pages long and is published by TOR Nightfire. The cover is deep purple with seven figure in white with garlands around their necks. The intended reader is someone who likes traditional, folk horror. There is some mild foul language, some sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Nina. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less.
Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.
Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.
Then The Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina―and Lute―will never be the same.

Review- This is a very engaging folk horror novel in the tradition of The Wicker Man. Nina came to the island of Lute seven years ago when she married the new lord of the island. Everyone on the island has told that until she experiences The Day, she isn't a real Luter. Told over the course of two days, this novel is an intense, atmospheric experience in classic style horror. The writing is tight and claustrophobic, focused tightly on Nina and her interactions with the other characters and The Day. The island of Lute itself is a character, it is, of course, the setting but it is also a character that interacts with Nina and some of the other characters. That magnifies the setting and it's place in the narrative. Thorne does a wonderful job with this novel and I highly recommend this novel for classic horror lovers. 

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.