Starling house is a gothic, dark tale about a haunted house and the broken town it lives in. It's a perfect autumny, spooky season book.
Initially, I struggled to get into this book, but once I was hooked I found it hard to put down. The concept is based around Opal, a hard faced thief who finds in her dreams she's drawn to the dilapidated, run down Starling House. There she discovers the moody Arthur, another outcast, shirked by the local community who has a rather large collection of secrets he's hiding.
This is a book about what we want and what we need and how those people with the full bank accounts and big houses always get whatever it is they want. It's wonderfully unique, dark and quirky. The narrative is often as haunting as the setting. I think my favourite character was the house and how it treated Opal and Arthur. It also has illustrations and I'm a complete sucker for those!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

A Creeping Gothic thriller, Starling House is a well written book with interesting characters and easily imagined environment. While I enjoyed the premise of the plat, I found it hard to believe that Opal's Mother had lived a poverty life in the town all that time and revised to reachout to be rather for help for the sake of her Children. But the actual Supernatural elements were so well written that you forgot all that.

I also didn'tthink there was a need to keep using the word Ugly in relation to Arthur's looks. Overall, an entryable title that I would place in the young adult section.

Opal is living in a town on the outside. Ever since a tragic accident when she was a child, it's just been her and her brother, and a surly motel owner who lost a bet. Opal only wants the best for her brother, so when a job comes up at the mysterious Starling House, of course she takes it.

Starling House is avoided by most, but it calls to Opal... although the current resident Arthur certainly isn't happy about this. Arthur knows the darkness that surrounds the house and will try to protect Opal, and the whole town of Eden, from it at any cost.

A story filled with secrets, and half truths lost in history. Will Opal uncover the past while also paving the way for a future of her own?...

This was an amazing gothic book, felt very like Alice in Wonderland vibes meets Gallant with a house like in Monster House.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillian/Tor for the chance to read and review this before release, but if you're interested you have not long to wait. A Halloween release date couldn't be more perfect for this book!

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Publication date: 31 October 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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Eden, Kentucky, is small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried, and Starling House is a sinister presence that sits at the crossroads of it all.
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This is my first Alix E. Harrow (I have The Once and Future Witches on my Kindle) and overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the unsettling and gothic atmosphere Harrow created - there really was a sense of threat when the mist rises - but I thought the story was a bit convoluted and got a bit repetitive. I absolutely did not click with Opal and Arthur, the two main characters. I kept having to remind myself that Opal was actually a 26-year-old woman; I understand she experienced loss, trauma and hardship but she read like an angsty teenager for most of the book and it got tedious. Arthur made no impression on me - despite the lore surrounding him - and is an easily forgettable character.
However, I liked the secondary characters a lot better - Jasper (Opal's brother) and her friends, Bev and Charlotte - and I would have loved to spend more time with them. But I was especially taken with Starling House itself, which is a strong character in its own right. The house endeared itself to me and I got invested in its fate; I wasn't that bothered about Opal and Arthur, but I definitely wanted a happy ending for Starling House and for it to be standing at the end of the story! I'm not sure if it says more about me or about the book, but that's where we're at!
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I really enjoyed Starling House! The atmosphere Harrow creates is perfect and though I don’t usually enjoy footnotes in novels, I liked their use here. Definitely one to add to your spooky TBR, it’s equal parts whimsical and gothic!

Thanks so much to PanMacmillan and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Starling House by Alix E Harrow is one of the most atmospheric books I have read in a long time. I love this author and was really excited to get my hands on an advance copy of this ,her latest book and I honestly think it is her best one yet.
Opal only has one goal in life, ever since her mother died in a tragic car accident she has spent all her time, energy and money on raising her younger brother Jasper and getting him away to college and out of the small town they both grew up in. He has finally been admitted to a prestigious private school but in order to pay the fees Opal takes on a job as housekeeper at Starling House. This mysterious edifice has numerous stories about its origin, each stranger and more macabre than the last but the one thing that Opal knows about it is that it was one the home of the author of one of her favourite books from childhood. The last thing she ever expected was to end up working there, or to actually end up liking its owner, Arthur despite a rather rocky introduction and the cruel rumours that she has heard about him. When a mysterious stranger tries to recruit Opal into scouting out the house and spilling its secrets , she is reluctant but when they threaten Jasper it seems like she has no choice. As she grows to love Starling House more, and feel more and more at home there she becomes increasingly reluctant to cooperate, and when a link between the house and her own tragic past is revealed Opal is forced to pick a side.
I absolutely loved this book, the writing is just so strikingly beautiful and memorable, there were so many passages I found myself highlight on my Kindle as I read like this description of the house itself " I always thought of it like a lighthouse , but it was more like a siren, a beautiful thing perched above certain death , a sweet and deadly voice in the night" or the description of its owner Arthur " he looks like an underfed crow wearing a button- up that doesn't quite fit , his shoulders hunched against the seams. His face is all hard angles and sullen bones split by a beak of a nose and his hair is a tattered wing , an inch shy of becoming a mullet.
The house itself becomes a character in the book, and many of the descriptions the author uses highlight that sense of it being alive . I have always been a sucker for a sentient house and this really added to my enjoyment of the book. "Starling House was no longer just a house. What had begun as stone and mortar had become something more, with ribs for rafters and stone for skin. It has no heart but it feels ;it has no brain but it dreams"
Sadie and Arthur are not immediately likeable as characters , although I did enjoy Sadie's sarcasm and sense of humour from the outset I also found her cynicism a little wearing at times " 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 " However I loved seeing their characters unfold and let their walls down as the book unfolded and I really found myself rooting for them by the end of the book.
While the book started slowly the story soon started to gather momentum and before the midway point I was completely hooked and did not want to put it down. This is a perfect Autumn/Winter read, designed to be read in a cosy corner while the wind howls outside, as Sadie says at one point in the book " it's a delicious defiance to be warm when the world is cold"
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

Thank you to @panmacmillan for giving me access to this eARC via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eden, Kentucky has absolutely nothing going for it apart from the legend of E. Starling, a 19th century author and illustrator who disappeared leaving behind a house - Starling House. Everyone in the town leaves the house and current occupier alone, except for Opal. When Opal gets a job offer that may help her and her brother start a new life, she might be in for more than she expected…

I finished this book a couple of days after receiving the ARC and have been toying with how to structure this review and I have given up so here it goes - you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not buying this book.

Starling House is a wonderfully enchanting story with characters who are rough around the edges and a setting which leaves you wanting more. I really liked Arthur’s character development the most and found myself smiling when his presence was on the page.

My favourite part of this book was the actual house itself as it isn’t just a building, but a character with personality and growth.

The writing itself is fantastic, it’s cozy and warm whilst also being spooky and gothic. The fairytale elements to the writing are done beautifully and aren’t overwhelming. I really liked that the romance within the book wasn’t the centre of the plot, it was there but it wasn’t the be all and end all.

Starling House feels like if Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak and Hayao Miyazaki’s Howls Moving Castle were blended into one and it’s delicious!

I really enjoyed this book and super glad it’s making its way into my Illumicrate subscription for November! I need my hands on it!

I truly devoured this book and have not been able to stop thinking about it since finishing. It toed the line between YA fantasy and adult fiction in a seriously compelling way. Opal was such a dynamic character and her relationship with her brother, Arthur but especially Bev gave her so much depth you couldn’t help but root for her. It was a slightly gory scary story that I would happily revisit and learn more about the wardens of starling house.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

The story centres around Opal and her pull towards the mysterious Starling House and it's even more mysterious and strange occupation Arthur. Opal is a sharp, gritty and ferocious FMC; she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it, even if it means getting herself in trouble. She soon finds out that's she bitten off more than she can chew: the house has a mind of its own and its own demons to fight, and she somehow funds herself drawn into a battle she was destined for.

I liked this book and I really like Opal as a character. She was well written and bold in all the best ways. The book had be hooked, but then it kind of fizzled out in the middle, before ramping up again at the end. It felt like it lost some of its pace and urgency, and I found myself eager to know what was going to happen but not feeling like I was getting where I wanted.
Then went things picked up again it was great and there was a twist at the end (I won't spoil!!) that I didn't expect.

Whilst I did like this book, it just wasn't a 5 star for me. I think it could have been shorter and it would have had more impact. However, I would recommend it and it was a great haunted house read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I have to say I was impressed and they have gained a new fan.

I would class this as a Gothic Fairy Tale and if you enjoy houses with many secrets and a small town with an equally dark past then this is the book for you. It is perfect for the darker nights to curl up and read and enjoyed every second of this book.

Starling House is engaging and atmospheric.
Small town secrets are slowly exposed with a satisfying conclusion. The book is character driven focusing on their lives and emotions. We have a plucky and unlucky FMC, alongside a prickly mysterious MMC. The romance is a slow burn, it’s a beauty and the beast retelling after all. There’s also a sibling relationship that I feel was done well.
The audio really is able to set the mood of the book and I loved it and would recommend. Although the book is a must have as it has the most gorgeous illustrations throughout.
This is perfect autumn read. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Couldn't really get through this book unfortunately. Maybe I wasn't in the right mind frame when reading, or I just couldn't get into it. I'm not saying this book is bad, it isn't, it just probably wasn't the right genre for myself. I wouldn't say there's much "Horror" as is implied but it's definitely got the gothic elements. Perfect for someone who may be wanting to read a gothic romance with minor horror elements.

I was so happy to get this ARC because I like the way Alix E. Harrow writes, evocative and personal. 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January' was one of my favourites last year and it was great to have another of her books to keep me company during the spooky season.

It started off great, with a morally grey protagonist who was interesting and complex, a mysterious house and a creepy children's book. A great hook.
The characters were good, their voices very clear and real in the dialogues, and they all went through journeys and changes.
My interest did ebb and flow throughout the book, though. Maybe I'm just not a gothic horror person, which would explain why I couldn't fully connect to the story.

I would recommend this book to gothic horror fans who also enjoy morally ambiguous main characters and a creepy small town atmosphere. Bonus if you enjoy elaborate prose!

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

“When the house was complete, in February of 1870, Eleanor Starling took up residence and stayed there until her death in 1886. There is substantial evidence that she devoted the remaining years of her life to the study of the place she later called “Underland.” She believed, according to the notes and journals found by her successors, that there was another world beneath, or maybe beside, our own—a terrible, vicious world, populated by monstrous beings. She believed that there were cracks between that world and our own, places where things might leak through, and that one of these rifts lay underneath Eden, Kentucky.”

The Starling House sits on Starling land and cannot be seen from the roadside, except for a pair of iron gates that are so intricate and sinuous it wouldn’t be a surprise if they started to move and become a living, writhing being. Opal passes the house daily as she takes a short cut from one of her jobs to another and she’s intrigued by the house, especially the one amber lit window, high up in the attic room. There she imagines Eleanor Starling, living the solitary life of an author trying to follow up their first extraordinary book. Opal loved Eleanor’s children’s book Underland described as a much darker Alice in Wonderland where a girl called Nell is Underground with a weird array of things beasts (all of which look like a member of the animal kingdom, but at the same time not at all). Opal’s life is a gruelling slog from the motel room she shares with brother Jasper, to her cleaning jobs then back to supervise homework and share their measly evening meal. It only takes one small difference in their routine to shake everything up and bring huge change to their lives. Opal pauses her route home and stops at the iron gates of Starling House. She holds on to the iron, but immediately finds her hand is slick with blood. More disturbingly, she feels the gates give, almost as if her blood is the key. She looks up to see that a tall, thin and rather bedraggled man has appeared in front of her. He looks her in the eye and says one word. Run!

[The town] “liked the Starlings even less. They’re considered eccentrics and misanthropes, a family of dubious origin that has refused for generations to participate in the most basic elements of Eden’s civil society (church, public school, bake sales for the volunteer fire department), choosing instead to stay holed up in that grand house. […] It’s generally hoped that both they and their house will fall into a sinkhole and rot at the bottom, neither mourned nor remembered, and—perhaps—release the town from its century-long curse.”

Arthur, the bedraggled man, is the current Starling living in the house and it isn’t long before Opal is drawn back into his presence. Arthur seems to be torn. He’s drawn to Opal, but so is the house. It seems unfair to strike up a friendship with her knowing that the house wants her and what that will mean for her life. Yet he asks her if she will clean for him and offers enough money that Opal can’t refuse. He is concerned about this flame haired waif that is now in his midst and he can’t help but offer her a winter coat, then his old truck. Are these genuine gifts, or is Arthur trying to assuage his guilt for doing the house’s bidding? The house almost seems to sigh and settle as Opal cares for it, like a cat stretching with pleasure when stroked. She does wonder about the crude symbols scratched into the wooden doors, that match Arthur’s tattoos. Every conceivable symbol to ward off evil is either scratched, painted or hung around the house. How do you ward off something that strikes from within? Opal is then approached by a woman in a suit, who seems to know a lot about Opal and the Starling House. She wants Opal to take photographs and pass on information from the inside of the house. Firstly she seems like any old local official, but becomes more sinister when Opal is reluctant to help, finally making threats against Jasper. Now she has no choice, but she’s surprised by her own emotions; it’s harder to betray Arthur Starling than she expected. Is it really the house she’s drawn to, or is it Arthur?

“Eleanor Starling left no record of why she built such a vast and strange house, but the oldest and best-loved book in her collection was a copy of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It has been suggested by subsequent Starlings that she was not building a house but a labyrinth, for much the same reason the King of Crete once did: to protect the world from the thing that lived inside it.”

Opal isn’t easily afraid and I knew, just from that opening, she wasn’t done with Starling House. More to the point, the house isn’t done with her. I admired this plucky girl who is only just getting by in life and does everything for her brother Jasper. She desperately wants him to get away from Eden, Kentucky, because he has so much talent but also because nobody with any sense stays in Eden. She is saving for the fees of a private school she has seen, somewhere that would give him prospects and he would meet the right sort of people. She’s so set on this plan, she hasn’t bothered to ask what Jasper wants. Her heart is in the right place though. She doesn’t love many things, but when she does Opal loves like she does everything else - fiercely. Her existence is all work, striving just to survive but Opal is so intelligent, in fact one of the only places in town she visits religiously is the library. The librarian Charlotte is perhaps the closest thing to a friend she has. The truth is that Opal feels enormous guilt over the terrible car accident that killed their mother and what she sees as the decision she made to survive:

“ I’m fifteen and cold water is pouring through the windshield. The glove box is open, spewing pill bottles and plastic utensils. Mom is beside me, her limbs drifting gently, her hair tangling with the tacky dream catcher she pinned to the car roof. I’m reaching for her hand and her fingers are slick and limp as minnows and I might be screaming—Mom, come on, Mom—but the words can’t make it past the river? Then it goes very quiet and very dark. I don’t remember letting go of her hand, but I must have done it. I must have crossed her name off the list in my head and swum for the surface, abandoning her to the river bottom.”

I loved the psychological aspects of the story. The house has an identity and it knows who has the right stuff to live there and keep up the fight. I wondered whether the monsters were real or a manifestation of the occupant’s mental state. The thought of the monsters in our heads being able to run free in the world is definitely a terrifying one. The author builds the two worlds within the novel with contrasting techniques: short, blunt descriptions create Eden with it’s power plant and functional buildings, whereas Starling House and it’s labyrinthine tunnels are given long, descriptive passages that bring it to life. If something in Opal or Eleanor’s world is inexplicable she allows it to be unfinished or confused. Some of the monsters are beautifully described as ‘like a cat, but not quite’ leaving gaps in the writing that the reader fills with their own imagination. This is an author that knows the things we can’t see or comprehend are the most frightening. When we finally get to Eleanor’s story it is disturbing and sad, showing how unresolved trauma can project outwards into something monstrous. There’s a feminist thread here too as we hear the truth about Eleanor’s life with the Gravely men and Opal recognises that her mother was shunned by the town, for liking sex and not being sorry about it. In a reversal of the usual damsel in distress story, Opal is the architect of her own life and is determined to rid Starling House of it’s monsters and save Arthur. I was biting my nails in the final chapters, desperately wanting her to succeed! I’ve never doubted Alix E. Harrow’s talent or imagination. I’ve been a fan since her first novel, but this is her best yet. Underland is like the very darkest Alice in Wonderland, with all the ‘Disney-fied’ prettiness swept away. In it’s place are monsters that defy all description and a love story that’s more swords and thorns than hearts and flowers. It’s an absolute feast for the imagination and the perfect dark fantasy read for October.

I loved this book!!, Alix's writing is just so magical and her stories are filled with wonder and mystery you want to keep turning the pages.

'Starling House' is about a girl called Opal who fights to keep her and her brothers heads above water, a derelict house that haunts her in the middle of the night and has a mind of its own, and its current owner, a strange man who goes by the name of Arthur Starling.

We follow Opal as she's drawn towards the house, hoping to unravel its strangeness, yet the closer she gets, the less she knows, and the more she's determined to understand the mysteries of the Starling's and the rotting house she can't seem to stay away from. We follow her down the rabbit hole of story telling, strange beasts, nightmares and mysteries.

A perfect autumnal read for anyone that loves gothic fairy tales

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me an early copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

4 stars
I would definitely recommend reading Starling House, it is the perfect gothic fantasy read for autumn.

Overall, I loved reading this. Admittedly it took me a while to get into it at the beginning, I found the plot very slow to start but the more I read the more I could not put it down. The plot gave me major Alice in Wonderland vibes, with the young woman whose curiosity gets the better of her leading her to discover things she never knew existed.

The town is full of history and every character has their own secrets to be discovered throughout the story. Harrow creates twists and turns that you don’t see coming and creates the perfect atmosphere for a gothic fantasy.

The way Harrow describe and writes about the house in the book is perfect, the house was probably my favourite character in the whole book. The little ways it would interact with the characters was amazing.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are mine.

This was a fantastic read from start to finish. The prose was evocative, the atmosphere eerie, the characters complex and flawed. I devoured this story and couldn't put it down for love or money!

Opal has lived a tough life for as long as she can remember, and at this point the only thing she really cares about - the only thing she lets herself care about - is the health and happiness of her younger brother. So when she starts having recurring dreams of the spooky house on the edge of town that everyone agrees is probably haunted, what's a girl to do?

Get a job there cleaning up the place, obviously!

And so begins a tale of family both born and found, the dark and terrible secrets a town might try their hardest to bury, a brooding Byronic love interest, and a girl who fashioned herself into something so sharp and cutting that she might hurt herself (whoops).

The character arcs here both major and minor are a delight to experience, and the exploration of the different ways urban legends twist and change both over time and based on the storyteller is fascinating.

Incredible gothic fantasy with a fairytale twist!

This was the perfect October read. It was gothic, romantic, spooky, and had gorgeous Jack & Sally vibes. I really leaned into the characters and felt wrapped up in what they were doing and how this creepy, haunted, Starling House mystery was going to come to a conclusion.

The ending was beautiful, and the writing was very descriptive so the whole book played out like a beautiful, gothic movie in my head.

My only slight downfall was that, between around 65-80% it dragged a little for me. It felt like it was going over covered ground and almost felt like ‘filler’. My attention waned a bit here, but it soon picked up near the end.

If you're an 'all the vibes and not much plot' girlie, then this is for you! Luckily I'm one of those, and I just find Alix E Harrow's writing so beautiful, so atmospheric, and so REAL. I genuinely feel like I'm inside whatever world she creates and I forget I'm reading. The town Alix creates here is called Eden. It's a small, old town that is full of nothing but bad luck and a dark past. You really do pick up on that small-town feeling where everyone knows everyone, yet, everyone is also keeping a small secret. And because of that feeling/atmospheric prose, I found myself just wanting to stay in this town/story and uncover the truth alongside the main character, Opal.

So let's move on to the characters because this is where it lacked a little for me, sadly. Coming off the back of The Once and Future Witches, I was expecting that same multi-layered character depth and to enjoy witnessing their arcs throughout this story but... it never quite hit the mark for me. Sure, Opal has her witty/sassy moments and we get to witness her unpacking her trauma, but I felt like she was pretty much the same character from the beginning as she was at the end... Plus, she felt a little 'tropey' for me -- ugh, I hate myself for even saying that but it's true. I was expecting a more nuanced and complicated character here, and the same goes for Arthur.

Their story was still nice to read, even though it was also a tragic one! And I have to say I also really enjoyed the epilogue.

Other things I enjoyed and wasn't expecting:
-Starling House basically being a sentient character? (Loved that)
-The illustrations
-The footnotes
-Mixed media (Wikipedia page insert)

and overall just that rich, dark fairytale vibe that I hope you know I LOVE.

In the end, this story felt enchanting and I had a great time with it - I just wish it pulled me a little deeper into that rabbit hole full of nightmares...

Thank you to NetGalley + Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

his spellbinding story from Alix E. Harrow is the perfect read this spooky season. It feels like a cosy, contemporary take on a gothic fairytale, complete with an imposing haunted house and touch of romance.

In the small town of Eden in Kentucky, Opal, has is having a hard time raising her younger brother alone since her wayward mother passed away. They’re living on the breadline in a motel, and she’s getting by and supporting her small family working at the local Tractor Supply. But something draws her towards the mysterious old Starling House on the outskirts of town. It’s the house where a famous reclusive author resided, one whom Opal read avidly as a child.

“The house comes into view all at once, like it stepped out from behind a black curtain. It’s more mysterious at night, more alive, maybe just more. There’s a tension to the shape of it against the sky…The vines rustle and tremble against the stone. Mist coils around every sill and eave. Every window is dark.”

Opal begins a new job cleaning the house, and slowly gets to know its reclusive current occupant, Arthur. Arthur is the typical brooding, lonely figure you’d expect occupying a haunted house, in fact he rarely ever leaves the house and spends most of his days locked away alone – until Opal enters his life.

“His face is all hard angles and sullen bones split by a beak of a nose, and his hair is a tattered wing an inch sky of becoming a mullet. His eyes are clawing into mine.”

There’s strong themes of family, as Opal is fiercely protective of her younger brother, and gradually learns more about her mother’s past and her own identity. Opal’s small but close network is juxtaposed against Arthur, who lives his life completely isolated. But as Opal is drawn more and more into the mysterious world of Starling House, the history of the town and Arthur’s role in all of it, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye.

This is an evocative, enchanting modern take on a gothic tale. The author’s writing is as lush and vivid as ever, and her descriptions of the house, town and characters are stunning. I have to admit I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as her previous Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I think it might be the setting of present day. The haunting old house, rich history and beautiful writing just didn’t marry quite right with the characters texting and the motel setting – although I’m sure this juxtaposition was intentional and others may enjoy it.

Still, it’s an atmospheric story, perfect for the time of year, I just didn’t love it quite as much as those previous two books. But, I will continue to follow everything this author does – she has a uniquely enchanting writing style, a wild imagination and an ability to write captivating, unique stories.