If you're the type of person to make two lists, Wants and Needs, I think you should put Starling House on the Needs list. I’m calling it now, it will be the book of the Fall.

It exists in all grey tones and misty fogs, it's angry and raw, it taps into the ugly truths of a small town’s history, and flips the script on the chosen-one trope! This story isn't your average gothic thriller house book and while it may be fiction, its realness is dynamic. (It's also littered with footnotes, ha!)

From the grief, the mystery, the man who tries everything to get rid of Opal for her own protection, the haunting history, and the dash of fantastical house-book shenanigans, Starling House has easily become one of my favorite reads of 2023, maybe even ever.

I've been putting off writing this review for over a month now because I am still at a loss for words. This gothic low fantasy is riveting to say the least. I was sitting in an airport terminal awaiting my flight when the email came through that I received an ARC of Starling House. Let me tell you, there is no better author to fill any weird liminal spaces with than Alix E. Harrow. I dove straight into Starling House and met its immoral girl that dreams of a haunted house and fell instantly in love.

Let me preface though before I get too far into this review that yes, Alix is my favorite author. And yes, I have been waiting for this book since the moment she posted the words "house book" somewhere on the internets' many social sites. So my review is absolutely swayed by my utter excitement to hold two of my favorite things in one tiny kindle copy -- Harrow and a sentient house.

If you know me, you know The Ten Thousand Doors of January is my favorite book. Starling House rivals it. Yes, it is that good!

If Ten Thousand Doors was meant for my inner child, Starling House was meant for whatever my 20's is called. Its thorns and mists, anger and desire. It will live nestled between my ribs forever (a book like this isn't meant for the heart, I think you'll understand once you read it too). Sometimes I feel like Alix writes books that were comprised of my inner thoughts and dreams, the ones I'm too scared to share with others. From the first line of Starling House I knew this book would be no different.


I enjoyed reading a character as rough and resilient as Opal, as determined as Jasper, as wounded as Arthur, and as compassionate as Bev and Charlotte (although I'm sure compassion is not the first word used to describe Bev).

I am grateful to Alix for writing a story with a true undertone of American history and not shying away from the god-awful ugliness. I'm also grateful for the representation of LGBTQ+ characters who were written in such a normal every-day kind of way.

With all this in mind, I give Starling House a resounding five star review if you believe in such a thing. I hope that many others fall in love with this book this October.

Alix E. Harrow has written the Southern Gothic of my dreams. Rich and complicated and full of empathy for complicated people stuck in a rotten place, Starling House is exactly what I want to read when the leaves are turning and the wind is raging against the windows. It might just also be the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've encountered. I would die for every single one of these feral idiots.

Arguably Alix E. Harrow's best work yet. I could almost feel the muggy air on my face and the dust on my skin. Creepy without being heavyhanded. A true masterpiece.

“I dream sometimes of a house I have never seen” what a first line! As soon as I heard Alix E. Harrow had written a contemporary dark fantasy, I had to get my hands on it and I was not disappointed. Opal is a young woman just trying to make the best out of some bad circumstances. She's doing her best to take care of her brother when she comes across a house and the strange, alluring man living inside it. The house is sentient and adds a lot of charm to the book. The problem is, Opal is not the only one interested in the house and she has to fight and lie for this strange place she wants to call home. Good thing she’s used to tough circumstances. This was such a good read. I sighed, gasped, and laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed this gem. Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

"When you've spent too long in the dark, you'll melt your own wings just to feel the sun on your skin."

Eden, Kentucky is not a lucky town for anyone. It's even unluckier for Opal, a cynical orphan who works part-time as a cashier and attempts to raise her baby brother Jasper. But Eden, Kentucky has more than just bad luck, it has the Starling House. Former home of morbid children's author E. Starling, the Starling house is far more than just an imposing Southern Mansion. It's a current resident Arthur is a mystery into himself. Opal has dreamed of the Starling House for most of her life, and when given the opportunity to work at it, she jumps at the chance to see inside, and the money it will provide. Unbeknownst to Opal, Starling House is far more than a vaguely decrepit mansion and has its own host of nightmares seeking the light.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Starling House, it's the southern gothic fairytale that I have been craving. Filled with complicated and often morally grey characters. Opal is a fantastically complicated character, filled with an incredible amount of sarcasm, and a surprising amount of compassion. Compared to Arthur who is mysterious to his core, and makes for a brilliant gothic romance companion. Bonus points for having a Hellcat in the story too. And I would be remiss if I did not mention Starling House itself, no good Gothic story is complete without a mansion. This one just happens to be sentient. The whole story oozes with atmosphere, and I can almost smell the hot summer nights in Eden, Kentucky. Nights filled with an eerie, unexplainable mist with hints of honeysuckle. An excellent read for the spooky season. Filled with the perfect combination of the unearthly and moments of coziness, the Starling House should immediately go on your TBR for October. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an E-ARC.

I'm a big fan of Alix E. Harrow's writing and have loved following their career -- which made my general dislike of Starling House extremely disappointing. Though the writing is there, the story lacked the level of substance I'm used to from Harrow.

This was something that I couldn't put down. I went in expecting a fantasy novel, but was drawn more into the relationships and the small Southern town setting. Set in a toxic town that is rotting from the inside out, the characters all feel very real. They hold onto things they shouldn't, make endless (incorrect) assumptions, have horrible communication skills, and everyone in the story needs therapy. The healthiest personality in this book is a haunted house. I loved this book to pieces. 10 out of 5 stars.

This was my first Alix Harrow book and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the gothic feel and tone as well as the suspense as to what would happen next!

From the characters to the mysterious town, to the mysterious estate it was all just such an engrossing read.

Definitely will be checking out the backlist asap!

Thank you for the early copy!

This book is the perfect atmospheric read for those rainy autumn days when you want to curl up with a blanket and a cup of coffee.

I found Starling House a bit difficult to get into at first but once I settled in, I was definitely sucked into the town of Eden and it's many secrets.

The writing was superb and authentic to the author but I did find that the characters fell a bit flat for me. The romance was sweet but I was not entirely convinced. I did however love Starling House as a sentient character and thought that was done very well.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Tor, and Alix E. Harrow for the opportunity to read Starling House as an ARC! This was easily one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I am so pleased to report that it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Harrow’s writing style is such a delicious blend of unique storyline and beautiful prose that allows her readers to experience each novel in an all-encompassing way; Starling House is a perfect example.

This is a story about a girl, about grief, about longing, about a magic house, and about an exploration of love and connection. I have always loved books about magic/sentient spaces, and the House displayed itself perfectly as the kind of place I would dream about, too. I loved the differences in narration from Opal and Arthur’s point of view, as well as the development of their connection to one another. I desperately wish the epilogue were longer so I could have held onto them a little bit longer, but I don't think this story could've ended any other way.

Starling House releases on Halloween this year, which is truly the perfect atmosphere for reading this book. It’s the perfect mixture of unsettling and heartwarming at the same time, and I look forward to adding it to my shelf along titles like Juniper and Thorn, A Dowry of Blood, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and Other Words for Smoke. I have a feeling I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time, and I highly recommend giving it a shot!

4.5
This begins with strong Melissa Albert vibes (and I mean that in the best possible way) but resolves somewhere entirely unique. The deeply satisfying snark from the main character made up for a couple of thinner plot points.

So good!

Opal, an orphan who will beg, borrow, and steal to make a better life for her younger brother, encounters Arthur, the latest heir in a long line of Starlings who is the current warden of Starling House. The strange (and sentient) house was built in the late 1800’s by Eleanor Starling, mysterious author of The Underland - a famous children’s book published in 1881. Opal dreams of Starling House and can’t resist the opportunity to work for Arthur, even though nobody but the coroner has ever seen the inside of the house.

Starling House protects the world (and especially Eden) from an unimaginable evil. In more recent years, the wardens don’t last as long and the house can barely contain its sinister secret. Arthur promises to be the last warden of Starling House by uncovering and facing the malevolent force hiding behind a single locked door. Opal and Arthur must fight Gravely Power (the most influential business and family in the area) and supernatural beasts, while uncovering the true history of Starling House and its connection to Opal.

I was immediately captured by Harrow’s descriptive language, which brought Starling House to life. It was difficult to put this book down and go about my daily routine. I wanted to crawl into this story and ignore everything else. I love that the protagonists were flawed, and even though Opal and Arthur are described as unappealing, I couldn’t help but see the beauty in them. The story is haunting, with a true sense of place. The pace is perfect as it builds towards the climax, weaving in history and memories, which fill in any gaps. Harrow likes to use footnotes in fiction, which helped to clarify a few plot points. This book is perfect for fans of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, and Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs.

Alix E Harrow does it again! I have been waiting for this book for so long! Dark and mysterious only begins to describe it. This novel is so hauntingly beautiful you will not be able to read fast enough!

Thanks so much to Tor for allowing me to read a Netgalley arc of this book by one of my favorite authors!

This is Harrow's third full-length novel, and I highly anticipate getting my hands on a physical copy of it, even more so after reading the arc. I hope to preorder a special edition. I see myself tabbing / annotating the book like I highlighted and left notes in the digital arc on my kindle.

Starling House, which had more than one potential title in its early life, has so much to offer readers. It's a Gothic fantasy novel with metafiction elements, a romance subplot, and personification of the House. Found family is a key part to Opal's life, and I love understanding that with her. There is a little blood magic here with portal fantasy for the Underland portions of the story. Reading this reminded me of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Gallant by V E Schwab. I was also slightly reminded of The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Harrow directly and indirectly alludes to many other literary works including: The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Boxcar Children, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Rip Van Winkle, Greek & Roman mythology, Ovid, and I'm sure other literature that I missed. The use of footnotes adds that something extra to truly make the story and Eden's history feel real. I must note the poetic use of naming the unfortunate town Eden, after all. Being a Louisiana girl, I am very aware of the overlay map of the historical paths of the Mississippi River and appreciate how it is incorporated into everything.

Opal feels very much like a lost girl, despite raising her younger brother, Jasper, after losing their mom. I think anyone who has searched for home in any sense of the word could identify with her. How much does our past and/or our family define us? Do we decide who we are or does everyone else? Are we constantly running away from something or towards something? Is dreaming worth our time and energy? These are all questions Starling House caused to tug at my mind. I loved it and am anxious to see the finished work. Perfect read for a crisp, chilly fall day of night, which is ideal for its Halloween release date.

Writing: 4.5/5 Plot: 3/5 Characters: 3/5

A haunted house in a dying town (the inaptly named “Eden”). Somehow bound up with snarly Beasts, the house attracts a new Warden to defend itself (and the town?) through the dreamworld whenever the current Warden dies or disappears. And yet somehow Opal — struggling to keep herself and younger brother going long enough to get out of Eden — finds herself attracted to the house and the strange, gaunt, and equally haunted Warden against her better judgement.

I’ve read and loved (5 star reviews) every Harrow book to date, but I admit to being a bit disappointed in this one. Wonderful writing, as always, and characters that I cared about, but the characters were all stereotypes — nicely drawn stereotypes, but stereotypes nonetheless. And the “bad guys” didn’t even have the depth of a decent stereotype. Additionally, the pace was quite slow and I felt like I had to read a lot of words before the story inched forward. I’m sure the extra prose added deeply depicted ambiance, but I grew impatient. It’s got all the feeling of a nice creepy horror story with a good ending, some recovery-style positive self-discovery, and an odd, but compelling, love story along the way.

Just a couple of quotes:

“It’s just that I had to work eight Entire hours with Lacey Matthews, the human equivalent of unsalted butter.“

“Mr. Cole is a nice man, but he doesn’t know what to do with people raised on the underside of the rules, where the world turns dark and lawless, where only the canny and cruel survive.”

“Even if it’s only a foolish old house with ambitions of sentience.”

My first Alix E. Harrow book (I know, I know, I'm sorry) and I can't wait to dive in! This cover is gorgeous and I think I've finally started to really hit my ✨Fantasy Reads Girlie-era✨ stride over the last few months (which is a goal of mine for this year), so I'm excited to start branching out more now that I've figured out what I like and don't like. Thank you Tor for this advanced e-copy and opportunity!

Different, original, fantastical, out of the box. This read ticked a lot of boxes, end was a little weak , but it did fit the storyline well.

. Living in the downtrodden bad luck town of Eden, Opal is continually drawn to the towns haunted house, even invading her dreams. Opal and her brother live in a motel room and she’ll do anything to ensure she makes enough money to get her brother out of this dead bad luck town. So she forces her way into cleaning Starling House which seems alive and embraces her presence. She even begins to like it’s sole occupant, Arthur Starling who has a purpose in the house she still can’t understand. Well written, with great characters, and plot.

There are a lot of things I enjoyed about Starling House, but overall found this to be a surprisingly generic read (surprising because I'm a big fan of Alix Harrow's earlier novels which I found very unique and engaging). Starling House does deliver in many aspects - it's very atmospheric with an evocative haunting setting and achingly bittersweet plot, and turns of phrases that will cut you dead. There are strong themes of family (and found family), choices and loyalty, and who you are in your most desperate moments.

In terms of what didn't work for me - I thought the romance was weak, and didn't find the character voice(s) very distinct. Though overall well written, there were a lot of generic-feeling elements - a grumpy caretaker with a secret heart of gold, a down-on-her-luck, hard-as-nails older sister with a secret heart of gold who's just trying to provide a better life for her younger brother, and a magic house with ~secrets~ (and a secret heart of gold?).

The print version does look absolutely gorgeous, and since there were some formatting issues with the e-arc, I may give this another try once it's released.

Alix Harrow is back with yet another masterpiece for us. Can they ever miss? They haven't yet. I really enjoyed the characters and how they were developed throughout this story, and the pace was set nicely.