BOOKS | Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Name: Starling House

Author: Alix. E. Harrow

Publisher: Tor

Date published: October 2023 

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, horror, gothic

Pages: 308

Rating: 5/5

Nobody in the town of Eden, Kentucky is old enough to remember the building of Starling House, but the stories have been passed down through the generations like good china. The hairdresser says it was the beginning of Eden’s bad luck - the river water they can’t drink, the coal dust they can’t breathe, the cemetery that fills too fast.
Opal has spent her life collecting stories about the house. One night, she meets its reclusive heir, Arthur Starling, and receives an invitation she can't refuse. But there are secrets and stories buried beneath Starling House, clamoring to escape and wreak havoc on the town. And even they might not be the biggest threat...

- Goodreads.

This had a perfect sinister atmosphere, the setting really felt like a living, dangerous thing. The house was a character itself and I loved how you could feel its personality without it actually speaking and you could see why the characters became attached to it and it became attached to them.

The mystery was very intriguing and I was excited the whole way through to uncover all the answers and surprises. I thought it was very well written and everything was revealed in a compelling way.

Opal and Arthur were wonderful main characters, I loved them both pretty much immediately and really wanted a happy ending for both of them. Opal had been through so much and had to make some tough choices but she never gave up on her determination to look after her brother and I loved that she still managed to be fierce and passionate, despite what she was going through. Arthur had been through a lot too, and had lost hope in some ways, but was also still determined to do what he needed to do, no matter what he had to sacrifice himself, and he did everything he could for Opal, not wanting her to suffer. It was just perfectly done how they came to care for each other and wanted to help each other, and how being together made them realise they could want things for themselves and not just other people.

I adored the writing style, the voices of the characters really had distinct personalities and I loved the addition of footnotes and illustrations, it made the story even more immersive.

I would definitely recommend this if you like Holly Black and the way she creates stories that feel like modern dark fairy tales. I would also recommend if you like gothic fantasies about sentient houses and curses, like Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek.

BOOKS | Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Name: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab

Publisher: Titan Books

Date published: March 2022

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, mystery, horror, gothic

Pages: 310

Rating: 5/5

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal - which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home - to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant - but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unravelled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

- From Goodreads.

This was a wonderfully atmospheric story that really immersed me in the world of the book and got me caught up in all the action and emotions. Everything was described perfectly, in detail that really added to the mystery and suspense. It made me feel fear for the characters and curious as to how the mysteries would be resolved and how everything would come to an end. This was enhanced by the beautiful illustrations that were interwoven throughout the book and were really crucial to the story.

I loved the main character, Olivia, my heart really felt for her and her desire to find her place in the world and have a family. I also do not remember reading many mute characters before and I really felt Olivia's pain and frustration as she wanted to make herself heard and make noise in the world, and when she so badly wanted to cry out and scream but could not, it was so heart-breaking. I loved that she fought for herself and had real determination and at heart really yearned for a sense of belonging.

I also really liked the other characters in the story and felt they each stood out as real, interesting people, even just the characters we knew through backstory. As this was not a long book, and it took place over quite a short amount of time, we did not spend a long time with these characters, but I still felt we got to know them quite well and even became quite attached to and really worried for some of them.

Overall, this was a very well told gothic style mystery with very strong characters at its heart that I found very easy to get lost in. I ended up very emotionally connected to the story and even cried at the end. I would absolutely recommend this if you have enjoyed V.E. Schwab's writing style in the past because I feel this definitely has her style, although the story certainly feels like something I have not read from her before.

BOOKS | Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

 Name: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Date published: First published 2013, this edition published 2014

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, dystopia, horror

Pages: 419

Rating: 5/5

 

Coldtown was dangerous, Tana knew. A glamorous cage, a prison for the damned and anyone who wanted to party with them.
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. 

- From Goodreads.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a different and fresh take on vampires that I found intriguing and thrilling to read about, and at some points it was even quite scary and intense. Holly Black certainly made vampires her own in a complex and fascinating way.

I really enjoyed the writing style, it flowed smoothly and I found it easy to read, and it made the story quite addictive as I did not want to put it down. 

The plot was a wild rollercoaster with an incredible amount of twists and turns. Holly Black books are never predictable and this was no exception. I had no idea what was going to happen and was quite nervous to find out how it would all end.

As usual with Holly Black books, the characters are all complex and fascinating, even the characters you truly detest. Everyone was interesting and felt like you might find them in the real world. My favourite characters were Tana and Gavriel, who I felt were both very well written, had backstories that were compelling, and you could understand and root for them, even when they had to do awful and horrible things. Their romance was perfectly done and all of their moments together were captivating and I loved the way their relationship was built up.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this book if you are looking for a unique and modern vampire story with a riveting plot and engaging characters, and if you enjoyed Holly Black's other books, this still has her excellent writing style and unpredicatable twists, even though it is one of her earlier books.