This is probably the weirdest book I have ever read. Sister, Maiden, Monster is chilling, thought-provoking, and often downright gross. This is not a book for the squeamish. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing style alone drew me in from the first page; Snyder is obviously very talented. I really liked the way the book was divided up into three different characters and the way that even the side characters became relevant in each woman's story at some point. This is a really dark book and I would definitely check content warnings.

This is 3 stars for me simply because I have discovered this is not my brand of horror. This went a little too extreme for me. I do enjoy horror and I really like gore but I’ve finally found something that was just Too Much. I will remember and think about the scene where Erin and Betty eat each other for the rest of my life and that’s not a good thing.

This is not a bad book by any means, it is actually very well done and interesting. The way the virus is explained, the pandemic unfolds, was what really drew me in and made me want to continue.

I was expecting this to be a zombie book and it took a sudden turn into eldritch beings and gods taking over the world… and a lot of stuff about cephalopods? There may have been aliens and things from outer space, that got jumbled in a little bit.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more mind boggling book. I’ve also never read a more disgustingly graphically detailed book. There were some things I wish I’d never read and I genuinely wonder how they were even thought of. A+ for creativity, I don’t knock that at all. I didn’t hate the book. I hated how some parts made me feel. Which happens in a lot of books and that’s okay.

I applaud the author for the stellar world building and really being able to suck me in even when I didn’t fully understand everything that was going on. Super well done, and the sci-fi tone of this whole book was fascinating.

That being said I would say approach this one with caution and really think about whether or not you want images burned into the back of your eyeballs for all eternity after reading it. I recommend it for those that are extreme horror enthusiasts and people who really enjoy upsetting books.

I’m not normally a horror fan but the description of this book drew me in. Probably one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read…but I liked it? I just wish the ending had been a bit more developed / longer. Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder is about a terrible virus that sweeps thru the world and how three women handle it. This was a wild ride and I loved the three different storylines and perspectives.

***3 stars***

Overall,
To be honest I am not quite sure what I just read. It was wild. Did I enjoy it? I think so?
Things I liked: I liked the progression of the Narrators as we learned more about the Virus. I liked the weirdness of it all, I admit I have not read a ton of Horror in this specific genre, but I am interested in seeking more out now because this did intrigue a weird part of my brain.
Things I did not like: This may just be me, but I am not ready to read about references to the Coronavirus. I think that this book would have been absolutely fine with out mentioning it at all. Every time I read it, it took me out of the story. I think it is still way to close to home for some of us.

Cover,
This cover/title was honestly what drew me in to request this book here on Netgalley. I honestly think its super weird and intriguing.

Recommendation
This book is definitely not for everyone, Please check trigger warnings. It is a fast paced Science Fiction Horror based on virus. It is relatively short at less than 300 pages and is a pretty quick read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy this genre. 18+ for sure!

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, Tor Nightfire, in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early #SisterMaidenMonster #NetGalley ***

I don’t quite know how to describe this. It was like the author had 56 different ideas and decided to start them all in this book. There were so many ties, and rants, and heavy handed social commentary- but nothing to unify it or create a coherent plot. It missed the mark for me, though I did think it was interesting, it really fumbled the execution.

This book was wild start to finish and I loved every second. I didn’t really go in expecting BDSM but it was a welcome surprise and really added to the story

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Note: Blog post goes live on Feb 14th before book launch. Book was/is highlighted in my Story Highlights on Instagram.

**Plot:** All over the place
**Characters:** Women who all end up feeling very similar
**Setting**: Not important in the least
**Magic**: I mean, it's a eldritch horror apocalypse but as far as 'magic' goes it's vague and predictable in style.

**CW**s: Pretty much all of them - just be okay with that going in.

**Thoughts**:

Sister, Maiden, Monster is an apocalypse story told from three points of view - the three views changing between the three title Roles in different ways. Sister, maiden, and monster. Each woman gives us the next step in the apocalypse as it is brought about by a virus that spreads and transforms those it infects. This virus evolves the women, preparing them for each of their roles to the ultimate doom of the earth. Fantastic idea right?

The structure on this is fantastic. I loved how it was setup, I loved the pace of the book. The division between character viewpoints was well place and handled for me. This book, for the most part was paced fantastically. I gobbled it up over the course of a day and barely noticed the time I spent in it in fact. This was added by the atmosphere which felt appropriately heavy and dark. It was grim and tense but not in a strangling fashion that these stories often have. Some of the moments and ideas here were pure gold, and I loved those.

Rather unfortunately though those were few and far between. For the most part the characters felt a bit flat, only taking on their distinct shapes when outside the view point. Everyone's internal monologue felt very similar (as each view is first person). Added to this very same-ness of view point was the heavy handedness of the themes and messages here. While I definitely agree with so much the author was saying, there comes a point at which even I have to say 'calm down'. I can enjoy ice cream but when you shovel it at me non-stop I'm gonna not want to eat it. What should have been nuanced moments, things that the reader should have sat back and said 'wow' were instead big paragraphs of teaching moments as the character tells you *exactly* why what she did was impactful and why we should feel uncomfortable.

There were a couple of lines and moments referencing childbirth and birth control that from personal experience I know are very incorrect. This made those moments feel very off and honestly off-putting, and threw me out of the story. With the complete unraveling of the story by the end, and the reliance on the very predictable 'octopus/eldritch horror' path I didn't really enjoy my time with this one. Some readers are definitely going to get the bang for their buck but I definitely do not think this is for everyone. 2 disgruntled tentacles out of 5

As a note - there was a particular character, Gregory, that I felt was handled badly. I am still organizing my thoughts on that. But as someone who does relate to what Gregory seemed to be dealing with I feel… not upset but disappointed by their use in the story? It just felt like they were used as a checkbox and then disposed off. The longer it sits with me the more uncomfortable I am.

Wow, this was one creature horror book that messed me up. I wasn't expecting that ending... WOW OH WOW. Pick this up NOW.

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder is hands down a new favorite of mine!

The story and world building were dark, gritty and flowed nicely; the action was intense and the magic was rich. I was completely riveted to each page from start to finish.
This book is incredibly creative, action packed, and relentlessly paced the whole way through.
The world Lucy has created is an interesting one.
Our three characters Erin, Savannah and Mareva are truly engaging, fun and interesting.
I enjoyed this author's writing style. I thought she did a beautiful job at keeping this story flowing and holding my attention.

A remarkable story set after the planet has a disastrous virus tear across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.
Told by Erin, Savannah and Mareva who are trying to survive this new hell!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tor Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My actual rating of this book is 3.5 stars. It is definitely a weird and creepy book and while I did enjoy it, it was just lacking in a few areas for me. I think I would've liked for it to be a bit longer? With more time spent depicting the transformation of society at large rather than the narrow focus on the three main characters. Or maybe I just wanted the transformations to be more drawn out or something. Either way, it needed something just a little MORE.