Unsurprisingly a 5 out of 5 for me. I am a sucker for Alix Harrow, Beauty & the Beast retellings, and anything Gothic. It would have been truly shocking if I didn't like this book. Harrow never disappoints.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow is a story set in Eden, Kentucky; a town with a dark, haunting history complete with a forbidding mansion, meddling corrupt town members, and deliciously real characters. Harrow is able to blend gothic horror, modern fantasy, romance, and fairytales into an almost familiar yet classic feeling story.

The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, who did a fantastic job. With wonderful pacing and character distinction, she really brought the story to life.

You may like this book if you enjoy found family, stubborn protagonists, and all the fall spooky vibes.

Alix E. Harrow has become an auto-buy author for me. This book was incredible. I was expecting a modern Gothic fantasy, and I got exactly what I wanted plus a great mystery and a romance all wrapped into one.

Opal is such a lovable character. She is clearly so very flawed and traumatized, but the way she fights every day for Jasper is beautiful. Bev and Charlotte were a delight. The prose was absolutely gorgeous. I don't think there was a single thing I didn't like.

Starling house | Alix E. Harrow
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘈 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘹 𝘌. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.

I really enjoyed this book. The atmospheric writing and gothic vibes were so well done.

What to expect:
Haunted house
Beasts
Secrets
Gothic/Eerie vibes
Strong willed FMC
Small town
Dark fairytale

I really liked the romance and the characters. Opal is described as having crooked teeth and Arthur is described as being “ugly”. This made them feel so human to me and I just adored that aspect of the story.

Opal is strong willed, witty and strong and would do anything for her little brother. I loved Opal and Jasper’s relationship so much.

I thought the story was really unique. Although, since Starling House is described as a “haunted house.” I was hoping it would be creepier but besides that this was a great read and I highly recommend it!

I love Alix Harrow's The Once and Future Witches and her fairytale novellas. Starling House is best described as Kentucky Southern Gothic vibes meets Beauty and the Beast. I love Alix Harrow's heroines, and Opal is no exception. She has serious flaws but is easy to love and cheer on. It is no secret I love fairytales, and Harrow does a great job incorporating folk history here and how the same story gets told in many different ways. I read Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo earlier this year and Starling House reminded me a lot of Summer Sons (which I wholeheartedly recommend for anyone interested in queer Southern Gothic vibes), plus there was a Lee Mandelo shout-out Easter Egg in the book itself. Harrow makes great use of footnotes throughout Starling House, and if you're looking for a Gothic fairytale story, you won't be disappointed.

Filled with dark whimsy, mystery, and needle=sharp prose. This is a southern gothic fairy tale, with vivid characters -- both human and house (and feline). While there were spooky, haunting elements to this story (and plenty of spilled blood and injuries), I never found it too scary or squicky for my delicate flower sensibilities.


[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]

Starling House by Alix Harrow - eBook ARC from NetGalley 4.5 STARS!

Going on my top reads of 2023! This book was like Monster House meets Stranger Things meets T. Kingfisher! It was so much fun, so enjoyable and I could have devoured it in one sitting, but stretched it out over a weekend because it was so good.

So many things to love about this book. The found family vibe, the complex past that makes up this characters, the magic, the angsty romance... It felt like a Spooky October vibe! If you like horror/gothic vibes but want low stakes and low scares, this is for you! Alix's prose, pacing and beautiful characters in the midst of a dark and magical house... it's just so good!

My only critique and the only reason it's not a 5, is the way the ending came about. It didn't feel as thought out and some parts were a bit off and confusing. I have already pre-ordered my copy and will be re-reading every year!

Thanks NetGalley! Appreciate the opportunity to read and review Starling House!

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

This dark gothic story was wrapped in a shear scarf of whimsy thanks to the love developed between Opal and Arthur. I loved the description of the house and the magical draw it has on Opal. I love that it took actual monsters from a girls imagination to allow her to see the love and kindness that has blanketed her hard life. The lesson of creating your own happiness to change your surroundings is key for Opal and Arthur to both learn.

There were some things that confused me through out the book. I didn’t understand the beasts or the mist that Arthur kept fighting until the very end. And I was really lost on the whole “entering the Underworld”.

I still enjoyed the book and am so glad to have read it!

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #torbooks #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #starlinghouse #alixharrow

I really love gothic horror, and I liked the idea of this book, but it was not the book for me and I was disappointed. This was my first book by this author, but I did not mesh well with the writing style. I found it overly descriptive yet oddly abrupt at the same time. I get gothic horror is about giving details to paint a horrific picture, but this one, just didn’t work. I also found this book a lot slower than I am used too. Yes, gothic horror is a slow burn, but there is usually a good momentum. I did enjoy the touch of romance in this book. And the cover really made me want to pick it up. I am sad it didn’t work for me but I hope it works for you.

Thank you to Tor & Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well isn't this just the perfect read to get you ready for spooky season! STARLING HOUSE is just creepy enough to keep readers on the edge of their seat anticipating what's going to happen next - especially when more information about The Underland is exposed. And the house? Oh Starling House is a beautiful gothic sentient being that I would give almost anything to explore.

Side note - I LOVED the brief Little Shop of Horrors reference early on in the novel and that one of the few people in Opal's corner is the local librarian (which isn't giving that character quite enough credit but I don't want to include any spoilers).

Speaking of Opal, she is scrappy and is fiercely protective of the few people she cares about. I thoroughly enjoy when our "hero" is morally gray. Arthur is an interesting recluse as is how and why he's tied to Starling House.

The mystery is interesting and the conclusion of the conflict is satisfying. While this is perfect as a standalone, I wouldn't say no to a novella giving readers an update on what happens next. Overall, Harrow has done it again with a compelling read seeped in the traditions of the gothic novel.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.

Strange, deep and hopeful- a story where the real horror is provided not by the monsters, but by men.

Starling House is one of my new favourite stories 💙 it's a perfect autumn read, so go preorder it so you can enjoy it in the first days of October! Besides, isn't it gorgeous?

Opal quickly became one of my new fictional friends. Or at least I became hers, she would definitely not warm up easily to a stranger. She has learnt to separate wants from needs, and pours her every waking moment into her goal, to save her brother from the life they got stuck in. Well-meaning but clueless, it takes literal monsters to make her open her eyes to the glimpses of kindness all around her. Random thing I loved about her: Opal's reaction to people's attacks is not fight or flight, it's fawn. She's very aware of it, but it's still coming out as an armour against the world. Did I mention I think we could be friends?

I listened to the ARC and I want to go back and read it slowly to soak in every word. I absolutely loved the narration- Natalie Naudus is simply fantastic and she makes the characters' voices truly come to life 🤎

ALL the stars and a permanent rent-free spot in my brain 🖤

More like 4’5 stars.

Thank you so much Tor for a copy of Starling House!!!

I liked this one A LOT. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because I reserve that for books that completely shatter me—and although this book did not do that, it was still super very enjoyable!

What I adored most about this story was Opal. Alix did such an incredible job with her character that she felt real. She was relatable, self-deprecating,, funny, selfless only for certain people. I loved her because she had flaws, she wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t even pretty! She had cavities and was on the dirtier side, always miserable. She made for such a memorable character.

I enjoyed the magic and the plot as well! I had theories and they turned out not to be true—I’m not great at predictions, oops. The starling house was eerie and interesting, and so were the secrets it held!

So essentially, if you want a spooky fall read, absolutely add this to your list!

What can I say about the newest Alix E. Harrow that I haven’t said about the previous ones?
This book made me cry bitter tears of heartbreak. It made me laugh and cheer and brought my heart to my throat. I wish I could go back and read it again for the first time.

For publisher only: there's a small discrepancy in narrative: Jasper finds Arthur after a multi-day drinking binge after Opal leaves, but there's also a line near the end that says Arthur hasn't touched a drop of alcohol since the day the Corvette went into the water.

Imagine my surprise, and even delight, to have the male lead in a book described as looking like a sick crow and a human gargoyle. This was a total 180 from what we're all used to; by now we expect tall and broad, strong and steady, Matthew Macfayden walking across that field with the chest hair and the coat billowing in the breeze and if you try to tell me that Colin Firth could ever top that I'll insist that you need to see a doctor about your head.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow is my third Alix E. Harrow book and I am firmly an Alix E. Harrow fangirl at this point. (The other two I've read were The Ten Thousand Doors of January which was absolutely perfect in every way and The Once and Future Witches which was also absolutely lovely and wonderful). So when I found out that she'd written a gothic fairytale, nothing could have kept me from this book. Nothing.

Opal has lived a life of deceit, lying as easily as she breathes. Her mother raised her to be wild and carefree, down to choosing whatever last name may suit you at the time. But after her mother's death in a car accident, Opal is forced to grow up fast; she has her decade-younger brother, Jasper, to raise. They scrape by on Opal's job at Tractor Supply in their free Room 12 at the Garden of Eden motel--something that her mother "worked out" with the owner, Bev. Opal does what she can to survive while being haunted by dreams of the notorious Starling House, Eden, Kentucky's most gossiped about haunt.

Starling House is the former home of the now-beloved author, Eleanor Starling, who wrote the macabre Neo-Gothic and modernist children's book The Underland. The Underland is a tale about a young girl who discovers another world full of beasts beneath the ground. E. Starling, as she was professionally known, mysteriously disappeared one day, before being declared dead in 1886. Throughout the years since her disappearance, there have been a hodge podge of "Wardens" of Starling House; as soon as one dies or disappears, there is someone else there to take up the mantle and care for the house.

One day, Opal, having had enough of the dreams of Starling House that call to her so often, stomps up to the gates of the house, where she's told to run by the awkward and hunched resident, Arthur. She does, but she's not so easily turned off, quickly returning, where she is eventually offered a job as a housekeeper at Starling House--the only other person Arthur will let inside its doors. No sooner does Opal begin her employment than she is approached by a corporate looking woman asking questions and demanding secrets about Starling House, and threatens Jasper to force Opal to comply. Since Opal is a natural born liar, though, she does what she can to play everyone in order to keep the hefty income Arthur pays her (which she needs to try and fund a better future for Jasper).

Opal is brash and untrustworthy and absolutely wonderful. She's so different from main characters you're used to in all the best ways, and I freaking loved her. The devotion she had for her brother was so heart warming, and the lengths she'd go for her people, and for her notion of home, were so inspiring. I also loved Arthur, in his non-traditional-male-lead way. Even if he didn't exactly look the part of the romantic love interest we have come to expect, Arthur still has the heart of the brave and noble man we all know and love.

I love Alix E. Harrow's writing style, but I think that this may be my favorite of her books so far. It was dark and depressing while also ending on an inspiring, hopeful note. It felt like both a love letter and a middle finger to Kentucky, at the same time, which seems on brand since Alix is from Kentucky and probably shares many of the same feelings that Opal has about her hometown. I also really enjoyed the real-life problems that we see, making the book that much more relatable. A corporate, money-hungry mega plant poisoning the locals? That same company being able to pay a fine and continue doing what they were doing without making changes? Pollution in the air, making everyone sick? Cancer, asthma, and water that "just isn't quite bad enough for it to kill most folks"? We've seen and heard that all so often in real life. Teflon? Flint? This book will renew your rage.

I honestly can't say enough good things, this book was perfect.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read the E-ARC on Netgalley. I want to address that this is my first time reading a novel from Alix Harrow, so I'm on the fence about reading any other stories by her because I quickly lost interest in this one. I think I was expecting my horror from the story. I also wanted to know more about Opal's mother's upbringing and how it was caring for two children on her own. A huge plus was the characters. All of the characters felt real and unique in their way. However, I could not stand Elizabeth Baine! I say if you love Alix Harrow novels, definitely give this one a try.

Wow so spookily great! I read this in less than 24 hours and couldn’t put it down. It’s a Southern gothic horror story, a love story, a commentary on greed and corporate malfeasance, an examination of small town corruption, and finally a beautiful found family story plus what we’ll do for those we love. It’s so very atmospheric; while not an overly scary horror story, it is pretty creepy. I loved the relationship that developed between Opal and Arthur. They’re both so very damaged and morally grey, but also trying to protect what they care about. Arthur really reminded me of Eammon from For the Wolf.
This story has so many layers; the first half was good, but the second half really shone. I definitely cried a couple of time. Absolutely another beautiful book from Harrow.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Genre: Horror/Fantasy
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Liked the cover
2. Liked the idea of the book

What I Didn't Like:
1. God this writing is so over the top
2. Does the book ever end

Overall Thoughts:
I did not enjoy this book at all. I honestly feel like I've read this book so many times before;
"Tough as nails girl left to take care of a sibling, mother wasn't good with men, mother dies, father out of picture, has to take random job, owner of house is loner, owner of house is out of touch with "poor" people, owner slowly starts to be nice..blah blah.. They fall in love...blah"
This book is edging between Beauty and the Beast too - even with the character reading a retelling of the book in this story.

I found very very odd that they would hire one person randomly to clean this huge house by herself. And of course Opal thinks nothing of this.

I felt weighed down by the overly descriptive writing of every little thing. Describing the smallest thing like a blade of grass felt endless and pointless. Some of the descriptions made me laugh at them.
"Sucks the sugar off of her teeth."
How prey tell does one suck sugar off of their teeth? You'd look ridiculous even trying.

Why in these stories is government assistance never a thing? They just have to suck it up and live in this motel. She would rather her and Jasper struggle for his schooling to pay for it rather than ask for help. But it's even better because her working at the Starling House and putting all her money into the school is pointless because Jasper doesn't want to go. He got a scholarship and Financial aid too. So I guess he didn't need to know any of Opal's info to apply for those things. These two hiding things from one another is ridiculous.

I found the parts of the book with the authors noted very out of place and disruptive. I got the ebook & audiobook and the sections with them were something I found out I didn't care about at all.

Final Thoughts:
I dipped out at page 250. For so many reasons but it just kept going on and on. Opal felt too whiny. The book felt too long. The story is too similar to other stories that told it in a better way.

Recommend For:
• Gothic novels
• Creepy houses
• Sibling stories



Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio & Macmillan. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Obsession doesn’t even begin to describe it. Starling House was a magnificent gothic fantasy story I’ll be holding dear to my heart forever. Magic, mystery, intrigue, and excellently developed main characters. What more could you ask for?! I truly believe there’s something for everyone in this book. Completely perfect for spooky season!!

As a little bit of a slow first half, I ended up really liking Starling House. I think the author had specific and consistent themes that were executed well, which j always love to see. I liked the characters and I believed every relationship in the story, including the romance, which can be hard to do in a fantasy novel.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes fantasy and especially for people who like settings as characters. The titular Starling House was very well done.

Starling House is another winner from Alix Harrow. In this southern gothic tale we are introduced to the town and inhabitants of Eden, Kentucky a down-on-its-luck place that just hasn't been the same since the coal started to dry up. Eden is haunted by the ghosts (both literal and figurative, perhaps) of it's two prominent families, the Starlings and the Gravelys. Their descendants and everyone else in town are still dealing with decisions made long, long ago. Most notably in the form of Starling House and the secrets that lie beneath it. The House is a character and setting in this story and has a strong presence. Eden feels lived in and real and will feel especially real to anyone from a small town in the South. As ever, Alix Harrow weaves magic and reality throughout her stories and she writes complicated characters so well.