In this book a man recovering from a near-fatal accident returns to the rich estate on whose grounds he grew up.  Soon he discovers that all the childhood stories of fairies are true, as are those about witches and dark magic.  We follow Thom Kindred as his roving throughout the woods around his home begins to reveal ancient secrets and, susequently, some that relate directly to his own past.  Amidst the wonder of having discovered a magical world existing beside our own, Thom is faced with dark horror as dark powers are arranged against him.  I really enjoyed this book and the way it adds adult levels to the stories we all remember from childhood, be they creatures of the night (Thom awakes to find himself being orally pleasured by a goblin of sorts) or the fairies that frolic in the woods (Jennet's frolicking certainly makes for interesting reading!).  Herbert introduces his horror element through Thom's fear of spiders and the floods of the creatures that attack him (gives me the creeps just thinking about having them crawling into my mouth, nose and ears).  The book slowly builds the tension, sexual, human and magical, towards a stunning climax.  The scene in which Thom races through the forest as it is wracked by a storm of dark magic is written so evocatively that you'll feel like you're really there, fighting against the wind.  A great little read for both fantasy and horror fans.

5 out of 5