What begins as an innocent gesture—taking in an old bed gifted by a neighbor—soon unravels into a harrowing descent in The Ferryman, a surprisingly haunting novel that masterfully fuses psychological terror with supernatural elements.
The result is a story that grips the reader tightly and leaves behind an unsettling sense of dread.
Supernatural and horror genre is highly unexplored in Indian fiction but KrishnaKumar has dealt with the subject with an expertise that only seasoned authors can exhibit.
At the heart of the narrative is Adithya, a young man weighed down by grief and simmering resentment. The arrival of the antique bed marks the start of a series of eerie and disturbing events. The author delivers on his early hype and builds up a good yarn.
Each night, Adithya finds himself trapped in dreams where he murders individuals he’s clashed with in waking life. When those people are later discovered dead in the exact way he envisioned, the boundary between nightmare and reality begins to blur. From that moment, the reader is pulled into a relentless spiral of fear and uncertainty, with no clear way out.
What makes this novel truly chilling is not just its premise, but the way the author constructs an atmosphere of suffocating tension. The bed—an object that should be harmless—takes on a menacing presence.
There are no cheap scares or gratuitous violence here. Instead, the horror creeps in slowly, as Adithya’s sense of reality begins to crumble. It’s the kind of terror that seeps into your mind, lingering long after the book is closed.
A particularly striking aspect of the novel is its exploration of moral ambiguity. As Adithya’s role shifts from a passive observer to someone entangled in the dark outcomes, the story compels readers to reflect on where the boundary truly lies between innocence and culpability.
His transformation is all the more disturbing because it feels so believable. The novel isn’t just about a cursed object—it’s about the shadowy impulses that reside within us, and how easily they can be unleashed.
The narrative moves at a brisk pace, with sharp, concise chapters that keep the tension high and the reader hooked. The secondary characters, notably Amar and Aadvika, are more than background figures.
They reflect different facets of Adithya’s emotional struggles, their interactions charged with unresolved feelings, hidden betrayals, and unspoken rivalries. The complex dynamic among them adds further psychological depth to the tale.
Structure and Scope
The book is broadly divided into 3 sections. The opening section describes a short trip to celebrate the protagonist’s acceptance into a postgraduate program at a University abroad. But soon after, the celebration takes a dark turn. What should have been a forgettable incident spirals into an intense altercation, drawing in bystanders, law enforcement, and a web of accusations and threats that cast a long shadow over the friends’ journey.
The mid-section deals with the aftermath of the night’s event. The police case not only taints Adithya’s record but also shatters his aspiration of pursuing higher studies overseas. The supranatural elements are also introduced with an antique bed that arrives at his apartment—an unassuming gift that soon takes on a sinister significance. The bed ushers in an unsettling fusion of psychological terror and existential unease, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
The culmination of the book occurs in the third and final section, where the bed emerges as a powerful symbol within the narrative, coming to represent the themes of change, grief, and the inevitability of death. It is here, in this last part, that the author’s language and narration skills are tested, and he comes out bright, rising to the occasion. The symbolism and vivid imagery make the entire sequence jaw-dropping, and every reader will remain hooked till the very end.
Narrative Technique
The novel thoughtfully explores how friendships can fracture under immense strain. The tension between Amar’s impulsive temper, Aadvika’s wavering choices, and Adithya’s quiet, withdrawn demeanor highlights how differing temperaments can erode bonds when faced with adversity.
The narrative technique employs multiple voices to aptly decipher the range of emotions experienced by various characters in the book. The author has managed to change voices as per the tone and tenor of the book, and this is a highlight of this work.
KrishnaKumar describes the dream sequence narrating with excellence and blurs the line between reality and illusion, forcing him to grapple with his mortality and the vast, unknowable forces beyond.
Language and Voice
The language used is colloquial, which is understandable because of the choices of characters and places, which are contemporary. However, this does not dilute the book’s message as the writer manages to shift gears as per the need. It works very well for the book, and it is not something that every writer can pull off easily.
“But here I can do anything I want. I can fulfill my darkest desires however unacceptable they will be in the real world. And I can do all this without being judged by others. Nothing is a crime here, and no one’s going to punish me for it”.
This is a writer who will only become better as more of his works are released. Surely, an author worth watching out for.
Conclusion
What lingers most after finishing The Ferryman isn’t merely the eerie plot twist, but the haunting realization of what Adithya becomes by the end. This novel doesn’t just aim to frighten—it leaves you unsettled, challenging you to consider your own potential for darkness when pushed to the edge.
The only criticism about this book is that some of the chapters are way too short. Perhaps, it is done to provide an element of shock, but it staggers the overall narrative and serves as a distraction.
A must-read for those who appreciate intelligent psychological horror, morally complex characters, and stories that haunt your thoughts long after the final page.
Rating: 5/5