I was hooked on this author after reading The Thousand Doors of January. Starling House doesn't disappoint. It's paranormal fiction, pushing the boundaries of magical realism - everything seems one way, but there is so much more to explore. Opal is living in a motel with her teenage brother, trying to make ends meet as best she can. Ever since she was 12, she's had dreams of the mysterious Starling House and has been pulled to it; the tugs have gotten stronger. She can't resist the chance to enter and begins a tentative acquaintance with the house's awkward owner, Arthur Starling. Inexplicable things start happening, and Opal learns more about the history of the house and herself than is necessarily good for her.
This book was one I was definitely tempted not to put down, but I made myself read it in smaller chunks because I wasn't ready for it to end! The story is easy to follow but has plenty of interesting twists and turns. Starling House is another winner from Alix E. Harrow.

I am a big fan of Alix E. Harrow ever since I reading her Fractured Fairytales ( A Spindle Splintered and A Mirror Mended). I also enjoyed Once and Future Witches and Ten Thousand Doors of January. This author's writing style is complex and she often includes academic theory, stories within stories, and glorious footnotes in her novels. While I love it, I can understand why for some folks this seems a bit much and slows down the story.

Starling House, I am happy to say, is the best of both worlds and I think her most accessible novel to date. Harrow nails the southern gothic atmosphere. Yet she continues to deal with social inequities, class privilege and the unique experience of biracial characters as she has done in her other novels. She also continues to weave stories within stories into her narrative, but here without any sense of academic pretension.

From the publisher blurb:

"Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden."

I loved Opal's dedication to making a life for her brother and the way she has learned from experience to be cynical and protect herself. She is a complex character with a lot to unpack, as is the Arthur, the current caretaker of Starling House. The book masterfully displays how small town narratives are born and grow, and the power the stories we tell about others have, regardless of the truth. The house is a character unto itself, with agency and secrets that are slowly revealed.

Overall this is a fantastic fall vibes read! It has mystery, adventure, family and romance with great characters and steady plot development. I have seen this described as a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which looking back I can see those pieces, but it is oh so much more. I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for granting me access to an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Quick and Dirty⁣
-contemporary fantasy/magical realism⁣
-perfect for fans of Stranger Things⁣
-atmospheric and dark⁣
-explores the impact of personal and intergenerational trauma⁣
⁣
Thoughts⁣
Let me start by saying I think Alix Harrow is one of the most gifted writers publishing right now. Her ability to weave a tale is incredible, not to mention her skill with incorporating fairy tales, old wives' tales, and folk stories. Starling House is richly detailed and highly evocative, exactly what I expected from Harrow. She draws the reader into a twisted world of good vs. evil, light vs. dark, and all things imaginative. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of the characters in this book, including the main character: Starling House. Including an inanimate object such as a house in the character lineup takes skill, which Harrow has in abundance. Opal's backstory and her flawed nature add depth and emotion to the story, which further draws in the reader and captivates anyone sympathetic to an underdog. The only reason this book was not a 4 or even 5-star read for me was the ending. I read and re-read the ending three times just to make sure I didn't miss some pivotal plot point. Sadly, I did not. I simply just didn't like the conclusion of the book and felt thoroughly confused by much of the last few chapters. Like, I get it, but I don't. I walked away feeling disappointed, especially after enjoying the first 3/4 of the book so much. Could the ending have been less convoluted? In my opinion, yes. But maybe it has more to do with the fact that I don't read enough fantasy to have really grasped what she was trying to achieve at the end of this otherwise terrific book. Alas, it fell short for me, but I still highly encourage fans of fantasy and magical realism to give this one a shot!

This was such a beautifully creepy book and I loved it!! Alix Harrow writes impeccable vibes, with an almost-sentient house that really just wants to be loved lmao. The main character was very morally grey which I LOVED - Opal is absolutely feral about protecting her younger brother, getting him out of their crappy, racist town, and providing for the both of them. I haven't read a novel about a homeless teen/young adult in a long time, and I really loved how Harrow intertwined their dreams and desperate hopes for more with the creepy Southern Gothic mansion vibes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC - this book will be out Oct 3 :)

4.25 rounded up.

🌈 Queer rep: bi/pan male main character, lesbian side characters/couple

Start to finish, I couldn’t put this down. A triumph. Haunting and creepy and delightful in only the best way of fall. Her prose were razor sharp. The story a breakneck pace. And all the prickly characters jump off the page. Including the Starling House which is the real delight!

"Starling House" by Alix E. Harrow is a mesmerizing gothic tale, set in the deteriorating coal town of Eden, Kentucky. The story centers are Starling House, and it's heir, Arthur Starling. The house was built by the 19th century author E. Starling, who wrote "The Underland"- a creepy, children's fairytale about a world below ground. Soon after, she disappeared, and Starling House is viewed by locals as an eerie location to be avoided.
Opal, our protagonist, has been dreaming of Starling house since her youth. She knows better than to dwell on dreams, when the reality of surviving and caring for her younger brother takes all her energy. While Opal is struggling on minimum wage, and living in a hotel, she is offered a cleaning job at Starling House. Though she knows she should stay away, Opal's pragmatism sees this as her chance to get her brother out of Eden. But Starling House is sentient, it's Warden brooding, but kind, and Opal finds herself slowly thinking of the place as home.
When the local coal company decides they want Starling House and its land, Opal and Arthur must uncover the dark secrets of the town, their families, and the past. They must fight forces and fears, both supernatural and personal. Harrow's characters are fleshed out and beautifully flawed. Her prose is atmospheric- her setting grim and gritty. Her storytelling is bewitching. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, and read it all over again.

Alix E Harrow has absolutely done it again and crafted the perfect autumn book. Starling House was incredible--rife with Harrow's signature gorgeous lush (but not cloying) prose, characters who were heartbreakingly real, and a world that left me nostalgic for something I've never experienced before. This is the dark southern gothic book of my dreams, honestly.

I honestly don't even know what else to say (though, to be fair, I just read the last word and am still somewhat speechless over how incredible it was). It's the book of the year.

A gothic fairytale novel just in time for spooky season. It is not easy to describe this novel. It's part cozy fantasy, part cozy mystery, which I loved. I loved the mysterious element of a reclusive heir to Starling House.. The house itself was also a mystery with a heart and mind of its own. One of the main characters, Opal, is her younger brother's sole caretaker. To provide for both of them, she takes a job at Starling House, a haunted house in town that most people think is cursed. Soon, the secrets and dangers of the house catch up with Opal and the heir of Startling House. I loved the character development of Opal and thought the novel was well-paced.

Alix E. Harrow is one of the authors that I insta buy. I've never been disappointed by anything she has written. Starling House is a wonderful gothic fantasy with a bit of romance and modernization woven in delicately so as not to ruin the ambiance.

Starling House follows Opal, a young woman looking after her brother in a small Kentucky town working dead-end jobs. She is a practical woman who has worked too hard for too long and never had a normal home or stable environment. This has hardened her and when she is offered a job at the spooky house in town, she agrees because the money she makes will help her brother get out of their town. Things go a little slantwise from there.

Harrow is a wonderful wordsmith and everything she writes is easy to read with beautiful descriptions, but this book (really all of her books) is so rich with story that it is difficult to put down. I read into the wee hours of the morning and wished I had a physical copy to hold and smell (which in my mind adds to the ambiance). Gothic stories are difficult to get right, but Harrow does finds the ambiance and holds it close in the pages. Yet she is still able to incorporate cell phones without taking away from that feeling of gloom and gothic charm.

Go buy Starling House. Rent it from your library. Just read it this fall, it's the perfect time of year for it.

Thank you to Tor Books for my Arc!


This was the haunted house book of my dreams. I expected it to be horror themed but it was so much more. I loved the found family and the relationship between Opal and her Brother.

Please add this to your TBR

An engaging, easy-reading gothic novel with some fantastical elements. The characters were compelling, and the world well-evoked.

Such a great way to kick the fall season off with a gothic read! The story sucked me in.. and the characters made me stay. I loved uncovering the mystery of the house. I only wish I had another 100 pages - I didn’t want the story to end.

Hauntingly tragic and beautiful. A story for story tellers and story devourers who seek the bloody truth at the heart of every fairytale, but this is no fairytale.

Opal is a stunningly flawed character whose struggles and offenses are all too real, but she was made by those who chose to ignore her and her brother's plight. Small town politics, dark histories, and skeletons buried by the corruption of wealth and the exploitation of people and land at the hands of very bad men make this a tragedy of truths laid bare. Opal is determined to change her brother's fate, get him out of the town that she can't seem to walk away from, until she learns her true history and finds a reason to stay that doesn't begin and end with the bitterness of loss.

I love that she is never referred to as beautiful, as is so often a requirement for heroines. I love that she is not fearless but acts in spite of her fear, out of necessity for her survival. I love that she finds a soul worthy of her strength who is also not handsome but princely in deed. I love that she is surrounded by the apathy of so many and learns to recognize what "home" means. I love the house, how it needs, how it changes, how it serves and protects its wardens. I love the darkness of Underland, the beasts that rise to folkloric heights and issue death with ease.

There are several villains here, morality is in question across generations of offenses against people and nature. Do not mistake this for cozy horror as it has been described by others, there's nothing cozy about it.

Thank you to author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you @netgalley @torbooks for the #gifted e-arc of this book.

Ladies and gentleman can we take a moment to observe this cover which is a masterpiece. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but I certainly do and this one is…muah! Perfect! 🤌🏻

Small town Kentucky, in a dead end town there once was an author who wrote “The Underland” and then poof…vanished. The Starling House appeared before she disappeared but now sits there falling apart in the hands and ownership of Arthur Starling.

Opal, a jaded homeless woman gets a job working at the Starling House in hopes it will be her ticket out of this doomed town. As soon as she moves in the house feels like home and then odd, dark things begin to happen. Arthur and Opal must fight the demons of their past and present if they want to make it out of this town!

This book is ultimately a very atmospheric gothic tale that you 💯need on your shelf this October. It’s creepy and I just loved the dark secrets this house held. I don’t think there is a more perfect book for cool fall nights and the creepy crawly feeling of October! I would say this is more cozy horror book envelope the spooky vibes without the gore and blood. I cannot say enough great things about this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow!

Starling House is the only haunted house story you'll ever need, friends. Alix Harrow has honed her craft to a knife's point: shredding us with a love story mangled with monstrous revenge. The story is hungry and layered, reflecting harsh truths about Eden's past, so we can't look away but dig our toes even deeper into the mud-coated river banks polluted with coal ash.

The town of Eden is broken, founded on an industry that has stripped it bare. Still, Opal clings to it like a roach, scavenging for the crumbs of any good left. The stories that fascinate us as children are the ones that never leave. Ones of fantastical worlds where the beasts have claws and of sentient houses that know who comes and goes. Starling House beckons the wide-eyed, half-starved, who will steal and maim for a chance to belong.

Harrow's is a story of belonging. Like any good ghost story, the past and present tangle like mist so the ghosts can reckon with the living. You will hold your breath until your face turns blue, waiting for the tension to drop. But remember, spirits have a long time and a very long memory.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review.

Alix Harrow's Starling House gets off to a somewhat slow start but once you get in, you're hooked. Opal has cared for her younger brother Jason in the small town of Eden, Kentucky since their mother's death in an accident. And Opal has cared for him to the best of her ability. Jobs were not plentiful in the coal town of Eden for anyone, much less a high school dropout. When Opal is offered the chance to work at Starling House, the big creepy house in town with only one resident, she is happy to walk away from her job at the hardware store.

But strange occurrences happen at the house and it's one occupant, Arthur, is ambivalent about having Opal around. Opal feels at home there and the house itself seems to welcome her. And, she certainly needs the money Arthur can afford to pay her. The original builder of the house, E. Starling, left behind a creepy novel titled The Underland. The Underland was one of Opal's favorite books as a child. Its tales of horrible creatures and dark happenings had a magnetic pull for Opal.

The Gravely family, owners of the coal mine in Eden, want to get their hands on the property. Arthur turns away all attempts to purchase or even enter the grounds. So, the would-be buyers turn to Opal and, with threats and promises, cajole her into giving them information about Starling House. Secrets about not only the house, but about Opal and her mother come out and the results are devastating.

Narrator Natalie Naudus provides a suitably matter of fact yet sinister reading of the book.

Those who enjoy mild horror, family drama, and a slight touch of romance will like this one. Especially young adult readers.

Note: I listened to an advance copy of the audio book provided by NetGalley.

This one started off extremely slow, and I was lamenting the fact that there will never be another Harrow book to rival The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I was actually considering possibly DNFing in the beginning. It took forever, but thankfully it picked up right around the 35% mark. And when it picked up, it picked up HARD!! If it weren’t for the extremely slow beginning, this absolutely would have been a 5 star book for me.

Anyway, from that point on, I was hooked!! I absolutely adored Starling House itself. It was sentient and had its own personality, and it was wonderful! I loved that it was sometimes petty and petulant toward Arthur, it cracked me up! It was adorable that it would rearrange itself for Opal, or do things to make her more comfortable. I need me a house like that haha!

I also adored hellcat and how the house seemed to love her as well! I love that she was super cranky, yet softened to Arthur; just like Arther softened to her as well! They were both prickly and broody, and the scenes where she’d be curled up in his lap melted my heart!

The romance between Opal and Arthur was super sweet and had that glorious slow burn that I love. It was also essentially enemies to lovers – they weren’t necessarily enemies, per se, but they definitely didn’t like each other much, or even want to be around each other in the beginning. It took almost the whole book to develop, and I love those kinds of romances! It also wasn’t overbearing – it took a backseat to the plot and action.

Harrow has a way of writing uncanny, atmospheric worlds. Her writing makes you want to crawl into the pages and live there! The world is eerie and dark, and the monsters were delightfully creepy. I loved the tale of Underland, and the Wardens of Starling House that stood bastion against its monsters. The air of mystery gave the story a driving intrigue, because you didn’t really know what was going on for a good chunk of the story. It kept me wanting more! I thoroughly enjoyed how the story played out, and the background of how Underland was born and the history of the House and the previous Wardens.

As soon as I finished this book, I already wanted to re-read it! I can’t wait until the audiobook comes out so I can listen for my second read! If this book isn’t on your radar, you should definitely pre-order it! Thank me later. ;)

It looks like I'm in the minority on this one. This book took me over a month to read. I was looking forward to reading a spooky gothic tale, but it took too long (in my opinion) for the book to deliver. I found the beginning to be super confusing and I had no idea where the story was headed (and not in a suspenseful, I need to keep reading to find out, way). There are a lot of footnotes scattered throughout the book, and maybe it was because I was reading it on a kindle, but it was confusing to read the footnotes a few pages later and be like 'what was this referring to??' Someone else on here described them as disruptive, which is exactly how I felt. About halfway through the story finally started cooking, and I found the second half of the book to be much more engaging. Overall, I personally was disappointed, but I do think a lot of people will enjoy it.

I loved this gorgeously moody gothic suspense novel. I loved watching the relationship develop between Opal and Arthur. I thought the characterizations in general were particularly great. The story unfolded at a good pace, keeping my interest and keeping me wanting more. I'm sad that it's over.