Briardark (Book One) Commentary
SPOILERS AHEAD!
“For anyone who has ever been lost in the woods.”
— the Dedication
S.A Harian’s Briardark is the first book in a horror series about a haunted wilderness— the Deadswitch— where space and time bend and darkness follows a group of researchers, there to study a glacier. An alluring horror read, Briardark is also a fascinating take on climate change, the science of life on earth, guilt, breakups, self purpose, and being lost. As someone who recently had a family member get lost in the wilderness, who had to call search and rescue to save them, the book’s dedication immediately chilled my spine. From that moment on, I was captivated and terrified by this story— my favorite of the year so far!
Siena, Emmet, Isaac, and Cam journey into the Deadswitch Wilderness, a place notorious for disappearances, guided by the prior research performed by Siena’s mentor, Dr. Freyrer, whose last words before their trip were, “Don’t go.” But his last words contradict his life’s work. Siena proceeds with the project, drawn to Deadswitch because her mother used to lead conservation walks there. But the real place is not as Siena imagined. Hiking into the wilderness is strange right from the start: the map doesn’t match the path ahead of them and unreadable signs lost to time point the way unreliably. But things spiral when the group stumbles upon a dead body hanging from the trees. Cam recognizes her. Years ago, Cam had participated in search and rescue efforts to find a group of lost hikers, among them a famous YouTuber, but they were never found. Haunted by this failure, Cam never quite recovered. But the body in the trees is not decomposed. Those hikers disappeared seven years ago. It couldn’t be one of them. But who else could it be? Then, the body vanishes. The group tries to call out to the police, the forest service, the ranger’s office, anyone who could help, but the satellite phone doesn’t work. When it does, they are told the Deadswitch Wilderness doesn’t even exist. Confused, traumatized, and unsure, the group proceeds to their research cabin near the glacier, hoping to use the radio there to call for help. Needless to say, the radio isn’t the salvation they were hoping for. After unsuccessful attempts to radio out, the group decides to go to the glacier; they will proceed with their research and keep trying. But, when they arrive at the glacier, they are shocked to find a melted pool. The glacier is gone. From here, the trip spirals out of control. Everyone loses their way, even just a few yards from the path and the group, winding up in impossible places. A dark presence stalks them. They discover a massive tree where it shouldn’t be, with a tunnel inside leading to another cabin. Siena keeps finding bugs on her body. The landscape around them changes dramatically. Supplies start disappearing, as well as people. I won’t spoil what happens from here, but know that the rules of physics and space-time break in this realm, trapping our team in a place they don’t understand with a malicious entity hungry for them.
The book is structured so that each chapter comes from the perspective of a different member of the team, as well as Holden, an IT technician who discovers Siena’s research files and who investigates her disappearance. Inserted as well are excerpts from a fictional true-crime book about the missing hikers. This web of perspectives draws the reader deeper into the mystery and keeps the pace fresh.
Siena’s POV is my favorite, because I relate to her horrifying experiences with the beetles. Siena struggles with her mental health and panic attacks, where she feels like bugs are crawling over her whole body. Convinced she is covered, Siena only realizes she isn’t when Emmett or someone else tell her there are no bugs. One night, she wakes up violently with bugs in the bed. But upon closer inspection, they’re gone. Never existed. In the Deadswitch Wilderness, however, the bugs come back and this time, they’re real. When her team finds a mysterious tree, Siena investigates a tunnel leading through it. On her way back, she encounters a swarm of beetles in the tunnel, which she battles through to escape. At first, her team isn’t sure whether or not to believe her about the bugs, but when they start pulling beetles out of Siena’s hair and her clothes, the strange reality sets in. The contradiction is disorienting for Siena. How can she trust herself when the beetles aren’t real one moment, then are the next? As someone who is terrified of beetles and who has woken people up in the middle of the night thinking they’re in my bed, Siena’s dilemma is impactful.
The second book in the series is already out, Waywarden, and I have ordered my copy. More commentary on that here very soon!