Title: Starling House
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor UK
Pages: 320
Release Date: 31 October 2023
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Hello fellow booklovers! It's been a while but I'm back and sharing my review of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. A deliciously uncanny, contemporary gothic fantasy exploring family legacies, curses, found family and oppression that ensnared me from the very first page.
Synopsis
Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.
Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she’s never had: a home. Yet Opal isn’t the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it.
Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past to achieve a better future. She’ll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light.
Review
My gothic fantasy loving heart absolutely devoured this!
As a huge fan of Alix E. Harrow’s previous books (The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches) it should come as no surprise that I absolutely loved this. And, with its vividly atmospheric descriptions and nuanced portrayal of our two guarded, self destructive (but ultimately endearing) protagonists, I can safely say Harrow has definitely outdone herself.
I loved that (much like her previous works), Harrow’s skillful storytelling is central to the book’s narrative, drawing upon a whimsically dark tone that I found delightfully reminiscent of Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton—if they teamed up to create a gritty, contemporary (HBO-esque) adaptation of a Grimm’s Fairytale.
Like I said previously the writing is beautifully atmospheric and eerie in the best way, with an immersive on detailed setting that I couldn’t get enough of. Especially the sentience of Starling House (which pretty much became a character in its own right) and it’s cosy gothic, Casita (from Encanto) meets Haunting of Hill House vibes that had me glued to my seat.
If you love your protagonists well written and emotionally complex, then our dual POV characters (Opal and Arthur) will definitely steal your heart. Both fairly prickly and emotionally guarded—Opal in trying to survive (and raise her brother single-handedly) in a town that has all but abandoned them, And Arthur, from the pain of losing his parents to Starling House’s Warden duties (a mantle he never wanted but took up nonetheless.)
I loved watching them slowly grow closer and learn to share their stories (and burdens) with one another, as they unravel the secrets of Starling House and its elusive first owner.
The relationship that blooms is rather slow burn as is the books pace (so do be aware of that’s not your thing) but the emotions we explore and the character development that ultimately results from it was absolutely phenomenal. By the end you’ll be screaming in support of these two and willing them to survive.
Overall, an immersive and deliciously dark treat of a read that cosy, gothic fiction lovers and fans of Melissa Albert or Leigh Bardugo should definitely consider checking out. Though I do advise checking TWs beforehand.
Also, thanks to Tor UK and Black Crow PR for this incredible finished copy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I'm also on the blog tour for this, so if you want to check out my stop of on Instagram you can find the link here