The Haar

By: David Sodergren

Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison

"I don't fear death . . . but they do."

Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, and she intends to die there.

But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost . . . until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland.

THE HAAR

To some it brings redemption . . . to others, it brings only madness and death. What macabre secrets lie within . . .

THE HAAR

Contains mature themes.

©2022 David Sodergren (P)2024 Tantor

Narrator sounds like AI

The story is charming and fun, although drags a bit at times. My biggest issue is it was hard to know I liked the story because the narration was so awkward. She sounds like AI that doesn’t understand pacing and inflection. I had to listen on 1.2 to get her to sound human.

A dark horror romance about loss and mortality

So, the best synopsis that I can give you for this book without spoiling too much is if took the plot from The Shape of Water, but swapped out the humanoid fish monster with The Thing. This story really worked for me, and I do NOT like romances at all. But it's very sweet, it touches a lot on loss and mortality, and overall I really loved it. I also think the narrator did a fantastic job, she was great. If you're looking for a dark Lovecraftian romance, this is the book for you. Even if you're not looking for any of those things, I'd still recommend the book anyway. It's just great overall. The story, the characters, all of it. 8/10.

Body horror, the deaths of capitalist villains, and a little bit of romance

5/5 Overall for a fantastic story and such SATISFYING deaths. I love literary horror, and while body horror requires some squirming, it's very much enjoyable when it's happening to horrible people and capitalist scumbags.

My only real complaint- and it's more of a nitpick- is that the voiceover is a bit halting at times in an effort to put a point on things, almost staccato. But I listen typically at 1.2x speed or a little faster, and that made it perfectly fine. The narrator's Scottish brogue was very enjoyable and clear even to those unused to the accent, and the American accents were well-done (not the typical bad Southern American accents I sometimes hear from UK actors on TV).

I had been told by some that they were disappointed by this story's end, but I have no idea what they were talking about now that I've finished it. The ending was beautiful and satisfying, and made a lot more sense than some grim "the world is awful and everyone died" type ending.

I simply could not put this one down, and considering the author was inspired by old horror movies and Stephen King, I think King fans will really enjoy this.

Fear not the haar, folk of good heart. It's not here for you.

A classic horror

This was a true horror classic. I loved this so much!! It was creepy and vile but also so emotional! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Can't Smile Without You!

The Haar completely caught me off guard. I went in expecting a classic horror story, but what I found was something far more emotional, romantic, and surprisingly tender. It carries the same kind of beauty and pain you’d find in a story like The Shape of Water not in plot, but in its heart.

This book isn’t just about fear. It’s about longing, loneliness, love, and the ache of wanting something you know might destroy you. The characters feel real and beautifully imperfect, and the emotional weight of their choices is what makes the horror hit even deeper.

David Sodergren deserves a lot of credit here. His writing is atmospheric without feeling distant, emotional without being heavy-handed, and human without ever losing the eerie, mistcovered dread that drives the story. You can feel that he cares about every character, every wound, and every heartbreak, and because of that, the reader cares too.