Many thanks to my friends at @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

“I dream sometimes of a house I’ve never seen.”

Part fairy tale, part gothic horror. This book oozes the very essence of fall and begs to be read snuggled under a cozy blanket.

It’s the kind of story that holds you spellbound. I found myself fully transported to a magical world laden with secrets and monsters that hid in plain sight.

With lush writing and lyrical prose, Harrow’s storytelling enchanted. The imagery was cinematic in detail, the atmosphere exuded gloom, and the richly developed characters (tortured, brooding, and prickly) felt like friends that I wanted to protect (though they clearly didn’t need such).

But it was the moody mansion that was the true standout in this book.

“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.”

An ever-changing labyrinth. Rotting yet alive. A haunted house that somehow felt like home. It didn’t take me long to understand why Opal came to dream of this sentient place.

And while the house held me captive, this wasn’t the dark and tortured read I had expected. Part reckoning. Part love story. With elements focused on found family and belonging, the truest monsters were made of greed and hungry for power.

Still, I found myself swooning… over the atmosphere… over the unlikely love story… over the magic.

🎧 The audiobook is expertly narrated by Natalie Naudus, a favorite. Her performance embodied the emotion within this book and amplified the masterful storytelling.

Thank you netgallery and Alix E. Harrow for the allowing me review the auidbook.

I don't know what I was thinking but I did not expect this book to be fantasy. I must have been in a daze when I decided to ask to review this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I listen to this book.

A haunted (alive house), a crazy FMC (and I say crazy SPOLERS she wants the house) and a man who wants nothing to do with the house.

Opal is an orphan that wants nothing more but for her bother to get out of the town. She starts to work for starling house and becomes entwined with someone who wants the secrets to the house. As Opal starts to get closer with the caretaker of the house she learns the secrets of the house.

This is a true gothic horror fantasy. The mention of underland is one of my favorite parts and brings me back to all the Alice in wonderland retellings I've read.
Opal and Author are grumpy x grumpy tope and I am here for it.
This book is not scary but cozy and perfect for the month of spookiness.

4.5 rounded up

This book is perfect for Halloween season! Starling House has southern gothic vibes with a dash of fantasy. The setting really added to the story and you could really picture the town and the feeling of being there.

I really loved that this was a slow burn and really took it's time unraveling the story and revealing the twists. I thought all the characters were really fleshed out and well written. Opal and Arthur were both interesting and at times very relatable.

I have seen some reviewers say that they thought the book felt "too long", but I never felt that way. The only thing I personally thought the book fell flat on was the ending and I still didn't hate that.

Honestly, I got serious Ninth House feels when I was reading this. If you loved that book, I would highly suggest this one!

I got 80% into the book before I had to DNF. It was moving so slow, the story didn’t even really pick up until the 65% mark and the story before then felt really repetitive. A miss for me for sure.

I love Alix Harrow’s writing style! It’s lyrical and mesmerizing and draws you in, and Starling House is no exception. It was dark and atmospheric—a gothic fairytale almost, that lives at the intersection of fantasy, horror, and magical realism. It was dripping with moodiness from the very beginning, and would surely make a great cozy spooky season read. The narration was also very well done for this audiobook.

For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Ninth House, and The Ten Thousand Doors of January, this one is not to be missed! Thank you so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the advanced audio in exchange for an honest review.

Between this and The Ten Thousand Doors of January that I read and loved earlier this year, Alix E. Harrow is officially solidified as an autobuy author for me. Now it’s time to check out her back catalog…

Simply perfection. I absolutely loved this book. It was one that transported you into the setting. So atmospheric. I loved both MC. And their connection and draw to this mysterious house. The revelations about the house was intriguing and original. I just enjoyed this so much! I felt like i was in the book. The writing was beautiful.

I also loved the narration. Well done!

The only thing i can say negative is that i didn’t picture the main character as ugly lol. He’s said to be ugly but i still pictured him as a brooding handsome guy. But it’s really not even a negative because i loved that he wasn’t described as dangerously handsome and SO good looking like every other book.

This was a unique read and i loved the magical elements and the darkness

4 1/2 ⭐️

This is the first book I’ve read by Alix E. Harrow.  I went into this book without really knowing what it was about. I’m glad I did! I don’t read too many gothic fantasy books, but I enjoyed this story unfold. The many characters were unique and interesting. The visual description was so detailing and wonderfully done. The whole story just comes together beautifully.

Starling House was narrated by Natalie Naudus. She did a phenomenal job bringing all of the characters to life. I felt myself right there in the story experiencing everything the characters were going through.

I highly recommend giving this audiobook a listen and enjoy the experience.

Thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for gifting me this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

I loved Opal's character and how she supported her brother too, but I didn't like some of the other parts of the book. I liked the attempt the author made, but it just wasn't for me. I really like The Ten Thousand Doors of January so I think I had too high of expectations for this book and this one was very different. I totally own that this was a me issue and I know that many people will enjoy this book. I just couldn't suspend enough belief for it! (sorry!)

Thank you Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4/4.5 stars!

Starling House is a lush, enigmatic storyline surrounding a seemingly ordinary small-town residence. Nobody knows the truth about 'Starling House,' yet Opal, our central character, grapples with peculiar dreams and an inexplicable yearning for a home she's never set foot in. However, her life is far from conventional. Following her mother's passing, Opal finds herself entrusted with the care of her teenage brother. With no stable home or savings to rely on, she's forced into a challenging position. Opal's struggles reveal her as a tenacious and unconventional character, unapologetic about employing schemes, sleuthing, and even bending the truth in her quest for survival. She’s real about her instincts too.

“Surely the precise shape of the wounds doesn’t matter as much as how much they hurt.

And whose hands dealt them.

They were bad men.”

Sharing the spotlight is Arthur, the house's warden, who carries his own burdens and harbors a profound secret. I also grew to adore him and the romance that gradually bloomed between them. The book showcases a slower, but hungry type of love. One where two characters don’t have the luxury of dreaming, wanting, or hoping and do it anyway. This story unfurls a love born of necessity, one that defies the constraints of mere dreams and desires.

While the pace of Starling House may not match the speed of my usual reads, I found myself captivated by its storytelling. Alix E. Harrow masterfully unveils the history of Starling House, teasing readers with morsels of information until the full picture finally emerges. Throughout the journey, I relished the author's exploration of themes related to love and family, which lent a beautiful depth to the narrative.

The narrator was fine for this story. I appreciated how she made distinctions between characters and added the right amount of emotion when Opal was torn between two paths.

Starling House is my fifth story by Alix Harrow. I have done a mixture of listening to her audiobooks and reading the printed versions and enjoy how you can become immersed in both formats. This story was no different as it was easy to keep reading. The novel takes place in the small town of Eden, Kentucky and follows a girl named Opal. She takes care of her younger brother Jasper and has been his caretaker since their mom died eleven years ago. They live in a rundown motel room, and she works at Tractor Supply to try to get by. At night she has mysterious dreams of Starling House, the haunted mansion thought to be the birthplace of monsters. It is the home of reclusive nineteenth century author and illustrator, E. Starling, who has passed it on to his living heir, Arthur Starling.

Like her other stories, there is a blend between reality and fantasy. There are some gothic vibes, but I would not categorize this fully into the gothic genre. Other readers may read it differently, but I think I was just expecting more from the gothic and horror sides. Harrow does an amazing job with her descriptions as it was easy to imagine all the settings and characters. The main characters of Opal and Arthur, along with Jasper, are well-done. Arthur and Jasper were far more likable compared to Opal as she had a lot of self-sabotaging qualities that I do not think get fully addressed. While she is poor and trying to help Jasper have a better life, at times, this becomes her main defining trait. For me, her poverty took over her character and her actual personality became lost.

I loved Opal being drawn to Starling House when she was younger and how she became integrated into that world via Arthur. It was interesting to see Arthur initially trying to scare Opal away and then slowly they begin working together. The two were interesting characters and I enjoyed them getting to know each other. I think they complimented each other well in some ways although there were still some elements of their connection that I felt needed work. As for the connection between Opal and Jasper, their communication needed a lot of work. I felt this piece needed more work, but I did enjoy their dynamic. Overall, this was a fun spooky character-driven novel and I can’t wait to read more from Harrow.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This is the most PERFECT book for fall. Creepy gothic house with monsters, small town drama, curses and a little bit of magic. Starling house is honestly the main character in this book. She basically has her own personality and it’s sassy, eerie and ominous. If you’re looking for the perfect book to cozy up to this fall, then I highly recommend this one!

I absolutely LOVED Starling House!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I've been in a Audio book reading slump for almost 2 months where I just haven't been able to get into/enjoy a good audio book! Starling House officially changed this for me. I listened to this audio book on normal speed for about 80% to make sure I understood all of the detail and characters, and I think that kept it a lot more immersive.

First of all, not enough people are talking about Arthur and how he is quite literally THE book boyfriend. He was sweet, caring, selfless, and brave. There were no moments I felt were cringey in this book which I loved, regardless of Arthur's seemingly "awkward" nature. He was such a gentleman!

The narrator was also PERFECT for this book. She gave this book a more eerie feel when it was necessary, and a more soft and calm vibe when it fit better. I loved how she changed her tone ever so slightly when switching POV's as well, which helped me keep track of who's POV we were seeing while not being so blatantly "man" and "woman" voices.

The ending was a tad bit confusing and hard to follow, and I still find myself kind of confused on the conclusion and plan to eventually read this book physically to get a better understanding of what went on, but this could be a mixture of increasing my listen speed as well as being distracted here and there while listening to the last 20%. I think a good re-listen of the last few chapters or a read of the physical book would clear up anything for me!

Overall I loved this book, and am now officially an Alix E. Harrow fan <3

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the Advanced Listening Copy.

While I was nervous when this was classified as “horror,” I bravely stepped into Harrow’s latest novel. And disappeared. (Into the story.)

There’s much to love here: the scrappy main character, Opal, the reluctant hero, Arthur, and my favorite character, Starling House itself. It’s sentient, after all. It sighs and chuckles, moves rooms, locks doors, blocks intruders, and welcomes new friends. There’s history and mystery, strange forces, evil corporate stooges, corruption, racism, poverty, and small-town conspiracy. That’s countered by found family, determination, and faith in things you can’t see.

In tone, it reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE combined with Southern Gothic BLACKWATER by Michael McDowell.

While the ending might not be “tidy” enough for some, I thought it suited the dreamlike feel of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially with Naudus’s narration.

I'm sorry but I just don't understand the hype and love for this one at all. I struggled with this one from the very beginning, but I pushed through it because I was provided an ARC and wanted to give it a fair review. Had I not been provided the ARC for review, I most certainly would have DNF'd.

So was this the worst book I've ever read? Certainly not. But it was terribly formulaic, predictable, derivative, melodramatic, and ultimately boring. This book is filled with overdone tropes, one-note characters, and cringy cliches. The "atmosphere" is completely buried under exhausting prose and a dull main character.

This is also heavy on the romance, which I wasn't prepared for. I don't care much for romance and if I would have known that was so much of the story here, I likely would have passed on it. But even still, this romance is so bland, the chemistry was not there, and I could not find it in myself to care.

I guess it was competent enough, but it felt so soulless. At one point I had to up to 3x speed and I STILL couldn't get this book over quick enough.

It took me a while to finish this book, which I feel is fitting as it took a while for this book to set the stage and kick into gear. I had some expectations going in and almost DNFed as I thought it wasn’t going to happen (shades of my disappointing experience with the new Ashley Winstead book). But the reviews were so positive and I knew that I’d have FOMO if I stopped where I was at that time. I’m glad I kept going because once this book, like the Starling House, started to unravel plots/secrets, it really took off. I loved it! It was definite mood to have the first half of the book feel discordant so the second half could be purposeful and bring it all home. So, for anyone who picked up this book and is struggling to connect, please know that it will be worth it!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook copy for review

As always thank you NetGalley, and thank you Alix Harrow for another excellent read/listen. It was the perfect book to start in October and absolutely loved it. I thought the characters were great and if I didn't have it as an audio, I would have finished this book so quickly. I enjoyed the audiobook. I was hoping for a bit of a horror aspect rather than a creepy house and its inhabitants but it is a perfect book for someone who likes a little bit of creepy and not a full-blown nightmare.

Nobody in the town of Eden, Kentucky is old enough to remember the building of Starling House, but the stories have been passed down through the generations like good china. The hairdresser says it was the beginning of Eden’s bad luck – the river water they can’t drink, the coal dust they can’t breathe, the cemetery that fills too fast.

Opal has spent her life collecting stories about the house. One night, she meets its reclusive heir, Arthur Starling, and receives an invitation she can't refuse. But there are secrets and stories buried beneath Starling House, clamoring to escape and wreak havoc on the town. And even they might not be the biggest threat . . .

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to Starling House. This was such a fun and spooky book. I love the Halloween vibes it gives off. I'm not one for Horror or scary books but this was prefect. This story unfolds around a haunted house with not only a mystery past but also a mysterious owner. Opal is a young women trying to take care of her brother and just overall survive this world. When she takes a job as a caregiver of the house we begin to see just how darkly enchanting this house really can be.

I really enjoyed this story and the writing. I will be definitely be looking into more of Alix E. Harrow work.

If your looking for spooky Halloween vibes this is a great book to read every October!!

4 Stars
1 Spice

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.

The narrator was wonderful, and I highly respect the decision to not use multiple narrators even with the shifting POV.

This was SO PERFECT for fall reading, and just so good on its own!

Starling House is a modern story with a gothic mansion setting, with myths, monsters and stories wrapped up to make a truly haunting tale. I really love MC's like Opal, she is strong willed and fierce but also so soft and loving when it comes to her family and her responsibilities. She has a strong sense of justice, and works to manage this alongside the things she needs to do in order to survive. The lore behind this and how Opal's relationship with Starling House comes about is really unique, and the magic of this only got more distinct as you go. I loved how Starling House is almost a character on its own that seems to strike a good balance of eerie and also somehow charming.

The world building and lore builds really organically, as does the romantic and other relationship development. The voice actor was also really great, even when switching characters, which is also something I often look for in an audiobook. There were soft moments where you feel very connected to the characters, as well as a LOT action and heart pounding scenes, often times which also have a frightening flavor as well.

And finally, I could't write this review without mentioning the absolutely beautiful writing style Alex E. Harrow has. There is so much beautiful prose and overall romantic writing, although it doesn't get overly flowery for people who don't enjoy too much of that. This is really just the perfect eerie, frightening and somehow still charming read for this season, and I could go on and on about it!

Thank you so much to Macmillan audio for the audiobook copy of this one! I absolutely adored it!

Starling House features unlikely heroes, Opal and Arthur. They're both town outcasts with more myth than truth surrounding them. For most of her life, Opal has been drawn to Starling House through dreams and finds herself unexpectedly employed as its new housekeeper. Arthur acts as its Warden and vows to be its last. With the increasing pressure of outside forces, Opal & Arthur work to uncover the ugly truth about where they live, while protecting and fighting for the home they love and long for.
Is it Fantasy? Gothic Horror? A Dark Fairy tale? Cozy horror? It's possibly a blend of all of those, and totally appropriate for the Fall as we head into Spooky Season. I don't usually read horror stories, but Starling House was mid to low level spooky. Right when things started to veer into the horror-zone, the story would rebalance and become a bit more whimsical and magical.