Black River Orchard

A Novel

By: Chuck Wendig

Narrated by: Xe Sands, Brittany Pressley, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Cindy Kay, Kalani Queypo, Gabra Zackman, Victor Colomé

Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A small town is transformed when seven strange trees begin bearing magical apples in this masterpiece of horror from the author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

“This masterful outing should continue to earn Wendig comparisons to Stephen King.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

It’s autumn in the town of Harrow, but something besides the season is changing there.

Because in that town there is an orchard, and in that orchard, seven most unusual trees. And from those trees grows a new sort of apple: strange, beautiful, with skin so red it’s nearly black.

Take a bite of one of these apples, and you will desire only to devour another. And another. You will become stronger. More vital. More yourself, you will believe. But then your appetite for the apples and their peculiar gifts will keep growing—and become darker.

This is what happens when the townsfolk discover the secret of the orchard. Soon it seems that everyone is consumed by an obsession with the magic of the apples . . . and what’s the harm, if it is making them all happier, more confident, more powerful?

Even if something else is buried in the orchard besides the seeds of these extraordinary trees: a bloody history whose roots reach back to the very origins of the town.

But now the leaves are falling. The days grow darker. It’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

©2023 Chuck Wendig (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Chuck Wendig is one of my very favorite storytellers. Black River Orchard is a deep, dark, luscious tale that creeps up on you and doesn’t let go.”—Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus

“An epic saga that is at once a propulsive horror novel and a parable, a thriller and a cautionary tale, Black River Orchard is the immensely talented Chuck Wendig at his finest.”—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

“A gripping story of love and legacies gone rotten, deeply rooted in the landscape and as twisty and gnarled as an ancient apple tree.”—T. Kingfisher, USA Today bestselling author of What Moves the Dead

sinister

wonderful creeping dread
perfect autumn read that makes me crave pie or cider and also never want to step foot in an orchard again.

Great book, interesting readers

Xe’s team was again, fantastic. Only gripe is that one of the readers is a manuscript reader and that became off-putting. I sped to 1.5 on his parts. Overall, highly recommend!

Excellent story and audio!!

The story is imaginative, scary, insightful and so entertaining. The readers are wonderful. Highly recommend!!

Best in this genre in a long time

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but it was not the amazing ride I got.
The authors unique descriptive prose combined with the narrators emotion rich reading leaves you with a wonderfully horrifying experience, you can't get enough of and want to end at the same time.
I cannot recommend this book more to lovers of this genre, and to those who are not yet... this book will bring you over to the dark side. Will you eat the apple?

Fun to listen!

I liked this story & how characters are woven together. There are definitely some delicious twists & turns that I didn't expect, even as a horror fan.

I may never think of apples...

The same way again. WOW! What a great story. It was a creepy delight! I now know more about apples than I ever thought I would. This was a very original take on the good vs evil story. The characters, the writing, the narration were all top notch. I enjoyed this book very, very much. Thanks so much, Chuck! I loved it!

I hate apples

The narration team in this book is stellar. I particularly loved the women. Creepy and wonderful and just so very good. The story takes you on a wild romp. There were times I laughed out loud and times I felt a frisson shoot up my spine (the word frisson shows up a bunch). It is a well made story that is surprising and does the thing that all good horror does, makes you question human behavior and human desires. I loved this book and I’ll miss listening to it.

Good story, but to long.

This story was intriguing at first, but halfway through it got so monotonous. I liked the story but it could have 8 hours shorter. Still, it was an original, creative concept that made me want to finish it. I will be reading more from the author.

Who knew an 🍎 could be scary? 🤷🏻‍♂️

To avoid spoiling this brilliant book, I’ll simply say that it’s a talented horror writer, supported by a team of top notch narrators, that has me afraid to bite into another apple.

You’ll never look at apples without wondering

This book and the excellent narrators are responsible for me losing a couple night’s sleep. The characters and their relationships are well defined. The unbelievable is very believable. I highly recommend the audio version of this.