Karla's Literary Korner: Sisters of the Crimson Vine by P.L. McMillan

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror/Folklore

Format: eBook

Pages: 114

Synopsis:

John Ainsworth nearly died in that car crash.

Soon he'll learn there are worse fates. After a brutal accident, John awakens in the dilapidated Crimoria Convent under the care of thirteen unconventional nuns. Grievous injuries trap him within the borders of the ruined sanctuary and its strangely successful vineyard. When his body starts healing faster than nature allows, John's questions quickly pile up. A pair of Church auditors arrive to look into the convent's finances. It's obvious the pair are unwelcome guests, but John has bigger concerns. The order's annual ritual draws near and John begins to discover things that make him wonder if any of them are truly safe in the hands of the Sisters of the Crimson Vine.

Review:

“Old wounds heal and the scars remain to remind us,” she said. “It’s important to remember and appreciate each and every day.”

John Ainsworth is an auditor traveling to a convent. On the way there, he has a car accident and becomes debilitated. The sisters are welcoming and take care of him, but there are many occurrences that have him confused and questioning. There are seemingly many secrets and an underlying strangeness that surrounds the sisters and the convent. As the secrets are revealed, Mr. Ainsworth must make a difficult decision that will affect a life and all the lives of the sisters.

In the vein of cosmic horror and folklore, this is an atmospheric novella where the unknown is dark and menacing. The sisters are the heart of the story as they are shown to be strong in their convictions and powerful in their commitments to each other, the convent, and the preservation of the land. They hold strong in their yearly sacrifice that is paramount to their survival. They follow the ways of the old and timeless. They are the "Sisters of the Crimson Vine."

Grim and foreboding. Isolating and unnerving. The dread is quietly built which leads to some shocking and horrifying details. It's ominous, uncanny, and has an evocative quality within the storytelling.

“Year after year, the grapes are nourished in the soil that our sisters died on. Their blood fed the earth and, in turn, the earth feeds us,” Agatha said.

Goodreads Author Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/

Amazon Author Link:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/P.L.-McMillan/author/

Author Website Link:

https://www.plmcmillan.com/

About the Author:

P.L. McMillan is a writer whose works have been known to cause rifts in time and space itself…

Well, not quite. But writing often makes her feel that powerful.

P.L. McMillan is a Canadian expat living in the States, after having taught English for three years in Asia. With a passion for cosmic horror and sci-fi horror, P.L. McMillan sees every shadow as an entryway to a deeper look into the black heart of the world, meant to be discovered and explored. Infatuated with the works of Shirley Jackson, H.P. Lovecraft, and Ridley Scott, her dream is to create stories of adventure, of chills, of heartbreak, and thrills.

Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of anthologies and magazines such as Cosmic Horror Monthly, Strange Lands Short Stories, Negative Space, and AHH! That’s What I Call Horror, as well as adapted to audio forms for podcasts like NoSleep and Nocturnal Transmissions. In addition to her short stories, McMillan’s debut collection, What Remains When The Stars Burn Out, and debut novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, are available now.

Besides being a fiction writer, PLM has experience as an editor (Howls from the Dark Ages and The Darkness Beyond The Stars: An Anthology of Space Horror), hosts PLM Talks on Youtube (interviewing peers and professionals in the horror industry), and is the co-host of a horror writing craft podcast, Dead Languages Podcast. On top of all that, PLM does digital illustrations and artwork for anthologies and her merch shop.