Having read Alix E. Harrow's debut novel The 10,000 Doors of January, I went into this newest work with expectations of a beautifully written novel, with multiples layers and a dreamlike quality to it. Starling House hit all of those notes and while I felt the ending was a little confusing, overall the novel is excellent.

The book is set in a depressing coal town in Kentucky, run by the Gravely family, with all kinds of sinister unsolved mysteries and rumors about the Starling House and its various residents. Our two protagonists, Opal and Arthur, are each outcasts in the town, but circumstances and fate bring them into one another's lives. That is just one of the layers of the book though; there's also Starling House itself as a sentient character, stories within stories, myths and legends and references to mythology, and a children's book called The Underland written by a reclusive town resident which could tie everything together.

I really enjoyed the audio narration of this book and it allowed the beautiful prose to just flow the entire book. The book is a classic Southern Gothic horror story, but I think it leans more into the atmospheric magical realism vein rather than true horror. I enjoyed the Stranger Things vibe of the "Underland" and the reveals of what that place is (though to be fair, I'm not totally sure I understand it!)

Harrow's books have this distinct feeling of dreaming but also grounded in a very tangible reality, with fully fleshed out characters and plot points; Starling House is no exception. I loved the side characters of Jasper, and Bev and Charlotte and what was happening in their present lives, as well as all the history of the house over the years and interludes to previous residents.

Overall it's a very good book that is perfect for reading on a dark and stormy night!

When I say I wanted to wholeheartedly love this book...please believe me! I have rated all of Alix Harrow's previous works 4+ stars (Once and Future Witches...be still my soul...not sure a better fall witchy book exists to be honest). This book just did not quite land for me in the same way. Don't get me wrong: Harrow is a TALENTED author with a voice and a skill for creating strong characters and atmosphere and I believe those elements are still here.

What didn't quite come together for me with this book was the plot: this book is kind of sold as "creepy haunted house and town secrets intersect as girl with a really hard time managing her trauma decides to throw herself into this mess." I mean...a lot to like there. On its face, this immediately grabs my attention. However, the various elements really never combined correctly for me in this novel. It's relatively short, and that means that there's not really a ton of time to develop each element.

I loved the mystery of Starling House, and I loved Opal's character. At the beginning of this book I was getting major, The Hazel Wood vibes, with a mysterious author creating a story based on potentially real world of nightmares and fairytales. I also loved the interactions between Opal and Arthur, the current warden of Starling House, as they attempt to figure each other out.

However, so much time is spent outside of the house, and so much information has to be revealed at various times in the plot, that I felt myself reeling a bit when each new element came up. Ultimately I liked so many of the pieces of this, but I didn't think that they all quite came together.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect amount of creepy. And I truly think that was Alix E. Harrow’s best book yet. I loved her short story, The Six Deaths of a Saint, but in my opinion this was her best novel. If you like stories from a similar vein of Ninth House and The Book of Night, then I think this story will be right up your alley. Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The first thing that strikes me about Alix E. Harrow’s writing is how immersive and enchanting it is. This was true of the only other novel of hers that I’ve read, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and it’s true of Starling House, too. Her prose is poetic and gritty, smart and magical. Most of this novel is told from Opal’s first-person perspective, but there are also parts and entire chapters that give readers a third-person glimpse into what others are doing and thinking. On top of that, my favorite writing feature of Starling House is the author’s use of footnotes. I rarely see this in fiction, and here, it suggests that Opal isn’t completely knowledgeable or honest. However, it remains unclear who exactly is providing this extra information in the footnotes…

Speaking of how dishonest Opal is, she is a top-notch morally gray character. She’s not necessarily likable, and certainly not “good” in all senses of the word. She lies and steals and looks out for herself above others, at least to a degree. Despite her flaws, though, she’s a character that readers can get completely invested in, and I personally was rooting for her. Opal hasn’t had an easy life, and it’s made her rough around the edges. But she is soft for her younger brother, Jasper, an academically gifted high school student. She also develops a certain affinity for her mysterious employer, Arthur. Oh, Arthur: a man who doesn’t talk much, who looks maybe a little like a vampire, and whom Opal tellingly lists as “Heathcliff” in her phone. He’s a sad, lonely sweetheart.

Arthur is the warden (yes, warden) to the local creepy mansion, Starling House. Rumors abound about the house’s history and that of its many inhabitants over the past 150 years or so. This house is certainly weird; what other house do you know of that sprouts its own electricity and appliances at will? And it’s got be a portal to a very bad place, right? The small town folks of Eden, Kentucky have decades of stories to tell about Starling House and its wardens, tales that feel like nightmares gone wrong.

Starling House feels gothic and haunting, but it also highlights some great relationships. First there is the sibling bond between Opal and Jasper. She’s taken over as a parental figure since their mom died years ago, and as tough as things are (financially and otherwise), Opal puts Jasper’s needs and future ahead of her own. She’s selfless when it comes to him, even if he’s the only one. Then there’s Opal’s changing relationship with Arthur. He’s her unlikely employer first, then something more, as impossible as a romance between them may seem. They’re so different, but I loved seeing the tenderness and affection bloom between them.

As the book progresses, the supernatural and horror factors become stronger. Creepy children’s books, invisible monsters, the evils of real-life people… there’s a lot going on, and it would make for a perfect Spooky Season read.

Audio
Natalie Naudus does a fabulous job of narrating Starling House. Her voice is engaging and perfectly captures Opal’s personality. She also imbues her narration with all the right inflections and emotions, capturing sarcasm and terror and more with equal believability. It makes the audiobook play almost like a movie, making the story feel that much more real.


Starling House is an evocative and smart novel with so many layers at play. Family, poverty, duty, trauma, real and imagined horrors, a haunted house— everything adds up to a stunning story that is sure to stand out this season. It’s only my second time reading Alix E. Harrow, but she’s officially an auto-buy author now. I’ll read everything she publishes.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me this Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for my honest review! The title will be released on October 31, 2023.

“Surely only the worst of fools would ever return to Starling House.”

Initially, I was on the edge of my seat with excitement over the dark, mysterious atmosphere of the book. Harrow seemingly melds small town Americana and a slight noir vibe with the gothic tradition. The story takes place in Eden, Kentucky, no paradise but a place that dreams go to die. Our protagonist has lived a hard life but becomes fascinated with the Starling House, big creepy mansion owned by the outcast, eccentric Starling family.

“Surely someone like me should know better than to dream.”

The problem for me was the main character. 26-year-old Opal should be sympathetic. She’s supporting her younger high-school-age brother Jasper after the tragic death of their mother. However, Harrow makes this character so unlikeable. She lies as easily as breathing, steals without remorse, and generally shows herself to be rude, abrasive, and opportunistic. I could go with it if Opal was younger and/or if she showed a shred of conscience, but she seemed arrogant and entitled to me. I did eventually adjust to Opal—you have to if you’re going to get through the book since it’s told from Opal’s POV—but it was a very long uphill climb.

My other problem was the romance. I’m not going to ruin any of the plot by going into details. Suffice it to say that I did not like the romantic pairing or how it was developed. I did not think they had chemistry; it was just convenient. Also, the romantic plot was much heavier than I anticipated in this type of book. Love scenes were not the most explicit but definitely more than I wanted from this book.

I think you will enjoy the book if you know that this is not a lush gothic tale or even mild fantasy-horror. It is largely a small-town dramatic tale centered on one underdog heroine whose life is transformed by a series of events. The fantastical Starling House is not particularly taken advantage of as an atmospheric setting or a potentially "haunted" location. The gothic/fantasy-horror vibes are there but in small doses.

The high point is Harrow's writing. The prose remains fairly simplistic but is embellished with some beautiful similes and metaphors.

AUDIOBOOK: Natalie Naudus does an exceptional job with the narration. Her baseline is something of a sober literary tone that expands with the progression of first person narrative and as the mood turns darker.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 Stars

While the description, blub and overall premise of this book is right in the heart of my wheelhouse, it just didn't hit me the way I expected or wanted it to. It starts with a spooky, eerie gothic vibe but, for me that seems to fall to the wayside for other things at play in the story.

Synopsis:

I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….

Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's a determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.

All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.

I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund—she can't resist.

But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.

In my dream, I’m home.

And now she’ll have to fight.

Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare.

My Thoughts:

For a 320 page book I felt extremely weighed down by the writing and it felt as though it was more of a 520 page book. The audiobook is 12.5 hours which seems extremely long for 320 pages- Please also note that if you opt for the audiobook version there are footnotes that are read that did keep pulling the little attention I was managing to keep on the story out of it again.

The pacing was a bit choppy for me. While in Opal's POV is told in first person when it switches over to Arthur's it's told in third. There was a lot of this YA feel of drama romance going on that seemed to pull away from the initial gothic, spooky vibe. I don't even think the romance was needed- at all. Probably would have been better without it, because it literally did nothing for me.

Several areas of miscommunication which I am not particularly a fan of.

Overall, this didn't feel gothic horror to me. It felt more like a dark fairytale with a ton of family and societal woes tossed in that just took me out of the whole gothic, horror, mysterious feel I expected to get from reading this.

If you are a fan of Alix Harrow, like a creepy mysterious vibe of a run down town in poverty, a touch of romance and a slow pace- you will likely enjoy this.

Fall is rolling in, and so is the season for Halloween and spooky reads.
I highly recommend Starling House!
Starling House is a Gothic, fantasy, romance and horror story that centers around the character of Opal in Eden, Kentucky.
Opal, is a young woman in her mid 20's whose mother passed away tragically, and she has been taking care of her teenage brother and living in a hotel room. Opal doesn't really know much about her family or where her mother came from, but knows that her mother was trying to get away from her past. Opal works odd jobs, so that she can give her brother more opportunities and to one day get out of the town of Eden. Opal and her brother live in a hotel room that is run by one of her mother's good friends who allows them to stay there after her mother's death.
Opal seems to be have reoccurring dreams of a creepy gothic house on the out skirts of town, and finds that the house is supernaturally calling to her. One day Opal finds herself at the gates of the house that is called Starling House named after a rich family called Starling. The most famous Starling wrote a famous fantasy children's book that may hold secrets. One day passing Starling House Opal meets the mysterious occupant of the Starling House, Arthur Starling at the gate of the creepy house.
Opal begins doing housekeeping chores for Arthur to make some extra money while at the same time she starts investigating the weird history of the Starling House, and its past inhabitants. Opal and Arthur try to fight off an their attraction for one another, but cannot because of Arthur's supernatural connection to the House.
Soon Opal and Arthur are teaming up to fight against time to find out how to stop the House that seems to call people to it, and how to stop the possessed house from destroying them and the community of Eden, Kentucky.
There's a lot of twists in this story, and I don't want to give it all away, but if you want a great spooky read this is the book for you. I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it for fans of Gothic fantasy books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this arc. I really enjoyed this story.

The second I saw this absolutely gorgeous cover I was immediately sold! I’m so glad I picked this up because Starling House was one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I have ever read 🖤

Starling House has everything I want in a grim & gothic story - mystery, a haunted house, sinister secrets, magic, mayhem, lore, small town history, found family, friendship, heartbreakingly beautiful romance that makes my heart ache and a horrifically heart pounding tale that sends me on a page turning emotional rollercoaster. I was captivated from page 1 and I literally think I need to start a reread ASAP!

*I don’t want to give any spoilers as I went in completely blind to the plot and was 100% blown away with the story & character development!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Alix E. Harrow book and was not sure what to expect before listening. I came to this with gothic fairytale vibes and a romantic subplot and those expectations were met, for the most part. The gothic atmosphere was prominent throughout, especially when tied to the mystery behind Starling House. Loved the constant imagery of starlings throughout and wished they were referenced more often. The romantic subplot between Opal and Arthur was fine. I did not quite understand what drew them to each other, but they seem like an okay couple. I did not love Opal's character, but I appreciated her character arc.

My main gripe with this story was the gothic elements. I believe this had to do with expectations going into this than the story itself. I was hoping for the story to lean more towards horror. It was haunting and eerie at parts, but I wanted it to go farther. Once the story gave the full story of Starling House, I was able to appreciate the full story moreso than before. I wished it kept that same energy throughout. Nonetheless, I had a good time listening to Nathalie Naudus narrate.

Content warnings: car accident, grief, blood, vomit, death of parent, slavery (minor), incest (minor), and sexual content (minor)

4-4.5
Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this audio arc. *All opinions are my own.

Alix is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to get this early copy! Her books are a slow burn. She takes her time building the world and developing her characters. I never know exactly where the story is going until closer to the end, which is a delight for someone who often can predict endings.

She tackles real social issues thru inventive, carefully woven stories, with flawed and complex characters, while sprinkling elements of traditional fairytales throughout a fever-dream-like atmosphere.

I personally enjoy not knowing exactly where the story is going bc it adds to the overall effect of the book as the storyline reveals itself.

The narration was enjoyable. And I loved the themes and representations in this book including: poverty, class, PTSD, mental health, bisexuality, oppression, memory, identity, family, destiny, agency, and the value of a name.

If you're like me, stop here. If you want more details, then continue:

.............MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS BELOW............

The positives:
I loved how this book explored class, prejudice, systemic poverty, oppression, PTSD and trauma.

The ultimate message I gleaned was that humans can be awful to other humans, and we can't control the presence of those types of monsters in the world. They exist, as much as we don't want them to.

But we can control the monsters we create in our minds and hearts. We get to decide whether to write those monsters into our story, carrying them with us throughout our life, and allowing them to haunt us and rob us of the peace we deserve.... or whether we choose to heal and write new stories, that are free of the fear and destruction the monsters bring with them...

Ultimately, we choose our destiny. We choose our path. We are the wardens of our life and the narrators of our own stories. Choosing to heal and rebuild is the choice that grants us reclamation of our personal power and happiness.

The negatives:
I'm not sure I appreciated the role of the third party narrator whose voice is a character that interjects facts and historical details. Aside from illustrating the inherent flaws of our memory and the effects of trauma on how we form memories, I found it more distracting than valuable to the story.

The MC is a bit insufferable, and sometimes she grated on me with her stubbornness and immaturity, but it's also prob consistent with her age in the book. I just wanted to like her more than I did. I did, however, love the side characters, especially Bev, Charlotte and Jasper!

Starling House is a dark, moody, gothic story set in Eden, KY. Contains light romance (fade to black), monsters, family trauma, and one unique house.

The footnotes were extremely unique and I feel like they really added to the story. Opal, the fmc, was extremely witty and funny. The descriptions of Starling House and of the monsters and the characters were so detailed, I was able to visualize everything. I loved how the mmm was described quite literally as ugly. I think so often our main characters are described with super unrealistic beautiful features and we are just so used to that. It was refreshing to essentially have normalcy.

The main premise of the story, or at least what I took away from it, was that life is what you make it. Your nightmares will haunt you if you let them. You are your own biggest enemy. Also, You are not responsible for the actions of your fathers and their fathers. That being said, you can make change and learn from their mistakes and create good.

I would 100% recommend this book for fans of The Hazelwood by Melissa Albert or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.

I love the house, the atmosphere, the cover, and much of the descriptive language in Starling House. The story is imaginative, Arthur is endearing, and Opal has grit and is likable despite being gruff. Ultimately, though, the book lacked much luster for me. I enjoyed listening to it well enough (the narration is great!), but there was no pull to keep listening or pick it up. The backstory wasn’t all that compelling, and two of the villainous motivations are ones I generally find boring because they end the same way every time and there's not much that can be done with them.

I enjoyed myself well enough to say, it’s good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this advance copy.

I was not totally into this book at first. I’m not sure what it was but it just wasn’t working for me. But once it got going I was absolutely HOOKED. Opal grew on me and I loved both her and Arthur so much. Opal was hilarious and relatable at every turn and I laughed out loud numerous times.

Opal is the epitome of a morally gray character and most of the time she’s absolutely feral (she will fight you in a Denny’s parking lot no questions asked). But she will do anything to make sure her brother makes it out of the crappy town they’re both stuck in. This need shoved her right in the path of Arthur Starling. The broody owner of the sentient Starling House who absolutely does not want Opal in his house. But he can’t help himself when Opal bulldozes herself into his life. Together they must figure out the mystery of Starling House. Or die trying.

I love love loved it. It’s the perfect spooky read for this year. It’s dark and moody but also SO RELATABLE. The cast of supporting characters (including the house, a feral alley cat, and a grouchy motel owner) make this book an entertaining read and worth it 100%. Don’t wait! Pick this up immediately.

It has been 4 days since I finished this book and I still cannot wrap my mind around the words I need to describe how much I loved it.

This is a perfect Southern Gothic Fantasy. Alix E Harrow is brilliant. I will be rereading this in physical form the moment it comes out.

Absolutely outstanding, possibly even one of my favorite books of all time. The perfect mix of beauty and dread, written so beautifully it will take your breath away. Highly recommended.

Loved this book. Harrow has an incredible ability to weave the brutal and the beautiful realities of life into stories that grab you and won't let go and Starling House lives up to her previous novels. I loved the protaganists, hated the villians, and learned to make peace with the shades of grey that make up an imperfect world.

I loved this book! This was not what I was expecting at all but that is not a bad thing. This book was really unique and the visuals were absolutely stunning. The whole book was creepy and atmospheric and the romance was a great little addition without taking over the whole book.
This book felt like what The Haunting of Bly Manner could have been if it had been taken to its deepest and darkest conclusion. It was dark and creepy and just absolutely beautiful! I can not recommend this book enough!

Perfect book for spooky season! 👻🦇🏚️

I received aa AudioARC of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you Netgally.

Excuse me while I go read everything Alix Harrow has every written, because her writing is beautiful. I absolutely ate it up.
I will read anything she writes.

This book is a great choice for those cold nights you wanna cuddle up with a book. It feels very gothic and spooky but it’s still fun. Full of monsters and a snarky MC. This book was one of my favorite reads this year. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy

Alix E. Harrow has done it again and truly knocking it out of the park with this one. I feel like if I have to conjure up the perfect book for me, it would be this book. Starling House tells the story of Opal, the haunted Starling House, and a small Kentucky town. This story is so unique, and the book is so well written. It is spooky and creepy, but not what I would classify as a true horror story -- think more gothic thriller. I listened to the audiobook and Natalie Naudus does and excellent job with narration. I think this is going to be my favorite book of 2023. Highly recommend!!

The titular Starling House has a feel as if Lewis Carroll’s beloved Wonderland mixed with Disney’s Haunted Mansion creating a unique gothic horror fantasy. Starling House is a sentient mansion with mood swings; it can be welcoming or more often malicious. What is below Starling House is the real mystery. Depending on who is dreaming, Underland is the place nightmares or dreams come true. The best part of the story is it is just spooky enough without bridging fully into the horror genre.

Opal and her brother Jasper live in smalltown Eden, Kentucky; the town and many of the residents treat them as veritable outsiders. Carefully curating a web of necessary lies, Opal does her best to protect her brother, gain employment, and understand the mystery surrounding Starling House and its current occupant Arthur. The more she finds out about the house, the less she truly understands. Does the house want Opal to find the monsters lurking below? How much of what is known about the matriarch of the Starling family, E. Starling, is really true? With time running out and a whole host of nefarious characters plotting against her, Opal will have to solve the mysteries of Underland on her own to save everything she cares about.

The overall character development of this novel was superb. Opal’s rough edges and grating personality were honest and raw. At first reclusive and lonely, Arthur’s character builds overtime into that of a protector. Of course, there is a love story, how couldn’t there be with two perfectly imperfect outcasts. The only criticism I have is the progression of how Opal ultimately navigates the Underland. The story could have felt a little grittier like Opal herself, but came across with a bit too much naiveté.