Contempory fantasy and gothic horror mixed into one!
Opal takes a job at the mysterious starling house, but as ever, not all is at it seems. Secrets must be uncovered but will they cause more damage than if left untouched.
Harrow has nailed the gothic atmosphere and the eerie, mysterious vibes, it's not borrow per say, more ghostly and eerie with so many mysteries to uncover.
I love we get multiple POV, and the switches between are handled so well. And the characters are so different you can immediately tell who's head you are in. Opal and Arthur are unique but somehow work well together throughout this book.
There's a magical element too, which is well handled and not the forefront of this, but sprinkled through.
Somehow, it's almost cosy despite being gothic in nature, although my only point of note is those looking for romance may not be entirely satisfied with the romance in the book. I liked it, and felt it came together but took a back step, but if you are reading this first and foremost for the romance, you may not be entirely satisfied.

This was one of my most anticipated reads and I'm glad to say it lived up to expectations.

The old Starling House is a source of mystery and rumour for the townsfolk of Eden - it's residents strange and different - outsiders. But Opal is drawn to the house, dreaming of it since she was young and obsessed with the book written by it's original owner.

This is a beautifully atmospheric, Southern gothic fantasy in a cursed, miserable little town with a difficult, razor-sharp main character in Opal and a lonely, stubborn wet cat of a man in Arthur.
I loved that the house is character - at times sinister and dangerous but, also loving and cosy - it's trying it's best!
The whole mystery surrounding the town and the house, spread out of many years, is intriguing and sinister without going into real horror- the perfect level of spooky vibes for me.

Immaculate vibes, great characters - I can't wait to read it again

3.75* rounded up.

I found this more of a Gothic fantasy style than horror. I loved the relationship between the two main characters Arthur and Opal. There interactions together really made this good fun to read.

Unfortunatly, my interest seemed to stray around the middle where i found i put the book down and then back up randomly.
But do not let this put you off! The last half of the book was really worth the read. The story all comes together and it really pulls on the heartstrings!

A sweet, strong and enchanting read that gave me a few giggles and a lovely big aww how cutes! The story on a whole has a great overall message and i enjoyed the creepy/horror(ish) element regarding what was really going on. ☠

Many thanks to the Author and Publisher through Netgalley for a DRC.

Absolutely loved every single page of this book!
Perfect vibes, beautifully written, so atmospheric and just utter perfection.

It was my first Alix E Harrow book so did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the story. I find it well-developed with clear stakes and acts. The worldbuilding was sound; I appreciated the way 'exposition' was placed in the book as well as the footnotes. I liked the author's take on the mysterious house trope. My only point was the characters - I would have liked more time between the two leads. I could understand the chemistry but more time would helped to build up tension. Overall a very enjoyable fall read.

‘People like me have to make two lists: what they need and what they want. You keep the first list short, if you’re smart, and you burn the second one.’

Of all the perspectives to wield, first-person present tense is the riskiest. Alix E. Harrow accomplishes it for Opal, our protagonist in ‘Starling House’, with a kind of easeful effort; I can see the craft that has gone into it and the labour that has so thoroughly refined this, the latest full-length novel from one of the most exciting contemporary Fantasy authors. I can't imagine Opal's narrative being as robust in any other format. From the first page, her ‘I’ voice resolves, sets her down in the present, and remains as formidable throughout: 'I figure dreams are like stray cats, which will go away if I quit feeding them.' Harrow’s use of tense and perspective also lends weight to the immediacy of Opal’s character – she is terse, she makes decisions abruptly and can be stubborn and reckless. But no one could ever accuse her of being irresolute!

By holding on to the present tense for Arthur Starling’s share of the split narrative, Harrow hitches Opal’s storyline to his. Yet, by adopting a third-person perspective for his recounting, she effects a distance and an aloofness of character for Arthur. The distinction carved by Harrow between her heroine and hero make Arthur’s reactions and responses to Opal especially effectful for the reader. What better way to affect our vision of Opal than to be reflexively drawn back to Arthur’s regard of her? Like this, for instance:

‘Opal is standing on his threshold, looking up at him with the sane wary, weary expression she wore the first time he found her outside his gates. He has a maudlin impulse to memorize her: the canny silver of her eyes and the crooked front teeth, the lunar white of her skin and the startling black of her freckles, like constellations in negative. There are swollen red rings around each of her wrists, and two of the knuckles on her right hand are split.’

Following the likes of that description, there’s terrific gratification in exchanging Arthur’s perspective for being back inside Opal’s mind, eliciting dramatic irony of the most delicious quality! I had so much fun with this switching on-and-off of omniscience that Harrow plays with. Similarly, I enjoyed the footnotes. Having been in two minds earlier this year about the use of footnotes in ‘Chain Gang All Stars’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, I was thrilled to see Harrow’s world-building really put them to work for her in constructing environment, atmosphere and mood, in providing character backstory, and intensifying plot complexity and tension.

Alix. E Harrow, though, hardly needs any kind of boost when it comes to creating atmosphere (but here, a note should be made about how wickedly beautiful the illustrations are in ‘Starling House’). Harrow’s descriptions of setting are never clichéd, never abstracted. I love Harrow’s use of concrete imagery. She is always pulling the socks up of every single sentence:

‘I think it’s a cellar – it’s whatever is waiting beneath the trapdoor in the pantry, the creepy one with the big lock and the carved symbols. I haven’t pulled up the rug since that first day I found it, but it tugs at me. It feels magnetic, or gravitational, like I could set a marble down anywhere in the house and it would roll toward it.’

At times in the novel, I delighted in finding these entrancing wee spots where descriptions of place incline towards pathetic fallacy and - when it comes to the mansion house itself - lean more dramatically into setting-as-character (here redolent of Gatsby’s symbolic green light imagery):

‘But sometimes in the early dark of winter you can see a single lit window shining through the sycamores. It’s a funny kind of light: a rich amber that shudders with the wind, nothing like the drone of a streetlight or the sickly blue fluorescent. I figure that window is the only light I’ve ever seen that doesn’t come from the coal plant on the riverbank. In my dream, the light is for me.’

Alix E. Harrow draws as much of a relationship between Opal and Starling House as she does between Opal and the other characters in the novel: ‘[the] floorboards moan an apology beneath my feet.’

‘Starling House’ is never earnest, never saccharine. The emotions in this novel are starkly lit in high contrast, and Harrow does an insanely good job of keeping Opal and Arthur’s characters separate and individual in their emotional languages. Then, when the overlap in these two characters’ feelings and internal lives is spotlit, this starkness and contrast simply explodes with colour and clarity, and when Opal and Arthur end up in the climax scenes together, it’s pure pyrotechnics! The twists and the turns and the revelations that pay off as the narrative’s culmination, are rich and sweet and distinctively crafted, as Harrow’s conclusions always are.

‘Arthur has been many things to me – a mystery, a vampire, a knight, an orphan, a real dick – but now I see him for what he is: a man with a list just like mine, with only one thing on it.’

For me, there’s no happiness quite like the happiness of being alone, in front of the fire, lost in the pages of an Alix E. Harrow book; I’ve gobbled them all and I’ll admit that I am thoroughly biased, as a dedicated follower of Harrow. Although I wouldn’t cast ‘Starling House’ as purely Gothic and I wouldn’t necessarily cast it as Horror, it is deeply dark and powerful Fantasy; it’s the ideal Autumn/October/Hallowe’en/Samhain read and it deserves all the accolades: NYT Bestseller; USA Today and Washington Post Bestseller; Indie Next pick, Amazon October pick, and I can’t wait to hear what Reese’s Book Club make of it as their October read!

My great gratitude to Alix E. Harrow and Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of this, what’s sure to be one of the biggest books of the year; it was a privilege to read an early copy of one of my favourite authors’ new release.

I recieved both an advanced reader copy of this book and the audio book. The narrator for the audio i is excellent and really brought the book and it's characters to life. My only criticism of it is that while listening to it I discovered that the audiobook is rather abridged.

The book is a thrilling dark gothic ride. And will be sure to keep readers and listeners up long past bed time perhaps to see where the story ends and if the sun will actually rise.

It is a book filled with stories of stories. Half truths and lies. It's grim and dark and bloody all the way to its bones and it's a hungry story.

I loved each and every moment of this book. It's absolutely perfect for this time of year when the days are getting shorter and the nights grow longer ...and the mists rise....

Superb writing with a beautiful, quiet romance. Set in a cursed town with a haunted house, Starling House was a great October read. I particularly loved the way the author portrayed a stray she referred to as the “hell cat”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance reader copy.

I was apprehensive going into this book because of the description of it being a reimagined Beauty and the beast. I wasn’t a huge fan of the story when I was younger and thought to give this book a go and I’m super happy I did!
It doesn’t follow the beauty and the beats weirdness but still has a weird house and a reclusive grumpy resident.

This is a great supernatural read, with good elements of spookiness and great characters.

I loved the main characters and their flaws and how their romance felt gradual rather than forced into the story.

This has got my October reading off to a good start.

Starling House is magical in a dark, unearthly way. The perfect October read!
I’m a fan of fantasy, romance, thrillers, general spooky books as well as full-on horror (big fan of Mark Edwards). I wouldn’t call it a horror, but it’s definitely creepy and otherworldly. Maybe dark fantasy is where I’d place this?
I loved pretty much everything about this story! The diverse cast of imperfect but deeply lovable characters, including Starling House itself, coupled with Harrow’s beautiful atmospheric writing had me hooked from the beginning!
This story winds through so many themes across family and belonging, what makes a home, chosen family and identity among others.
I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book to join my IRL “favourites” shelf – it’s too beautiful not to – both the story and the cover design!
One thing: I have seen some reviewers refer to this as containing “smut”. If you’re a certified spicy smut reader, you’re going to be disappointed if that’s what you’re in it for. If you’re not one for smut, you’re fine there’s very few intimate scenes that leave a lot to the imagination.
Thank you to Netgalley and the UK Publisher for sending me an ARC of this book ahead of the UK publication date in exchange for an honest review.

4/5

I really, really enjoyed this book. The first I read of Harrow's works was The Six Deaths of the Saint earlier this year and I adored it, I marvelled at the skill and craft of the storytelling and the beautiful, haunting prose. In Starling House we are offered no less.

The writing is gorgeous and so incredibly atmospheric. I adore the setting and atmosphere (and vibes) of southern gothics, and this book could not have done these more brilliantly.
The town of Eden is a town plagued by its history. These roots entangle with and are so deeply entrenched in the present that it is impossible—wrong, even—to separate them from one another. It bears a looming, twisted history that the people who live there find much easier to ignore than to confront. Thus is the morality of Eden; rumours whispered on the wind but never spoken aloud with the weight of truth, troubled people better ignored than helped, immoralities better forgotten but sins never forgiven.

The characters of this town are broken and flawed, but they are survivors above all else. We follow those abandoned on the outskirts of this small community, those that lurk in the cracks, those that don't fit into Eden's masquerade.
I loved Opal, she's an amazing main character to follow. She's survived Eden for so long by the scraps of her teeth and she knows there are places better, places that she will do anything to make sure her brother can escape to. Everything she does is with him in mind, burying her own wants and dreams to ensure that he's the one that survives this cursed town.

I always adore complicated and emotional sibling relationships in books and this one is written so well. They have their jagged edges, they can't help but cut each other when they go in to hold one another, but above all else they love each other and will do anything to ensure the other's safety and happiness. There's so much guilt and blame and grief churned up inside this already complex dynamic that it can't help but bleed a little before it can scab over. But I think what's so beautiful about relationships like these is that they know they have a long way to go before their wounds can become scars and cease paining them, but they are willing to do everything it takes in order to achieve that end.
I adored all the characters we met in the shadows of Eden, all the characters unaware that maybe the family they were searching for were lurking in the shadows with them.

Starling House is delightfully gothic and alive under our feet. Every creak of the floorboards and groan of the pipes adds such life to the world and to the sentience of this house. Every step we take further into it makes it feel more like a home.
With characters so desperate to be loved, to be held in safe arms and sung softly to sleep, it is no wonder that this pit of yearning is so easily opened inside all of us. It's no wonder that we, alongside Opal, want to make this a home.

Opal must look the dark truth of her town in the eyes and bear witness to its damage. Will she cut and run like she always does when she's counted too many losses, or this time—the time when it truly matters—will she stay and fight? Is there anything left of her town that is still worth saving? Is there anyone inside it who doesn't deserve to rot?

There are places better than Eden, but maybe Opal doesn't want better. Home is not always a place and I think the characters of Eden will convince you of this, perhaps as they discover it for themselves.

I adored these characters clawing at the walls, spiteful and brave and blazing enough to demand their own survival. I adored the southern gothic elements infused into the atmosphere, into every songbird's call, into every whisper of mist. I adored the romance that flickers throughout it all, like the last flame on a cold, dark night, signalling home like a lighthouse, connecting two lonely souls lost at sea.

The characters are what make this book brilliant; their ferocity and their determination, their never-ending love—even when it's difficult, even when it's the hardest choice in the world.
I highly recommend this book as a perfect spooky, gothic read. October is the best month for it, (as I've said over and over and over again) the writing is extraordinarily atmospheric.

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alix E Harrow’s writing is so beautiful and whatever they write I am going to read and purchase most likely multiple copies of every book!

Starling House has so many layers to it, at it’s core it’s a gothic fairytale with stories within stories it does have a horror esque or more sinister spooky slant to it but for people who I’ve chatted with who are concerned that it’s gonna be scary you’ll be fine 🖤

I adored Opal as our main protagonist she’s just not your typical FMC she’s got so much spirit.

There’s superstition, generational trauma experiences, myths, monsters and while everything about this book is bleak from the town to Starling House there is magnificent levels of warmth and hope to be found in unlikely places.

I don’t want to give anything away and I feel like everything I could say that I loved will give it away.

Starling House was 5 stars for me and now I need to hunt down pretty editions.

4⭐️

This was such an enjoyable spooky (but not too scary) read - perfect for October!

In Starling House we get haunted mansion, peculiar characters, and a lot of mystery.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend if you’re looking for a gothic, spooky read this autumn.

This was GORGEOUS, STUNNING!

We follow Opal (I liked her immediately), a young woman working hard to give her brother a better life away from their town. When the opportunity arises to work at Starling House, the creepy house full of mystery and tragedy, she takes it and finds more than just a job; she finds herself, love, and her own purpose in this world.

The vibes are immaculate, the pacing is great, the characters are likable and nuanced, we get multiple POVs, which I always love, and the writing is beautiful and very atmospheric. There's also romance in this, a lovely slow burn (my favorite!!!) so I enjoyed it A LOT.

An instant favorite for me, and a perfect October read.

This is a wonderful mythical gothic mystery. The tale of Starling house and the wardens that protect the industrial town of Eden from the beasts of the underworld. Its perfect for autumn and winter seasons, curled up on a sofa under a blanket to escape in this slow burn but very enthralling novel.

To call this book a retelling of Beauty and The Beast does it a disservice - it's much more than that.

An atmospheric gothic mystery, this book builds itself around secrets that slowly unravel throughout the book. The build is slow, but well paced, with each new reveal slotting in perfectly. A great read for Autumn & Spooky season, with characters that really grow on you despite your flaws. The house is by far my favourite character, but the entire cast feels real and human, and you truly feel for them and their lives in Eden.

STARLING HOUSE is a Southern (USA) Gothic about the exploitation of the land, white men getting rich off the suffering of others, and the desecration of the environment. And there are monsters too.

This is a highly atmospheric book. It's a modern setting, which is unusual among what I've read of Gothic literature, but it skilfully evokes an uneasy, broken atmosphere with the environmental devastation caused by a power plant, the air pollution, the water pollution. At times, it even seems beautiful, the lights on the Power Station glowing at night - beautiful in a decay way.

There are so many secrets, wrapped around the ugly, almost-sentient house at the heart of the book. The tale of the House and its occupants is told so many times, from different perspectives, each one only with a little piece of what happened. They chime with each other, but also show parts of the previous to be lies, adding to that uneasy feeling. I really enjoyed how that built.

There are monsters that come with the mist in this book. They develop slowly over the book from an urban legend into something quite real (and quiet awful.) They were well worth the wait!

This is actually my second attempt at reading this book. I originally received an eARC from the publishers, but it was so corrupted (missing chapter ends so it got very confusing!) that I gave up. The narrator was very good, capturing the tension with slow, considered sentences.

A slow start is worth perservering with in this charming gothic mystery. It was the perfect read for October; night's drawing in, Halloween coming close, the rain and the wind starting to take control. I also have a flock of starling's that roost in a tree in my garden and have always loved them, yet they do lend themselves to a rather creepy atmosphere when they flock and scream!

Starling House is a supernatural mystery rather than a horror, but has darkness simmering just below the surface of every page. The main character, Opal, is written perfectly. Flawed, filled with guilt, pain and determination. She's not depicted as a saint, just a young adult trying to make a life for herself and her brother. Arthur is awkward and uncomfortable, but as we slowly find out his story, things make sense, and he became rather endearing to me. I love a haunted house, monsters, mystery and madness, and this all tied together perfectly. Sometimes supernatural stories can have an unsatisfying ending, but it all came together and left me feeling chills, but happy ones.

Sometimes, I think, you just click with a particular writer and everything they write (even if it's something that initially you think won't work for you) just turns out to be exactly what you wanted to read. Apparently Alix E Harrow is one of those writers for me, as I've really enjoyed all 3 of her novels to date even though they have all been quite different from each other, and long may that continue.

Starling House was, to be honest, the book I was least convinced about on reading the blurb. It's basically been described as a bit of a gothic fairytale, with our protagonist (Opal) going to work in the eponymous mansion, the local haunted house which nobody knows the true history of and whose new owners just seem to appear when it falls empty. Opal doesn't have much choice though, she really needs the money to get her brother out of their dead-end town, so she's prepared to do pretty much whatever is required. What she doesn't count on is that she's going to find herself embroiled in a fight against a darkness that threatens to engulf the whole town alongside the house's current owner.

I really enjoyed Starling House, even though it's not really in a sub-genre I particularly go for. The world-building and back story is excellent, the characters are strong and I even really liked the romantic sub-plot (usually the hardest sell for me, to be honest). It's a book I can see myself returning to re-read and that's one of the things that tips it over into 5 stars for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

A fabulous gothic fantasy horror novel set in the bleak rundown industrial down of Eden. It has all the classic elements for a successful novel - small town vibes, spooky house with resident weirdo, strange happenings, disenchanted female and chuck in a bit of will they-won’t they. Mix it all together and you get the perfect companion book for a rainy weekend spent indoors by a roaring fire. Love it.