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.
Oh my goodness. This story is freaky. For the first third of the book I wasn't sure what was happening. I thought that Uncle, an older man "taking care" of six girls, might be a cult leader. He seemed to be promoting a snake god. After several chapters I determined that I was correct but the reasons why were not clear until the story progressed. Where the girls came from was also unclear. I thought he was stealing them from families but the truth is worse. The girls, Alice, Evelyn (Eve), Dinah, Nora, Elizabeth, Rose and a boy named Abel were kept by Uncle in a dilapidated old castle and were not allowed to mingle with other kids. A few of the kids that they knew from school were Sarah Buchanan and Jamie MacRaith. Several of the girls were infatuated with Jamie. He was cute and had a sunny disposition. Sarah taunts the girls one day and she pays a huge price for it. We read in the beginning that all the girls are missing an eye. No information is given on how that came about until the ending. It was scary and very graphic.
Little Eve begins with the discovery of a ritualistic murder on a Scottish isle during WWII. The woman who discovers the bodies and the woman who supposedly murdered them serve as narrators for the rest of the story. Some of the horror elements include the kids becoming used to handling snakes and being thrown into the Wane when they do not follow the rules. That was awful. The police begin investigating the group after a man is killed. Detective Black visits the castle several times but can't get the full story because the girls and Uncle constantly lie to him.
Little Eve is a fascinating read. I loved it and recommend the book. 5 out of 5 stars.
