Alix E. Harrow does it again! She writes relatable characters and interesting stories. This book was spooky, fun, and intriguing. Opal is a great main character and I loved the parts that were written from her perspective. Overall, this book was a pleasure to read and the perfect book for an October/fall read. Starling House did not disappoint!

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Review:

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thanks!

Look no further for the perfect book to get you in the mood for the spooky season, Starling House is here and ready to send chills down your spine at every turn. Alix E. Harrow has such a way with her prose, and this book is no exception. I love her use of footnotes to add details into the story, the characterizations, the world. There is just so much to love about Starling House and I hope this review will entice you to pick it up this spooky season.

First and foremost, the characters are what drives this story, at least it did for me. Opal and Arthur were such forces, and I am glad that we were able to get both of their perspectives throughout this story. While I wish we had more focused time on building their relationship, the choice to pace the story the way Harrow did was much better in terms of plot, so it can be forgiven. These are two people who so desperately want to belong, and find this space of belonging inside this haunted house.

I love the idea of a personified house, as even one with the best intentions is still as creepy as fuck. Starling House, itself, embodies this creepiness but at the same time draws you in because it really does want what is best for its Warden.

Speaking of Wardens, I really loved that aspect of the story. I loved all of the different perspectives we got as to the backstory of the house. The history aspect of this book is so reflective of the way historical stories are written, and as a history lover, it just made my heart so very happy. It emphasizes the importance of the history of Starling House.

I really do not want to give too much about this book away, so I will leave my review there, with the mystery of the story still in tact. This is a book you want to go into blind, or at least, with knowing as little as possible. I hope you will all fall in love with this story of a rag tag girl and ugly boy as much as I did.

Starling House released October 3rd, 2023

This book just landed Harrow in my auto-buy category. I have been slowly trying to complete all her works (it's hard when you have a TBR stack a mile long) BUT I'm doing my best. This book is neck and neck tied as my favorite with Once & Future Witches, if you haven't read it, you're sadly missing out.

It seems as if Eden, Kentucky is coated in bad luck. It's only claim to fame: Big Jack the giant coal mining machine that dug it's own grave (morbid) and Eleanor Starling. Starling penned and illustrated the one hit children's book wonder, The Underland before disappearing all together without a trace. The only thing she left behind was Starling House, which is left alone due to the deadly rumors that surround the home....oh and no one wants to deal with the sole cantankerous heir, Arthur. Insert Opal, who has bigger worries than a "haunted" house and one vexing man.

There are times that Harrow's purple prose gets a bit much for me, however she more than makes up for it everywhere else. There's so many different story threads Harrow has layered in, and each one is better than the next. Do yourself a favor and pick up Starling House! You will NOT regret it! Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC! I can't wait for the next novel!

Starling House if a fun piece of horror fiction. I could almost call it a Gothic, though it's set in the recent past. The characters have that mix of likable/unlikable traits that make them seem more real than the purely holy or the purely diabolic. There's a strange, mostly forgotten house that draws a special few in offering alternating terror with a sort of edificial nourishment. There are horrors aplenty, some otherworldly, others destructive variations on capitalist greed.

I read this title in two nights and enjoyed myself immensely. Was I terrified? No. But there were moments of enthrallment.

If you like classic horror with a modern twist, you'll want to keep an eye out for Starling House.

I'm not sure exactly how I would categorize this book - gothic, soft-core horror, mystery, ghost story, a little bit of all four - but whatever it is, it's gorgeous.

Opal is NOT your quintessential I-woke-up-one-day-and-discovered-I'm-a-special-princess character. Rather, she's flawed and prickly and makes really terrible decisions. It doesn't even matter that her intentions are good, it just seems like she does everything wrong. And I really like that. Because then she has to go through the process of fixing her mistakes, too. And Arthur is not your typical hero; we find that out from the very first introduction and description of him. That said, these characters are deep and they are memorable.

There are some supporting characters - Jasper, Charlotte, Bev - who are also a part of the story, each in their own way, and these characters are just as important as Opal and Arthur. There is also more to all of them than first appears.

Starling House is a character in the book, as well, and while one could call it a "haunted house" I think Starling House is more sentient than haunted. Well, maybe haunted in terms of anguished, but not necessarily ghosty. It sent the stage for a lot of important things that happen both above and below.

Harrow wields language in a way that astounds me; I felt this book in my bones.

If you liked Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, you might want to give this one a try.

Obsessed doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about this book. The writing is absolutely stunning and the atmosphere was so dark and rich. I absolutely adored this book and is one I will not be shutting up about anytime soon.
I think the mix of gothic and romantic was perfectly executed and created a story so perfect to my taste. It was everything I could've wanted in a fall read.

DNF @ 80%. I couldn’t do it anymore. The story moved so slow, the actual plot didn’t pick up until like 65% and by then it felt rushed and confusing.

This book along with "Once and future witches" are the perfect fall combo. Neither book by this author are to scary or over the top on horror - its a nice middle ground that sets "fall/spooky vibes". With this book you get a spooky haunted house, and with the other witches galore. I can't recommend these enough and I would go out on a limb and say that The ten thousand doors of January is also a nice inclusion for some magical elements/realism too.

Alix E. Harrow's Starling House is a beautifully written and atmospheric dark fantasy novel. The story follows Opal, a young woman living in the dying town of Eden, Kentucky, who is drawn to the mysterious and decaying Starling House. As she delves deeper into the house's secrets, she uncovers a dark history that threatens to consume the entire town.

Harrow's writing is evocative and lyrical, and she creates a truly unforgettable sense of place in Eden. The town and its inhabitants feel real and flawed, and the house itself is a character in its own right. The plot is well-paced and suspenseful, and Harrow does a masterful job of building tension and atmosphere.

However, there are a few things that prevent me from giving Starling House five stars. First, the pacing slows down a bit in the middle of the book, as Opal explores the house and learns about its history. Second, the ending felt a bit rushed to me. I would have liked to see more resolution for some of the plot threads.

Overall, Starling House is a well-written and enjoyable dark fantasy novel. I would recommend it to fans of the genre, as well as anyone who enjoys atmospheric and suspenseful stories.

Here are some specific things I liked about the book:

The writing is beautiful and evocative. Harrow has a real gift for creating a sense of place and atmosphere.
The characters are complex and well-developed. Opal is a particularly sympathetic and relatable protagonist.
The plot is well-paced and suspenseful. Harrow does a great job of building tension and keeping the reader guessing.
The book explores some interesting themes, such as the nature of good and evil, the power of stories, and the importance of community.
Overall, I thought Starling House was a great read and I would definitely recommend it to others.

I was looking so forward to Starling House, especially with that gorgeous cover art. Sadly, the book missed the mark for me. I found the main character Opel, hard to relate to with all her lies. It bothered me how she and her brother hid so much from each other. The story of "Underland" was hard to buy into to, and even more difficult for me to imagine. The story did not work for me.

This is probably my favorite book by Alix E. Harrow. It's all the magic and strangeness of The Ten Thousand Doors of January with all the righteous feminine fury of The Once and Future Witches. It's beautiful and gruesome; perfect for October.

If you like:
- sentient houses
- environmental protections
- men with mullets who look like underfed crows (maybe that's just me...)
- finding where you belong

Then you absolutely with out a doubt must read Starling House by Alix E. Harrow!!

For real, this is a new favorite and I feel so justified in calling Harrow a favorite author. Her writing is so immersive and she perfectly cultivates the claustrophic small town vibe.

All the characters in this book are perfection. I am in love with Arthur and his soft martyr boy tendencies. Opal is sharp as nails and just as dangerous (they're rusted nails that will infect you if scratched). Somehow a house was one of my favorite characters too? The house had so much personality and was clearly so attached to its occupants. And the hellcat!! Baste!! I adored every line written about that little beast.

I'm sure I have more to say, I highlight over 80 lines. But I'll leave it at this for now, if you like fantasy in any way, this is a must read.

I haven't actually read any of Alix E. Harrow's books before, and I'm so glad that I finally gave her work a try. Starling House is a fantastic book that combines elements of horror and fantasy with a story about the difficulties of living in a dying coal mining town in Kentucky.

Opal lives with her younger brother in a motel room in Eden, Kentucky. Ever since their mother died she's devoted every moment to making sure that Jasper can eventually have the life that he deserves--a life that lets him escape Eden and the pollution that contributes to his frequent asthma attacks. Aside from this single minded goal Opal is closed off to pretty much everything and everyone else around her. She is so used to being responsible for herself and Jasper that it's hard for her to accept help even from those who offer it. In her experience nothing is free, and any offer of aid is suspicious. Enter Starling House, and its caretaker Arthur Starling.

Starling House was made famous in the late 1800s when the reclusive Eleanor Starling built the house and published an unsettling book called The Underland. Local legends are conflicted on Eleanor's story--she was an outsider who married one of the richest men in town. Did she kill him? Did she love him? Was she a villain or a victim or both? These days the town of Eden is in decline. The Gravely family who run the old coal mines and the energy plant are cutting corners everywhere. The water and air are polluted, the factory continues to grow, and the rate of accidents is suspiciously high.

Opal has been dreaming of Starling House her entire life. When she is offered a job cleaning the house by Arthur Starling she can't resist either the money or the mystery. What she finds is different from anything she expected, but perhaps exactly what she needs.

I loved Opal as a protagonist. She is prickly and determined and sometimes too stubborn to accept help when it's offered. She often misunderstands the feelings and motivations of those around her, and a large part of her story arc is her learning to see the people in her life as they really are. The supernatural elements of the story are wonderfully woven into a tale about wealth inequality, corporate greed, and the secrets small town life can hide. Starling House is a wonderful October read and I intend to go back and read all of Alix E. Harrow's previous work as well.

Two lost, lonely souls long for one another amidst the dust and gloom of a haunted house? Swoooooon.

Starling House is the story of Opal, a scrappy, stubborn woman fiercely protecting the only family she has left. Beaten down by life and circumstance, she takes a chance on working at the notoriously decrepit Starling House. Yet as Opal gets to know the peculiar and reclusive Arthur Starling, she sees how greed and hatred have festered into a curse. And that the Starling House is not the only haunted and cursed thing in Eden, Kentucky.

Y’all, if you like your characters gasping, grasping, running ragged, and just slowly coming apart at the seams, you’re going to absolutely love Opal and Arthur. They are the dregs. They are the diamonds in the rough. They are the fools gold shining brightly in the decay and detritus.

In the tradition of Southern Gothic haunted house stories, Starling House is languid puzzle, a labyrinth in every way. It is slow and creeping as you make your way heedlessly toward inevitable tragedy. It is the epitome of a slow burn. The house calls you as it called Opal and Arthur, singing its eerie siren song until you’re trapped in its gaping maw.

Anyway, Alix is a witch and remains my favorite author.

Starling House comes out on Oct 3, which is SO soon and wow, what perfect opportunity for you to preorder it from Barnes and Noble’s preorder sale. Hint hint. Thank you so much TOR for sending me an arc in response to my incredibly unhinged request email.

TL;DR REVIEW:

Starling House is another top-notch novel from Alix E. Harrow. It was perfect for fall, exactly the plunge into plot that I needed, with lovable characters to boot.

For you if: You like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch.

FULL REVIEW:

Well, folks, Alix Harrow has done it again. She’s an auto-read author for me, and every new book she publishes reaffirms that decision — including this one. (The Once and Future Witches is still my favorite of hers, but that’s because of that book’s sheet brilliance, not because of any flaws in Starling House.)

The book takes place in the fictional blue-collar town of Eden, Kentucky (which is actually based on a real town whose history Harrow describes on her Substack). Opal is a young woman just trying to keep her and her younger brother, who is in high school, fed. She’s also haunted by dreams of Starling House, the ancient Victorian with a reclusive warden that nobody likes to talk about. And honestly, I don’t know how to keep going with this synopsis because there is just so much: a fairy tale kid’s book, magical beasts, a sentient house, a lonely pining man with tattoos and a sword, a cat named Baast, and a plot that unearths slavery and racism and and its lingering repercussions today. Basically, IT HAS IT ALL.

Truly, I loved my time with this book. It’s perfect for October, with all the gothic vibes without going full-on horror. I also loved Opal as a main character. She’s not quite reliable, but she’s got a ton of spirit and grit. Her choices aren’t always perfect, but her heart’s in the right place, and it’s easy to empathize with her. I also loved Arthur and their slow-burn romance. The audiobook edition of this one was also excellent, with Natalie Naudus incredible as always.

TLDR: If you like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch, this is a good choice!



CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Death of a parent/grief; Fire/Fire Injury; Violence and blood; Sexual content (minor)

Okay, I am convinced that Alix E. Harrow can do no wrong. I have loved all of the books that I have read written by this amazingly talented author so far (I still need to read The Once and Future Witches and I promise to get to it sometime soon.). This story grabbed me from the very start, and I didn’t want to stop listening. I had a fantastic time with this entertaining novel that I found almost impossible to put down.

Opal was a wonderful character, and I wanted to see things work out for her and her brother. She has faced a lot of challenges in her life and does what needs to be done to care for both herself and her brother. She can’t turn down the job at Starling House that she is offered. Arthur was equally amazing. He is doing the best that he can with the situation that he has found himself in. I loved the gothic vibe of the story and thought that it was just creepy enough to really pull me in.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Natalie Naudus did a wonderful job with the story. I loved the voices that she used that helped bring the characters and story to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of the story. I will definitely be recommending this one to others. I found this story to be a wonderful tale filled with characters that were easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of Alix E. Harrow’s writing.

I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Tor Books.

I read and listened to this one thanks to NetGalley and it BLEW ME AWAY. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I loved this book. Alix E. Harrow creates a haunted house story that transcends the genre. Starling House is what I had hoped The Death of Jane Lawrence would have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Alix E. Harlow is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. As someone who loves to read spooky fantasies and mysteries right as Halloween comes around, this book felt right up my alley. Harlow did not disappoint.

Opal was an excellent heroine and with the novel predominantly in her POV, thank goodness. I really felt like I was able to get in her head, especially since her chapters were in first person. It really drove the creepy thriller aspect that Harlow was trying to achieve and it was in nice contrast to the third person POV of Arthur.

I loved thus book because it was scary without being too scary, it was fanciful without being over the top, and there was just a perfect amount of mystery and thriller to keep it interesting. Definitely a great Halloween read!

This was a book I was always going to read. The cover is right up my alley, of course. But the description of the story with its references to gothic houses and brooding men was also ticking all of the right boxes. On top of all of that, this is the same author who wrote “The Ten Thousand Doors of January,” a book I absolutely adored. Now, all of that said, I was a bit concerned going in due to the fact that this is a contemporary fantasy novel set in our modern world. For whatever reason, I’m very picky about this subgenre of fantasy. But it’s also just a tall task to write a compelling story that introduces magical elements into a world that in every other way is the same as our own. One or the other often is lacking in believability, either the magic or the description of our current society, leading to a disjointed weave where neither element really works with the other. But, frankly, this book served as a relief and reassurance: there ARE contemporary fantasy novels out there that work for me!

There was so much to love about this book, but I think I have to start with the voice of the main character. Yes, the book is broken up between two POVs, but it is not an even split, with Opal narrating the majority of the book. I won’t go off again on my main rants about the success of failure of multi-POV books, but I will note that Harrow takes advantage of an approach that I think vastly helps in this endeavor, and one that is often overlooked by authors. Opal, the primary narrator, tells her story in first person, while Arthur’s chapters are told from third person. Such a simple solution, but one that makes them easily distinguishable from one another without falling into the common trap of writing two voices that sound nearly identical. Third person storytelling is also the dominant form of storytelling across genres for a reason in that it allows a greater lens of commentary and description of events and scenes. So using this method, we are centered in Opal’s very distinctive voice, but through Arthur’s chapters, we are given a wider view of the greater circumstances.

But let’s get back to Opal. First person is a hard writing style to tackle, and one that I feel few authors truly master, often feeling that many books would be elevated form the mundane to the more exceptional had a simple change of tense been employed. But Harrow proves here how successful first person storytelling can be when done right. Opal’s voice is fierce, unique, and so clearly her own from the very start that the reader will immediately feel as if they know the exact type of person narrating the story before many details are even revealed. What’s more, Opal’s narration is clearly that of a somewhat unreliable narrator, which I think is the only honest way to truly do first person narration. When a character can only evaluate people and events from the perspective of their own world-view, their understanding colored by their own insecurities and past experiences, OF COURSE their narration is unreliable! Such is Opal’s story, an honest, and at time heart breaking, look at the harsh realities of poverty and small town life, but one that is also told from the perspective a young woman who has fought every day to make a life for herself and her brother. Opal isn’t a perfect person, but her story is one of self-acceptance, and learning the true nature of trust and family. It’s bracing at times, but ultimately beautiful.

Arthur’s story also covers some deep themes, such as duty, responsibility, choice, and, similar to Opal, family and grief. Of course, tied between them is a lovely slow-burn romance of the exact variety that I prefer. Firstly, their relationship is secondary to the overall story. And secondly, it develops in a natural manner full of small, every day moments and delayed realizations. Beyond these two, the house itself played a very unexpected role. I definitely went into the book expecting a certain type of haunted house story, and while some of this held true, I was also surprised and very pleased with the nuance brought to the house itself. In many ways, it served as an important third character all on its own.

I also loved the setting and overall story. The pacing was steady and gripping from the very start, never once lulling or letting the reader free from its captivating grip. Pieces to the larger mystery are slowly unspooled, all while greater and greater tension brews in the looming conflict between the house, its caretakers, and those who exist beyond it. Every time I felt like I had a good grasp on exactly where this story was going, it would abruptly swerve into an entirely different lane. The end, especially, took a turn I wasn’t expecting at all, but ended up really enjoying.

Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s stayed with me every since I finished it, and it’s definitely been one of those “ruiner” reads where I’ve struggled picking up my next few books because my mind keeps drifting back to this one. This is the sort of book that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is fantasy, of course, but it also has elements of horror and historical fiction. Beyond this, it delves deeply into themes of power, privilege, and rage, topics that I think will interest many readers. And, of course, any fans of Harrow’s work previously should definitely check this one out.

Rating 10: Haunting in the true sense of the word, this book will stick with you long after you’ve finished the last page.

(Link will go live October 20)