I just finished the book. And holy cow! It was so good. Twists and turns all the way to the ending. Norse mythology is so intriguing and I’ve been wanting to explore it lately so that was perfect timing. I didn’t know who to really trust at the end. You did it again my friend. Took me only 3 days to read and earned 5⭐️ from me.

Wow, wow, wow. This has got to be the best book I have read this year. I literally could not put this one down. I don't even know what genre to fit this one into because it has a few mixed in. This one is a thriller mixed with so much more! I don't want to give anything away. I went in blindly to this one and was so glad I didn't know what to expect. It starts as a mystery to figure out where groups of missing people are disappearing to...is it a serial killer or much worse? The main character is an amazing woman who has overcome so much only to keep getting stuck having to fight to just be content in life. Very relatable! She is looking for her sister and will do any and everything to find her...at first I thought, ok, this is going to be like every other missing person read. Same basic concepts. NOPE!! This book had me Googling so much during the read and I learned a lot about ancient and native cultures, it was fascinating! The main man in this one has also had to overcome his own demons, and I felt for them both main characters during this adventure. This is definitely the sort of read I dream of when I start a new book! I cannot wait to read more from this author now and I am SO grateful for the publisher for allowing me this ARC read. It was a thrilling ride! :)

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review!

I really enjoyed this, it was such a good book and exactly what I needed. Incredible survival horror with the added complexity of Norse gods and more, as well as a forest that is truly alive and doesn’t want the characters to make it through. I had a hard time putting this down and loved both POVs and both characters. It was so interesting seeing a character with full, brutal knowledge and one with none. This was a very good book, perfect for fans of survival horror and Norse myths!!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

First book I've ever read by this author which I've newly discovered. Absolutely loved it and will read their others. The style and descriptions are fantastic. I loved all the ancient and natice cultural references and it had me researching those I didnt know about! This is my kind of book. Mystery meets crime meets horror. A story of survival. Loved it! Highly recommended!

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, S. T. Ashman and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

Omg!!! This book! I have no words.
The suspense and horror. You want answers and to know what is going on!

Horror fantasy thriller... It's all those genres. I think.
Norse mythology. Natives. I love it. I highly recommend all reading the notes at the end. I always read all when I read books. There is so much extra wow factor.

Esther is a fantastic caring character that I believe many might feel a bit drawn to. I understood her in so many ways. She's stronger than she believes.
She's is a vet student but loses her spot because she saves a white fox after hours.
Her sister has been missing for 2 years, and she's been searching all this time. Police don't seem to care since her sister was a drug addict etc. People dissappear, and only those who won't be "missed."
One late evening, all changes. She changes places with a Ranger. SEAL sniper. Enters the military mission as Wager. Her ID and all. Can she fool them. Is it true she might find her sister there? Dead? Alive?
Why the secrecy? What's in that forest?

Viking, Huldra, stone giants, Seiđkvinne etc... They must keep safe. Stay together. Keep to the path and find the safety of the huts before dark.

This book 🤩 is my first read from this author, and I will absolutely follow her and read more from her for sure.

If you’ve read I Kill Killers, you already know S.T. Ashman doesn’t do “mild.” But You Can’t Stay isn’t just a new chapter in her bibliography—it’s a whole new direction. Still razor-sharp, still dark at the core, but this one veers wildly into horror-fantasy territory with Norse gods, ancient rage, government secrets, and something monstrous crouched in the woods of New Hampshire.

At the center of the story is Esther, whose sister—a struggling addict—disappears. Everyone else has already written her off. Esther doesn't. She refuses to move on, and instead barrels straight into large-scale conspiracy. Think: dozens of missing people, a national forest with secrets, and some kind of government-sanctioned activity that smells simultaneously like folklore, rot, and cover-ups.

The pacing is relentless. The woods are terrifying. And the stakes are higher than an Odin fever dream.

Ashman threads real historical details into the story, weaving in Viking mythology and Native American perspectives with surprising nuance. It’s not just monsters and myths—it’s about the legacy of colonization, erasure, and the brutal things that get buried, both literally and not.

Esther is the kind of protagonist you sweat for. Her search for her sister isn’t just emotional; it’s existential. Every chapter feels like a countdown to something worse. And when she finally walks into the heart of the woods, the tagline—“Not everything lost should be found”—starts to feel less like a warning and more like a scream.

This book is like a genre blender set on high—producing Norse mythology, backwoods horror, deep-state paranoia, and just the right dose of odd. It’s strange. It’s smart. It’s a lot of fun. You’ll laugh nervously. You’ll Google weird stuff at 2 a.m. And you’ll wonder what exactly is watching from the trees. If The Blair Witch had an axe and a government clearance badge, she’d live in these pages. Highly recommended.