[Book Review] Little Eve by Catriona Ward & Wide Awake Sea Salt Caramel Coffee

Little Eve is a dark, gothic tale of two sisters, raised in a small secret doomsday cult off the coast of Scotland, on the isolated isle of Altnaharra, and the events leading to, and aftermath of, a bloody reckoning that leaves only one survivor on the island.

Book Info

Title: Little Eve
Series: Standalone
Author: Catriona Ward
Publication date: October 11th 2022
Page Count: 288 pages
Age Range: YA/NA/Adult (blood, violence, death, body horror (eyes))
How I got my hot little hands on it: received a review copy
Publisher’s page: Tor Nightfire

“A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

Spoiler-Free Summary of Little Eve

Little Eve opens with the discovery of a massacre on the isle of Altnaharra, off the coast of Scotland near the village of Loyal. The isolated island, only accessible by a narrow causeway and only when the sea allows it, is home to Colonel John Bearings, Alice and Nora (two women who arrived with the Colonel when he first settled on the island), and four foundling children taken in from the surrounding area: Dinah, Able, Eve, and Elizabeth.

On the morning of January 2, 1921, the bodies of the inhabitants of the island are found ritually murdered. Dinah is the only one who manages to survive the brutal slaughter, just barely, and Eve, who wielded the knife, is missing.

Through Eve’s eyes, the story goes back to three years prior.

On the island, Uncle knows all. He is the Adder through which the great snake in the sea speaks. When the great serpent comes from the sea, He will end the Impure world and only His obedient followers will survive. Following Uncle’s guidance, and aided by Alice and Nora, the children have very strict rules they must follow lest they become Impure. They eat only on the island, but little and seldom, like a serpent, so hunger can bring them closer to Him. No reading Impure books or associating with Impure. If they displease the Adder punishment comes by shunning or Wane, their mouths sealed with tar and placed in a dark hole, sometimes for days on end.

As the Adder, Uncle has been gifted with power and it is only through him a successor will be chosen. Eve knows in her heart she will be the next Adder, especially when she develops a gift of her own – the ability to see things others can’t. When a murder in town brings Chief Inspector Black to their door, Altnaharra’s secrets are put at risk and everything is almost ruined. Eve steps up to protect her family at all costs, ignorant of Uncle’s horrifying secrets she is helping to hide.

The story unfolds across two alternating timelines. Dinah writes from the aftermath, living with the trauma of her upbringing and the horror from the night of the murders. Through Eve, the events leading up to that bloodstained day uncoil, revealing the true circumstances guiding her hand.

My Review

Little Eve is a dark, gothic tale of two sisters raised in a small secret doomsday cult off the coast of Scotland, on the isolated isle of Altnaharra, and the events leading to, and aftermath of, a bloody reckoning that leaves only one survivor on the island.

The book alternates between the timelines and viewpoints of the two sisters. Dinah writes from the present times of 1921 – 1945, in the aftermath as the only survivor of the ritual slayings that took place on the island. Eve, the missing perpetrator of the killings, fills in the blanks of 1917 – 1921, telling her side of the events that led up to that fateful, bloody day.

Despite the body count, the horror of Little Eve is more literary and psychological than blood and gore (though there is some of that). The island snake cult is dark, creepy, and twisted, a feeling perfectly mirrored in the crumbling castle and isolated landscape of Altnaharra. Eve, despite, or maybe as a result of, being a product of her environment, comes off as a sympathetic character, especially when you realize she’s only about 17 at the time of the murders.

The brief description of this book did not do it justice. When I tell you I could not put this book down, I’m not even exaggerating. I was turning pages, biting my nails, and gasping out loud. The author uses unreliable narrators artfully and skillfully to tell a twisted story that keeps the reader on edge and hooked.

Little Eve is a hidden gem of a literary gothic novel with the same gloomy, isolated vibes as The Others or The Woman In Black. The atmosphere, the characters, the twists and turns, the tension, the reveals – Little Eve is my favorite kind of gothic novel. The author’s been making a name for herself in the gothic horror/thriller genre and I’ve heard good things about her other books, so I’ll absolutely be checking those out soon.

Little Eve Trigger Warnings (may contain spoilers)

Body Horror/Eye Ick: Graphic depictions of murders and bodies without eyes. Eve takes the saying an eye for an eye to heart a little too literally and has her eye cut out as payment for the gift of sight the Adder has bestowed upon her.

Molestation/sexual exploitation of women and minors: It is not shown or explicitly stated, but very heavily implied what “Uncle” plans to do/has done with the girls under his care.

Self-harm: Eve carries a knife in her sleeve at all times and when she’s feeling destressed, she uses it on herself to draw blood and then she feels better.

Let’s Talk Coffee

The ocean is a constant companion to the inhabitants Altnaharra, the island at the center of Little Eve, isolated from the mainland and only available by a small, constantly flooded causeway. To give readers a little taste of that salty sea air, I recommend Wide Awake Sea Salt Caramel Coffee – a light roast coffee that is both salty and sweet.