The second I saw this absolutely gorgeous cover I was immediately sold! I’m so glad I picked this up because Starling House was one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I have ever read 🖤

Starling House has everything I want in a grim & gothic story - mystery, a haunted house, sinister secrets, magic, mayhem, lore, small town history, found family, friendship, heartbreakingly beautiful romance that makes my heart ache and a horrifically heart pounding tale that sends me on a page turning emotional rollercoaster. I was captivated from page 1 and I literally think I need to start a reread ASAP!

*I don’t want to give any spoilers as I went in completely blind to the plot and was 100% blown away with the story & character development!

Thank you so much to Tor Books for the advanced copy!

WHOA what a perfect fall read. I'm not a big fantasy reader but I make an exception for Alix and she never disappoints. Love what she's exploring here.

Hear me out…you’ve heard of cozy fantasy but what about a mix of cozy fantasy AND cozy horror? That’s exactly what Starling House delivers. Starling House is my first book by Alix E. Harrow but certainly won’t be my last. I didn’t know that a sentient house was something I needed in a book but after this, I’m sold. Everything in this story felt so alive. The town, the history, the house, the characters. I was completely swept away in the first few chapters. The writing was beautifully lyrical and expansive. I was stunned by the way Alix built this world. The gothic vibes are everything. Starling House may be the PERFECT book for fall and as a fall girlie, that makes me very happy.

Opal is a complex character with clear motives and even though she doesn’t always make the best decisions, I was rooting for her. Found family is a major part of her journey, as she discovers what home means to her. Then there’s Arthur. I love an awkward, loner, mysterious MMC and he delivered. Watching them grow together was one of my favorite parts of this book.

Starling House is a breathtaking story of grief, family trauma, finding yourself, found family, and at its core…a beautiful love story. It is absolutely one of my favorites of this year and I urge everyone to read it.

I adored this book. I can't get over the prose, the romance, the atmosphere, the characters, the story. I am obsessed. I want to re-read it immediately. I want to read the audiobook. I want to annotate it. I want to inject it into my veins.

I need everyone to read this book so I can talk to as many people about it as possible.

I've read about 200 books this year, and this was one of my top five. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it.

"To every child who needs a way into Underland. Befriend the Beasts, children, and follow them down."

The implications of this quote after reading are WILD.

"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."

Surprises galore is how I would describe my feelings for Starling House. I didn't expect the book to have so much humor and unhinged behavior amongst the characters. I didn't expect what laid beyond the mines. I certainly didn't expect the truth about the Starling House—specifically Eleanor's truth. It made my reading experience feel as if I was constantly on my toes, never quite sure what would happen next or be revealed next.

"This is my story. No one listened to it before, and if they listened they did not believe it, and if they believed it they did not care."

Starling House is the sort of gothic, horror novel I'd recommend to people trying out this genre for the first time. It's not very horrific in my opinion, but it definitely made me uncomfortable a couple times. It reminded me a bit of the films from the 90's that center on witches/the occult in a small town setting. The modern vernacular and voice used for one of the POVs will either be loved or absolutely disliked by readers; I cannot see many running down the middle, but it worked for me.

"The only monsters here are the ones we make."

To start, Opal (insert a list of fake last names here) is our main protagonist and written in first person; whereas, Arthur Starling is our other POV told through third person. The two are not only extremely different in personality—quippy and cunning vs. broody and melancholic—but as the book goes on their similarities float to the surface—loyal to a fault and also dreamers. Those final two characteristics cause an immense amount of chaos for both of them, but I loved seeing them grow together. Weirdly enough, both characters are constantly described as "ugly" throughout the book, which was an interesting choice by the author. It is brought up quite a few times, and it did take me out once the 4+ mention happened. I understand that both of these characters are not conventionally attractive leads, but I already knew that as soon as she first described them. Maybe it was a way to reference their traumatic and bad living conditions—Opal's crooked teeth possibly being connected to her and her brother's poverty since wealth and its power are a central element to this story. Who knows why it was mentioned so much, but it felt a bit like hitting the nail on the head.

"But I swear there will be no more portraits on the wall, no more graves to tend. I swear I will end this, here and now. I will be the last Warden of Starling House."

My favorite part of Starling House was honestly the House itself. I've talked about it a bit on my Instagram posts and stories, but this particular sentient haunted house was totally unhinged in the best way possible (the leads being just as unhinged too haha). In multiple instances, the House essentially "trolls" the leads because it believes it knows what's best not only for itself but also the leads themselves—even going as far as to rearranging itself so Opal opens a door and finds Arthur near naked after a shower to try to get them together. The House was ultimately my favorite character, so I was rooting for it to thrive and survive. Now Arthur blames the House for the loss of his parents (previous Wardens of Starling House), so he's taken to neglecting every inch of it. Those two have a very difficult relationship, and it was a great to see the changes in the House's personality once Opal stepped through the gates. Besides the fact that Opal has dreamed of Starling House for as long as she can remember, the reason she is let onto the Starling property is to clean it after Arthur's years worth of grime and disrepair. Of course, the House would warm up to her because she is putting the time and effort to care for it. Again, this contrast between the two leads and their relationship to the House really added another level of detail and depth to the overarching story. I'll always think of one of the final scenes when Arthur curses the House for waking Opal up too early. Well, Arthur, it did that because the House knows you two are always better together rather than apart. That decision is probably the reason the two are successful in the climactic scene.

"Dead things don't dream, but the house did, and so it was no longer dead. It spent a hundred and fifty years drinking the water and dreaming whatever houses dream—fires in hearths, dishes in sinks, lights in windows—and when it found itself empty it called another hungry, homeless person to itself, and did its best to keep them safe. Until it couldn't."

Anyway, the trajectory of Starling House is interesting and a bit chaotic, much like the characters and layout of the House. What I mean by that is the book goes from being quite slow moving to extremely fast paced in almost a nanosecond. It takes till the first 30% for Opal to actually step onto the grounds and work for Arthur. Then, we have a bunch of scenes where Opal is merely cleaning the House and soon after forced to collect evidence for the sketchy corporation that wants details on Starling House and Arthur. While I did find these moments fun, it made for whiplash when the last 20% sped through reveal after reveal after reveal. I wish some of these reveals could have happened sooner to give more variety to the books' flow and pacing. Honestly, I think the Gravely heritage reveal for Opal could've even been something Opal found out before the story even began, and the big reveal later could've been her learning that the monsters target Gravely's specifically. I would have loved to see Opal do more research on her family sooner or even go to bat against those blood relatives sooner than the police station scenes. It felt like a missed opportunity.

"And I might be a liar and a thief and a cheat, but I'll walk barefoot through hell for what I need."

Now everything about the Eleanor reveal was absolutely astonishing yet perfectly done. I loved that Alix leads us astray in our own theories about what happened to her. I honestly loved that she used historical gossip and inaccuracies to tell us what the town believes, and then, completely turn the tables on us by revealing the very different truth of what actually happened. History gets a lot of details wrong, and I liked that many parts about Eleanor's life were completely wrong in modern day, sometimes even ignored during Eleanor's own time. Many people turn a blind eye to others' problems or cruelties because it doesn't directly affect them, but it's that very reason why the monsters are created in the first place...

"It's time to dream your own dreams."

The implications of Underland becoming a reality because Eleanor dreamed it into existence is truly any author or reader's dream for their favorite story. It's a powerful thought because stories are more than their fictitious roots, so seeing an author dream her story to reality was cool. But there's also the elephant in the room that her dreams were monsters that ultimately go on to try to destroy Eden and all of its people. People can turn their dreams into monsters to harm others, and that's an important note to take away from this book. Without the mines' water and her subsequent power from it, Eden could be flourishing town and people like Opal's mom would be alive. Eleanor used her dreams to destroy countless lives—beyond those who wronged her. It's like the famous Batman quote: "You either die the hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Well, I don't know if i'd even refer to Eleanor as a hero besides in saving herself from the cruelty of her uncles, but she certainly twists herself into a villain by the end. She no longer even has a connection or love for the House because her monsters and Underland are her true home.

"...not every Beast comes crawling out of Underland. That some of them live up here, and walk around in expensive suits and pencil skirts."

Also, the wit and humor in this book are fantastic, so I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite moments with y'all:
1. '"Is there something," Arthur asks the floor, "I can do for you?" "I'd say 'die in a ditch,' but it looks like you're halfway there."'
2. '"Anyway I thought it was really dumb, but like, you seemed happy and at least you weren't getting groped by Lance Wilson anymore." "Hey, how did you know—it was a mutual groping, for the record." "A good summary of every relationship you've ever had."'
3. '"It's pretty chilly out here." It's freezing, actually, one of those mean February days when the sun never quite rises and the wind has white teeth. "Then," he says, biting into each word, "you should have worn a coat."'

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an e-arc of this book!

Well, well, well. Harrow does it again. Harrow's writing is so lovely, and this book absolutely oozes southern gothic horror. But it also touches on the dark side of the south as well, and I thought all of that was well incorporated into the book in a way that made sense.

I loved the history of the book, the magic...the atmosphere of the book. This book absolutely flowed -- and I was left never knowing what exactly would happen next. In some ways this had moments that reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns, and yet it was darker. But it also had T. Kingfisher vibes to it as well.

Opal's character was amazing, she was so well rounded and fleshed out. You couldn't help but like her, you even felt for her. This book was haunting, and it definitely had a bit of a bitter flavor to it, but it was one I enjoyed.

I loved the book, and felt that it was a spooky, horror filled journey, one that also had a bit of magic and love as well. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book, and how it follows along with Opal's journey as she learns more about the house and the house's history.

This is certainly an excellent book for the spooky season!

I cant even begin to tell you how fun this was to read. As someone who loves any and all haunted stories, this brought me so much joy.

Starling House is a modern gothic fantasy with a dark twist, revealed secrets, and wardens who protect it all (unwillingly most of the time it seems)

The novel written by E. Starling that is published as fiction and foretells some of the events that occur in this book was my favorite part. I also loved how the FMC does her research on the house and compares what she finds with the actual truth.

I could not pull myself away from this story. The writing was incredible.

The only thing I did not like was Jasper. He got so angry at his sister for almost nothing and made her feel like she was worthless when all she was trying to do was build a better life for him. His attitude really bothered me honestly. Like he made me feel like he didn't deserve all the things she was trying to give him. And then when she's finally REALLY going through it he just says "whatever" ??? AND THEN when they finally come clean together, he's all "YOU WANT THE HAUNTED HOUSE ALL FOR YOURSELF HUH YOURE SELFISH" hello????? WHAT?! Even his little 'redemption' towards the end was bitter to me. He hid so much from someone who lived only for him. (It got way better when he left)

The ending is PERFECTION. The author leaves no loose ends and it is like breathing a sign of relief to have the full story finally. It leaves nothing to be desired. I loved it. Easy 5 stars no question.

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.