I absolutely love Catriona Ward and her books never disappoint me! Little Eve was no exception! This was the perfect mix of suspense and spooky.

This creepy and creeping gothic story will surely chill you to the bone as if you were standing at the edge of a Scottish cliff staring out to the sea on a winter’s day debating if jumping to your death is a better choice than anything your life had to offer. While slow almost to a fault and at times difficult to follow since the narrator is plagued with hunger, trauma, and hallucinations, this is a great intro to Ward’s writing and her ability to create some extremely messed-up situations you just can’t look away from.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catriona Ward, and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved the creepy and mysterious atmosphere! This book kept me turning the pages, I had to know how it ended.

There's one thing to be said about this author's writing, it is very gothic, atmospheric, and mysterious. It definitely gives you those creepy feels. This is my third book by this author and I have enjoyed all on different levels.

Little Eve would be a perfect book for the Spooktober season, as it's very dark and tense in some spots. Despite figuring out early on what was happening, I really love the way the author unravels the mystery surrounding this "family", where they live, and tragedy that befalls them.

Although, a slow read, it's an immersive one and overall enjoyable. Definitely add this one to your TBR. I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to read this book as it will be my first book by this author. I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and how creepy/haunting it was. Unfortunately, this book is not for me since I wasn't able to finish it. I was confused and just couldn't get into the book.



Pub, Date: Out now

***Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this gifted reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

Altnaharra is an isle off the village of Loyal. A piece of land that boasts little beyond isolation and a crumbling castle. The castle’s one entrance is a gated path that becomes inaccessible when the tide rolls in. This is home to a tribe of castaways. They are a small collection of children and caretakers who reside beneath the shadow of a man who they all refer to as Uncle. Uncle has convinced them all that said village is a breeding ground for war, murder, rape and a trove of undesirables. They consider it a miracle any time they return home from Loyal, where the children go to school. Uncle uses this faith-based allegation to pit the children against the community of Loyal at large, and ultimately each other. Because, only one of them will be chosen to don the meteoric powers issued by The Adder when he sees how true they’ve been to his inspired doctrine. It is within this contained society that Evelyn nicknames Eve, Dinah and Elizabeth have been reared by Nora and Alice, all beneath the glaring eyes of Uncle. Raised from babyhood due to alleged circumstances dictated by their elders, each has theirmind and body occupied with fulfilling Uncle’s wishes and therein “The Adder’s,” wishes. In 1921, Little Eve commits a mass murder so awful that 25 years later the residents of Loyal still talk about it. The only person who has any interest in freeing these children from their onslaught of existence is Lieutenant Christopher Black, a Loyal detective who has his own theories of this cult, and shoulders abuse from everyone on board in his efforts to decipher and expose the mysteries surrounding the castle of Altnaharra. Will he be able to?

Ward has written characters who are gripped by needs and misery. The characters have dimension and depth. It actually made me see them in my mind’s eye. The novel moves back and forth in time between two characters. It’s a mystery with trauma and loss. This Gothic novel has satisfying revaluations . It is a rewarding book to read. Horror fans won’t want to miss this!

I want to begin by saying that Ward's style of writing is beautiful. It digs into the art of words and holds your mind in the pages. I found the concept of this book very intriguing. I liked how eerie it was and the mystery of it. As I delved deeper into it, I began to feel the length of the story, and therefore my attention wasn't held as much as I'd hoped it would be going into it. I don't think this is a reflection of the book, but merely my preference. I liked that it was different, very poetic. I think my mind just needed it to be a bit more solid. I was unable to finish this book due to the earlier mentioned things, but a rating is required on here. I don't think a book that was unfinished warrants a bad review as books are like clothes and some fit better than others. I encourage everyone to give this book a chance. It definitely will not be the last Catriona Ward book I read, as her writing captured me greatly.

I really enjoyed this book about a "family" that lives in isolation from the rest of the town. Their leader is almost cultish and I kept wishing that the family members would just leave. However they were too invested in this life. I enjoyed the Gothic eeriness and the characters. The plot kept me guessing until the end.

LITTLE EVE by Catriona Ward
Published: 10/11/2022 by Tor Nighfire ( Macmillan-Tor / Forge)
271 pages


This literary horror masterpiece is actually Ward’s third and breakout novel … originally published in UK in 1918 to high acclaim and subsequently the Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, as well as the August Derleth Prize given by the British Fantasy Association. This publication finally arrives at the shores of North American in 2022. This atmospheric gothic thriller centers itself in a crumbling castle located on an isolated isle off the coast of Scotland, called Altnaharra, cut off from the local village of Loyal by a ponderous iron gate .. located on a causeway, only accessible at low tide. Inside the isolated isle lives a family … rather a clan … actually more like a “cult.” The patriarch is known by the residents as Uncle John… who rules with an abusive and overbearing hand…. frequently meting out both physical and mental punishments. He is accompanied by two other female adults … Alice Seddington and Nora Marr. Together they have raised four orphaned and unwanted children …. Dinah, Evelyn ( also referred to as “Little Eve” ), Abel and Elizabeth, Lately the “family” has little to do with the outside world. They communicate by leaving messages on the gate.
The tale opens in 1921 with the butcher, Jamie MacRaith, responding to a message left on the gate requesting a side of beef. As he approaches the gate he notes the gate is slightly askew and not padlocked closed. He takes this as a request to personally deliver the heavy slab of meat to the kitchen. Unfortunately he’s met with a gruesome scene of carnage. He discovers five bodies laid out on a stone altar .. all with their right eye gouged out. All are still and most likely dead. He notes the presence of Nora, Elizabeth, John , Sarah and when he turns his attention to the last body …. Dinah …. she starts to move with obvious pain. She tells Jamie that her “sister” Eve is responsible for the massacre.
The story alternates between the past and present …. extending between 1917 to 1945. We are exposed to the backstory through the eyes of Eve as we jump back to 1917 and learn of the brainwashing and everyday life, torture and indoctrination at Altnaharra. “Uncle” has everyone preparing for the coming of the Adder and end of the world. His teachings and methods are supposedly to train and prepare all for the inevitable rebirth of the world with the strongest ascending to the position of power. The rituals, ceremonies are bizarre and caustic.
As Dinah slowly recovers she provides an alternative version of events leading up to the massacre at odds with those of Eve. Who is the reliable narrator remains in question … as things do not add up. Chief Inspector Christopher Black is sent to the scene to sieve through the events …. all of which adds further mystery and tension to the narrative.
Catriona Ward proves to be a masterful storyteller as she peels the layers off the multi-prong mystery as tension, dread , and horror escalate to a twisty tale with a shocking denouement. Themes of family, love, abuse, violence, loss, and even healing are all touched upon while unravelling the events at Altnaharra. Finally North American readers will enjoy and devour this amazing gruesome gothic mystery thriller. The reader should be prepared to have extreme emotional changes … vacillating between heartbreak, sadness, disgust, and occasional bouts of happiness. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warning: forced starvation, forced drug use, murder, miscarriage, insinuated rape of minors, body mutilation.

Told in dual perspectives, this novel follows the Children of Altnaharra and their Uncle. Readers are pulled into this cult as we learn how it ended. At the center is Eve, a girl who believes she has The Eye and will take over from her Uncle.

This is a disturbing novel. And at the heart of it is how the entire cult of Altnaharra died. With every new piece of information, I was horrified by the tragedies inflicted upon Eve and the other children. Adding to that is the way Eve thought. She believe herself to be able to see into people's minds with the help of the benison- a mysterious side effect of the honey they eat.

Once I got used to the way Eve spoke, this story was much easier to read. It is filled with euphemisms that show readers how naive she really is. What caused this to be so horrifying was how realistic the cult was. This novel feels as though it is a story heard in hushed tones, that it is told to children as a warning.

The ending was not what I expected, but made perfect sense. It's very bittersweet.

THE QUEEN OF HORROR. I hadn't realized this was already published before, but oh boy am I glad I got the chance to read it now. Ward has a talent for the spooky and gothic and this shows that off PERFECTLY. Add in some cultish behavior and I am even more convinced it's the book for me.

And it was! Woohoo!

"Little Eve" was an absolutely fascinating read. Catriona Ward transports readers to turn-of-the-century Scotland. She builds up the wilds of Altnaharra, she ratchets up the distrust between its residents and the villagers of Loyal, and she dials up the mystery and the anticipation surrounding the events of Hogmanay 1917. The multiple points of view utilized by the author only serve to draw the reader in further as they race through the pages to unravel the secrets of the Adder, the cult, and the victims of the murders on the island.

“What has happened here? A terrible thing.”

Ward begins the story with a bang as butcher Jaime McRaith approaches the ruins of Altnaharra where Eve, Dinah, Nora, and Abel live with "Uncle" the leader of their clan who has prophesied the end of days and a unique and powerful role for their family when they return to the sea in order to live forever. Jaime finds all the castle's inhabitants have been brutally murdered and ritualistically displayed, save for one sole survivor who weaves a tale of torture, dispairs, and imprisonment within the walls of the castle. Readers dive back and forth between the past and the near future to piece together what really led to the desperate acts that took place on Altnaharra that day. They will be shocked by the twists and mysteries revealed along with way, they will be left quaking in their boots as they read the descriptions of the acts carried out by the Adder, and they will be left aching for the lives that were so cruelly cut short by the actions of all those involved.

A must-read for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Megan Shepherd, "Little Eve" will linger with readers long after they've finished the last page. Special thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian-Tor/Forge for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Little Eve" in exchange for an unbiased review!

Cults, unreliable narrators, mysteries, and bleak seaside locations.....these are a few a of my favourite things! I can't say I was hooked from the beginning because I was a bit confused by the perspective shifts in the first chapters, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down.

This new release from Catriona Ward is another great gothic family novel that revolves around a miniature cult and just how far each of us will go for power.

Catriona Ward is a fantastic horror writer and though Little Eve was not my favorite of her works I do think that it is still a solid read. First, I really enjoyed Ward’s descriptions of the cult, being in the perspective of Eve you could understand her undying loyalty to her cause and her motivations. I also found the early 1900’s time period to be intriguing however with the time jumps it did create another layer of confusion with more information to keep track of along with the multiple perspectives and character names.
For most of the story I was pretty invested despite my confusion and its slower pace, but don’t let its low page count deceive you, this book does not read like it’s less than 300 pages.
Overall, I would recommend Little Eve if you enjoy
* complex gothic horror stories
* cult stories
* mystery
* unreliable narrators
But, if you also enjoy all the themes listed above (minus the gothic setting) Catriona Ward’s latest release Sundial is a must read

Ward has grown famous in the horror world for twists and turns that leave your head spinning and this story was no different. I find myself wanting to be immersed in the island once more.

Thank you, @netgalley, @tornightfire for the eARC in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts:
This is my first read from Catriona Ward. I had high hopes for this book and it was not what I was expecting. It took perseverance to finish this book. I mean the premise was great but it just dragged. It finally got interesting after reading 70% already.

It had a great start. There’s two POVs but there are times I couldn’t tell who’s POV am I reading. It does open your eye about cults. How people specifically the children are victimized and manipulated.

The twist was uniquely impressive and how it all came together in the end. It is dark and depressing. It is also about finding hope and family. I do admire the main female character for her survival skills.

A mark of a great story is when you realize what the twists are and it feels like a preemptive reward - where the story, in fact, becomes more interesting because of it. Little Eve was one of those books for me, where when I realized what was happening I put my nose to the ground and collected evidence. I've been enjoying Catriona Ward's gothic-tinged unorthodox-family stories quite a bit lately - tis the season - and this one did not disappoint. The bond between sisters and quasi-parental figures, the near-insurmountable cult programming, and the ways that what was everyday to the narrators easily horrified the reader all stuck with me throughout my read. Fantastic images, coherent plot, and another instance of a Ward book that's about one thing on the outset and surviving and recovery at the core.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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This was my first foray into Ward's work, and it was a gut punch - in a good way. It was so brutal and gut wrenching, with enough of a dash of mystery to keep things from feeling gratuitous. The writing is beautifully crafted, and the story structure is intriguing. The gothic tradition is strong with this one, and I would suggest it for fans of Shirley Jackson who are looking for something with a bit more bite and blood.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to start by saying I did not like this book and it felt like work making myself finish it. I wanted to like it so much. But the story couldn't keep my attention and I didn't like the characters