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.

This book was absolutely incredible. It just hit the spot for me this season in that it's hauntingly eerie without being scary or gory. It's definitely a spooky season winner for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Starling House is a creepy, gothic tale about a oddball house and the inhabitants of a seemingly cursed, unlucky town. It gives off the right amount of spooky vibes to be a huge hit on your October TBR!

Things I loved:
- The House 🏠 Starling House was such a different, unique setting. I loved learning about it and it’s history through the towns tales and inhabitants’ stories.
- The Characters 👨 from the FMC (Opal), the Warden of Starling House, and all of the secondary characters that you get to know, I loved learning their histories and getting to know them.
- The Lore 🐦 Again, I LOVED learning about Starling House and the Starlings through the town and it’s inhabitants and then the Starlings themselves. I thought this was so much fun and really got the reader immersed in wanting to know more about what’s going on in the weird old mansion.

Things I Wish -
- The pacing felt a bit off. Around 35%, I was absolutely hooked and was heading towards a 5 star review but then the pace seemed to halt a bit, which threw me off. While the pace seemed to slow, there were other parts that seemed rushed (especially regarding her brother). I wish that the focus stayed on the house during these slower times but also that certain conversations/revelations were teased out a bit more.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you love: gothic, haunted mansions and Stranger Things

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I have mixed feelings about Starling House. There were several elements I enjoyed and there were some elements I did not enjoy. There will be a lot of people who enjoy this book as I think it is a great title for getting into fall.

What I liked:

- The beginning! Starling House starts off with the mysterious elements that let you sink your teeth into the narrative. We’ve got a rural town that’s cursed by a haunted house. What’s not to like? I enjoyed the way the mystery of Starling House was set up.
- Jasper, Opal’s younger brother. Jasper is the most interesting character in the book and I wish we could have explored his character more. He’s easily the most fleshed out character with the most personality. It’s a shame he didn’t get more page time.
- Opal’s love for her brother and her determination to get Jasper out of Eden. Her love for him was very endearing and reminded me of the love I have for my younger brother.

What I didn’t like:
- Starling House feels underdone. The pacing was all over the place. Especially when Opal’s first person POV was interrupted by Arthur’s third person POV. It made the book feel like a 500 page book when in fact it is just over 300 pages.
- The gothic vibes? Starling House is marketed as a contemporary gothic (some even say horror?) and that is just not what the book was giving. The themes of Starling House were surely gothic but the atmosphere is more akin to a darker fairytale. The gothic themes and the fairytale atmosphere really impacted my enjoyment of this book.
- The “romance” between Opal and Arthur. Their relationship felt so unnecessary and didn’tt have a real impact on the story at large. There is no tension between Opal and Arthur due to some spoilers events I won’t include here but just know their romance doesn’t feel earned. It feels like it was written just for the sake of saying this book had a romantic subplot, albeit not a good one.
- Opal is a boring main character. She doesn’t have much of a personality beyond being cynical.

Right now I’m feeling like this book is sitting at a 3.5/5 but my rating might change upon further reflection. I feel like there were more interesting stories that could have been told about Starling House than the story we got.

Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House and Hell Bent, meet your next must-read.

Honestly, I don't know why I sat on this one for so long. From the description alone, it has everything I want in a contemporary fantasy: Southern Gothic stylings, Children's books about portal worlds, surly narrators at the edge of society. <em>Black Birds</em> (/Stephon voice). I finally grabbed just around the time it was featured on the cover of the October Bookpage.

Prepare to be pulled in by the lush, descriptive prose, the mysterious and possibly nefarious characters, Opal's tragic backstory and opportunism; her utter disregard for (almost) everyone in her life except her brother, Jasper. I started reading this as a book, then grabbed the audiobook because I couldn't bear to put it down while driving or cooking, and then finished it late into the night in a marathon read session. ("Well, I'm at 73%, I can't stop now")

This is a fantasy that's built on common tropes yet bends it in a way that feels new. Different bits reminded me of so many of my favorites, from the aforementioned Bardugo titles to Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle to Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children to Kelly Link's Faery Handbag . And, NGL, at various points I pictured Arthur as Adam Driver. (Thanks, Ali Hazelwood!).

An new book becomes a favorite because it approaches you like an old friend. This felt familiar and fresh at the same time, and I hope it finds its niche with modern contemporary fantasy readers.

Loved this book. It’s a perfect mix of gothic fantasy and I just couldn’t put it down. Definitely a five star read for me.

Alix E. Harrow is my Soul Author. She writes stories that feel like they have been ripped from my heart and put into her beautiful prose. Her books are both disturbing and comforting, and feel like familiar fairytale stories but you can’t put your finger on who told them to you. Starling House is no different. It’s about a sentient home and the stories of the people who have resided there. I think it’s best to go into this book without too much information about plot. You’re meant to dig up the story as you read. I highly recommend this book.

Starling House is an amazing gothic fantasy, filled with mystery that keeps you turning pages. The characters were so well written, and Opal felt so, so very relatable. Her relationship with her brother is one of the most authentic things I have ever read. Absolutely love Opal and Jasper’s brother/sister dynamic.

All of the characters are very well rounded. The mysterious Starling House and the city of Eden is described with such great deal, that it felt like a movie in my mind. The action, an element I did not expect from this book, was one of my favorites! When I thought things might be slowing down, the action picked it right back up!

This book has a touch of everything- mystery, action, romance, and fantasy. Great book for the fall!

I love a book where the house is a character itself, and Starling House certainly delivers! Harrow writes a (slightly creepy) love letter to everyone who grew up longing for a home they never had, and who dived into books to try to find it. I stayed up too late for several evenings because I just couldn't put this down!