Title: House of Hunger
Author: Alexis Henderson
Genre: Fantasy Horror
Publisher: Transworld/ Bantam Press
Pages: 320
Release Date: 6 October 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I'm sharing with you all, my review for Alexis Henderson’s sophomore novel House of Hunger.
An atmospherically lush and incredibly detailed sapphic horror that centres around hedonism, greed and obsessive love—and, in taking inspiration from Elizabeth Bathory, gives us a new spin on vampires (and vampire lore) that I couldn’t get enough of!
Synopsis
WANTED: A bloodmaid of exceptional taste. Must have a keen proclivity for life's finer pleasures. Girls of weak will need not apply.
A young woman is drawn into the upper echelons of a society where blood is power, in this dark and enthralling Gothic novel from the author of The Year of the Witching.
Marion Shaw has been raised in the slums, where want and deprivation are all she knows. Despite longing to leave the city and its miseries, she has no real hope of escape until the day she spots a strange advertisement in the newspaper, seeking a 'bloodmaid'.
Though she knows little about the far north - where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service - Marion applies to the position. In a matter of days, she finds herself at the notorious House of Hunger. There, Marion is swept into a world of dark debauchery - and there, at the centre of it all is her.
Her name is Countess Lisavet. Loved and feared in equal measure, she presides over this hedonistic court. And she takes a special interest in Marion. Lisavet is magnetic, charismatic, seductive - and Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when her fellow bloodmaids begin to go missing in the night, Marion is thrust into a vicious game of cat and mouse. She'll need to learn the rules of her new home - and fast - or its halls will soon become her grave.
Review
An intoxicatingly dark and decadently riveting, gothic feast of a novel that I literally devoured!
I have long been a fan of gothic style fiction, particularly horror so I was incredibly excited to recieve an ARC of Alexis Henderson’s newest novel, and honestly, it’s absolutely AMAZING!
The exquisitely crafted and vividly detailed world building made for such a compelling and enjoyable read with descriptions that thoroughly captivate all of the senses and skilfully harken back to the greats of the gothic genre. The grand sprawling estates, hauntingly claustrophobic hallways and the sense of isolation that creeps into Marion’s daily routine—Henderson’s prose genuinely feels like something that could’ve easily been published alongside Shelley’s Frankenstein, Polidori’s The Vampyre or Le Fanu’s Carmilla and I absolutely loved that!
But, aside from how breathtakingly atmospheric and visceral much of the imagery was, I loved how compelling or down right fascinating some of the characters were. Marion was such an endearing character who just wants the opportunity for a better life, and a chance at love and happiness. Given the life she lives when we first encounter her in the slums of Prane it’s easy to see why she wanted to leave.
Lisavet, although not particularly endearing, was an incredibly fascinating character—we learn very little about her life but what we do learn is quite horrifying. Her charisma and dark magnetism are what take centre stage, enthralling Marion and leading her down an ever darker path to self destruction and ruin. I do, however, wish we’d gotten a little more time with the other bloodmaids, (who didn’t feel nearly as fleshed out as Marion or Lisavet) and would’ve loved to explore their motivations, emotions and experiences prior to their indenture at the House of Hunger.
Like most gothic horrors, the cast is quite small and the setting claustrophobically intimate, but what truly made this a standout read was Henderson’s incredible social commentary amidst all the richly detailed scenes of seduction —on the social class disparities, imbalance of power, toxic relationships and misogyny to name but a few. Her skill in weaving (and highlighting) these very real and highly relevant issues that she ultimately critiques to perfection, is something I wish more authors would do.
Overall, this is a gorgeously imagined, sapphic feast of novel with a delicious and decadently wrought prose that fans of vampires or gothic horror fiction will most certainly enjoy sinking their teeth into.
A huge thank you to Transworld for the incredible ARC.
Rating: 4 Stars
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