And They Were Never Heard From Again by Benedict Patrick

Quote of the Book

“A story is a dangerous thing, Felton Herder. We must value them, we must be careful with them. Set one loose on the world, and you lose all control over your own creation.”

– The Magpie King

Blurb

The woods are not safe.

Especially at night.

Felton takes his younger brother for a walk through the Magpie King’s forest, hoping to change his life for the better.
Things do not go as planned.

And They Were Never Heard From Again is set in Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld, and is the perfect introduction to the world readers are calling a ‘delightfully weird, dark fairytale’.

Grab your copy today, and discover new reasons to be afraid of the dark.

Personal notes

This Yarnsworld short story was first published in the Lost Lore Anthology which is available for free on Amazon. As well as And They Were Never Heard From Again. For those in the back: THESE TWO BOOKS ARE FREE!

Song of the Book

Okay, so, I’m going to cheat a bit here. First I was thinking I’ll pick a Breaking Benjamin song. Then I went to check what I picked for From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court. Apparently, I went with Poets of the Fall, and that got me thinking. So I went to look up their songs. I wanted a song that would represent Tad, his innocence in a dark world. I ended up picking Dawn. I went back to the other review to make sure I didn’t pick the same song. Guess what? I did pick the exact same song. I have a policy to not use the same song twice, but I think I’m going to break that rule right now.

Review

And They Were Never Heard From Again is the perfect entry into the Yarnsworld created by the brilliant Benedict Patrick. If this little dark gem can’t convince you to read any of his other books, then I don’t know what will. It has everything that makes Patrick‘s works so charmingly unique and irresistible. And him one of my favorite authors to date.

This novella is set in the Magpie King’s Forest, which is also the setting for They Mostly Come Out at Night and From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court. It has no connection to these books otherwise so you don’t need to have any previous knowledge of this world.

And They Never Heard From Again is the story of two children, Tad and Felton. I say children, but Felton is probably rather a teenager as his Knack – his magical ability – appeared already and he just experienced that sweet first love. For some reason – maybe because of his name – I always picture him as the young Malfoy – played by Tom Felton in the movies – walking, scared in the forest in Harry Potter and the Philoshoper’s Stone. Tad is five years old, with all the innocence, imagination and beliefs of a boy in his age. He can’t be any more excited when he learns that his tale about the Bramble Man had spread over to the next village and maybe even further than that.

“Beware the Bramble Man, they say,
His roots run deep, his hunger too,
When earth turns foul, and thorns weep red,
He’ll run his roots deep in you too.”

Felton, on the other hand doesn’t believe in every tale he hears, but even he is aware of the dangers of the forest and the presence of the Magpie King. Soon the boys learn the real power of stories, especially if they are paired with strong belief.

“A story is a dangerous thing, Felton Herder. We must value them, we must be careful with them. Set one loose on the world, and you lose all control over your own creation.”

We all should take these words to heart, as we living in the age of the internet are too ready to spread stories before thinking what we unleash upon the world. Sometimes these stories can come back and bite us in the ass.

I think there are only a few writers out there who can put together a short story which leaves you with the feeling of completeness. Benedict Patrick is one of them. And They Never Heard From Again has everything I love in the Yarnsworld series: a unique, bone chilling atmosphere, a twisted fairy tale-like story and monsters you never want to meet in a forest. Or anywhere else for that matter. And most of all: an experience you’ll never be able to forget. It stays with you, gets under your skin, runs its roots deep in your thoughts. And ho boy, it’ll give you enough to think about with its conclusion. Don’t forget, you have to bear the consequences of your words and actions, even if you have a protector behind you like the mighty Magpie King.