Trolls

It's in the moments of dissonance, where the narrative pitches headlong into the uncanny, that Spjut makes the gulf between the crime-fiction and the supernatural elements of his novel click. For large chunks of the narrative, Trolls is a straightforward narrative involving a kidnapping, an escaped cult leader, and questions of trust among two generations of the novel's heroes. But the very matter-of-fact way that he presents this makes the novel's forays into irrationality that much more compelling. It creates a sense that the supernatural is operating under different laws than those which govern its human characters--and it makes it all the more unsettling when they arise, seemingly out of nowhere. When Spjut embraces the irrational menace summoned up by this narrative, he creates a powerfully surreal sensation that's hard to shake. Trolls abounds with visceral moments: one character loses an eye, another two have a tense conversation beside a steep cliff, and the aforementioned squirrel reveals a taste for human spit. While the narrative can sometimes feel overly complex, there are numerous moments of raw power to be found here, and some wry humor as well. -- Tor.com Stefan Spjut, by dint of keeping his supernatural elements shadowy, his focus on the wrenching human drama and suspense elements at the fore, and by working in elements of dark, off-kilter humor throughout, has actually created something Lynchian. Trolls feels eerie, even when there's nothing supernatural going on...This isn't a book about nasty people doing horrible things, it's about dealing with the aftermath of horrible things happening...Trolls is excellent...dark and forbidding as the forests in which it's set. Stefan Spjut is incredible at building some absolutely wrenching psychological stakes, and when the cathartic moments finally come, they're every bit as hard-hitting as the buildup. -- StrangeLibrary Although this one must have been in development long before the release of the summer's surprise folk horror hit Midsommar, there couldn't be a better time for a book about Scandinavian horrors to be released. I can't wait to read this tale of wolves, forests, cults, and of course, trolls! (the good kind, not the internet kind). -- CrimeReads