In a gothic novel centered around home, dreams, and revenge schemes, Starling House is more than just the crumbling mansion hidden in the woods of Eden, Kentucky. It also haunts the dreams of people without a home; in this case, those of an orphaned young woman doing her best to keep her brother safe, no matter how many illegal acts it takes. With the House haunting her dreams, she ends up in a housekeeper role for Arthur Starling, the strange lonely heir of the home.

I was drawn into the story immediately. Harrow's prose is evocative and Opal's voice is immediately clear to the reader. This book is a perfect spooky season read that kept me on edge waiting to see how the story would shake out.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.

If you’re looking for a spooky read for the upcoming spoopy season, but have a low tolerance for horror or anything that will actually scare you or keep you up at night, STARLING HOUSE is just the thing. Because it’s all mystery, it’s all eerie vibes, but never actually chilling or fully ominous. And yet I loved it anyway. Maybe it was the house? Maybe it was Opal’s jagged edges. Or Arthur’s reticence and loneliness. No, it was all of that.

So, like, I definitely forgot most of the synopsis — if I had even ever read it in full to begin with which is very much a thing I do (or rather, don’t do) — so I was a little surprised how this was actually playing out. But that made it all the more fun to experience.

This has stories within stories, myths surrounded by rumour, uncertainty and magic, monsters both human-shaped and otherwise. It had gorgeous family dynamics, both through blood and otherwise. It had Starling House (yes, worth the capitals) itself. It features a town with a history of skeletons in its closet (does this work? go with it) as well as present day tragedies — from the greed of men, from ignorance, from neglect — too. And so much more. This was romantic and sad and sweet and devastating and hopeful. It features the kind of characters who are underdogs, misfits, overlooked and trampled on, but who are more than the prickly protective layers they show to the outside world.

This was the first book to fully take me out of my head, to make me forget my phone, and lose track of time in.. I don’t even know how long. And though the ending is what is keeping this from a higher rating, I’m not really all that mad about how it wrapped. I maybe just wanted a little more. And maybe I wish I had been a little scared, too.

All that to say, STARLING HOUSE is absolutely a book I will come back to and I hope you give it a chance, too.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

I have no words. Alix Harrow knock it out of the park again. I am speechless and shall be processing this book for days. Everything about this book was amazing from the characters to the writing to the plot. The magic and the mystery woven together tell an amazing tale.

I couldn’t help but fall for this cleverly written, cozy horror-type novel that had chills running down my spine in one chapter and chuckling at the main characters and their complex relationships in the next. (And it made me 100% want to read all of Harrow’s books and add her as an auto-buy author! I absolutely adore her incredible writing and storytelling!)

In the small, isolated town of Eden, a large mansion overridden with forestry and sinister tales cautions outsiders from stepping past the gates of the infamous Starling House. No one goes in and no one comes out except for the mysterious family looking after the lands. When one lost girl crosses the threshold, dark horrors, buried secrets, and haunting tales from the past arise from within the walls of Starling House.

Part gothic horror tale, part contemporary coming-of-age story, and part investigative mystery, this book was everything I loved and didn’t know I needed in a story! I was wholly absorbed by it and the alluring enigma of Starling House.

I enjoyed how Harrow balanced the more spooky and unsettling aspects with light comedy and lovable characters. From the adorable, heartfelt sibling relationship to the memorizing, angsty love story (that grumpy and sunshine aspect!) to the sweet moments of friendship and self-discovery, I found this story quite endearing. It added to the overall feeling of cozying up on a dark fall night, reading a festive, spooky book, and falling into the story without it being too scary.

The symbolism of fables, fairytales, and folklore was also an aspect I loved! Harrow tied it in so well to the story, and I was completely enamored by its mystery.

I can’t help but gush about this book and how PERFECT it is for spooky season!

4.5/5

*Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A truly excellent read and the October release date for spooky season is so perfect. The magic system was unique and really well thought out and made a lot of sense to the reader. The characters were complex and likable and drew you into their world, life and problems very easily. The pacing was solid. Really is the perfect formula for a great read, which is exactly what this was. It was a great level of spooky for fantasy, especially as I am not a horror girl. Truly a nice, slightly dark gothic fall read. I personally really liked that it was heavier on the cozy and fantasy vibes than it was gothic and horror, but I know others didn't feel the same way.

This was fun the entire time and I truly had a great time. One of those books you can't book down and enjoy every minute of it.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

THIS is your spooky fall read!!! The perfect mix of Southern Gothic, horror, and romance, I loved every second of Starling House.

It is the story of a haunted house with a family of guardians that have guarded it and the land it's on for years. The small town where the house sits has all types of stories about the family that has lived there - none of them good. A chance encounter with the last heir of this mysterious family results in a job offer that our main character, Opal, cannot refuse and a series of events that leave her wondering if maybe she can forge a home for herself inside this eerie house.

This book is part Gallant, part The Inheritance Games, part Wolfwood, and a dash of Beauty and the Beast...maybe????? I mean, come on, Arthur is basically beast, right?!?!?!

Read this book if you like:
- spooky not scary
- family secrets
- sentient houses
- characters you want to root for

Starling House will be released October 3rd and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Welcome to Eden, Kentucky-a small, haunted town that is just bad luck. The town is only known for one thing: the legend of E. Starling. E. Starling was a reclusive author who disappeared in the 19th century and who was famous for writing as well as illustrating "The Underland." However, right before E. Sterling disappeared, the Starling House appeared which now lays in rot thanks to its last heir Arthur Sterling. But when it comes to our FMC, Opal, she finds an unexpected job offer that could get her brother out of Eden even though she knows she shouldn't mess and deal with haunted houses and brooding men.

Back in early 2021 I discovered Alix's books when I picked up The Once and Future Witches (I rated it 45 Stars) and ever since then I have picked up her books and have enjoyed them. So, you all can definitely imagine why I requested Starling House from NetGalley.

I have always found Alix's books to set a very atmospheric tone that draws you in. Alix does this with Starling House, which I really appreciate since she made me feel transported into an eerie and slowly dying town. You can just feel the bleak, eerie, and the something is not quite right vibes.

However, I did struggle with the pacing of the book and the plot. For me the hardest part was staying engaged with the story and that was because I really did not care that much about the characters since there was no connection between me and the characters.

With the plot, I definitely think it was interesting but due to the slower pacing it just made me overall become disengaged.

I do question myself over if I would have enjoyed starling House if I physically read it instead of listening to it on audio...

Many people will definitely enjoy this book more than me. I know that I gave this a 3-star rating, but it does not mean I loved it, nor does it mean I hated it. I just feel indifferent about it even though I had high hopes about loving this book.

But like I said many people will love this and this is definitely a perfect fall read. Pick up Starling House if you enjoy: creepy/eerie atmospheres/settings, gothic or horror books, beautiful prose, a mystery, and good world building.

Wow! Alix E. Harrow is really growing on me! Talking about fascinating and ominous plot that’s entirely eerie, grim, haunting yet very catchy!

Starling House was a story of a known haunted house- yes! Surprise! Surprise! - that was located in a small town of Eden, Kentucky. Opal was a high-school drop out and struggling young adult and knew that success and dreams were not for her who happened to grow up relying to only the talent of wit, lies, and stealing skills. She was raising her younger brother Jasper who on the other hand has dreams of going to college. By hook or by crook, Opal is going to make it happen. The small town gossip, folktale and other scary stories about the StarlingHouse told to kids and adults, always fascinated Opal wild enough to draw and lure her to trespass the forbidden and locked confines of the property and eventually met the warden Arthur who against his better judgement hired Opal to become the housekeeper. And yes, the door has finally opened for Opal and all the mystifying, dark, inauspicious and foreboding events that lead to unearthing long, hidden, ghastly and direful secrets.

This was a long book but so worth all the time to read! I enjoyed everything it offered. Perfect for a good Halloween vibe as it has all the fun we expect for a haunted house story with extra bewilderment to keep curiosities over the edge!

Special thanks to TOR Publishing/TOR Books via Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the review copies!

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow is a rich Southern Gothic fantasy. Complete with complicated and enduring protagonists, an unlucky town with a dark past, and a house that is a character unto itself, Starling House contains all the classic gothic elements, creating a captivating story. Cynical orphan Opal and the tortured heir to Starling House Alexander must work together to destroy the monsters haunting the town of Eden, Kentucky, and discover the truth about Opal's past. Harrow deftly weaves a dark, haunting tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Starling House isn’t quite horror to me, but it has spooky elements that definitely fall more into horror than anything else I guess. It was well written and quite snarky, which I freaking loved. It’s magical and depressing, and the atmosphere is so perfectly set. I definitely viewed it as a southern gothic novel which happen to be a favorite of mine!

This was my first book by this author, but I will definitely be coming back for more. Thanks to Tor Books for my eARC. Starling House will be available tomorrow and is perfect to kick off spooky season!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was the perfect start to spooky season. It definitely has gothic vibes and a little bit of suspense but nothing too scary. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the characters, and the mystery that was involved with the house. It was a little slow at the beginning but once it started to pick up, I found it to be very enjoyable, and a great read.

I believe the author did a great job with making you guess what might happen and who was the "bad" guy and who wasn't. The FMC is a little annoying for being a 25+ year old, but overall you understand the reasons for her actions. I didn't like that FMC & MMC were being referred to as "ugly" constantly, or how her teeth were crooked, I found that unnecessary to the overall story. Also, the love angle is kinda weird, and though it's a big part of why it ends the way it does, it felt like it was a lot more than it needed to be. Overall though, it's a great book.

I received this book from NetGalley, and Tor Publishing Group as an advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

A gorgeous story that fills like a mixture of Alice in Wonderland and a gothic fantasy! A girl who has dreamed of a mysterious house all her life finds herself drawn to the mysterious heir of the home, yet the house of plans of it's own and monsters that reside in it. Opal has been surviving all her life, through tricks, thieving, and doing whatever it is needed to provide for her younger brother after her mother's death. The only thing that has her attention besides all of this is Starling House. The house that haunts her dreams. Starling House is famous for being the home of E. Starling, a reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, a disturbed children's book, who disappeared over a hundred years. Everyone thinks that house is trouble and that the mysterious shut in heir of the home is just as strange. Arthur is the misanthropic heir of Starling House, he's the Warden of it... and he plans on being the last one. He knows that the House calls to people, making them dream of it, making them come in and when they are here they will be forced to deal with the deadly creatures of Underland, that are very real. Arthur doesn't want anyone else to die and be trapped in this role, yet he can't seem to turn away the liar and thief of a girl who has bombarded into his life, demanding to be let into the house. The more Arthur tries to protect Opal from the secrets the more she tries to dig in, it doesn't help that other people want into the house too and are willing to threaten her to betray him. How far will Arthur and Opal go for Starling House, can they even make a relationship work when there are so many lies, betrayals, and secrets between them? This was such a unique gothic fantasy story with hints of Alice in Wonderland and is perfect for fans of Gallant by V.E. Schwab! Opal is not a likable character, but that's what makes her great, she's willing to do whatever it takes to survive and take care of those she loves. She's smart, she's ruthless, and she's just trying to survive. Arthur is so sweet, he's trapped but can't help but want to connect to someone, yet e wants to protect her at all costs but his duties weigh on him. They are both so interesting and the overall story was great!

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Favorite read this year!!
I absolutely love the writing style of Harrow. It's genuine and flows. I loved the "ugly" characters in both physical and metaphorical terms, and how the "ugly" characters turned out to be the most beautiful. I found the true monsters and the ending to be extremely satisfying. The atmosphere the plot, everything had me completely wrapped up in this story.

"The biggest lies are always for the ones you love the most. I'll take care of you. It'll be fine. Everything's okay."

Family is a running theme throughout Starling House: the tangled webs of obligation, affection, sacrifice, and expectation that bind us to our families, whether inherited or made. The novel revolves around two lonesome protagonists: Opal, a resourceful high school dropout, and Arthur, the reclusive heir to the brooding mansion, whose halls he stalks while waging a private war against supernatural forces. A mansion called Starling House, whose founder mysteriously vanished over a century ago, and which seems to be the epicenter for every unlikely accident and tragedy that plagues the town of Eden, Kentucky...

Both Opal and Arthur are grieving the parents who failed to protect them against a cruel world, and to grapple with the obligations those parents left them. For Opal, that means doing whatever she can to get her asthmatic brother Jasper out of the smog-choked town that's slowly killing him. For Arthur, it means inheriting the decades-long war against the sinister creatures that emerge from beneath Starling House to prey upon the unsuspecting townsfolk. Both of them are searching for belonging, though neither would ever admit it. And both of them are intimately connected to both Starling House, in more ways than either of them first realizes.

Harrow's prose is impressively facile, shifting from lyrical and winsome one moment to sharp and crisp as an autumn chill the next. The setting is at once Gothic and contemporary, and the dying town of Eden, Kentucky is clearly an homage to Harrow's real-life Kentucky roots. I enjoyed both the ebook and audiobook versions of this novel (narrated by the unrivalled talents of Natalie Naudus) and recommend both without reservation for fantasy fans

Starling House had a strong beginning, but the execution ended up not quite working for me. I guess that's what happened with me and Alix E. Harrow's writing at this point... Also! This was very much not a horror book! I'd even say the Gothic elements here didn't get that much page time/development. There was quite a bit of romance, however.

The Starling House setting was pretty great! I very much enjoyed the mystery surrounding it and the initial descriptions during the first half. The connections the house had with some characters were also very intriguing and introduced some interesting conflicts throughout the book.

The pace wasn't my favorite, though. The first half of the book, despite some good bits, was so incredibly slow in the sense not much was happening at all. And during the second half? There was also a bit of miscommunication (and total lack of communication) between a few characters that generated angst and drama and I was not a fan at all.

When it got to the end... some plot points were dropped while others took weird turns and weren't as developed as they should have been, personally. It wasn't a satisfying conclusion to me and really cemented the slow pace and the thought that a few chapters could have focused on something else other than cleaning Starling House.

Alix Harrow's latest offering, Starling House, transports readers to the heart of Eden, Kentucky, a town wrestling with the ghosts of its past—racism, environmental decay, and the decline of coal mining. Against this backdrop stands Starling House, a foreboding gothic mansion with a sinister reputation. Harrow's narrative deftly weaves together elements of a hero's journey (times two), supernatural intrigue, and a deft exploration of love and connection.

At the center of this narrative is Opal McCoy, a young woman whose life is mired in hardship. Working a dispiriting job at Tractor Supply and sharing a rundown hotel room with her gifted younger brother, Jasper, Opal has long abandoned any dreams of a brighter future for herself. Her determination lies in securing a better life for Jasper, whose brilliance shines as a beacon of hope in their otherwise gloomy existence. Yet, Starling House, a place most in town dare not approach, inexplicably draws Opal in her dreams.

Arthur Starling, the last surviving member of the enigmatic Starling family, is the guardian of the haunted mansion. His solemn duty is to protect the house and its surroundings from the menacing Beasts of the Underland. Harrow artfully paints Arthur as a man isolated by his responsibilities, doomed to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors who perished in the same quest. When Opal disregards his warnings and breaches the gates of Starling House, their lives become inexorably intertwined.

The chemistry between Opal and Arthur is palpable, an ever-present undercurrent of attraction, mistrust, and vulnerability. Their relationship, marked by secrecy and heated exchanges, unfurls gradually amidst the backdrop of supernatural threats, corporate greed, and the town's painful history.

However, Starling House is more than a love story; it is a captivating tale of self-discovery within the eerie confines of the mansion's hidden chambers. As Opal navigates the mysteries and enchantments concealed within Starling House, readers are treated to a richly atmospheric experience that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy.

Harrow's writing is both evocative and lucid, immersing readers in the labyrinthine corridors and mystical incantations of the house. Her narrative doesn't shy away from tackling weighty themes, such as environmental degradation, corporate avarice, and the darkness within human nature. As Opal and Arthur confront supernatural threats and the formidable Gravely Power, a corporation that holds the town in its grip, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Starling House is a genre-defying tapestry—a mesmerizing blend of gothic haunted house tale, intricate puzzle, and a love story that pulses with intensity. Harrow's storytelling prowess shines through, and readers will find themselves irresistibly drawn into the enchanting world she has crafted.

Prepare to be spellbound.

Alix E. Harrow’s new book *Starling House* is, I’m guessing, at least partly inspired by Alix E. Harrow’s own life in rural Kentucky. The book is set in the monumentally shitty old coal town of Eden, Kentucky. The coal mines had given out years ago; all there is now is a coal-fired power plant whose owners find it easier and cheaper to pay EPA fines than actually clean anything up.

Opal shares a room in a crappy motel with her younger brother Jasper - their mom had a thing for gemstones - scratching out a living working the register at the local Tractor Supply. Jasper is pretty much all she has, aside from the dreams. These include nightmares of crashing and drowning (natural, given the car accident that killed their mom), but also dreams of Starling House. Starling House is a big, creepy mansion in Eden, connected both to the Gravely family (that owns the power plant, and owned the mines before that) and to Eleanor Starling, the late 19th century author of a very gothic book of children's stories. Eleanor Starling married into the Gravely family, was widowed, and then married her late husband’s brother, and was widowed again. She then took the money she got from the Gravelys, built her mansion, and lived as a recluse until she disappeared.

Or so the tale around town goes, anyway. How much truth is there in it? Who can say, but some things Opal knows for sure: she’s always been fascinated by Starling House, and always been told to stay away from it and the current owner, Arthur Starling.

This is very much a Southern Gothic story. Opal is a fascinating protagonist, with a lot of the same defiant fire in her as can be found in James Juniper Eastwood and a lot of the same stubborn determination as in Agnes Amaranth Eastwood (*Once and Future Witches* being the other Alix Harrow book I’ve read). She wants to take care of Jasper as best she can, and wants him to be able to get out of Eden and the grinding poverty of their lives. She takes no shit from anybody. And she divides all her desires into “things she wants” and “things she needs,” and is absolutely ruthless with herself in cutting off the “wants” and focusing on the “needs” (most of which are centered on Jasper).

A lot of this book is very bleak, as it’s a very true-to-life picture of a desperately poor Appalachian town. I myself grew up in the Appalachians; my hometown was nice enough, but I know enough places like Eden to recognize the truth baked into this book.

Overall, this was an excellent novel. A great choice for anyone wanting to get into the spirit of the season this October.

“Once there was a little girl named Nora Lee who had bad, bad dreams. The dreams were full of blood and teeth, and they frightened her very much, but I will tell you a secret: she loved them, too, because in her dreams the teeth belonged to her.”

This book was an absolute delight. Alix Harrow is obviously well read within her genre, and I loved the references she made to well-loved gothic novels.
Starling House is a gothic haunted house story with a sprinkle of magic. The setting is believable and Opal was a great protagonist, a scrappy young woman pushed to the edge by responsibility and poverty. She takes the job as a cleaner at Starling House, the creepy mansion just outside of town. But the house is full of secrets--and its last heir, Arthur Starling. As the two learn more about each other, they find they aren’t so different; two people cast aside by the town of Eden who are fighting tooth and nail to survive.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 10/3

This cozy, enchanting, and mysterious story could not be more perfect for fall. From the moment I started this one, I was hooked.

Opal, our relatable and down-to-earth heroine, has one goal: to make sure her younger brother gets to leave the dying town of Eden, Kentucky, where they live. They’ve always been outsiders, but since their mother died, they’ve been mostly on their own. At night, Opal dreams of Starling House, an eerie manor that is the stuff of legends in town. When she stumbles upon the opportunity to become a housekeeper there, she can't help but accept and finally give in to the curiosity that borders on obsession with the house and the person who lives there.

This book masterfully combines elements of cozy horror with a dash of the supernatural. It's just spooky enough to satisfy your need for chills, yet it won't keep you up at night with nightmares. Harrow's storytelling weaves a web of mystery and magic that kept me turning pages well into the night. I also listened to this on audio, and the narrator, Natalie Naudus, did a fabulous job adding to the story’s spooky atmosphere.

The haunted house is a character all on its own, and my favorite chapters were when Opal was working there. One brilliant touch in the story is the perspective of Arthur Starling, the last heir of Starling House and supposed villain, who is actually just a person fighting a secret battle that no one knows about. His POV rounds out the story and helps to explain the town's curse and why people fear him. The romance between Opal and Arthur was sweet and lovely and made me swoon repeatedly.

This book is gothic, gritty, romantic, fantastical, and mysterious, and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait for people to get their hands on this perfect spooky season read. If you're looking for a hauntingly beautiful tale that tugs at your heartstrings while sending shivers down your spine, Starling House is the book you've been waiting for.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tor Books, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced reader copy and my complimentary audiobook.

Read if you like:
*gothic thrillers
*fantasy
*haunted houses
*found family
*a little bit of gore but not too much

Many thanks to my friends at @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

“I dream sometimes of a house I’ve never seen.”

Part fairy tale, part gothic horror. This book oozes the very essence of fall and begs to be read snuggled under a cozy blanket.

It’s the kind of story that holds you spellbound. I found myself fully transported to a magical world laden with secrets and monsters that hid in plain sight.

With lush writing and lyrical prose, Harrow’s storytelling enchanted. The imagery was cinematic in detail, the atmosphere exuded gloom, and the richly developed characters (tortured, brooding, and prickly) felt like friends that I wanted to protect (though they clearly didn’t need such).

But it was the moody mansion that was the true standout in this book.

“What had begun as stone and mortar had become something more, with ribs for rafters and stone for skin. It has no heart, but it feels. It has no brain, but it dreams.”

An ever-changing labyrinth. Rotting yet alive. A haunted house that somehow felt like home. It didn’t take me long to understand why Opal came to dream of this sentient place.

And while the house held me captive, this wasn’t the dark and tortured read I had expected. Part reckoning. Part love story. With elements focused on found family and belonging, the truest monsters were made of greed and hungry for power.

Still, I found myself swooning… over the atmosphere… over the unlikely love story… over the magic.

🎧 The audiobook is expertly narrated by Natalie Naudus, a favorite. Her performance embodied the emotion within this book and amplified the masterful storytelling.