Title: The Broken Places

Author: Blaine Daigle

Release date: March 24, 2023

*Huge thanks to Blaine for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

You may have noticed my reviews have slowed a bit. Well, for those who care, I’ve swapped a bit of my scheduling around and have taken about half of my reading time away and devoted that to extra time to write. So, with my reading time cut in half, I just haven’t been zipping through as many books! But rest assured, I’m still plugging away each night on two or three books at any given time.

As with the case of Daigle’s ‘The Broken Places,’ over the last few years, I’ve read a couple of his books for blurb and when I mentioned I still hadn’t grabbed this one to read, he kindly send me a copy as a thanks. Now, you may ask yourself – how the heck did I not grab this yet as it’s 100% right up my alley – remote setting, creatures, woods etc., etc., – well in this particular case, this book came out about a month after my own novel, ‘Churn the Soil.’ Both are set in the same neck of the woods, both focus on remote locations with creatures and things that go bad, and while these two books are very different (in actuality, I found this one to remind me a lot of my novel ‘The Stranger’ which was awesome), with how close they were in terms of release dates, I needed some distance between having immersed myself in those worlds and then I just never swung back around to grab it!

Well, thanks to Blaine, I dove in ASAP and what a dark, atmosphere-driven tale this one was!

What I liked: The story follows three long-time friends heading to a remote cabin near a small town in the Yukon. Ryne’s family originates from there and with all three friends having recently had life-altering events, it seems like a solid place to go, unwind and have a fun weekend. Unbeknownst to two of them, Ryne’s actually planning on staying. But none of them know that the town hide’s a centuries old secret, one that directly involves Ryne.

Daigle does a great job of setting things up and showcasing the brotherly bond all three have. We get snippets of what each of them are like and what each has gone through, saving a lot of their stories for when we get it the thick of things. The town is well done and immediately makes everyone – including the reader – feel unwelcome.

Things really pick up when a storm is forecast, they head to the cabin and a strange deer shows up. From there, everything unravels and Daigle hits us with some long-held rituals, folklore terror and creepy animals that act as harbingers of horrible things to come.

The final quarter of the book is a solid info dump and revelation of secrets. As Ryne begins to connect the dots about his family, their place in the history of the small town and what it ultimately means to him and his friends who’ve come with him, was great and cinematic.

What I didn’t like: While I did like the ritualistic aspect and discover, I found it wasn’t fully formed – or at least fully described. We got some of what was happening, but not all of it and while that can work in cases, in this sense, we need it all.

As well, I found an overuse of the Robert Frost quote/poem without really learning why it was so specifically poignant to that character. I might have missed it, but for the amount it is used, I think that should’ve been something that would’ve stood out.

Why you should buy this: If you like Daigle’s books, you’ve probably already read this. If not, this is a great place to dive in. As well, if you like my own books, this will be right up your alley. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a cold-weather novel that’s chalk full of isolation, insane animals and long-held secrets, this one will be right up your alley!