There’s a haunted house in a dying town called “Eden” that is blind up with beasts and a it inherits a new warden to help defend itself from the beasts that appear whenever the house is pulled into the dreamworld when the warden disappears or dies.
We meet Opal, who’s been cast aside by the town because of her mothers reputation, and now that her mother has passed away, she’s left to carry on and take care of her younger brother and somehow find a way out of Eden despite the fact that she finds herself attracted to the strange, gaunt warden and just as attracted to the equally haunted house.
This is a tough one to rate because there were things I liked about it but there were things that felt super cheesy YA and it also felt very slowly paced at points and it felt like I was barely inching forward when I was listening and I just wanted to get through a section. That being said, I loved that the house was basically a character in itself, and there was enough creepiness to keep me hooked. The narrator did a great job of keeping it engaging. And the love story mixed in was a nice little bonus without being over the top.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

Starling House, written by Alice E. Harrow, is a story about a haunted house full of secrets and the characters who fall in love with it.

Harrow seems to take a page from Twilight in her creation of Arthur, an angsty, mysterious man. But Opal is no Bella Swan.

Opal is a product of growing up in poverty in rural Kentucky. Her speech is brazen and witty. She admits to petty crimes and unpleasant deeds. But despite her flaws, readers will have no difficulty connecting to her and her teen brother, Jasper.

The story unfolds casually, mostly through small town gossip and folklore, and keeps the reader invested through the entire tale. Starling House is a cozy read for those who can find comfort in an old, creepy house in the woods.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this!! I pretty much devour anything Alix writes. This gothic ale was sooo good. The awkward chemistry between Opal and Arthur is so adorable. I love her dedication to her brother too. Along with the spooky home with it's own personality.

Alix E. Harrow is an automatic buy author for me because I know that whatever tale she is spinning will be carefully, beautifully, curated. Starling House was exactly that. It’s a cautionary tale that warns you about what can happen when humans take advantage, when humans are cruel to each other- to the environment, and how those actions can come back in the form of beasts that haunt our nightmares. It’s also a story of finding your own family, your own home, when the world takes yours away. It’s a story of staying and fighting against nightmares that aren’t your own solely because if you don’t, who will?

This book releases on Halloween and will be a great addition to your Spooky Season TBR if you like dark books with fantasy elements, light horror, light romance, and an interwoven slow burn mystery. Most of this book would have been five stars for me (the small town dynamics, the creepy house, the mysterious children's book, the dynamic between the Opal and Jasper, the general spooky vibe), but the romance element just didn't jive with me somehow. I also couldn't stand how often the author had each character "panting." Just...seriously an overuse of that word. But these are personal, nitpicky things. Nothing that ruined the book for me, and it shouldn't for you, either! For me, this ended up being 3.5 stars, but I rounded up.

Everything is a choice. Starling House deftly weaves together a southern gothic fable about choices, dreams, consequences, and the consequences of choices and dreams in Harrow's typical engrossing style, which brings to life the bad-luck town of Eden, Kentucky to life.

Opal has dreamed of a home for years, mostly for her brother, Jasper, to get him out of the coal-soaked air and give him the future she wants for him, but also for a place to put down roots. But she's also been dreaming of a house, a specific house in town, locked away behind gates and vines and tended to by strange, reclusive families who only have their chosen surname, Starling, in common. Everyone has a version of the story of how Starling House came to be, and as Opal finds herself somehow the housekeeper of the mysterious house, she starts digging for the true one, something that might explain her connection to it or how the author of her favorite childhood book, full of dark, creeping monsters and a girl who befriends them, disappeared there.

I love books where the setting is just as much a character as the human ones, and between the Underland Starling House itself, and Eden, there's plenty here for me to love. Harrow's writing is always so atmospheric, and it works so well here, fitting in well with the fable-like feeling of uncovering the whole story behind Eleanor Starling, the Alice-esque story of Underland and the beasts, and the mists rising off of the river.

As the story unfolds, you start to see more and more parallels between all of the different characters and how their choices and wants and dreams have shaped them and continue to affect both them and the town and what it means for them to have a home.

As an audiobook, it's perfectly solid. The narration nails the slow current of Harrow's prose in a way that really rewards a slower listening speed and really sinking into the story.

A dark and magical story about a mysterious house in a small town and the secrets held there. Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @alix.e.harrow for an advance audio copy.

Opal and her younger brother live in Eden, Kentucky. Opal is working every angle she can to get her brother out of the town and off to the college he has been accepted to. Starling House has loomed in the background of their growing up and suddenly a job opportunity inside the house presents itself. Opal can’t resist the draw she feels to the house and all the curiosities that have happened over the years. It’s original owner vanished long ago and Arthur who is the current warden of Starling House is mysterious, unfriendly, unattractive and somehow alluring (nice nod to Beauty and the Beast). The story is told from the POV’s of both Opal and Arthur. The house is of course the star of the show though!

This audiobook is beautifully narrated by @natalieNaudus Publication date of October 31st is perfect for this beautifully written and haunting story. And that cover!

Every night Opal is haunted by dreams of Starling house, nightmares of monsters lurking beneath.
But Opal doesn't have time for dreams and nonsense. She and her brother live in a motel in a dead end town that she desperately wants to get them, especially her brother, Jasper, out of. When the opportunity to be a housekeeper at Starling house, for very good pay, comes up, Opal cannot turn it down.
Compelling characters, well written, well paced and highly enjoyable.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was my first Alix E Harrow book. I've heard people mention it and the cover and synopsis drew me to it. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship in this story. It had a very gothic feel and I loved the sentient house with a dark undertone. I felt like the small town dynamics were pretty realistic as someone who has lived in small towns. They aren't always rainbows and hospitality. I wish this would have been duel narrated, I think it would have been better. The narrator wasn't the best at changing her voice for each character. I also felt like the story was dragged out a little longer than needed. Overall I ended up giving it 3.5 stars. I'll definitely be checking out more of the author's works.

Pros: While reading this book, I could tell that this is a book some readers will love (and this is confirmed by most early reader reviews on Goodreads)! Although this book ended up not being for me, there were elements to the book that encouraged me to read it—I love gothic books where a house is a character. I listened to this book and enjoyed the narration.

Cons: This book was just not for me. It felt too YA—especially with the romance. I never connected with the characters and was bored with the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

2.5 stars

“I dream sometimes, about a house I’ve never seen…”

Starling House is odd, ugly, and full of secrets. This contemporary, gothic, fairy tale is about a small town haunted by the history it can’t seem to bury. And a clever, young woman who finds herself drawn to the house that is at the center of it all.

I first read and fell in love with this author a few years ago with The Ten Thousand Doors of January and have gone on to read every book they’ve released since. I was especially pulled into this synopsis because I love a gothic read centered around a house full of its own character. And this did not disappoint! I was immediately pulled in with the lyrical writing, the characters, the dying town, and the House. I will say towards the middle it did feel like it was a little bit longer than it needed to be and started to slow down, but then it got right back on track and had my attention again for the ending! I feel like this is one of those books that I could reread a few times and pick up on something different each time. This is heavier on the gothic, mystery, sweepingly romantic vibes and less on thriller/creepy (I’ve seen some early reviews expecting creepy). But I loved this just as it was and feel like it’s the perfect fall read!

4.5 stars! Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC via NetGalley. The audiobook was fantastic and brought the scenes and characters to life. All thoughts in this review are my own. Starling House has a pub date of October 31, 2023.

Absolutely loved this book, and gives an Alice in wonderland fan vibes, the ending was a little bizarre to me but it was not off putting and would definitely recommend and read again . It all started out when she decided to take the long way home from work and stopped by the starling house and the caretaker stopped her and told her to go and to never come back, she of course does no head his warning and comes back because she cannot stop thinking of the house. He takes her on as a house keeper to help maintain the house and to clean it to it’s former glory. All the while she contacted by a stranger that is wanting inside information on the house and wanting pictures of every angle or else, and after getting caught by her now employer she once agains flees from him and runs home to her room in an hotel, where her and her brother lives. She can’t help but to start dreaming of the house again and ends up there again to help out the caretaker. Together she must join forces with the caretaker to help keep the door in seal and to make sure no other beast can slip out and harm anyone else.

Alix E Harrow is already one of my favorite authors, so my hopes were high-- and still exceeded.
Starling House is a little Alice, a little Beauty and the Beast, maybe a touch of Sleeping Beauty plus strong feminist & progressive themes. It's also a book about building wealth on the backs and bodies of others.
There is so much happening here and a gorgeous story on the way.
This is a 5 star read.

Starling House has always been a mystery to the townspeople of Eden, KY. Rumors swirl around the house and its inhabitants, and none of them are good. The owners of Starling House never seem to come to a good end. The current owner, Arthur Starling, is a recluse who keeps to himself until stubborn, redheaded Opal walks through his gate. Opal is fierce, independent, and so strong that she can usually hide the fact that she is scared all the time of losing custody of her brother, Jasper, who is 16 years old. They have been together since their mother died in a car accident, and they've been scraping by on Opal's meager wages. When Opal takes a more lucrative job cleaning Starling House, strange things begin to happen and suspicious people begin to contact her.

This is a very unique and original, and slightly dark, fantasy. It is about a house, its history, and its demons. It's also about finding family in unexpected places and learning to trust others. The plot is clever, magical, mysterious, and a little scary. The writing is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the best writing occurs when Opal realizes the definition of a real family, and it has nothing to do with blood. Fans of fantasy, family, and hard luck stories should check this one out.

I received a copy of this audiobook free via MacMillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This is the second book by Ms. Harrow that I have loved, so now I have to go read all of her stuff.

If you think of traditional fantasy novels where the gorgeous male protagonist has to physically battle an evil entity and its beastly minions to save the beautiful maiden, this is the polar opposite in every way. Thank you for that trope squashed. This is a well-written, well-crafted story of sibling loyalty, homelessness, found family, a house that isn't haunted as much as it is somewhat alive, some really bad people wanting to exploit mineral rights on private property when they're not busy poisoning the town, romance, the underworld, monsters, nightmares, small town small-townness, and traumatized people finding hope again. Opal is not your typical protagonist, and at first, I wasn't sure I'd like her lying, stealing ways, but her aversion to the truth is a defense mechanism that served her well until she dares to care about something other than her younger brother.

This is a dark book that creeps up on you, jogs your senses, and then leaves you satisfied.

If Casita from Encanto was deposited into the world of the novel, Ninth House, you would have something similar to Starling House.

There are monstrous creatures, and underworld type of place, those who are tasked with preventing the beasts from getting out, and a magical living house. There is also a little unexpected romance.

I really loved aspects of this one, but there was something missing I couldn’t quite identify. I don’t know why I wasn’t fully invested in the characters or why some of the elements that were meant to wow me fell somewhat flat.

I did love the atmosphere and I did like the narrator though! I would recommend the audio and think this would be a fun read for fantasy lovers.

Opal is a small-town misfit whose list of priorities contains one item: get her brother out of Eden, KY, where life is plagued with strange accidents and a lot of near-misses. After losing their mother in a car accident, the pair have made a home out of number 12 at the Garden of Eden motel. Opal's strange dreams of the eerie nearby Starling house leads her to the gates of the property, where she meets Arthur Starling, an unpleasant and unattractive rich kid who wears self-administered tattoos and a permanent frown. The house, with a personality of its own, yearns for Opal as much as she does for it, and Arthur begrudgingly offers her a job housekeeping. As Opal becomes a more permanent fixture in the house and in Arthur's life, the mystery of the town's past unravels, revealing truths only the warden of Starling House can see.

Harrow's writing style is addicting as always. I devoured Starling House like everything else she's written. The story is engaging, well-written, and unique, and the characters are complex, being both sympathetic and unlikeable at once. I would certainly recommend Starling House to anyone who likes Alix E. Harrow's work, or enjoys fantasy with morally-grey characters that takes place in the real world. Where it disappoints is in the impact. I loved The Once and Future Witches for its clever commentary on history and culture. Starling House just doesn't pack the same punch. It was entertaining, but doesn't stand out as something that will stick with me.

The entire feel of this book was wholly up my alley! I enjoyed every minute.

Opal and her brother are left alone after the death of their mother, an event that still haunts Opal’s dreams. When she starts having dreams about the old Starling House, a place the entire town steers clear of, she is compelled to go there.

She meets Arthur, the lone last descendent of the home, a boy who lost his own parents years ago… and the pull she feels toward him is urgent.

There are secrets buried in the Kentucky town… secrets that do NOT want to stay buried. And, when a woman approaches Opal requesting dirt on the house in exchange for a hefty fee, she has no other choice but to comply. Her empty bank account is full of cobwebs and she longs for better for her younger brother.

Opal never expected to find such a deep connection to the old house and the more she gets to know Arthur, and the more she gets to know the house, seeming a character all it’s own, the deeper she finds herself in the center of the very old curse.

This was so atmospheric. I love gothic fantasy and this one completely fit the bill. I adored Opal and Arthur. The connection they find in the face of this whole mess is incredible. Opal is a strong and determined girl who will stop at nothing to protect the ones she loves.

Ali’s Harrow has become one of my favorite authors since I first read her book One Thousand Doors of January. This book solidified my love of her writing and also shows how she is able to craft diverse and engaging books.

The Starling House was wonderful. The plot, the character, the atmosphere. It all sucked me in from the very start. I loved it!

The audio narration was well done and added to the reading experience. I can’t wait for the next book she writes!

4+ ⭐️
“I don’t dream of the house that night. I don’t dream at all actually, which is weird for me. I often wake up with the taste of river water and blood in my mouth, broken glass in my hair, a scream drowning in my chest. But that morning, the first one after I set foot on Starling land there’s nothing but a deep quiet inside me.”

Full confession… there are exactly two fantasy writers I trust - Erin Morgenstern and Alix E. Harrow. The later comes through once more with a fabulous narrative: a sibling tale reminiscent of Duchess and Robyn from We Begin At The End, with the gothic mystery of Rebecca within a fantastical world like The Starless Sea. The October release date led me to the intention of simply sampling this audiobook, but I could not stop reading!

Eden, Kentucky is home to a power and coal company, a dilapidated house laced with sinister conjecture and Opal and Jasper, two homeless orphans. These main characters intersect with creative and often unexpected interactions, creating a spooky and thought-provoking read, perfect for the October release season. A 19th century book author has created an Underworld which is at the heart of the story and generations are faced with dealing with its consequences, both real and imagined. Opal leads the chase of the story of ghosts and beasts, where a fine mist is all that separates villains and victims.

Metaphors run rampant for those readers who are paying attention, with Starling House itself stealing the show. Ms. Harrow’s new work will definitely resonate with fantasy fiction lovers, especially those who are drawn to her novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for my honest review! Performance by narrator Natalie Naudus was fantastic. Quote will be checked before pub date when I post my review.