Synopsis
Tess just wants a quiet weekend away, a break from the chaos of her job and the constant noise of other people’s expectations. A remote cabin in the woods sounds perfect.
But peace is the last thing she finds.
When she stumbles into Aiden, a man who seems just as lost as she is, they try to navigate their way out together. But the forest has no intention of letting them go.
Beneath the trees lies something twisted, a presence with the mind of a child and the cruelty of something far older. Tess and Aiden aren’t just lost.
They’ve become pawns in a sinister game.
Death is mercy.
The fray is what comes before.
Quick Review
What Comes Before is a fun, fast-paced, and at times gruesome horror novella. It reads like a love letter to spooky forest stories, with few wild twists along the way.
Full Review
Just in time for spooky season, Molly Macabre has brought us a delightfully surreal, strange horror novella. What Comes Before begins when Tess arrives at a forest, seeking out a cabin, though the directions are not specific and the forest seems to be… changing. Along the way she meets Aiden, who is immediately kind and helpful, and by proxy he is also thrust into the chaos with her.
The plot hinges on that forest. It seems to want to keep them trapped, though its motivations and strength is somewhat ambiguous. Whatever it is, it constantly applies pressure to the pair, whether that’s making Tess hallucinate or sending some force of nature to assault them, or just a gentle reminder that it’s watching.
Although Tess and Aiden are constantly under pressure, their lives are not constantly at threat. There are moments between, when Tess and Aiden have time to relax, or attempt to relax. The entity that keeps them trapped sometimes plays along, not just messing with them or keeping them trapped but doing so in a way where it seems to be making jokes at their expense. These were easily some of my favorite moments in the novella.
I highly recommend What Comes Before. I don’t read a lot of horror, so this was a fun change of pace. Macabre tells this story excellently as well, with short and punchy chapters that make you want to read “just one more.” If you’re looking for a quick, strange, and fun horror book, I’d absolutely suggest trying What Comes Before.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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