What an eerily thrilling short read. Iðunn is an interesting but unremarkable character who is experiencing extreme fatigue. After endless doctor tests and trying everyone's suggestions on how to increase her energy, she seems to stumble on the cause of her exhaustion. The truth behind her fatigue is more shocking and far from the ordinary.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Hildur Knutsdottir for an advance copy of The Night Guest in exchange for an honest review. Ok ok ok, I’m newer to horror but I definitely devoured this book in one sitting. Here’s my thing, I love my book endings to usually be tied up with a pretty little bow at the end and this one STILL has me trying to put together what the heck the ending meant! With that being said, an unreliable narrator (like the one in the story) definitely works with this ending. This book is a great avenue for people wanting to dip their toes in the horror genre & it is out now!!

Hildur Knutsdottir's The Night Guest is a beautifully crafted novel that delves into themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural. Set in a remote Icelandic village, the story follows a young woman named Anna who is struggling to cope with the recent death of her husband.

Knutsdottir's prose is evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid picture of the stark and unforgiving Icelandic landscape. The novel's pacing is deliberate, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the haunting and mysterious atmosphere of the story.

The central character of Anna is complex and relatable. Her journey of grief and healing is portrayed with sensitivity and empathy. As she grapples with the unexplained occurrences in her home, the reader is drawn into a world of doubt, fear, and the possibility of something more.

While the supernatural elements in the story are intriguing, it's the exploration of human emotion that truly shines. Knutsdottir masterfully captures the nuances of grief and the ways in which it can manifest in unexpected ways. The novel's ending is both haunting and satisfying, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, The Night Guest is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. It's a must-read for fans of atmospheric fiction and those seeking a haunting and unforgettable story.

4.5⭐️ from me! Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC:

In the last year I’ve come to learn I really do love me some creepy sleep horror, and the Night Guest delivers in creepy sleepwalking tension as Iðunn tries to navigate first mysterious bruises and exhaustion and later long trips away from her home she has no memory of. Additionally, most of her professional and personal relationships have a level of discomfort to them that adds to the tension of the story, as well as the mystery of what exactly is happening to her. This book was a quick read and hard to put down, with several surprisingly short chapters that also affected the tension and pushed the narrative along effectively, and I enjoyed both the story and the formatting of it. I didn’t expect to see the cat deaths, so that was a little jarring, but nothing was particularly graphic, though it also really wasn’t explained why it happened either, which is keeping me from giving full stars. I’d definitely explore more from this author

Trigger Warnings: Abuse to animals and mental health issues.

This has to be one of the strangest stories that I have read this year, possibly a lot of years. It is told from the POV of the main character.

I started to write a brief description of the plot, but found that there is no way to tell about what I just read. The chapters are very short, some are
only a sentence long, making this a very quick and easy book to read. The ending is extremely abrupt, and there are many unanswered questions left in your mind.

This is my first book by this author and i absolutely ate it up it was brilliant and I read it in one sitting as the chapters were short but left you wanting more, the main character falls asleep one night accidentally and wakes ups to find she has done over 40000 steps and is covered in scrapes and bruises and she doesn’t seem to be getting any sort of answers from her gp etc it’s brilliant I loved it something different than my usual read I will definitely read anything else this author brings out 5 stars

Content Warning: This book deals with mentions of harm to animals.

Are you ever afraid of what you may do while you are asleep? This book contemplates just that. In this book, the main character wakes up each morning feeling exhausted with injuries that she cannot explain. As she delves into why she might be dealing with such injuries, she discovers more and more about her nighttime activities.

I was initially attracted to this book because of its setting in Iceland, but I’m so glad I got ahold of it. This is more of a psychological horror book, which is a type of book that I rarely read, but the author had me guessing until the very end. The main character really struggles with trying to figure out if what she’s thinking and feeling is all in her head or something larger. The anxiety the main character feels is super impactful, and there is a tension throughout the entirety of the book. I had a hard time putting this one down, just because I kept trying to read to find a break in the tension, but there was none! If you like a tense and unsettling read, this one is absolutely for you.

The characters in this book are very few, but they are extremely interesting. The book was written in the first person, so the internal monologue of the main character was fascinating. You could really sense the psychological turmoil that she was dealing with throughout the book. There are mentions of loss in the book, and the author does an excellent job of exploring the main characters thoughts and feelings about the subject in small bits throughout the story.

The author also develops complex relationships with the main character and secondary characters in the book. These relationships further add to the tension and overall dark atmosphere of the book. Without giving spoilers, there is one particular relationship that really left me scratching my head in the most interesting way possible.

Overall, I really liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone that likes psychological horror. That being said, I do have a few reservations about the book. First, the harm to animals was really hard for me to deal with. Fortunately, I had looked around a little on Goodreads, so I was a little prepared for it, but still, I had a hard time with it. I would also have liked a little more closure at the end of the story. I liked the ending, but for me, I like a little more closure.

Bottom line: I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror or psychological horror books and is looking for a quick read.
I want to offer a huge thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing a copy of The Night Guest to me via Net Galley for review. Any opinions offered in this review are mine alone.

Our heroine has a habit of waking up feeling as if she's been dragged through a hedge backwards – scratched, bruised, completely knackered. The doctor – even the new female one, as opposed to the one she sexistly takes a dislike to – finds nothing wrong. Knowing this, and knowing this is a kind of dark genre read, we think she may have an incubus. But when her new pedometer starts to show bizarre figures based on overnight shenanigans, and clues build to her being very much to blame for her activity – well, you begin to wonder if she is not herself a succubus. What is going on when she turns in for the night?

There is an economy here, as shown by the reading time being a decent sub-three hours for the audio (and by the producers apparently having the translator narrate it). Some chapters are even a solitary line. But when it comes to the way we discover a key fact about the story, brought out by a new guy having the hots for her, it's done very awkwardly – flippantly dismissive of the way the audience should learn such things. Such is the effect of the problem that while it's probably the only one here, it could well be a game-changer.

As it was I was happy to read on, and glad I did – the concision increasing at key times, the feel of the woman out of control a well-presented one, and the mystery coming out very nicely. Ultimately it doesn't shatter the earth in any novel way, but it does provide for a dark nightmare that could well have you thinking about it for weeks. It's a tasty, adults-only read that evokes nocturnal mysteries and sleeplessness well enough to cause some of it itself – definitely four stars.

I was a bit worried about this one because I don't handle animal cruelty well but thankfully this wasn't as graphic as it could have been. I read it very quickly. My only complaint is that I felt it ended very abruptly, but maybe that was the point.

The Night Guest is a really interesting short horror novel. The pacing was really fast so I got through it in no time, and enjoyed the reading experience for the most part. There were a few things that didn’t quite hit for me in the way that I’d want a short horror novel to. I was almost expecting it to pack more of a punch, I think. The translation was really well done! It didn’t feel choppy or have any odd/awkward parts, in my opinion.

The ending did leave much to be desired for me. I don’t mind semi-vague or open endings but I found this one to be a bit too vague and open ended for me, bordering on too abrupt.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and netgalley for my copy of this!

Um...okay, a little better than 3 [stars)] For one thing, there were so many tiny chapters--and only a few of them justified the blank page space. (Not all, though--but it got to the point of teetering between innovative play-with-the-readers' heads, and overplayed novelty stunt.) There seemed to be echoes of Sara Gran's classic "Come Closer"--but this story took directions that justified its own telling. Much of the sometimes-underplayed, sometimes-stark verbiage, syntax, etc. gripped me. I also credit both author and translator for conveying nuances that I believe had me in modern Icelandic twentysomething/office-drone life. But there were sections in the protagonist's workplace; relationships--including with parents; and aloneness (or was it?) that didn't maintain a consistently involving intensity. More than just a nice try, and I'm glad for the read (much obliged, Netgalley), and I hope to hear about more in the future from this author.

Engaging, quick pacing. I personally don’t like “open to interpretation” endings and wish there’d been at least another chapter or two, but I really liked the rest of the story and stayed up late into the night to finish it. The translation was extremely well done, and I really enjoyed the unfamiliar (to me) setting - learning more about Iceland was cool. I feel like maybe some more backstory about the sister's relationship might've done the story well, because as it stands, that whole thing seemed to come from out of nowhere.

First off thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire Publishing for the ARC!

Iõunn is having troubling sleeping, and is waking up with crazy bruises and has no idea why.
This one is definitely on the paranormal vibe but not in the way I thought.
It just lacked some oomph for me, felt blah. But it might be your jam.

2/5 ⭐️

This was a great quick little read if you are looking for something you can read in one sitting.

With that said, I just felt there were too many questions left unanswered. I was hoping for more and the character felt very one-dimensional. I understand it is a novella but I wish there was just a bit more development character and plotwise.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan Audio as well as the author for both the ebook and the audiobook ARCs in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TorPublishingGroup #MacAudio2024 #macmillanaudio #TheNightGuest
#Hildur Knútsdóttir #MaryRobinetteKowal
Title: The Night Guest
Author: Hildur Knútsdóttir
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Format: Both ebook and audiobook
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group/ Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 3, 2024

Themes: Chronic illness,
Trigger Warnings: graphic animal death/cruelty, near date rape, invisible illness

This unusual novella was a ride…ending in a fall. It tells the story of Iðunn and her invisible illness. Every morning, she wakes up exhausted and increasingly odd bruises and injuries, often with blood somewhere on her body. She seeks medical attention and nothing appears to be wrong, but she’s still waking up fatigued. When she falls asleep one night with her step-counting watch, she sees that there are 40,000 steps on it that she can’t explain. Is she sleep-walking? Why all th4 blood and worsening injuries? Why hasn’t anyone seen anything? What’s going on? Does she want to know?

Oh my goodness, why did the cats have to be involved?! I would have enjoyed this very unique story a lot more had that not been in it. Even so, though, I mostly enjoyed this one a lot. The writing style is superb. I loved the snark and the sarcasm of the main protagonist! I felt like I would be friends with Iðunn. The psychological horror makes a great hook into the weirdness of the story. I discovered that this was originally written in Icelandic after I read it. I would have never known that this was a translation! It’s beautifully done. The writer has a gift for imagery as well. The setting (Iceland) really popped for me.

I both listened to and read this novella. The narrator’s voice added a lot to the story for me. I was glad to have her pronounce things and put an overall authentic flavor to this story. I read it first and enjoyed it but I enjoyed it more as an audiobook.

The book was fun and a great journey. The journey is the important part but I was pretty mad at the end. I’m no fan of ambiguity to begin with and this is another level. I would have given this five stars if I didn’t feel so disappointed by the ending. I felt like I went through a gamut of emotions just to be completely cut off at the end. Unsatisfied!



All in all, the journey is the important thing with this book. Even though I didn’t like the ending, I’m still recommending this book. Just read responsibly. Take care of yourself and please form your own opinion of the end. I’d love to hear it.

Iðunn has been having trouble sleeping. Most mornings she wakes up feeling unrested with lots of bruises on her body. Despite going to doctor after doctor, Iðunn can’t seem to figure out what happens when she goes to sleep at night.

The Night Guest is quite short, but Hildur Knútsdóttir managed to pack a lot into 200ish pages I loved the format and how she kept the chapters short - it really added to the frantic feelings of unease I had while reading this novella. The concept was interesting and the ending a bit ambiguous. This was a great way to spend an afternoon, but I still found myself wanting more.

Also, tw for animal death. I was not a fan of that.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for a review copy. I look forward to reading from this author again.

For anyone who has struggled with chronic illness issues, especially chronic fatigue, the initial concept of this one hits very close to home: the inexplicable symptoms, the bafflingly normal test results, the useless but well-meaning advice from friends and family. The main character Idunn suffers though all this and more until one evening she accidently leaves her pedometer on when she goes to sleep - and wakes to discover she has somehow (unbeknownst to her) walked 40,000 steps during the night. From here it becomes a mystery: where is she going? What is she doing? Why can't she remember any of it?

I enjoyed this one a lot. The super short chapters helped keep the pace brisk and I loved the narrator's snarky, cynical inner monologue. Little details, like a dinner scene with parents who can't remember Idunn is vegetarian no matter how many times she tells them really brought the story to life. The plot was easy to follow and engaging and though the ending left me with more questions than I had answers it felt like a good fit for the narrative.

I don't speak Icelandic so I can't speak to the accuracy of the translation but it feels like the translator did an excellent job: without the names and place references I wouldn't have been able to tell it wasn't originally written in English. Overall this was a quick, thrilling read and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries or suspense.

Iðunn as a character is very relatable to modern women. She endures the dinners with aging parents making clipped comments about her job, romantic status, and decision to not have children, all while living in the shadow of her sister.

This is a short read, and perfect for a cold night! 30 Days of Night, Iceland, winter, creatures of the night vibes! Trigger warning for the death of cats, but not overly graphic. Lots of gore of body horror. The ending is swift, and not tied up in a bow neatly, but I think it works with this book!

While not a perfect book for me, there was enough cleverness and good writing that I would happily try another book by Hildur Knútsdóttir.

Read my full review here:
https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-the-night-guest-by-hildur-knutsdottir-2/

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir was spectacular! Well written, fantastic premise, exciting plot points and interesting character arcs, I was blown away.... blown away! So different than anything I have read lately, you need to read this novella. Now this is my brand of different and weird.