I'm not too sure what I was expecting from Starling House but it certainly wasn't the Tim Burton-esque Dreamscape that I got! Equal parts creepy and romantic, Starling House swept me up in its misty claws.

This book is so beautifully written. I love Alix E Harrow's writing style! I wasn't totally gripped by the story, but it was still a pleasure to read.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't keen on the ending but it wasn't horrendously disappointing or anything, I just hoped for more. Love the mix of characters, loved Opal and Arthur.

A cursed town, stalked by monsters and tragedy is revealed in this gothic fantasy centred around a creaky old mansion that gave me Yaga Hut vibes and our heroes Opal and Arthur who are fighting their own ghosts that rise with the fog every time the town is in peril.
I absolutely could not put this novel down. I loved it! Please tell me that this was the first in a series…
It will be released into its natural habitat on Halloween.

BEYOND OBSSESSED. gothic and eerie, this book is everything you can need in an autumn/winter read if you dont quite want to read dark academia like everyone else is. It is full of mystery and intrigue, has family history and secrets getting untangled as well as a variety of developing relationships from family to romance. It does deal with some rough themes like death, murder, grief, police brutality too to an extent but does it well.

some of the quotes of this will stick with me for a lifetime to be honest, the not quite magic and the mystery of the house are just everything and although i cannot say more without spoiling it you will be shocked at every twist and turn and be left wanting to know more as every page turns.

Alix E. Harrow is a guaranteed good time. Starling House was gripping, layered, beautifully written, full of complex, nuanced characters I was really rooting for, and exactly the kind of spooky vibes I needed at this time of year.

I love what Harrow does with fairytale stuff. This one is no exception. Part Beauty and the Beast, part Alice in Wonderland, part historical fiction, and part gothic romance.

Opal lives in Eden (the town in Kentucky, not the garden), where she scrounges just to keep herself and her brother fed. The town is chock full of stories, but so many of them revolve around the one spooky house behind the big iron gate. Starling House is bad luck. Everyone says so. Opal knows better than to mess with bad luck. She's already had plenty. But when the reclusive owner of Starling House offers her a job (mostly against his will) that could mean her getting her brother out of their crappy motel room and their crappier town, Opal can't refuse.
But Starling House has been calling to Opal in more ways than one. And she's going to discover that beneath the rot of the collapsing walls there's a secret that hasn't made it into the town's stories. And it's time for that story to be told.

I loved this book! Harrow gets me every time, I swear. Taking a small concept (spooky house) and wrapping it up in layers and layers of creative storytelling (in this case, storytelling itself!). The whole "there's two sides to every story" doesn't even cover it in this one. Each new version of the history of the house adds another clue to the "truth" whatever that may be. And binds our main characters ever closer.
The style, the stories, the mist, the somewhat sentient house, the mistakes, the suspicious rich people, the even more suspicious corporate people, the town, the birds, the river! Oh it was all so good. Not horror, though it is sometimes stated to be. But definitely, and deliciously gothic.

I absolutely loved this! This is a testament to perseverance because the first 20% I wasn’t really feeling it and then suddenly BAM! I was ALL IN! I adored Opal and Arthur as MCs. This was gothic, a ghost story,magical and a mystery, definitely all about the underdog. A great example of found-family. I love the fact this author writes such high quality stand alone novels. It’s somewhat of a rarity in the fantasy genre. Brilliant. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

It feels like the beginning of a mystery novel, when you're screaming at the plucky protagonist to run but sort of hoping she doesn't, because you want the story to start.

Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built, but the town agrees the cursed mansion and its final lonely heir should be left well alone, and hopefully the house and its guardian will sink into the ground, or most likely, hell where it belongs. Thus, releasing the town from the century old curse which started when a strange young woman wrote a book filled with monsters and cracks in the earth.

There’s a dual pov between Opal, 26 years old and haunted by dreams of Starling House; and Arthur, 28 years old and the house’s Warden and outcast.

This book deals with loneliness, with revenge, with historic wrongs and ignorance and neglect. Like her other books, Harrow deals with dark and deep topics with an alluring viciousness that makes you shirk and ponder long after you close the book.

Dreams are just like stray cats. If you don't feed them they get lean and clever and sharp-clawed, and come for the jugular when you least expect it.

Her writing is stunning. The amount of times I would re-read a paragraph and highlight a phrase, a paragraph, a page.
The imagery was evocative and luscious. Harrow should teach a masterclass in description - she is a wordsmith with similes, metaphors, and imagery.

If I need to sell it to you further: there’s illustrations!!! There’s footnotes!! There’s created Wikipedia articles!! There’s references to Victorian gothic literature and those who live upstairs in attics.

For a standalone, this is delightful! I wouldn’t call this horror, more of a gothic fantasy, perfect for those who want to dip their toes into darkness but don’t want horrific gore and absolute terror.

“The purpose of fantasy is not to make the world prettier, but to lay it bare."

If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Last Tale of the Flower Bride or A Study in Drowning.

Thank you to Tor for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

'Starling House' is a gorgeous gothic fantasy with notes of 'Ninth House', 'Mexican Gothic', and something uniquely Alix E Harrow. Packed with atmosphere, evocative imagery, and gritty, nuanced characters, it's the perfect autumn read.

Eden, Kentucky, is a washed-up town filled only with those who can't get out. It's only notable feature is Starling House - the residence of reclusive nineteenth century author E Starling, who wrote children's horror story The Underland before disappearing from sight. These days, Starling House is a blemish everyone in the town would rather see go to rot. Everyone, that is, except Opal. Fascinated by Starling House since reading The Underland as a small child, Opal knows it's probably best left alone. However, when an unexpected job offer arrives from Starling House's reclusive heir, Opal spies a chance at getting her younger brother out of Eden - and a chance at some long sought-after answers. But the longer she spends there, the more she starts to become entangled in long buried secrets - secrets that might cost her and her brother not just an escape, but their lives.

Opal makes an excellent protagonist. Having lived her entire life in poverty, barely scraping by, she's tough, fiercely independent, quick-witted, and one-hundred percent convinced the entire world is out to get her. She sees life as a battle, and has armed herself with sleight of hand and a sharpened tongue. She's deeply caring - especially about her younger brother - but very one-track minded, acting according to what she thinks is best rather than listening to what others might want. Flawed but intrinsically likeable, Opal is just the sort of character you want on your side.

Her counterfoil is Arthur, heir to Starling House. Having lived most of his life as a recluse, Arthur is ill-equipped to do battle with words, resorting instead to brooding silences. He's exasperated and fascinated by Opal in equal measure. In many ways, they're very alike - both caring, independent to a point beyond stubbornness and far into recklessness, and carrying burdens too heavy to manage alone. The combination has clear chemistry and its satisfying watching their relationship evolve.

From Harrow's debut, 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January', it's been clear that beautiful imagery is one of Harrow's talents, and her writing works perfectly for gothic fantasy. Every part of the town feels real and tangible, and the central house is perfectly crafted. Almost a character in its own right, Harrow cleverly weaves together atmosphere and a touch of mythology to make the house the beating heart of the story. It doesn't quite have the resonance of 'The Once and Future Witches', but its still an impressive achievement.

If there is to be a criticism its that the book is, in some ways, strongly reminiscent of others. The angry female protagonist from the wrong side of the tracks and the brooding, more aristrocratic male counterpart is a tried and tested formula in adult fantasy - perhaps most notably in 'Ninth House' and Sarah J Maas's work - and the antagonists involved are hardly groundbreaking either. That being said, Harrow's writing brings a fresh, unique to her take, the mythology aspects are cleverly used, and this definitely holds up as its own individual story. There's a reason why tropes are popular, and no need to subvert them every time.

Overall, 'Starling House' is an excellent addition to the gothic fantasy genre and a highly recommended read this autumn. I'm already looking forward to the next addition to Harrow's bibliography.

Loved the gothic horror aspect of this story and especially Opal and Arthur as characters. Their motivations were interesting to read.

I would've like more exploration in the fairytale aspects and the house itself. Overall, an enjoyable gothic fairytale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 ⭐

I liked this. A Southern Gothic novel with overtones of the Cthulhu Mythos (as if written by Joyce Carol Oates), it was very much a page turner for me.

I had some reservations about the footnotes; I didn't really think they added much to the story. It might have been better to have the back story as chapter headers instead, especially where they conflicted with memories as related in the main story. The illustrations were nice, but again I felt didn't add sufficient to the story to justify the enlarged file size. I also thought there weren't enough pictures to be truly atmospheric (although there's a balance between illustrations and graphic novels); the MC Escher style worked well. The other thing is that on an e-ink screen, the contrast on greyscale is not very good, so the atmosphere of a greyscale picture can be lost, but I think the illustrations here had sufficient contrast to be workable.

Recommended.

A gothic delight of a book filled with unknown magic and monsters in a modern small town urban setting. Crossing into the grounds of Starling House it feels as though you’re transported into a different world and with all the mysterious goings on and a house that follows its own whims, it’s not too hard to see why. This book takes a very stark look at prejudice and society, bringing to the forefront those who are persecuted, down on their luck, and fighting to survive. And who doesn’t support an underdog? There’s some complex dynamics between Opal and those in the town, including her brother, and Bev her landlady, and most people want nothing to do with her but the town is harbouring a secret that Opal is going to discover. The slow burn between Opal and Arthur was frustrating and I couldn’t get enough of it. Two people used to battling the world alone, and being protectors, being drawn into each other’s orbit and pushing back against the connection every step of the way. This was a fantastic read and perfect for anyone looking for something very gothic, dangerous and mysterious.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A atmospheric and beautifully written gothic fairytale about a haunted house and an orphan searching for home. A perfect Halloween read.

Starling House is the perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. It features haunted houses, sinister dreams, old family secrets, grumpy protagonists, and eldritch type beasts. Atmospheric and eerie yet cosy with a heartwarming and hopeful romance.

This was dark, mysterious and just enough spooky. An engaging read that kept me at the edge of the seat. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

DNF@25%. This was my first book by this author and I liked the premise of a gothic fairy tale about a spooky old house with a mysterious owner. Unfortunately the story itself felt dull and predictable, with nothing much to distinguish it from similar stories I’ve read before. I just wasn’t drawn in enough to want to continue. That said, it’s the sort of story I probably would have enjoyed when I was younger, and there’s nothing actually wrong with it, it’s just not to my personal taste.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I was so excited for this book as I have heard nothing but good things about the author but I have not yet read any of their books but sadly I was disappointed.. It started out well, I was intrigued by Starling House and the pull it had on the main character Opal but for me the book fell flat in the middle third where I felt that nothing much happened and it lost me for a bit, I had to force myself to pick it back up and push through.

Towards the end I was getting stranger things and dark Alice in wonderland vibes and the book picked up a bit. Alix E Harrow’s writing is truly beautiful but Overall I struggled to stay engaged with the story.

Overall I rated it three stars, I just don’t think it was the book for me, I will try her other books though as I liked her writing style,

„Befriend the Beasts and follow them down..”

When I first chose to read Starling House I did not see what is about to happen. How deeply I would be involved in Opal’s and Arthur’s story. That, I would say, paranormal romance would turn into a journey, when you have to face your own beasts, and instead of fighting them - make them your friends.

That journey was supossed to be romantic and spooky, perfect read with Halloween vibe, but instead I’ve got a story about imperfections, being stubborn and what having a real family can mean to us. Story that got me so hooked up, I couldn’t put that book down.

Opal has one life purpose - get her little brother out of this shitty town. She would do anything, to reach her goals. Without money, living in a motel room, being at odds with the law, she’s slowly trying to make everything happen. The nights are the worst, restless, full of weird dreams about a house - Starling House, place so mysterious, that people avoid it at all costs. Opal feels some kind of magical pull, something wants her to come there. When she finally gives up to that connection, she finds herself standing in front of the gates and she doesn’t know what she’s signing herself into.

This is where theirs adventure starts, but is it?

„It’s a series of small, ordinary scenes: a pair of mugs side by side in the sink; a voice humming a song he doesn’t know, just around the corner; hair spilling across his pillow like poppy petals. A life that isn’t lonely, a house that isn’t haunted.
Arthur wakes with a sharp pain in his chest, because he knows he’ll never have any of those things.”

Arthur choosed a life of loner. He has no friends, noone is visiting him, he lives in a big house, and he cannot leave. When Opal shows up at his front door, House itself feels delightful, like it could actually feel something, and he knows that the change is coming. But instead of greet her, Arthur is forcing her to run. Noone can enter Starling House, not without a cost. Everytime, when magical mist slowly uprises, he knows there is a evil lurking inside. He has to protect her at all cost, which means, he has to force her to leave, but instead of doing that, he offers her a job, as a housekeeper.

„I keep a careful ledger in my head, a tally of debts and favors, but I no longer know what he and I owe each other. He ruined my life and then tried to repair it; I saved him and then ran from him. We’d achieved a miserable but tolerable species of balance between us”

They relation is full of ups and downs, but in the end, there is only one goal - to save the House, to defend it at all costs. Will they manage to that? Will they do it together?

To reach those answers, all you have to do, is read Starling House and see for yourself!

If you like:

👻 paranormal slow-developping romance
👻 spooky history, full of ghosts and beasts
👻 grumpy and well, grumpy 😅
👻 incredible strong, sassy FMC
👻 gothic fairytale placed in real world

this book will be perfect for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for giving me the opportunity to become an ARC reader of this book. Review however is mine and nothing influenced it.

review

starling house is a gothic fantasy set in a cursed small town and follows opal who takes a job at the haunted house she's been having nightmares about. opal and arthur, the house’s heir, have to decide whether to come together to uncover secrets about the town or leave eden to be taken over by nightmares.

somehow, this book is atmospheric, dark, eerie, hopeful, and heartwarming all at the same time. it’s a cosy, whimsical, character-driven fairytale set in a southern town full of secrets and has a beautiful love story between two people trying to find a home… and i loved it!

i really enjoyed the focus on family in this. opal’s relationship with her younger brother, while complicated, was so special and felt so real. the development of their relationship was one of the ways the changes in opal’s character was shown over the events of the book, which i really appreciated.
speaking of characters… the fact that starling house had a (very strong) personality of it’s own and felt like a character itself was absolutely everything!

i read the six deaths of the saint a while ago (twice in two days) and absolutely fell in love, so it’s not surprising that i LOVED this too. it’s the perfect fall read- beautiful writing, incredibly vivid imagery, cosy atmosphere, filled with horrors but won’t keep you up at night type of thing. i truly can’t wait to get into more of alix e. harrow’s books :)

rating: 4 ✩