Metamorphosis in marshlands.

Minimal. Melancholic. Modern.

This collection of loosely connected short stories is set in the English Fens, an area of coastal marshland.

The stories are told from the perspectives of teenage girls and young women. Their bodies and sexuality are the focus.

Each story is short and thoughtful. Every word was placed with care.

The book reads like contemporary folklore. Often a character undergoes a supernatural transformation into another creature. A cold stillness lingers throughout, capturing the misty ambience of the fens.

Contemplating these stories is like noticing something from the corner of your eye. When you turn to look at it directly, whatever it was has gone.

As soon as I read a story, it immediately slipped through my mind. Maybe that feeling is part of the mysterious power of the fenland.

Or perhaps these stories were just not that memorable.

I loved the setting and concept of the book. But I would have preferred just one story expanded upon as a novel.

My favourite was ‘The Scattering’. The main character’s older twin brothers are hungry for violence in a way that is so intriguing. There is a werewolf element there, but the story remains mysterious in such a clever way.

‘Fen’ would make a nice gift for someone who enjoys things a little dark and avant-garde.

I rate it 3 out of 5 glistening eels.

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