The Ritual by Adam Nevill (Paperback)

Four former university friends reunite for a hiking trip through the Scandinavian wilderness, hoping to reconnect after years apart. Age, regret, and unresolved tensions hang over the group, making every mile harder than expected. When exhaustion sets in, they abandon the marked trail and take a shortcut that leads them deep into untouched forest.

The decision proves catastrophic. Lost and running low on food, the men realise the forest is vast, silent, and indifferent to their survival. As fear replaces confidence, their friendships are tested under mounting pressure and blame.

Their situation worsens when they discover an isolated house hidden among the trees. Inside are disturbing signs of ancient rituals. Strange artefacts. Animal remains. Symbols that suggest long-forgotten pagan worship. The shelter offers no comfort, only the sense that something old and hostile still claims the forest as its own.

What stalks them is not a myth or memory. It is real, watching, and patient. As the men attempt to escape, the forest itself seems to work against them, closing in with every step. Panic strips away civility, exposing who they have become since their youth and what they are willing to sacrifice to survive.

The Ritual is a story of isolation, fractured friendship, and primal fear. Set against an unforgiving landscape, it explores how easily modern certainty breaks when faced with something ancient that refuses to stay buried.