Syndrie
This was a beautiful story that I'd say really focuses on the importance of history and the connections that can form when you share and remember people's stories and form a real community together—even if many of those stories aren't exactly happy ones.
A bit more character driven than plot driven, I'd say this is a good pick for anybody who tends to enjoy books that are more on the literary fiction side of things. With smooth prose that makes it very easy for the reader to slide right into the story, this book was a delight to read from beginning to end—despite some of the more heavy subject matter regarding racism and girls who have mysteriously gone missing without a trace. And even though there were some spiritual elements in the form of ghostly ancestors (or at least something akin to ghosts), the story still felt extremely down to earth and the spiritual elements felt perfectly in place with the Native American ancestry of the girl who connected with said ghosts the most.
If I had to give one piece of advice to readers looking to pick up this book, it would be to maybe keep a notepad handy nearby as there are a lot of characters in this one! Featuring POV's from five different women, there's quite a few names to keep up with between each of them, their families, and the assorted people they know around town. Having three of these women be related to each other—daughter, mother, and (great) aunt—did help ease the burden of keeping track of everybody though! And the way their stories all entwined by the end of the book really made for a satisfying ending—none of the POV's felt like they were out of place and all felt very necessary to be able to tell the entire story.
So if you're looking for a story that explores grief, ancestral trauma, and the sense of community while also addressing the underlying issues behind the way indigenous people have been historically treated in America, then I highly recommend you pick this one up!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Aunt Lute Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
This was a beautiful story that I'd say really focuses on the importance of history and the connections that can form when you share and remember people's stories and form a real community together—even if many of those stories aren't exactly happy ones.
A bit more character driven than plot driven, I'd say this is a good pick for anybody who tends to enjoy books that are more on the literary fiction side of things. With smooth prose that makes it very easy for the reader to slide right into the story, this book was a delight to read from beginning to end—despite some of the more heavy subject matter regarding racism and girls who have mysteriously gone missing without a trace. And even though there were some spiritual elements in the form of ghostly ancestors (or at least something akin to ghosts), the story still felt extremely down to earth and the spiritual elements felt perfectly in place with the Native American ancestry of the girl who connected with said ghosts the most.
If I had to give one piece of advice to readers looking to pick up this book, it would be to maybe keep a notepad handy nearby as there are a lot of characters in this one! Featuring POV's from five different women, there's quite a few names to keep up with between each of them, their families, and the assorted people they know around town. Having three of these women be related to each other—daughter, mother, and (great) aunt—did help ease the burden of keeping track of everybody though! And the way their stories all entwined by the end of the book really made for a satisfying ending—none of the POV's felt like they were out of place and all felt very necessary to be able to tell the entire story.
So if you're looking for a story that explores grief, ancestral trauma, and the sense of community while also addressing the underlying issues behind the way indigenous people have been historically treated in America, then I highly recommend you pick this one up!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Aunt Lute Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
An interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution didn’t quite work out for me with this one.
I was expecting a lot of the story to be about Marguerite and following her descent into madness as she remains locked away in the attic with no other people for company. And while we did get some of that, there was a lot more exposition about Marguerite’s mother Cécile as well as Cécile’s backstory. Obviously the mother’s story is important for us to understand how Marguerite ended up in her predicament, but for me it did feel like the story was a bit too heavily focused on mom. This might be more on me for misunderstanding what I was walking into however, so readers who are prepared to learn a lot about the jailor and less about the prisoner might have a better experience going into this than I did.
That said, the chapters that focus on Cécile’s story are nice in that they help give a break from the horrors that are going on in Marguerite’s sections — readers need to be prepared for body horror both gory and gross when it comes to Marguerite. More than just some bloody bits, there’s quite a bit of detail about bodily functions and excretions as well. This is definitely one of few books so far that’s made me physically grimace in disgust while reading it. But even with the gross factor highly present, I still felt intrigued by Marguerite’s descent into madness and wanted to keep reading to find out just how her story would end off. And although I did find the prose a tad dense for my personal taste, I’d say it definitely does a great job of setting the grim atmosphere and portraying a sense of anxiety. I think the majority of readers will end up feeling something while reading this novel, even if the main feeling is disgust!
So although this isn’t quite the story I was personally hoping to get, I do acknowledge that it’s still well written and really nails the creepy and disturbing atmosphere. If you’re a reader who is more inclined to slow burn literary writing with a lot of character study and don’t mind a dark and disturbing story, then this one may work for you. I’d definitely recommend anybody on the fence to take a look at some of the higher rated reviews, because there definitely is an audience out here that’s enjoying this novel!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Pushkin Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
Simply put, this is a story about a half-Choctaw man who just wanted to find a home and a place to belong amidst a life encumbered by discrimination and many many tragedies.
This is one of those stories that I call "unfortunately realistic." So many terrible things take place in George's life to the point where you'll probably be thinking that surely nobody is this unlucky. However the reality is that growing up non-white in America—especially in the 1930s—meant that you were pretty much guaranteed to have a life filled with injustices. And while George definitely made some poor decisions at certain points that led to him continuing on what was most likely the more difficult path, the story still feels very believable and his choices make sense for his character.
I have to say that the title for this novel fits the story perfectly as well. Although "the walls are closing in on us" is a phrase used a couple of times in the story itself, the experience of actually reading the novel really takes things a step further. There were multiple points in the novel where I myself started to feel anxious as if the walls were closing in on me as well.
This is definitely one of those debut novels that feels more refined than one would probably expect! It's a compelling story that's able to bring up real emotions in the reader. I'd absolutely recommend this one to readers who enjoy character driven novels and don't mind reading a story that's more tragic than it is happy.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Malarkey Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
Simply put, this is a story about a half-Choctaw man who just wanted to find a home and a place to belong amidst a life encumbered by discrimination and many many tragedies.
This is one of those stories that I call "unfortunately realistic." So many terrible things take place in George's life to the point where you'll probably be thinking that surely nobody is this unlucky. However the reality is that growing up non-white in America—especially in the 1930s—meant that you were pretty much guaranteed to have a life filled with injustices. And while George definitely made some poor decisions at certain points that led to him continuing on what was most likely the more difficult path, the story still feels very believable and his choices make sense for his character.
I have to say that the title for this novel fits the story perfectly as well. Although "the walls are closing in on us" is a phrase used a couple of times in the story itself, the experience of actually reading the novel really takes things a step further. There were multiple points in the novel where I myself started to feel anxious as if the walls were closing in on me as well.
This is definitely one of those debut novels that feels more refined than one would probably expect! It's a compelling story that's able to bring up real emotions in the reader. I'd absolutely recommend this one to readers who enjoy character driven novels and don't mind reading a story that's more tragic than it is happy.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Malarkey Books, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
Gothic vibes? Yes. Historical setting? Yes. Evil old mansion? Yup. Ghosts? Multiple. Lesbians? Absolutely.
“The Wives of Herrick Hall” is set in the year 1799 and I’d say that Julie Lew did a great job making the prose really straddle the line between being historically accurate while also remaining accessible enough for modern day readers. I also found the pacing to be really well done, although I could see some other readers finding it a bit slow in parts. I’d argue that the slower portions are necessary to fully set the scene as well as really establish our main cast of characters — so even though the portions of Josephine wandering the halls of the house night after night aren’t the most action-packed moments, they were still important moments that give both her, and thereby the reader as well, insight into the house itself as well as some of the shady characters that reside there. (And don’t worry, the action definitely picks up as the story progresses, so there’s no lack of exciting moments either!)
I’d have to say my only real gripe with this story is simply that there were so many unlikable male characters involved — although this is definitely an intentional choice and not just a symptom of poor characterization. If anything, I’d say the characterization was really quite well done as everyone had their own distinct set of motivations and they managed to stick to them faithfully. (So really, my gripe is probably more so due to the fact that these unlikable men were just a bit too accurate overall…) As far as the women’s characters went, I really did enjoy Josephine from the very beginning while Nora was one that I really couldn’t stand at first, but she ended up growing on me as the story progressed. By the end, I could say I was pleased with Nora’s overall character arc and I definitely could understand her more.
Overall I’d absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy gothic horror romances!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Quill & Crow Publishing House, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
Gothic vibes? Yes. Historical setting? Yes. Evil old mansion? Yup. Ghosts? Multiple. Lesbians? Absolutely.
“The Wives of Herrick Hall” is set in the year 1799 and I’d say that Julie Lew did a great job making the prose really straddle the line between being historically accurate while also remaining accessible enough for modern day readers. I also found the pacing to be really well done, although I could see some other readers finding it a bit slow in parts. I’d argue that the slower portions are necessary to fully set the scene as well as really establish our main cast of characters — so even though the portions of Josephine wandering the halls of the house night after night aren’t the most action-packed moments, they were still important moments that give both her, and thereby the reader as well, insight into the house itself as well as some of the shady characters that reside there. (And don’t worry, the action definitely picks up as the story progresses, so there’s no lack of exciting moments either!)
I’d have to say my only real gripe with this story is simply that there were so many unlikable male characters involved — although this is definitely an intentional choice and not just a symptom of poor characterization. If anything, I’d say the characterization was really quite well done as everyone had their own distinct set of motivations and they managed to stick to them faithfully. (So really, my gripe is probably more so due to the fact that these unlikable men were just a bit too accurate overall…) As far as the women’s characters went, I really did enjoy Josephine from the very beginning while Nora was one that I really couldn’t stand at first, but she ended up growing on me as the story progressed. By the end, I could say I was pleased with Nora’s overall character arc and I definitely could understand her more.
Overall I’d absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy gothic horror romances!
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Quill & Crow Publishing House, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
This novella does a great job in saying things without actually saying them and making sure the reader is fully able to understand the main character's mental state. Even though this is really a story about trauma, abuse, and learning to survive in the aftermath, it's still written in a way that's extremely accessible for readers. This novella never needed to use strong, graphic detail to tell the full story of Evey's past — proving that the unspoken can sometimes be even louder than what's actually being said.
I did love the space setting and getting to see little glimpses of what life could be like as a space freighter, but I will say this overall isn't a particularly unique plot because I've definitely read similar stories before. That said, I think the main strength with this novella was really the character work as Evey and Shirr felt like real people with understandable emotions. Their relationship develops naturally over time and by the end of the story I was just really happy that these two managed to find each other.
If you're a reader that likes stories that hit on darker topics, but aren't looking for anything too heavy right now, then this might be a great pick for you! It can easily be read in a single sitting while still doing great job at scratching that itch to read a satisfying story without having to commit to a 300+ page novel.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
This novella does a great job in saying things without actually saying them and making sure the reader is fully able to understand the main character's mental state. Even though this is really a story about trauma, abuse, and learning to survive in the aftermath, it's still written in a way that's extremely accessible for readers. This novella never needed to use strong, graphic detail to tell the full story of Evey's past — proving that the unspoken can sometimes be even louder than what's actually being said.
I did love the space setting and getting to see little glimpses of what life could be like as a space freighter, but I will say this overall isn't a particularly unique plot because I've definitely read similar stories before. That said, I think the main strength with this novella was really the character work as Evey and Shirr felt like real people with understandable emotions. Their relationship develops naturally over time and by the end of the story I was just really happy that these two managed to find each other.
If you're a reader that likes stories that hit on darker topics, but aren't looking for anything too heavy right now, then this might be a great pick for you! It can easily be read in a single sitting while still doing great job at scratching that itch to read a satisfying story without having to commit to a 300+ page novel.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
This novella does a great job in saying things without actually saying them and making sure the reader is fully able to understand the main character's mental state. Even though this is really a story about trauma, abuse, and learning to survive in the aftermath, it's still written in a way that's extremely accessible for readers. This novella never needed to use strong, graphic detail to tell the full story of Evey's past — proving that the unspoken can sometimes be even louder than what's actually being said.
I did love the space setting and getting to see little glimpses of what life could be like as a space freighter, but I will say this overall isn't a particularly unique plot because I've definitely read similar stories before. That said, I think the main strength with this novella was really the character work as Evey and Shirr felt like real people with understandable emotions. Their relationship develops naturally over time and by the end of the story I was just really happy that these two managed to find each other.
If you're a reader that likes stories that hit on darker topics, but aren't looking for anything too heavy right now, then this might be a great pick for you! It can easily be read in a single sitting while still doing great job at scratching that itch to read a satisfying story without having to commit to a 300+ page novel.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
This novella does a great job in saying things without actually saying them and making sure the reader is fully able to understand the main character's mental state. Even though this is really a story about trauma, abuse, and learning to survive in the aftermath, it's still written in a way that's extremely accessible for readers. This novella never needed to use strong, graphic detail to tell the full story of Evey's past — proving that the unspoken can sometimes be even louder than what's actually being said.
I did love the space setting and getting to see little glimpses of what life could be like as a space freighter, but I will say this overall isn't a particularly unique plot because I've definitely read similar stories before. That said, I think the main strength with this novella was really the character work as Evey and Shirr felt like real people with understandable emotions. Their relationship develops naturally over time and by the end of the story I was just really happy that these two managed to find each other.
If you're a reader that likes stories that hit on darker topics, but aren't looking for anything too heavy right now, then this might be a great pick for you! It can easily be read in a single sitting while still doing great job at scratching that itch to read a satisfying story without having to commit to a 300+ page novel.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Interstellar Flight Press, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
Although “Wolf Worm” definitely isn’t going to be the book for those with genuine insect phobias, those without will be able to find a great mix of creepy atmosphere and other gothic horror charms alongside a strong female main character who is filled with some charmingly sardonic and dry humor.
I really loved Sonia as a character and her inner monologue and little quips throughout had me snickering at quite a few times throughout the novel—her personality really shines through and she feels like a believable character that you want to root for. Honestly all of the characters here were really well done with strong personalities and clear motivations. The first half of the novel really comes in at a slower pace, but I really enjoyed that since it gave plenty of time to really flesh out all the characters and to slowly build up all the mystery and tension in the plot. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong at first, but as we follow along with Sonia on her days living in Halder’s mansion we start to piece the mystery together with her—and she’s the kind of woman who will do everything she can to sate her curiosity. I can definitely say this is one of those novels where I had an inkling of what was actually going on here, but the reality was not something that I was able to guess at all! So for the readers who are happy to sit through the slower paced portions: you’ll definitely be rewarded with an interesting plot climax, a satisfying ending, and perhaps a new fear of botflies.
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I have to say that Mary Robinette Kowal did a fantastic job with narration. She has great enunciation and really nails shifts in tone and inflection, as well as keeping up a great tempo. She also makes an effort to give each character a unique voice—and accent—during their dialogue portions which I found to be a great help at keeping track of all the characters. I will say that the men’s voices did get a bit similar at times, but overall it was still a very well-done effort.
If you’re already a fan of T. Kingfisher’s horror, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as well. But I’d say this is also a good choice for gothic horror readers in general, especially if you like to have a bit of body horror in the mix—just as long as you can get past the creepy crawlies! And I’m sure audiobook fans won’t be disappointed with Kowal’s performance here, so if you’re on the fence on which version to get I’d say go ahead and go for the audio.
(Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance listener copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
Although “Wolf Worm” definitely isn’t going to be the book for those with genuine insect phobias, those without will be able to find a great mix of creepy atmosphere and other gothic horror charms alongside a strong female main character who is filled with some charmingly sardonic and dry humor.
I really loved Sonia as a character and her inner monologue and little quips throughout had me snickering at quite a few times throughout the novel—her personality really shines through and she feels like a believable character that you want to root for. Honestly all of the characters here were really well done with strong personalities and clear motivations. The first half of the novel really comes in at a slower pace, but I really enjoyed that since it gave plenty of time to really flesh out all the characters and to slowly build up all the mystery and tension in the plot. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s wrong at first, but as we follow along with Sonia on her days living in Halder’s mansion we start to piece the mystery together with her—and she’s the kind of woman who will do everything she can to sate her curiosity. I can definitely say this is one of those novels where I had an inkling of what was actually going on here, but the reality was not something that I was able to guess at all! So for the readers who are happy to sit through the slower paced portions: you’ll definitely be rewarded with an interesting plot climax, a satisfying ending, and perhaps a new fear of botflies.
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I have to say that Mary Robinette Kowal did a fantastic job with narration. She has great enunciation and really nails shifts in tone and inflection, as well as keeping up a great tempo. She also makes an effort to give each character a unique voice—and accent—during their dialogue portions which I found to be a great help at keeping track of all the characters. I will say that the men’s voices did get a bit similar at times, but overall it was still a very well-done effort.
If you’re already a fan of T. Kingfisher’s horror, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one as well. But I’d say this is also a good choice for gothic horror readers in general, especially if you like to have a bit of body horror in the mix—just as long as you can get past the creepy crawlies! And I’m sure audiobook fans won’t be disappointed with Kowal’s performance here, so if you’re on the fence on which version to get I’d say go ahead and go for the audio.
(Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance listener copy via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)