The Night Weaver by Monique Snyman
In Monique Snyman‘s latest work, The Night Weaver (Vesuvian Books), children in a small town keep disappearing. That’s an interesting storyline in its own right. It’s quite another when nobody, including the town sheriff, seems to care.
Snyman concocts a unique blend of horror, fantasy and adolescent angst, in which young Rachel Cleary tries to make sense of the weird occurrences in Shadow Grove and the even weirder reactions.
But weirdness is the norm for Snyman, “where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive.” Who else would say in their bio that they play “referee to her imaginary friends?”
As much as Rachel would like, it’s hard to ignore the infamous “Access Prohibited” sign by the forest that backs her family’s property. The slightest glance in the forest’s direction sends chills through Rachel. She has the feeling some form of life exists in the forbidden terrain, that someone is watching her.
So why does everyone have a seemingly blasé attitude toward missing children, as well as to the forest itself? Does the forest somehow hold the key to what happened to the kids?
As Rachel searches to find what is it about the eerie forest that plagues the town, she will uncover long-buried secrets that have been passed down through generations. She must decide if she is ready to face potential danger that may lie ahead as well as the truth that comes with it.
Truth to tell: Something is stalking the residents of Shadow Grove, changing them into brain-dead caricatures of themselves. It’s up to Rachel to stop the devouring of her hometown before all is destroyed and everyone she loves is forever lost.
Could that “something” be the Night Weaver, likened to the Black Annis of English folklore – a boogeyman figure imagined as a blue-faced hag or witch with iron claws and a taste for human flesh?
Rachel has never heard of this legend and becomes even more determined to find answers. She and Dougal, a visiting young relative of her neighbor, realize the forest, with its dark history, may hold the key. The two brace to enter the forest in hope of learning how to save Shadow Grove before there isn’t a town left to save.
What will they find in the forest?
Snyman’s storytelling takes readers down a road of fear, folklore and dark fantasy. Readers will take pleasure and have great fun in following the author and her story as she tries to sort out that mess in her head.
The Night Weaver is now available!
About Monique Snyman:
Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or editing.
Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband, daughter, and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novels, THE NIGHT WEAVER and THE BONE CARVER, and the upcoming South African horror series, DARK COUNTRY.
