I loved Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street so when a friend asked me to dive into Little Eve, I was more than willing to.

Gothic in the truest sense of the word, Little Eve is filled with gloom, mystery and hints of horror. Set on a tiny Scottish island, the story moves between 1918, 1921, and 1931 with the backdrop of world conflict, shifting narratives and perspectives to give us unreliable narratives, and a horrifying experience.

On the isle, there is a cult at works, run by a domineering man known only as Uncle. He has under his control, Nora, Dinah, Eve Abel and Baby Elizabeth. Uncle holds then under sway with tales of a giant black snake, the Adder that will come to destroy the world and the Impure. Only they will survive if they keep the faith.

Yeah, it’s a cult, And Little Eve is at its heart. She believes she has gift known as The Eye, that allows her to see through the eyes of others, gives her insight. Uncle uses her, and the rest, to keep the Impure away, and stir discord among them.

As the story opens, we learn that those on the island have been killed, sacrificed. And the story slowly reveals what happened. But can the story be trusted?

Moody and engaging, Eve takes us along the edge of darkness and mystery, as we’re plunged into a dark tale of corruption, abuse, the horrors of war and the terrors of faith.

I love how Ward has crafted her story, revealing the the story, and then peeling back layers. The story is dark, moody, and incredibly powerful. As things play out, truths of characters and events are revealed, you can’t help by be moved by the horrors the characters experience and the way they come through the crucible of events that shape them.

I got caught up in the characters, the moments, and the truth of who they are. Ward’s story is smart, heart-wrenching and powerful. Everything is laid out for the reader, it’s all there, but the perspective of the narrator clouds how we interpret them, and consequently, the tale plays out with a dark, seething beauty that stays with you long after you’ve read the last line.

That’s two books from Ward that I have loved, so that means I should probably check out some of her other novels. I love how she tells here tales, and how it’s all perspective and perception, and that can lead to unreliable narratives that leave you wondering about what is really happening.

A dark, fantastic read. Moving and truly Gothic.