Synopsis
Nahanni National Park is one of last truly wild places on earth. Accessible only by plane, and only when the weather cooperates, it’s the perfect place for estranged brothers Joseph and Oscar to have an adventure following the death of their mother. Gillian, Joseph’s first love, invites herself along in the spirit of friendship. The park is much more than beautiful. It’s mysterious, with legends of giants and hidden, prehistoric animals. And among its few visitors, an outsized number of violent deaths inspire its second, more seductive name. While dreaming of the future, the group finds themselves confronted by the past. Far from home and far from help.
Review
A huge thank you to the kind folks over at Cemetery Gates Media for the eARC and happy pub day!
The war between the head and the heart is not one that is waged lightly as proven by LP Hernadez’s novella, In the Valley of Headless Men. Following the death of their mother, half-brothers Oscar and Joseph decide to take the trip of a lifetime to Nahanni National Park, a place rumored to be the home of headless beings, creatures beyond what the imagination can conjure, and possibly the ever-elusive sense of closure sought following a major loss. Accompanying the men is Gillian, the other half of Joseph’s romantically complicated relationship. Each member of this party is in search of something, something they may not even be consciously aware of but waits for them in the vast wilderness of the Nahanni.
Reconciling the idea of something versus the reality of what stands before you is something that Hernandez explores heavily. The illusion of the road less traveled carries a hefty toll as made evident by Joseph’s character. When we meet him, his relationship with Oscar isn’t the best, and they are only brought together through the circumstances of their mother’s death. Both Oscar and Jospeh’s fathers are out of the picture for varying reasons, but their absence appears to have left similar scars among the two men. Of course, all is not what it seems and Joseph’s understanding of Oscar as a person isn’t fully explored until they reach the remote wilderness. This is something that’s also represented by Gillian’s character, a relationship Joseph comes back to time and time again without any real sense of direction. Both of his relationships with Oscar and Gillian serve as a blank to be filled in, a projection of sorts rather than reality.
This idea is also heavily personified by the Nahanni landscape itself, a strange place with unknown, unsettling qualities that presents itself in a different light with every passing second. The lack of definitiveness of this space serves as a blank canvas for the traveling crew who each take away a different understanding of the world around them. This lack of certainty felt extremely terrifying as there is no clear answer as to which way is up, much like life itself at times. To add to this unease, the presence of other grotesque beings ensures this overwhelming atmosphere of horror. Within the Nahanni, truly anything feels possible, even the unthinkable. Sure, the literal horror on the page is more than enough to make this a frightful read, but the truths about matters of the heart are far more captivating and terrifying.
Joseph’s crusade for what he thinks is closure comes to a mind-bending conclusion, one that resonates deeply. Living life equates to impossible decisions, heartache, and wondering, “What if?” To this question, Hernandez answers in earnest through a greater analysis of what the logical mind wants and the emotional heart yearns for. Life throws wicked curveballs and finding your footing can feel impossible when making the next decision feels insurmountable. As stated by Joseph’s mother, “You never know the why while you’re in it.”
In the Valley of Headless Men is a novella that felt impossible to put down. LP Hernandez expertly crafts an emotional connection with these characters, placing us squarely in their shoes as they navigate the literal uncertain. Several lines of prose repeatedly caught my attention for the levels of elegance within their simplicity. Of course, there are plenty of frights that lie in wait in the Nahanni National Park, but the overall atmosphere of this story felt unsettlingly cerebral. The feelings of hurt, questioning, and instability were quite palpable on the page, forming an immersive, emotional tale. An incredibly thought-provoking read, In the Valley of Headless Men, solidifies the slippery nature of the unknown, both logically and emotionally.
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