The Kindly Ones
"[The Kindly Ones] is a dark, brooding tale that relies heavily on atmosphere, a methodical pace, and excellent writing to pull the reader in, and it does it very well. Fans of Robert Eggers’s films (The Witch, The Lighthouse) will love this book, as well as anyone who enjoys a story outside the norm...
Instead of opting for a story arc with peaks and valleys, the book opts for a slow, calculated pace, and relies on creating an overall atmosphere of unease that persists throughout the story, and it does it extremely well. Much of it is due to the author’s phenomenal way with words; the writing is art in story form. If the 19th century masters of British literature had decided to go wild and write horror, The Kindly Ones is what one of them might have produced...
The book is an AP course on how to write well, and could be enjoyed for that alone.
Incredible writing aside, The Kindly Ones is still a good enough story that most readers should enjoy and appreciate it...
If you’re looking for an unusual book that paints a picture instead of just telling a story, The Kindly Ones is for you.
Recommended." - Musings Of The Monster Librarian
Instead of opting for a story arc with peaks and valleys, the book opts for a slow, calculated pace, and relies on creating an overall atmosphere of unease that persists throughout the story, and it does it extremely well. Much of it is due to the author’s phenomenal way with words; the writing is art in story form. If the 19th century masters of British literature had decided to go wild and write horror, The Kindly Ones is what one of them might have produced...
The book is an AP course on how to write well, and could be enjoyed for that alone.
Incredible writing aside, The Kindly Ones is still a good enough story that most readers should enjoy and appreciate it...
If you’re looking for an unusual book that paints a picture instead of just telling a story, The Kindly Ones is for you.
Recommended." - Musings Of The Monster Librarian
"Although framed within the dystopian fictional tradition, The Kindly Ones is, in many ways, an analysis of contemporary US and indeed Western societies. Set in an economically and environmentally devastated part of North America, Cliff James’s minutely observed second novel plots the trajectories of two very distinct groups of internal refugees...
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"[T]he narrative raises pressing philosophical questions about ethics and altruism while conjuring fascinating characters and an eerie setting. It should be enough to please any fan of dystopian fiction." - Publishers Weekly
"Cliff James is a rising star of contemporary British literature, celebrated for his exquisitely observed characters & beautifully weaved, nuanced storytelling. The Kindly Ones is a story for an Extinction Rebellion era set at the edge of exinction." - Voices Of Awareness
The old world has broken down. In the aftermath of a global catastrophe, there are two paths that the survivors can take.
Three women and a boy take shelter in a deserted village within a vast, unfathomable forest. Unknown beasts hide on the edge of the forest and in the strange manor house in the heart of this village. But Fran, Rhea, Ky and the boy called Lugh are determined to build a new society and keep the memory of civilization alive. Their refuge seems secure until the arrival of the Mann family: a pack of devout brothers and their pious mother. The new family is invited to stay and an unlikely relationship develops between Lugh and Abel, the youngest of the Mann brothers. In time, however, tensions grow as the newcomers impose their religious control over the life of the community. As secrets are exposed and the clash of values turns violent, the beast that lurks beyond the edge of civilization closes in on the village. Backs to the wall, the survivors will have to decide whether they must sacrifice their humanity to save their lives. The Kindly Ones is published by Lethe Press
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Cliff James 2022 ©
Cliff James 2022 ©