Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (audiobook)

Pages:  320 

Publisher: Tor 

Released: 31st of October 2023 

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

What I Have to Say 

 I adored this book, but I was very aware while reading it that it's not the sort of book everyone will like. It is a book of vibes and while there is a plot, it's very slow to start and for most of the book it's happening in the background. I personally adored the vibes and was very happy to just sink into the book and enjoy it, but I know other people have had problems with books like this, so I wanted to issue a warning. 

I loved the themes of finding a home in this book. The main character Opal lives in a motel room with her brother and there were other characters looking for a home in Starling House too. It was very much a book about finding where you belong as much as it was of haunted house vibes. 

I also have to say it was refreshing to see a story that didn't shy away from the realities of rich families in America who've made all their money through colonialism and slavery. Alix E. Harrow has always been very good at this and it's good to see that not only acknowledged but made a big part of the plot. 

The narrator was excellent and she gave a sort of dream like quality to the book that really really fit well with the aforementioned vibes. I would recommend having a hard copy of the book to refer back to though as there were places I wanted to look back to confirm the details of, especially with the different stories of Starling House. 

If you like a book with good vibes, this is a great choice! 

4 stars 

 My thanks go to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with a gifted copy of this book for review. 

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard (audiobook)

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Macmillan Audio 

Released: 7th of November 2023 

The highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries by New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

What I Have to Say 

I love this series so much. Winnie's humour is everything. The books are witty, funny and with a well thought out plot to boot. 

This was my first time audioing this series and I have to say, the voice actress did an amazing job of capturing Winnie's voice. I sank into this book with so much ease just enveloping myself in Winnie's voice like a blanket and it was so much fun. 

I really liked the interpretation of loyalty in this book. Winnie's family have a motto of loyalty, but Winnie doesn't show it as it would be expected - loyalty to the clan. Instead she's incredibly loyal to her family and friends (especially Jay)  and her absent father who has left her a mystery to solve. 

I really cannot wait for the next book to come out as this one added so much more stuff to the mystery and I really want to know what happens next! 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Macmillan Audio for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Pages: 296 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Released: 19th of January 2023 

You are not welcome here, godkiller

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

What I Have to Say 

This book killed me! It was so sad! My first mistake was getting so attached to Skedi, but in my defence if you have a little rabbit creature in a book who can talk and is attached to another character, I'm going to very quickly fall in love. 

My second mistake was assuming for even a second that I knew where it was going to go. This book had more twists and turns that anything I have ever read. It shocked me and surprised me and generally made for a very enjoyable read. 

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series because I can tell that this is going to be good. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

Pages: 336 

Publisher: Daphne Press 

Released: 26th of January 2023 

Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you…

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town―and the rest of humanity―from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal―and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie must enlist the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

What I Have to Say 

I'm not sure I can even put in to words how much I loved this book. It was everything. It was just different enough from other books in the genre to make it new and interesting, while also hitting that itch for a good monster hunter book. 

I didn't interact much with the twitter story that inspired this book, but I knew enough about it to get some of the references while still being surprised by the story. It's really nice to see it being made into a proper book like this as I found the twitter thread a bit difficult to keep up to date with. I love the idea that Dennard's readers inspired her and that this book is what came out of it. 

I think what really makes this book is the characters. Winnie just hits the spot for a YA protagonist, a brave underdog who's going to do her damn hardest to become a hunter. She is relatable, she is something to be idolised and she just feels special. With Jay there to be a bit of a love interest and a whole cast of background characters to make the society feel vibrant and interesting, we really have a great group of characters to follow. 

I can't wait to see what else comes out of this world next! 

(5 stars) 

My thanks got to Daphne Press and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review.