Set during world war 1 the story follows Laura a nurse from Canada. After loosing her parents to a Harbour accident and receiving a letter telling her of her Brothers death she decides to go back into service. Even though she is recovering from a war injury she needs to return to France to find out more about her brother, she is haunted with the lack of information and the nagging feeling not is all as stated. The Story also follows her brother’s journey and his unlikely friendship that saves his life but indebted he will sacrifice of his soul. Can Laura save him or is it too late.

‘The Warm Hands of Ghosts’ by Katherine Arden is a historical fantasy about a Great War nurse who returns to the Flanders battlefield to find her brother, believed dead. Part-history, part-ghost story, part-magical realism, part-mystery, there are times when I didn’t know what to believe.
Having already served as a nurse in the trenches, Canadian Laura Iven is back at home in Halifax, recovering from the injuries she sustained while nursing. But she isn’t there for long. After the shocking death of her parents in an explosion in Halifax, Laura receives a package from Belgium; her brother Freddie’s uniform and dog tags. The assumption is that he is dead. But Laura receives no official confirmation that he is dead or missing. Disturbed by supernatural possibilities and questions raised at a séance, she decides to return to Belgium to find Freddie.
Laura and Freddie’s stories are told in alternating sections in a timeline that jumped around in a disorientating way; which made me identify with the dislocation and giddiness of Laura’s circumstances. Freddie Iven awakes in No Man’s Land after an explosion and finds himself trapped in mud beneath an overturned pillbox. His only companion is an injured German soldier. Should he kill his enemy. Or can they help each other. If they escape, where should they go. Escaping into the hellish landscape of mud and putrefaction they stay together and wander, lost both emotionally and geographically. Until they meet a fiddler, a man who entertains, who makes the horror of war disappear for a brief time. Is he real, and what is his unspoken motivation? Exhausted, their decision-making puts them in danger. Freddie risks being shot as a deserter, Winter as an enemy.
Laura, now volunteering at a private hospital behind the lines, learns to ride a motorcycle so she can search for Freddie or anyone who remembers him. Troubled by her own trauma, Laura’s nightmares become more vivid. She hears talk of ghosts that move about among living people, and a hotelier who offers soldiers the chance to forget their terrors. Seen once, this man and his hotel can never be found again. Is he real, or another ghost. Laura is a likeable heroine. At times dogged in her determination, unattractively so for the times, and sometimes tin-eared, I was willing her on in her search for Freddie. As the traumas of present-day and past war experiences combine, the ability to differentiate between real life, facts, dreams and superstitions becomes transient.
This is an unusual take on the familiar World War One themes. Powerful, harrowing, it examines the nature of what it takes to fight in a war and kill another human being, when the enemy soldier is really an ordinary man like yourself. Thought-provoking.
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Firstly, this is an incredibly well written book and I just know there are going to a lot of people who really love it. It didn’t hit the spot for me, but I think that is very much a personal preference thing.

Magical realism is tricky business and while I adored The Bear and the Nightingale, I think the setting here combined with some magic just didn’t feel like a comfortable blend.

I think ultimately, I just wasn’t sucked into this. I felt that I could put the book down and walk away at any point and not really care?

The characters were good but I just wasn’t INVESTED in any of their journeys. I feel like I should have cared about the characters as to describe them they are everything I typically look for… but I just didn’t care very much.

The plot was questionable really. I just all felt too convenient and unbelievable so I could never really buy the story. Laura just wondered about and had everything conveniently fall into place for her, which frankly just doesn’t make for an interesting story.

Overall, this is a good book it just missed the mark for me.

This is a strange book to review because I don't think I've really read anything like it. It seems obvious when you think about it that in a world where ghosts exist, the battlefields of the First World War would be swarming with them. Perhaps the thought of writing a book that explores the fantasy but still takes the reality serious is too intimidating - Arden says in her afterword that it was a difficult book to write. The closest comparison I can think of is In Memoriam, in the way it unflinchingly tackles the brutality of this war to end all wars. In many ways, the supernatural elements seem almost a side note. It is the humans that we are paying attention to here. As fascinating as Faland is, the story could've stood without him. Laura absolutely stole my heart, and the slow, understated romance was exactly the sort of thing I enjoy. Very glad to have read this one.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I’m not usually a big fan of the supernatural but I love war fiction, so the premise really intrigued me.

I can honestly say The Warm Hands of Ghosts is unlike anything I’ve read before. Katherine Arden manages to combine the horrors of war with elements of fantasy in a way that really works.

As expected, I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book. The depictions of the front lines of WWI were so vivid. The cold, the mud, the fear, and the unimaginable trauma soldiers endured are brought to life with such incredible detail. Arden captures the bleakness and desolation of the trenches so powerfully that it feels like you are right there with the soldiers.

What surprised me is how much I also enjoyed the more fantastical elements. At first, I wasn’t sure how well the two genres of historical fiction and fantasy would mesh, but the author made it work brilliantly. The mysterious hotelier and the concept of oblivion brought a new layer to the horrors of war, making it even more haunting.

I enjoyed reading from both Freddie and Laura's perspective but I was particularly interested in Freddie's. His alliance and connection with Hans was heart-wrenching at times. Their bond is a reminder of the humanity that still exists in the most inhumane of circumstances.

The pacing was slow at the beginning, but I didn’t mind that. The build-up really allowed me to connect and care about the characters so by the time things picked up, I was completely hooked.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's unlike anything I've read before and I'll definitely be reading more books by Katherine Arden.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a historical fantasy story set during the First World War. While I enjoy Arden's writing overall, I found that I couldn't get fully invested in the characters or the story. I think it had a lot of potential but it was quite slow at times, some of the characters lacked depth and the plot felt a bit messy at times.

This book offers a well-crafted story that’s sure to resonate with fans of its genre. With relatable characters and a plot that keeps the pages turning, it strikes a balance between engaging storytelling and thoughtful themes. The pacing is steady, building intrigue at just the right moments, and the world-building is immersive without being overwhelming.

The author’s writing style is approachable and descriptive, painting vivid scenes and giving depth to the characters’ emotions and journeys. While some elements may feel familiar to avid readers, the story still manages to surprise with its unique twists and turns.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read that’s easy to get lost in, ideal for anyone looking for a blend of suspense, heart, and insight. Whether you’re new to the genre or a longtime fan, this book is a solid addition to any reading list.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a historical fiction/magical realism blend that had me completely enthralled.

When Laura is recuperating at home in Canada following wounds sustained in war-torn France/Belgium in 1918 she is given a suggestion that her brother Freddie who was missing presumed killed may actually be alive, so she returns to Europe to try and find him.
The story is told from Laura's perspective in 1918 and Freddie's perspective from 1917-1918 from his injury that brought him into close contact with German soldier Hans Winter (we also get some interjections from Winter's point of view).

The author absolutely captures the bleakness and desolation of the trenches, the mud, the cold, the barren landscape. I've spent many days exploring the area and the historical sites so it felt incredibly poignant to me. Being able to tap into my experiences in the region made the experience of reading this beautifully desolate novel more personal.

I was entranced by this novel and would definitely recommend it.

As someone who is not a fan of historical books, I gave this one a chance just like I did with the Winternight trilogy, and once again Katherine Arden smashed it out of the park. This book was absolutely stunning, her writing is beautiful and my heart hurt for the characters. I loved all of the main characters in this and the romance side of the story worked perfectly as a companion to the main plot of Laura searching for information on her brother.

THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS is a haunting tale of world war one, blending a ghostly nightmare into the very real living nightmare of the war.

The best way I can describe this novel is like someone wrote a gothic novel about the first world war. As well as the grimness and waste of the war and the trenches, the book contains a slow, creeping unease that there is something else deeply wrong here. It is compelling and just serves to highlight the horrors of the fighting, the indiscriminate nature of death.

As it is a slow build, it does mean there's a long time before the speculative elements come into play - and even longer until they're a major part of the book. For this reason, the book should probably be approached more as a historical with a few speculative elements rather than a more typical historical fantasy. I really liked this blend and how it could be interpreted as a metaphor for shell shock at times.

The atmosphere in the book is so taut and thick you can almost taste it. There is a feeling of unreality to it all because it is so horrifying that you almost doesn't feel real, and yet there is a part of your mind pointing out that this and worse happened then. Freddie and Winters' experience in the pillbox feels like a piece of modern theatre trying to understand hell, all that crushing blackness. Laura experiences and treats horrors both at the war - the hospital being placed somewhere that's a key target - and at home - when a ship explodes in the harbour. The war touches everything and leaves scars visible and invisible.

The book follows both Laura in 1918 returning to the front to track down her brother and Freddie from 1917 as the Passchendaele campaign thunders on. It begins with Laura and it's not until she starts to learn what's happening that we see it, and it's so much worse than expected. I liked getting to see both sides as it underscores the danger of the mysterious Faland.

In all, this was a great book - and I will definitely be putting her debut series on my list.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a historical WW1 novel with sprinklings of the supernatural and paranormal - certainly different from any war fiction I have ever read before!

The story itself follows two main POV characters, Laura Ivan, a discharged field nurse, who is sent home following being injured after a traumatic shelling incident and her brother Freddie Ivan, a soldier missing, presumed dead by his family and peers. What follows in an interwoven story told across different timelines.

I very much enjoyed Katherine Arden's writing style, and I feel she captured the trauma and pains of war vividly. The story really is a love story of the heights we will go to for family and the loved shared between siblings, and you can really see that in the pages. Where the book fell a little flat for me, was on the *actual* love story plot - which honestly didn't work for me at all, but it didn't make me enjoy the book any less, I just felt it wasn't the main focus and didn't really add anything to the story.

Overall, a very enjoyable read! I dipped in and out of the audiobook also which was wonderfully narrated.

A bit late as per, but thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC - by the time I got round to reading it I had my lovely SE to read!

I adore Katherine Arden and I think her writing is so captivating and addictive.

However, I am not the biggest fan of books surrounding wars, especially the Great War. In reality I shouldn't have requested this one but I was so excited to read something new from Arden and tried to look past it. Stupid, I know.

I couldn't read this one but that is nothing against the book or Arden's amazing writing. It just wasn't a premise I enjoy.

I quite liked this...a combination of Faust, Tales of Arabian Knights, and All Quiet on the Western Front. Was skeptical, but it was quite compelling. When her parents are killed in the Halifax explosion in 1917, and she curiously receives BOTH sets of ID tags from her brother fighting on the Western Front and reported dead, Laura Ivers goes in search of her brother, a sensitive poet named Wilfred (hm....a not so subtle nod to Wilfred Owen). Freddie has seen the most horrendous horrors on the front, and has survived with the help of a German soldier. But when the mysterious Monsier Faland offers respite in his "hotel" and wine in exchange for stories as he plays his violin, the plot is set in motion. Laura has to save her brother, but knows the compulsion to follow Faland as she herself has felt his pull. A sort of surreal WW1 story, but it really works! Enjoyed it immensely.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a lovely, slow burning book about the horrors of war, hope, and humanity. Arden's prose are (unsurprisingly) lovely and I absolutely adored both Laura and Freddie's points of view. They're both complex and imperfect characters (my personal favourite), but Arden injects them with such an incredible sense of self and strong personalities. The wide supporting cast is equally wonderful and compelling, and their interactions with the two main characters really bolstered the story.

I always love historical fiction with a touch of fantasy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a fantastic book. I'm a huge fan of Katherine's and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Wow, I struggled to start with, it was very slow but the story is complex and once over the first few chapters I was into my stride with this fascinating story. Set during the first World War in Ypres Belgium. The story follows Laura Iven, a nurse sent home from Flanders to Halifax Nova Scotia after being seriously wounded. Struggling to rebuild a life for herself and reeling from the sudden deaths of both her parents after a munitions ship explodes in Halifax harbour, she receives word that her brother Freddie, serving at the front in Belgium, has gone missing and is presumed dead. She decides she must return in the hope that he might still be alive. She volunteers to return to Belgium and work at a private hospital with a handful of other women.

A second story line set a few months earlier follows Freddie’s story on the front lines, where he is trapped beneath a German pillbox during the fighting. Buried underground, Freddie is sure his own death is imminent, ironically trapped right alongside a man named Hans Winter, one of the very German soldiers he had been trying so desperately to kill. But Hans and Freddie miraculously survive, leaning on each other and embracing the unlikely bond that springs up between them to dig their way out of the mud and find a way through the battlefield.

Strange characters and bargains seemingly made with fictitious events or mental sub conscious take place on this journey for all characters back to safety. Intriguing and challenging.

Wow what can I say! The Warm Hands of Ghosts is an historical fantasy that gets under your skin … in the beginning I wasn’t sure whether this story was for me (or rather for where I was emotionally). I loved the Winternight Trilogy from the same author but I wasn’t sure where this story would take me. I’m so glad I continued! I was totally pulled in.

In the beginning I thought there was such a contrast between what was happening at the time (the history) and the scenes with Faland. But as I continued reading, I realised under the surface, they weren’t so very different.

There is a contrast between Laura and Freddie’s characters. One with such strength and dedication and one shattered and lost yet both are broken and needing another person to break down the walls and offer compassion and nurture. The fear and guilt are tangible for them both. I was hoping Laura could get past her guilt to understand how important the warm hands of ghosts were. And for Freddie to find redemption and accept his own path to love. Faland is so nebulous, faery-like and hard to define. I love a character that makes me feel uncomfortable! One that I shouldn’t like but actually felt a lot of compassion for.

Many scenes in both narrations are hard-hitting and made me think. I loved the ‘darkness’ but equally loved the hope and possibilities.

I was sucked into the history in The Warm Hands of Ghosts but the feelings that stayed after reading are all related to the characters and how tangled their emotions were (and how they made me feel). It made me reconsider what I thought a ‘monster’ was.

Recommended if you need a push out of your comfort zone.

Many thanks to Random House UK for letting me read a copy of this book in advance of its release!

Katherine Arden has been on my radar ever since reading her fantastic "Winternight" trilogy, so I was utterly excited to hear of her upcoming book. Admittedly, I went into this expecting a similar atmosphere to her prior work, which initially hindered my reading experience, but once I decided to interact with this piece without drawing comparisons, I found myself greatly enjoying it.

Arden does a brilliant job at portraying the horrors of war, with this book specifically taking place in and around the trenches of WW1. Her decision to reflect and comment on the severe trauma of being caught in the crossfire through the lens of ghosts and devilish personages really resonated with me. I felt that she excecuted this idea brilliantly. The intense bond of the two siblings was absolutely heart wrenching, experiencing this story through both their eyes while their timelines slowly approached each other was a great decision craftwise.

On a more personal note, I also greatly enjoyed the medical aspect of Laura's profession and POV - I can't help it, I'm always a sucker for doctor/healer protagonists!

The Winternight trilogy, was my introduction to Katherine Arden, and she was phenomenal then, and even more so not.

The Warm hands of Ghost, is a breath-taking and emotional read, I could not put this down. She took my emotions on a journey very few books have done before. I enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the writing to the story and the world in itself. Love and despair go hand in hand with this books and by the end you will not be able to tell which apart. Freddie and Laura which be constant mental companions for the foreseeable and if you are on the shelf about this book, i suggest you jump off and right in.

You will not regret it

Stunning

I could not decide initially what I thought of this historical ghost story - it disturbed me and gripped me - atmospheric and haunting.

First World War, Belgium - combat nurse, Laura Ivan returns to Flanders to try to find out what has happened to Freddie, her brother, who disappeared - presumed dead - in November 1917.

He found himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a German soldier - together they determine to live and claw their way out. But to escape the war they take refuge with a mysterious fiddler who has the power to give oblivion. Freddie sacrifices himself to save Winter, the German soldier.

Laura, against all the odds, has to find a way to rescue her brother before he becomes too traumatised to save.

The portrayal of war in the trenches was dark, raw and heartbreaking. The siblings fight for each other in the midst of devastation, mindless violence and deprivation. They are made to face their individual traumas and find a way forward to face the future.

All in the face of evil and the ghosts of the past.

A haunting book which will stay with me.

Brilliantly written story. I absolutely loved it. I held off for a few days after reading to allow some time to pass before reviewing, but my awe at how beautiful a book it is, hasn't worn off. It's just simply magical.