I struggled a bit with this one. I love the premise, and the old-fashioned writing style is fun and immersive, but Gus's perspective is hard to take. While I like darker reads, and I see the point the author's making, the misogyny is a bit too much for me right now and I'd decided to DNF. I also found the world a bit confusing -- I might try this one again in the future though, because I really did want to get more into it.

So this is by the author who wrote Vassa in the night and she is coming out with her adult debut with Tor. This is part historical fantasy part horror that was very strange, we’re following Catherine who has been murdered by her childhood friend and the connection that they have keeps her spirit alive long enough to seek revenge. It has like a ghostly murder mystery thriller vibe to it. It was okay I guess? I couldn't get super into it.

Dark and deeply fucked up, this story follows Catherine, who was murdered by her friend Gus and is trapped as a ghost haunting him in the wizard city. The first few chapters are difficult to read, detailing Catherine's suffering as a ghost unable to do anything but scream, tied to the man who ended her life and chance to do or be anything free. Gus isn't content to only kill one bright woman, but schemes to send out the titular projections to find women like Catherine and kill them too. Unsparing and unsentimental, the book rages against all the way women are conditioned to support men, and the ways men restrict women without even noticing or caring. Heavy on the trigger warnings - the emotional abuse is rendered so exactly that it rings deeply and can be hard to shake. Still brilliant and likely to be talked about all year.

This book was quite long and slow, and a little hard to follow at times, but I enjoyed the fantasy and revenge elements. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys multiple timelines/universes and POVs.

3.5 stars. This was compelling to start with but eventually not my cup of tea. I found it exploring very important and interesting themes of misogyny and abuse, but I think I’ve learned my lesson about horror — it just isn’t the genre for me; and I found this to be a bit too graphic for my liking at times. I know it’s a good story for the right reader so I am still rating it semi-high.

DNF at 50%.

I tried after seeing several reviews giving this one 5-stars. I thought maybe I only needed to readjust my reading speed to make the most of it. However, I just wasn’t getting into it (or getting it, for that matter) and I wanted to so much. There are a number of timelines through varying points of view which aren't entirely linear and jump around too much to make sense of what is happening.

I feel bad as it’s rare I don’t finish a book and am still rooting for Catherine to gain her vengeance and have hope that she does! This unfortunately couldn’t capture my attention.

While the concept for Projections sounded amazing, the writing style was difficult to follow and I found myself repeatedly losing interest in the story.

Unfortunately deciding to DNF at 73%. As a horror reader, I was really excited to give this dark fantasy especially with the strong female MC and revenge vibes. However, I really struggled to get my footing with the world building and the various POVs. I feel like this is maybe one of those instances in which this is just the wrong time for me to be reading this book. Even though I'm the majority of the way through, I'm still incredibly confused about the rules of the magic at play and Catherine's plan moving forward. There are certain aspects of this story I did really love that may bring me back to try again one day. I loved the feminist narrative and the author did an excellent job of creating Gus to be so, so unlikable. Again, I feel as though this may be a "me" issue and not a book issue. Thank you again to Tor and NetGalley for access to this ARC!

A gothic, fantasy horror? What more could you ask for from S.E. Porter's newest read Projections.

As with most fantasies, particularly when you're building a new world, the story takes some time to get into. This is a story of vengeance and feminine rage, something that I love regardless of the genre, style, or story. I hightly recommend giving this one a try.

Catherine Bildstein learned the true nature of the man she considered a friend – by being murdered. As a ghost, she’s now tethered to her murderer, unable to speak or move freely between worlds. Where he goes, she has no choice but to be dragged along too as he attempts to find women who will love him as Catherine never did and never will.

Switching between past and present, and with dual POV’s from Catherine and Angus, there’s so much to take in and learn about them and their lives, as well as the other magical world, Nautilus. For me, Catherine was the better POV, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective so much more than I did Angus’s. But, that’s not to say Angus’s POV was boring, it was anything but, I just hated him as a character and what he was doing, and I needed Catherine to get her revenge against him. He was well written, and Porter does an amazing job of writing a character you want to know more about, whilst hating at the same time. The same can be said for the writing of Catherine, it was incredibly easy to empathise with her, to feel her rage and hopelessness, her determination and her pain.

The plot can seem slow at times as this is a very character driven book, but it’s worth it. The switching between time periods can be a little confusing in the beginning, but I found it easy to sink into the world, the writing, and the characters after a few chapters. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before, but the weird, dark and vengeful vibes are everything I loved.

As a dark fantasy book centred around obsession, unrequited love and revenge, it was exactly what I was looking for, and the perfect first ARC of the year. Porter has had me hooked on her work since Vassa in the Night, and she’ll keep me hooked for many more books to come.

Did I like the book? Yes!

Did I love it? Yes!

Would I recommend it? Yes. How does a revenge seeking ghost and a murderous man hellbent on finding love sound?

I think I set myself up for failure with this book. The cover and concept drew me in, and I was excited to explore this world.

I enjoyed that it's a clear chapter-by-chapter POV, and it's clearly marked, but there is a lot of rereading and doubling back to fully understand what was happening. Some of the book also contains flashbacks, to give context and build the story. The magic simple is interesting but complex.

I was strangely confused for a good portion of the book. It's definitely one of those books you need to sit down and commit it, and not read anything else. The writing style is engaging, which is what kept me going.

It's definitely unique - I do recommend giving it a go if you want something out of your box.

I really enjoyed this! I love dark fantasy and horror, and the ghostly revenge plot really worked for me. The multiple timelines were I thought very successful, and while I can see it maybe being controversial for some readers I really enjoyed the period-style writing.

So disclaimer: this book took me a minute to get into. Okay maybe even more than that. That said, once it got going, I found myself very invested in the story. So if you're cool with waiting for the payoff, I definitely think this one is worth it. The beginning was... confusing, and a little bland, and definitely verbose. And I was not sure I wanted to keep going. But at some point, probably around the 30% mark, I found myself reading and not even checking to see if I made progress, so that was a great sign!

And in fact, I had become very invested in this story, and especially in Catherine. It seemed all too real that Gus would murder Catherine, and still blame her for "making him" do it. Like is that not the grossest white guy crap you've ever heard? And you know it happens. All. The. Time. Not necessarily to the extent of murder (though it does happen, make no mistake) but with abuse in general. Anyway, somewhere along the way, I became as invested in Gus getting his comeuppance as Catherine was.

There ended up being a lot of very cool twists and turns, and things connected to one another that I hadn't even thought about, which made the book become very readable. And I found myself quite curious about how Catherine was still hanging around, how the world worked, and what had truly happened in the past, all of which unfurls throughout the story. I am so glad I stuck with this one!

Bottom Line: The start was a little rocky, and it could have been shorter, but man did I get hooked by the story and its characters as it went on!

If you enjoy reading About creepy and horror stories than this book is for you. Unfortunately, I don’t like horror stories. And I still learned my lesson from last year when I come about requesting books. It just wasn’t for me.

5/5 Stars

TL;DR - A deliciously slow-burning revenge story, simmering with feminine rage. Trippy, surreal, and hauntingly human. Unlike anything I’ve ever read in the best possible way.

Big thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: being murdered, strangulation, objectification and dehumanization, sexism, misogyny, mentions of child abuse, sexual assault, illness and death of a parent, gore, paternalism, unwanted sexual advances, murder, and violations of bodily autonomy.**

‘Projections’ by S. E. Porter is a genre-bending masterpiece of revenge, obsession, and mortality - and the denial thereof. Equal parts historical fiction, horror, magical realism, and fantasy - and 100% feminist manifesto - this book is unlike anything you’re likely to read presently or in the future. It follows two narrators along three distinct timelines - Catherine Bildstein, a 19 year-old woman living in 19th century rural New York, through her short life up to her untimely murder, Catherine again as she’s tethered as a shrieking ghost to the man who killed her and her harrowing existence thereafter, and Angus Farrow, a “projection” - that is, a magical facsimile - of Catherine’s murderer in the present day as he carries out his creator’s twisted desires. We learn in gorgeous and heart-breaking detail about the evils of toxic masculinity and how dangerous a double-edged sword it can truly become.

Holy. Shit. Full stop, end of story, that’s all, folks.

I don’t even have words to convey what I just read. I’m shook, I’m flabbergasted, I’m deceased - and I’m *living* for it.

“The victors write the histories of wars. Great men pen their memoirs without wasting ink on the villages they burned or the washerwomen they raped. And the living, of course, have rather a monopoly on telling tales of ghosts.”

I guess I’ll start with the prose, like the excerpt above. It’s *gorgeous*. Picture the most heart-wrenching, glittering, soul-deep prose you’ve ever read, and I promise you that this book is infinitely more, well, *more*. It reads like a literary classic coming out of Georgian/Victorian times, and then some. The prose is smart and beautiful, incredibly real but also infinitely ephemeral, as dreamy and fantastical as the events its recounting. The verbosity takes some getting used to, certainly, but once you allow yourself to sink into it, you’re carried along like floating down a lazy, bejeweled river.

Okay, I’m getting a little carried away in my praise, but that’s how profound an effect this book had on me.

Catherine is *everything* as a character. She’s strong-willed and yet a victim of the time she was born in, she’s smart and sardonic and so sure of who she is, even when she’s floundering in her morality. Even when she’s depressed and listless, she’s fierce, even when she’s pursuing her goals with single-minded fervor, she’s uncertain - she’s all of the contradictions and synergies and more. I don’t think I’ve ever rooted so hard for a fictional character in everything she does, right and wrong.

(On that note, Catherine in all her glory earned this book a coveted spot on my “I Support Women’s Wrongs” shelf. Well done, madam.)

Angus, while not nearly as compelling a POV as Catherine, was also very interesting to follow. There’s a slow mystery as to who exactly he is, and then to the full extent of what he is and how it will impact the greater narrative, and while it was certainly often yucky to be in his head (being the projection of a very vile and entitled man), I still had empathy for him and followed his development with great interest.

The world is fantastic, literally and figuratively. This whole books reads like a dark Studio Ghibli movie - there are strange and fantastical creatures like in ‘Spirited Away’, there is charm and whimsy and wonder (and fickle, vain sorcerers) like in ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, there’s desolation and greed and bleak humanity like in ‘Princess Mononoke’. Minotaurs, talking frogs, ever-changing limnal cities, strange and wonderful magic - I cannot stress enough how this whole book is just one long, bleak and beautiful Miyazaki film. Chef’s freaking kiss on the vibes.

(On later reflection, this also gives strong ‘Penny Dreadful’ vibes in a lot of places - the bleak, 19th century fantastical aspects and similarities cannot be denied.)

This is definitely a character-driven story, and a long one at that, so if you’re more of a plot-centric reader who needs action, this will probably be a tough read. I’m something of a plot girlie myself, but I was so enchanted by the world and so enamored with Catherine (and to a lesser extent, Angus), that I really didn’t mind the almost 500 pages it took to tell the full story. There’s definitely a plot, don’t get me wrong, and some pretty intense parts on top of the over-arching mystery of the whole story, but I would definitely say this will appeal more to literary fiction readers than those used to plot-driven narratives.

And on top of all that, this book is so fucking feminist that I almost can’t stand it - and I say that with such respect and affection, mind you. The pure, unadulterated feminine rage that seethes from every page of this book is exquisite, and I absolutely ate it all up. This is a scathing examination of toxic masculinity and paternalism, of the very real harm it causes every day to people of every gender (or lack thereof, I see you, besties), written with care and consternation in equal measure. I don’t have the words to do it justice, please read it for yourself and then sit with it, savor it, let the bittersweet taste linger on the back of your tongue.

(Also, loving the subtle and beautiful queer rep!)

I need to stop now or I’ll wax poetic forever. Read this book, I beg of you.

Final Thoughts:

This book is everything. Lovingly shelving as “My Soul On Paper” and “I Support Women’s Wrongs”. Purchasing a physical copy as soon as I post this review.

I am a bit mixed as to my reaction to Projections. On the positive side, I really liked the premise, the world building, the themes of revenge, and the dark atmosphere of the book. The book is also uniquely written, with the language and word choices giving it an 1800's feel. Unfortunately, I think the book was about 100 or so pages too long. At times, the pacing was really sluggish and made it difficult for me to stay engaged. I also had a difficult time connecting with characters. I also struggled with the time jumps and magic system. There is also a lack of chapter heading to guide the reader along the way. As a result, it all got a bit confusing. I think, as a whole, this maybe wasn't a read for me. I know there are readers that will just love this book; however, for this reader, it was a bit middle of the road for my tastes.

I don't think I've ever read anything like this before. Yes, it's a ghost story, but from the ghost's point of view. If I was going to wildly oversimplify, I'd say it's a story about vengeance. But it is a lot more than that. The narrative flows between three timelines, which should be confusing, but it works incredibly well. You develop so much empathy for (nearly) everyone as you slowly uncover their various backstories. Really just a beautiful feat of story craft, about obsession that thinks it's love, what love actually can look like, and the amount we can and should hurt ourselves in the name of justice.

DNF at 18%. I couldn't get into it. The beginning dragged, and while I loved the fact that our protagonist first appears to us as a screaming ghost trailing after her murderer, I didn't expect for her to remain in that helpless state for so many chapters in a tale supposedly about her revenge.

The pace was a bit slow for me, but I imagine someone who enjoys multiple perspectives, gradual building of tension, and character-driven storylines would like this more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for the chance to sample this book early on.

The pacing of this was a little all over the pace. For a book that is around 500 pages, the storytelling really has to be tight and intentional to keep people compelled to read the story, and this story didn't quite have that. I wasn't a huge fan of the characters, but the worldbuilding was actually pretty solid so the moments where the world was being fleshed out were pretty cool. Overall, I can see where people will really enjoy this (especially if they enjoy the characters, as it is a long book) but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Wow! What a story! This turned out to be so awesome. I loved the ending. Honestly, tell me about a woman overcoming, and I'm sold.

Okay, I have to be really honest about the beginning of this book. It's three points of view but just two people, and yes, it's as confusing as that sounds at first. But I got in the swing of this story and enjoyed it immensely. In other words, if you read this, please give it a chance! It's really great when you get into it.

Gus loved Catherine. He loved Catherine so much that he killed her when she didn't return that love. Her ghost kind of attaches to him, and she tells part of the story while Gus is telling his story in two different time periods.

It's a wild story, and the way the author tells this story really makes Gus look as messed up as someone would have to be to do what he did to Catherine and then to others. So, yeah, this is a cool read.

Out February 13, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!