Scan barcode
anca_antoci's review against another edition
5.0
Here's a book review courtesy of The Write Reads blog tours. It's set in winter, right before Christmas, making it a perfect holiday read. Just so you know, this isn't your typical heartwarming tale.
“The Haunting Scent of Poppies” by Victoria Williamson envelops you in a spectral tale that unfolds in the days preceding the first Christmas post-World War One. Join Charlie, a cunning fugitive entangled in a mysterious theft, as he endeavors to secure a rare and valuable book from a local bookshop, a prize that could alter the course of his life. Little does he know that this seemingly ordinary act of thievery will thrust him into a surreal world, haunted by the harrowing experiences of a soldier who owned the book before him.
In this succinct yet eerily captivating novella, the narrative lingers in your thoughts, the gothic ambiance seeping through every page. Williamson really gets into the horrors of war, the desperate things people do to survive, and the huge value of a book, both in terms of money and emotions.
While the protagonist, Charlie, may not be inherently likable, the complexity of his character is undeniable. His constant shapeshifting of identity, his opportunistic exploits, and the gradual revelation of his sins keep you on edge. As consequences catch up with him, the novella explores the intricacies of his nature, revealing a character whose growth is mired in self-preservation.
The seamless integration of flashbacks depicting trench warfare with the post-war setting enhances t’s impact. Williamson skillfully creates an unsettling atmosphere by moving the reader from an English town to the haunting front lines and back. The blending of reality and hallucination adds an eerie layer to the story.
The events in "The Haunting Scent of Poppies" are vividly depicted, especially the haunting hallucinations and flashbacks. The gripping trench scenes and thrilling sequences contribute to the story's overall impact.
Read more at https://www.summonfantasy.com/reviews/echoes-of-war-unveiling-the-haunting-scent-of-poppies
“The Haunting Scent of Poppies” by Victoria Williamson envelops you in a spectral tale that unfolds in the days preceding the first Christmas post-World War One. Join Charlie, a cunning fugitive entangled in a mysterious theft, as he endeavors to secure a rare and valuable book from a local bookshop, a prize that could alter the course of his life. Little does he know that this seemingly ordinary act of thievery will thrust him into a surreal world, haunted by the harrowing experiences of a soldier who owned the book before him.
In this succinct yet eerily captivating novella, the narrative lingers in your thoughts, the gothic ambiance seeping through every page. Williamson really gets into the horrors of war, the desperate things people do to survive, and the huge value of a book, both in terms of money and emotions.
While the protagonist, Charlie, may not be inherently likable, the complexity of his character is undeniable. His constant shapeshifting of identity, his opportunistic exploits, and the gradual revelation of his sins keep you on edge. As consequences catch up with him, the novella explores the intricacies of his nature, revealing a character whose growth is mired in self-preservation.
The seamless integration of flashbacks depicting trench warfare with the post-war setting enhances t’s impact. Williamson skillfully creates an unsettling atmosphere by moving the reader from an English town to the haunting front lines and back. The blending of reality and hallucination adds an eerie layer to the story.
The events in "The Haunting Scent of Poppies" are vividly depicted, especially the haunting hallucinations and flashbacks. The gripping trench scenes and thrilling sequences contribute to the story's overall impact.
Read more at https://www.summonfantasy.com/reviews/echoes-of-war-unveiling-the-haunting-scent-of-poppies
eleanorgking's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Despite being less than 100 pages long, Victoria Williamson still managed to fit a lot into The Haunting Scent of Poppies.
The main character Charlie keeps as much from the reader as he does all the people in the story. He pretends to be someone else so much that we don’t really get a sense of who he is and what he’s done – I’m not even sure we know his age.
There was a lingering scene of unease – of a haunting or a repressed trauma. It was difficult to know what was real and what was not – it was a really effective gothic story.
silverchild's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
avoraciousreader68's review
medium-paced
4.0
Book source ~ TWR Tour
Charlie Briggs is a thief. And usually a pretty good one. But he’s met his match this time. Instead of coal in his stocking he gets something else. Something horrifying.
This is a novella. This is historical fiction. This is set at Christmas. This is a book about a book. All of those things sound wonderful. However, this book falls squarely in horror. Yikes. I’m not going to go into any detail about this tale that kept my fingers and eyes glued to the pages. Not literally. Thank the Book Gods. This is a story that really needs to be experienced without me mucking it up for you. So, if you like some horror with your Christmas then do not pass this up. Seriously.
judefire33's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the first book I’ve read by Victoria Williamson, and as it is set in Petersfield just up the road from where I live, and I was somewhat intrigued.
Set just after the end of WW1, we find Charlie Briggs a draft dodger and pilferer, who is on the run from the Police in London ( his home city), so he is hiding out in Petersfield in Hampshire.
He comes across a rare book in a book shop and steals it so that he sell it and hopefully be set up for a long while afterwards, which he thinks will be a good idea with the Police on his tail. However very unsettling events start to unravel, and consume Charlie leading to his sorry end.
I found the characterization of Charlie really good, not a likeable character but a well written one. The events and description of WW1 are quite vivid and tangible, and really made for a spooky novella.
A small book that I read in an evening, but one that certainly gave me the jitters!
A solid 4 star read.
bookforthought's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Great War may be over, but its haunting presence lingers on for Charlie Briggs, a crook trying to lay low in a small Hampshire town while waiting for the heat to die down after a botched job in London. But hiding out doesn’t mean he needs to stop working completely, even though riches seem scarce in town. So he can’t quite believe his luck when he spots a book so rare and so valuable it could actually set him up for the rest of his life. But will this last job turn out to be more than he bargained for?
I was completely captivated by this short story and its haunting Christmas setting. Charlie was a deeply unlikeable main character, someone who clearly had a hard life but made some extremely questionable choices to satisfy his greed much more than his need. And boy, was it satisfying to see that greed come back to haunt him.
The effects of the curse and the war setting were extremely vivid, with a slow build-up that kept me turning the pages, desperate to see its conclusion. Although I found this to be really well-built (especially for such a short book), the ending is perhaps what I found to be the weakest element in the story. I’ll keep this spoiler-free, but I felt it didn’t quite do justice to the great build-up to that point and had a (minor) inconsistency.
Still, it was a greatly entertaining read perfect for anyone looking to keep the spooky vibes alive during the Christmas season!
I received a copy of this book as part of the blog tour organised by TheWriteReads. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I received a copy of this book as part of the blog tour organised by TheWriteReads. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Violence
amothersmusings1's review
4.0
I read this superb Gothic novella “The Haunting Scent of Poppies” in one sitting, it was easy to read, very addictive and does leave you pondering on the horrors of war and how awful the use of mustard gas must have been in the trenches.
Charlie the main protagonist is a really greedy and selfish man that the reader is supposed to dislike and the consequences of theft and greed came across strongly in this story, using a haunted book to highlight these sins.
I wasn’t just haunted by the scent of poppies but by the haunting scenes of war during the Great War. Truly upsetting and shows just how brave the soldiers were. Captured concisely and without preamble the scenes were realistic and saddening.
It’s often known that short stories don’t always work due to needing to cover so much in such a short period but this really worked for me and packed a punch in its beautifully designed size.
The author has a deep interest in history and archaeology which shows in abundance in all her novels. Combining her love of exploring the past with her fascination with supernatural tales makes her well placed to write this absorbing ghostly gothic tale and having read a few of Victoria Williamson’s short stories before, I will continue to follow this author and I am happy to recommend.
#TheHauntingScentOfPoppies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
roshreviews's review
mysterious
fast-paced
3.75
In a Nutshell: A paranormal historical novella dealing with two kinds of horrors: the horror of war and the ghostly one. Both are equally haunting. A quick and fairly satisfying read.
Story Synopsis:
Just a few months after the Great War has ended, petty criminal Charlie Briggs is forced to lay low in a small Hampshire town during the holiday season. But he hasn’t stopped looking for the next victim to be cheated or the next object to be purloined.
When he discovers a precious antique book, he steals it and waits for his fence to set up a life-altering transaction that will bring him enough moolah. The book, however, has other plans.
The story comes to us through the limited third-person perspective of Charlie.
At just a hundred pages long, this novella is a quick read that can be easily completed in a single sitting. But don’t assume that it is an easy read, as well. There are many gut-wrenching scenes in the descriptions of the war scenes. It is painful to remember that such events actually occurred, and men did suffer because of such weapons. The paranormal elements are also eerie, but at some corner of our minds, we always think of paranormal content as fiction. Therefore, to me, the war-related horrors were more traumatising. It was quite ironic that the book Charlie was trying to fence was Sun Tzu’s famous ‘The Art of War’.
The titular poppy is the perfect floral choice for this book. Not only do poppies symbolise remembrance and respect for veterans of WWI and later wars, but the flowers also stand for imagination, sleep, and blood in various interpretations, all of which are applicable to this plot. The haunting scent of the flowers is quite visceral in the storyline.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. Though things get a tad bit repetitive in between because of the similarity of Charlie’s nightmares, the writing is still gripping enough to keep the reader going. Some scenes are so vivid that I felt almost claustrophobic while reading them.
The writing creates a nice interplay between actuality and imagination. Even until the end, it is tough to figure out how many of Charlie’s experiences were a result of his distraught mind and how many were genuinely caused by the ghost. This adds a nice layer of complexity to the already intriguing plot. The story being set at Christmas time adds to the impact as everything in Charlie’s life is exactly the opposite of what Christmas stands for.
Charlie is an unusual main character in that he is a person you would love to hate. It is tough to feel sorry for him when the rare book turns his life upside down. This is one of the stories where you would be supporting the ghostly entity rather than its (his?) victim.
That said, I wish there was some more detailing to Charlie and his experiences. One basic fact that is skipped out is Charlie’s age. Age isn’t always material to understanding characters, but it sure helps. In this case, knowing how old Charlie was would have guided me much in evaluating his life choices and his behaviour. Moreover, I never figured out why Charlie was the “chosen one” for the ghost. There were others who owned the book before and they didn’t seem to suffer the same way. The repeated “Remember me” also didn’t clarify matters. Keeping in mind the personality of the human who haunts Charlie in the ghostly avatar, the post-death behaviour didn’t make sense.
The ending is a winner in every way except one. There’s no closure, no explanation of the whats and whys. Things just happen and then they end. That was a big disappointment to me as I like to know the justifications behind a supernatural entity’s actions so that I can sleep better at night. 😛
All in all, if you are looking for a dark Christmas story with no frivolity and much eeriness, this would be a good choice for you, as long as you aren’t bothered much by the lack of ghostly closure.
Story Synopsis:
Just a few months after the Great War has ended, petty criminal Charlie Briggs is forced to lay low in a small Hampshire town during the holiday season. But he hasn’t stopped looking for the next victim to be cheated or the next object to be purloined.
When he discovers a precious antique book, he steals it and waits for his fence to set up a life-altering transaction that will bring him enough moolah. The book, however, has other plans.
The story comes to us through the limited third-person perspective of Charlie.
At just a hundred pages long, this novella is a quick read that can be easily completed in a single sitting. But don’t assume that it is an easy read, as well. There are many gut-wrenching scenes in the descriptions of the war scenes. It is painful to remember that such events actually occurred, and men did suffer because of such weapons. The paranormal elements are also eerie, but at some corner of our minds, we always think of paranormal content as fiction. Therefore, to me, the war-related horrors were more traumatising. It was quite ironic that the book Charlie was trying to fence was Sun Tzu’s famous ‘The Art of War’.
The titular poppy is the perfect floral choice for this book. Not only do poppies symbolise remembrance and respect for veterans of WWI and later wars, but the flowers also stand for imagination, sleep, and blood in various interpretations, all of which are applicable to this plot. The haunting scent of the flowers is quite visceral in the storyline.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. Though things get a tad bit repetitive in between because of the similarity of Charlie’s nightmares, the writing is still gripping enough to keep the reader going. Some scenes are so vivid that I felt almost claustrophobic while reading them.
The writing creates a nice interplay between actuality and imagination. Even until the end, it is tough to figure out how many of Charlie’s experiences were a result of his distraught mind and how many were genuinely caused by the ghost. This adds a nice layer of complexity to the already intriguing plot. The story being set at Christmas time adds to the impact as everything in Charlie’s life is exactly the opposite of what Christmas stands for.
Charlie is an unusual main character in that he is a person you would love to hate. It is tough to feel sorry for him when the rare book turns his life upside down. This is one of the stories where you would be supporting the ghostly entity rather than its (his?) victim.
That said, I wish there was some more detailing to Charlie and his experiences. One basic fact that is skipped out is Charlie’s age. Age isn’t always material to understanding characters, but it sure helps. In this case, knowing how old Charlie was would have guided me much in evaluating his life choices and his behaviour. Moreover, I never figured out why Charlie was the “chosen one” for the ghost. There were others who owned the book before and they didn’t seem to suffer the same way. The repeated “Remember me” also didn’t clarify matters. Keeping in mind the personality of the human who haunts Charlie in the ghostly avatar, the post-death behaviour didn’t make sense.
The ending is a winner in every way except one. There’s no closure, no explanation of the whats and whys. Things just happen and then they end. That was a big disappointment to me as I like to know the justifications behind a supernatural entity’s actions so that I can sleep better at night. 😛
All in all, if you are looking for a dark Christmas story with no frivolity and much eeriness, this would be a good choice for you, as long as you aren’t bothered much by the lack of ghostly closure.
I have read two books by this author, both meant for middle-graders. However, this book is definitely not for children. Officially, it is aimed at adult readers, and I am glad about this, because it means that this talented author will now find an expanded readership.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to TheWriteReads and author Victoria Williamson for a complimentary copy of 'The Haunting Scent of Poppies’. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
My thanks to TheWriteReads and author Victoria Williamson for a complimentary copy of 'The Haunting Scent of Poppies’. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
rina1986_reads's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0