For me, this book felt like a cousin to The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House. The main character is haunted by her own past and flees to whay seems to be a safe marriage in an idyllic town. Obviously, she is wrong on both counts. I enjoyed this story and its moral ambiguities so much. It's a wonderful read.

Advanced Reader's Copy audiobook provided by NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Lute was gripping, intoxicating, unsettling, and an amazing addition to the genre. The residents of the small cursed, some might even argue blessed, island of Lute enjoy seven years of peace & prosperity until "the Day." The cost for this peace is the lives of seven chosen at random by the Island. After
seven years, Lady Nina Treadway is still an outsider to the Island. One who thought all talk of "the Day" was just local superstitions, until it is her turn to experience it.

Fans of the movie Midsommar will enjoy this outsiders perspective a long standing tradition, love, duty and community. The narrator, Victoria Blunt added to the eerie and atmospheric tone of the novel!

The island of Lute, off the coast of Britain, is idyllic. The weather is better than is typical for the region, the people live comfortably without want, even the war threatening the rest of the world seems to pass over lute. But there is a price to be paid for these blessings. Every seventh year on the summer solstice, or The Day as it is known on Lute, the island takes it's tithe, seven lives. Nina, American by birth, has lived on the island for almost seven years after marrying Lord Treadway. She doesn't believe in the local superstitions, but now, as Lady of Lute, she is about the live through her first tithe.
Jennifer Thorne has written a marvelous addition to the folk horror genre, with echoes of The Wicker Man and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. She has also written a beautiful examination of grief and community. The narrator of the audiobook version captures the feel of Lute perfectly. I highly recommend this to any fans of folk horror.

Definitely not my Genre’. I don’t know why I chose this book the mistake on my part. Doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book it isn’t. It’s just not for me. It’s definitely an acquired taste. Thank you Netgalley for providing the advanced copy to me

I had a hard time rating this book. The book was a quick listen but the summary unfortunately gave away too much of the story which made it feel like I was just waiting to get to the expected reveal. That being said, I did enjoy the narrator and the story kept me invested enough to finish it. Despite its short length, it felt like a slow burn overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this audiobook ARC.

Really enjoyed this eerie folk horror novel! Lute brought a lot of awesome things to the table with this story-an eerily atmospheric setting, creepy folklore surrounding an entire island, a drawn out sense of dread, and some gore throughout. The audiobook narrator really brought this story to life and I felt like she truly was the main character Nina.

If you enjoy slower burn folk horror stories with modern elements, I recommend picking this one up when it publishes October 4th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my review copy!

Audiobook Review

Lute by Jenn Marie Thorne
Pub date: October 4, 2022
Narrated by: Victoria Blunt
Duration: 9H 27M

Nina Treadway lives with her husband, Lord Treadway, and their two children on the island of Lute. It is a blessed island and all who live there are hale and hearty, living a good life despite the war and any other ills that affect others. This comes at a hefty price though. Every seven years there is a tithe to pay. Nina, an outsider and only on the island for a few years, doesn’t believe this and finds the islanders superstitions quaint and a bit ridiculous but still ….

On The Day as some people are leaving Lute to escape the tithe, she feels something in the air. When the boat she and her family are to take off the island breaks down, they’re left to the mercy of the tithe and Nina will soon learn that there are things in the world that are unexplainable. And deadly.

Holy smokes! I couldn’t get enough of this story and the gritty savagery of the island! On one hand, it is a terrifying story of death and destruction. On the other, it is of resilience and community. The build up of the character arcs as the story progresses makes this story shine and gave it a depth I wasn’t expecting to find in folk horror. I was fully invested. All. The. Way. Through.!

Narration: Victoria Blunt! Well done and Bravo! I cannot imagine a better voice to tell this story!
My thanks to @MacMillan.Audio for this gifted ALC!

This is legitimately one of the scariest books I've ever read. I spend the whole time waiting for another twist or bump in the night as it goes. The narration from the outsider becoming ingratiated into the small society was very well done. This is a fascinating story in the tradition of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery with the spookiness of The Turn of the Screw. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to imagine a small village untouched by other conflict as well as wonder what is really going on in Lute.

This is a difficult one to review. The story had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat with its predictableness and lack of fresh content. This is most definitely not horror, more of a slow to medium paced thriller with an occasionally slightly graphic scene. I was hoping this was going to be folk/cult horror like Midsommar but you don’t really get much folk at all, more just a small tight knit odd community where every 7 years 7 people die to maintain the protection placed on the isle. If I could compare it to anything it would be a slow paced Final Destination. There’s a lot going on at the beginning (too much), and so many of these things aren’t really explained, such as the “war” or Nina’s relationship with her mother. My overall dislike of the book was added to by a morally bankrupt decision the main character makes that really was unnecessary and didn’t add much to the book. The plot was extremely predictable and the book ended exactly as I thought it would.

The narrator did a great job, however I did want to note that it is a British author doing an American accent for 80% of the narration. The vast majority of her speech is unaccented American but the little 10% of British accented slips that came out were slightly distracting to me. Overall she did a great job with the story she was given and it was nice to hear very well done British accents for the British characters.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I really enjoyed this one, from the characters to the soft horror of what was happening to the people of Lute. The writing was very vivid and I could really picture everything that was going on. The narrator was amazing as well.

MC was annoying and whiny. Still don't understand why her mom kept being brought up but never explained. The romance with her and Matt was so unnecessary. The atmosphere and setting was great. Had so much potential. If it was from the POV of literally any other character, I would have enjoyed it. Also didn't understand the setting time, like why was it a future or parallel timeline thing, again with no explanation. And things would be referenced, I don't know. Again decent book in theory, wouldn't recommend it as is

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Excellent narration by Victoria Blunt.

Interesting audio book. Nina, from Florida, meets and married British Lord Treadway seven years ago on a cruise ship before war breaks out between the USA and Europe. They marry and have two kids and live on the small island of Lute. According to tradition, every seven years, seven people on the island die. The rest of the time, the locals live an idyllic life. Nina doesn’t believe the local lore.

Very interesting the book takes place in the near future but has a quaint timeless quality as electronics dont work during The Day. Great community building. Guess this would be categorized as folk horror and I can see the Final Destination reference. Enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

I enjoyed the slow burn of this, though I do agree that the publishers pitching this as part (specific movie I won't mention due to what I'm saying) did spoil some of the intrigue and buildup to what was happening. I still was able to enjoy it, but mostly for the plot and execution of it as such, and less due to the characters. I really didn’t like the main character, Nina, especially at the beginning when she was judging the other people on the island for believing in “The Day”--even if you didn’t believe in something like that, to make fun of people and judge them for their past trauma isn’t a quality I admire in a MC, and she really didn’t get much better. I appreciated how she changed in light of the day’s events and how she was more of herself, for better or worse. What I really enjoyed were the reflections on what we do as humans when we confront death, and how we are truer versions of ourselves, even if more deeply flawed. I feel like those aspects of the book, and the plot itself, really made the book shine, and made it enjoyable despite the MC being unlikeable.

If you were promised seven years of happiness, plenitude, and prosperity for one day of horror, death, and grief, would you make the exchange?

The people of Lute would.

In this folk horror, we are introduced to the Lute islanders as they approach The Day. For every seven years of splendor, they must pay the tithe - seven lives end brutally, unpredictably - sacrificed to the island. Lute chooses who it will take.

Nina is new to The Day, having moved from America to marry an islander. She believes the story of the tithe to be folklore told to keep children well-behaved. But as The Day begins, Nina will learn just how steep the price of Lute’s goodness really is.

With lush prose, thought-provoking content, and a remarkable premise, I found it very difficult to hit pause on this novel. Thorne’s meticulously built atmosphere was easy to get lost in, even before the real horror began, and while I was frustrated with Nina’s adamant disbelief, that did not affect my opinion of the story. I found myself gasping out loud more than once, but I was also plagued with worry, fury, and sadness throughout the book. This is a well-crafted tale that fits everything I long for in horror. And it was hard to catch my breath after that dizzying conclusion!

Since I listened to the audiobook, I must also sing the narrator’s praise. She captured Lute’s tone immaculately. I almost believed she was Nina delivering her tragic tale!

If you enjoy unsettling and emotional stories, I highly recommend adding this exquisite novel to your list! It comes out on October 4, 2022, just in time for the season of creepy reads!

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

As soon as I saw the comp to Final Destination, one of my all-time favorite horror franchises, I knew I had to read Jennifer Thorne's Lute - & ya'll, this lived up to that comp in every way!

I have to start by saying the audiobook was absolutely fantastic - Victoria Blunt, you did that, one of my favorite audiobook performances ever, a truly cinematic listening experience from start to finish! As with most horror, I'd highly suggest going into this as blindly as possible, so I'll keep all of the details relatively general. The way Thorne built suspense was so well done, I loved the way this book was structured - a few days leading up to "the day", & then the actual day itself, split up into different hours throughout the day. I was on the edge of my seat so many times, & the last 20% had me audibly gasping & yelling in my car - I'll reiterate, this completely lives up to its Final Destination comp through & through. Nina was the perfect protagonist to follow with a story like this, I was fascinated with her journey & personal progression as "the day" went on, & I think the way everything ultimately played out, especially with her character, strikes up a lot of interesting philosophical discussions. This was such a great blend of horror, fantasy, & hints of a domestic thriller (& some slight romance/steam), & it ultimately had a lot to say, particularly about community & duty.

I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this & giving the audiobook a listen, this is the perfect spooky season read/listen! & thank you so much Jennifer Thorne, NetGalley, & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!

I can best describe this as Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" mixed with Final Destination.

Nina married Hugh and moved to the island of Lute where he is from. They have lived an idyllic life for the past 7 years as the island is protected from the current war and is rumored to be blessed in many ways. Although Nina had heard the lore of the tithing that happens on the summer solstice ever 7 years, she does not believe in such superstition. But on "The Day" she finds more truth than she expected about the island, herself, her husband and her community. Will she survive "The Day" and if so will she be the same person after.

Overall I enjoyed the story but it was an average read. It was not overly suspenseful or horrifying, only mildly mysterious at best. Not bad but felt like it could have been more.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

Ooo this was one of my favorites of this year! The premise was so interesting and surprising. This was a perfect mix of haunting horror and atmospheric fantasy. Plus the audio quality of macmillan.audio is always an A+ so it was a treat to listen to! ♡︎ Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this audiobook arc in exchange of my honest review!

When Nina becomes Lady Treadway on the isle of Lute she hears about the day of the solstice and all the people grimus went talking about the seven sacrifices. She thinks it’s just superstition and people really don’t die on that day. When her husband plans it a trip to Surrey For that day in the ship won’t start nor can he get the technology on the island to work long enough to get another ride out he is worried and not acting himself. Even her closest friend Joe the tea shop owner acts as if doom is coming and Nina doesn’t know what to think. She will not only learn the truth about the holiday but she will also learn about herself. This was a great book it was original and although it is mainly Ninas inner dialogue which is a big pet peeve of mine I found it interesting and didn’t want to press pause. I thought the narrator did a great job and throughout most of the book I thought she did the English accents in Scottish accents superbly, but the more I listen the more I realized it was the American accent she was doing great. Either way she was awesome the book was awesome it was mysterious and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind to dictate my review. All opinions are definitely my own though .

I really wanted to love this book, but there were just things that kept it out of that category for me. I was hoping for some building tension, but for me it just seemed to stay pretty flat the whole time except for the very, very end. Plus, I never got the feel if the whole "7 years, 7 deaths" thing was just superstition/folklore or an actual supernatural creature/force having an effect on everybody. It almost seemed to waver between the two possibilities. And the war that was going on seemed to be contrived just to have some plot details explained. It seemed to pop us just as they needed a reason to explain something, which I think the author could've done in different ways. I was waiting for the war to have some kind of effect on the whole story, but it just seemed to be here for convenience.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Lute was a wild, enjoyable, and suspenseful ride from the very first page to the very last.

On the island of Lute, "the day" comes every seven years, and before "the days" is through, the island will have it's seven souls. Nina, relatively new resident and lady of this island, is skeptical of this lore, but she won't be for long ...

I had such a fun time reading this book. The island atmosphere was so idyllic and isolated and well-described that I felt like if I opened my front door, i would be staring off into the distance over craggy cliffs and shores just like the residents here. The author did a great job of building an immediate connection with the main character and her children and neighbors, so much so that when the death toll begins, as it inevitably will, it is hard not to be affected. I can't say that I loved every one of the main character's choices or that I agreed with her rationale or the ending, but I can say that reading this book was such a fun time!

One side note for the audiobook - I think the narrator did a fantastic job, but it was a bit distracting at times the way she pronounced certain words. The main character is meant to be from Florida, but she says things with a strangely out-of-place European lilt at times.

Emma becomes Emmer
Idea becomes idear
Strength becomes strennth
FRUStrating becomes frusTRATing

It wasn't a big deal but it did take me out of a story a few times as I tried to parse out if the audiobook narrator was taking on an American accent, or an American taking on so many other accents. Impressive regardless!