<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

This book has similar vibes to [book:Deathless|8694389] and [book:Divine Rivals|60784546]/[book:Ruthless Vows|127280062]. Set in a similar time period, this book also has elements of the encanny/magical with a malignant force at play.

Leaning more toward the <i>Letters of Enchantment</i> duology, this book is really more about the people and their relationships than it is about the setting, so I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this book to like a WWI buff or something.

Although I did appreciate this setting, as frankly… I don’t know much about WWI (did anyone else’s history lessons in primary school just sort of gloss over it?), and I understand Arden’s selection of this time period, as our world was one on the cusp of changing entirely when WWI happened.


I get the criticisms that say nothing really happened or the pacing was a bit slow - yes, I can’t really deny that.

But I loved Arden’s way of showing us a character’s whole heart, their entire self, and how that impacted their choices and their relationships.

I also thought the question of “what do you become and who can you be in the face of tragedy” to be very interesting, as well as the idea of the stripping of the self.

What I mean by that, is that as soldiers, thrown against insurmountable odds, who you are as a person fades away. For Freddie, he lost so much of himself as a pawn in a war where his individual life, his history, his story, didn’t matter. He was nothing more than a tool, whose only focus could be his survival.

To continue this line of thinking there is what some might consider a spoiler, so… see you after the cut or in the deep of it:

<spoiler>so when Freddie and Winter were in complete darkness in the pillbox together, all they had was themselves. Everything else was stripped away, even in some sense their physical forms as they could not see each other. In that moment, their humanity was given back to them - and I thought it was very poignant that once stripped down, they could no longer consider each other as enemies. They were just two lost souls, wounded in more ways than just one, who found that they would rather cling to each other, to that human connection, than kill in the name of a war that on a very minute scale, didn’t really have much to do with either of them, their personal choices, or beliefs. </spoiler>

I was a little disappointed with the like “oh all of a sudden it’s all working out!” nature of the end of the book, but… listen these characters had been through literal hell, I guess, grudgingly, I will allow it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the prose of this book and for me, I don’t mind a slower pace if the prose/character development is enough to keep me going, and in this case, it was enough for me.

My expectations for this book were so high, and Katherine Arden astronomically exceeded them. This book is going to be so hard to review because I don't want to spoil anything.

We have two main protagonists in The Warm Hands of Ghosts: Laura and her brother Freddie. Both are telling their stories in different timelines as well. This is not a book you can just read at a surface level. It goes so much deeper.

Laura is a combat nurse during WWI in 1918 who is searching for her brother who supposedly disappeared/died in the front lines. Determined to find out the truth, she heads back into the fray to search for answers about Freddie.

Back in 1917, we find out Freddie is trapped in a pill box with an enemy German soldier named Hans Winter, and oh my gosh, reading about these two and the bond that develops was **chef's kiss**. I have no other way to describe it. Freddie's POV was definitely my favorite.

There is also a mysterious magical element to the story. Once again, I don't want to spoil or give anything away, but it takes quite an interesting and sinister turn.

Keep in mind, this book can feel quite dark. Arden does well showing grief, PTSD, and trauma from war.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-ARC of this book. It was fantastic.

Actual rating: 3,5 stars

Set in Belgium during World War I, The Warm Hands of Ghosts blend the horrors of war with a paranormal twist that will leave no one indifferent. I had already been blown away by Arden’s writing in The Winternight Trilogy, and it was a pleasure to dive back into her magical ability to tell a story. Her storytelling transported me to this dreadful war with its realism and depth.

This book is very character driven, unfortunately, I had a hard time rooting for any of the characters. The romances also felt very surface level, and I wish we had more depth to one in particular that seemed to come out of nowhere. I was also expecting and hoping for more information about Faland and his hotel.

The story takes its time to really pick up. Some might be bothered by the slow pace, I personally appreciated the care and attention that Katherine Arden put into creating this dreadful war atmosphere with realistic and real events. I had the opportunity to buddy read this book with an amazing group of people and Katherine Arden herself, and I can only highlight the incredible amount of research and heart she put into this story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was AMAZING! It's strange because I just read bear and the nightingale and wasn't totally into it but this was a whole other experience. I'm also not usually one for historical fiction with war settings but the way Arden wrote this was completely enrapturing. I was surprised by so many of the elements in this and it had my heart in its clutches at every page. Just a fantastic book and I would like to read all about what comes after for these characters because they deserve peace and happiness after everything.

Without a doubt Katherine Arden’s writing is hauntingly beautiful. She has a way with words that are captivating and poetic. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is extremely different from her previous work but also beautifully executed. I loved the WW1 aspect of the story but especially the bond between brother and sister. This is a book that will forever have a special place in my heart. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity. I am forever grateful and I can’t wait to purchase this amazing book.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts takes the tragic essence of the Great War....the devastation and endless hopelessness...and smashes into one impactful story.

Right off I was getting 1917 vibes. The atmosphere was planted deep in trench warfare...the the urgency for survival and to find answers for loved ones lost. Laura and Freddy are both interesting and compelling main characters who are both fighting different kinds of demons. I love how this book examined trauma, loss and how some scars never truly fade. I also loved the small grasps for hope and humanity amongst the wreckage.

This is a dark and strange book full of abstract symbolism in character and place. It's one that will haunt you days afterward because of how beautiful and thoughtful the writing is. The plot isn't linear but I think its done in a very clever way that will keep you interested. The research that went into this had to have been immense and I was very impressed. The absolute despair and devastation was so expertly portrayed and its one of the best parts about the book.

There were a few things that I wanted more of and would have been a happy camper if this had been a duology, BUT ultimately it was a solid standalone and for the RIGHT audience this is going to be a fantastic read.

Arden's talent is immense and I continue to be a fan of her stories.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧

The Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite series, so I knew that this was a must read for me, and I was not disappointed. The story reads much like a historical novel with a setting placed during WWI, but Arden has cleverly woven a few supernatural elements that makes for a hauntingly beautiful read.

There are two timelines with alternating POV’s from Lauren Iven who is a field nurse and her soldier brother Freddie, who is missing in action and presumed dead. The story takes awhile to build as these two circle one another in time trying to find each other but I was spellbound.

The frontlines, trench warfare, along with the never ending casualties are brought to vivid and heart-rending life. The way Arden writes of the horror and utter devastation war brings physically and psychologically will break your heart.

But, through it all are the powerful themes of hope and love, of pushing through the darkness, of the bonds of family and strength of friendship.

The characterization of Lauren and Freddie are outstanding and unforgettable. One character in particular, Faland, is indelibly marked upon my memory.

A beautifully crafted and poignant story only Katherine Arden could write.

This makes me so sad to say, but I did not like this AT ALL. I was not a fan of the writing AT ALL & it made it so hard for me to get into the story. It felt clunky and so sporadic, I felt like there were words and sentences missing. I'm not sure if the grammar was looked during it's last round of edits, but I really hope it did 😭

Because I was not a fan of the writing, the pacing also felt off and I could not care less for the plot, the characters and the little romances that were happening.

I will have to come back to this one in the future with the finished copies and see if I like it better.

I received an ARC of this book from Del Rey through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

"How do you go on from the end of everything?"

Ypres-Passchendaele, and Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917 witnessed the bowels of hell. These locations became like hell for many that fought in the Great War, and witnessed the explosion of the French cargo ship, the SS Mont-Blanc that decimated the Richmond district in Halifax. Laura Iven, a combat nurse in the Canadian medical corps, endured them both. She lost her entire family to the devouring mouth of war, or so she thought, until a cryptic message from her employers informed her that her brother Freddie was still alive.

Laura goes on to write contacts still fighting overseas to investigate her brother's reported passing. The responses she receives are less-than satisfactory. An opportunity soon arises to return to the Forbidden Zone to aid a comrade with her hospital and investigate her brother's fate, she and her newly acquired friend, Penelope Shaw, embark on a journey back into the abyss to learn the truth of what happened to Freddie and Mrs. Shaw's son Jimmy.

Once the three land, Laura is thrust immediately into her role as combat nurse, despite being honorably discharged due to an injury in service just a few months prior. It isn't long before the peculiarities begin.

"What would a devil of the old world do if he found himself in the hell of the new one?"

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is written in a dual timeline, following first, Laura, then her brother, Freddie. Laura is an admirable woman. Intelligent, intuitive, compassionate, reserved, yet tarnished in ways, she exudes stability despite everything that crashes down around her. Facing tragedy is no new feat, but one she must continually endure in order to locate her brother.

Freddie's story begins akin to that of a birth, and a harrowing one at that. (I must pause and note that the amount of research and effort Ms. Arden went through to piece this story together must have been extensive on multiple fronts. Despite there not being at times much detail of the surroundings, it was so easy to slip into the treacherous landscape Freddie and Winter, a befriended German soldier, beheld. A step further down was a glimpse into the duplicitous terrain of the soldiers' minds, and what a fine line each walked between sanity and insanity. Navigating these quarters are what made this story so powerful. Walk a mile in a soldier's shoes, and you've walked a lifetime.) Freddie and Winter naturally become paired together, as their story is told synonymously. They oppose one another in countenance, age, and are even on opposing sides of the war, and balance each other because of it. The culmination of their duality was disappointing, in my opinion, for reasons I’ll leave alone to maintain a spoil-free review. I am glad to note that this novel remained almost entirely romance-free, and am grateful for that, as I believe it would have retracted from the gravity of these characters' experiences.

"He's a charlatan," said one.
"A madman."
"A Frenchman."
"No," said a new voice. An old, authoritative voice. "He's the devil himself, and right at home."

Faland, a mysterious fiddler who knew too much, reared his face when the sense of disaster and unease was afoot. Aside:I'm not entirely certain if Faland is supposed to represent Fiddler's Green, a longtime legend that exists within the divisions of the military. Fiddler's Green is considered to be a halfway mark between heaven or hell, where a fiddler plays music, gives the men drinks, and dancers dance without fail. These renditions change per division, so it's unclear to me exactly his representation, or if he is his own creation, entirely. Even so, Faland serves as the obvious protagonist, besides the war itself.

Faland is very morally gray, a juxtaposition to brave Laura, eager Penelope, uncertain Freddie, and enduring Winter,. He serves himself, but offers "bliss" in return to those that will seek him out in their despair. War does strange things to people. It is unnatural in its nature. It is in the weakness of man that Faland preys upon, and is what makes him so very sinister. What is worse, is when the defining lines of certain characters fade into the gray with him.

There really is so much that could be said about this book. There are numerous facets at play, and are intermingled brilliantly, that it'd be difficult to discuss majority of them in a book review without spoiling everything. So, I shall leave it at that. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a thoughtful expression of the effects that war and turmoil have on mankind and the human psyche. In more ways than one, Arden creates a story that challenges all and asks: how would you act in the face of such adversity?

My Rating: ★★★★

Happy Publication Day 2/13/2024!

I'm a huge fan of The Bear and the Nightingale Trilogy by Arden, so I was thrilled to get a last-minute DRC to read. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Katherine Arden for the opportunity to read and review this!

Laura Iven was a Canadian combat nurse who was injured and then released from duty towards the end of WWI. Back at home, she receives word of her brother Freddie's death. The military presumed him dead but did not retrieve his body, even though they had his uniform and dog tags. She writes many letters to her contacts at her previous hospital and members of Freddie's unit, but she feels like she's not quite getting the whole story. Laura happens to meet Penelope, or Pim as her friends call her, through her new employer. Pim lost her family to the war and happens to know another woman who turns out to be running a private hospital for soldiers in Belgium. Laura can't pass up the opportunity to get back to see what she can find out about her brother, so despite her leg injury, she and Pim volunteer to work at the hospital, and the quest begins.

Meanwhile, we are slowly learning Freddie's story with a dual timeline. Freddie and an enemy German soldier, Winter, end up buried together under an overturned pillbox during an explosion in an exceptionally brutal battle. Winter is wounded worse than Freddie, but he speaks English, and they help keep each other sane enough to escape from what would otherwise be their graves. Bonded by that, neither wants to turn the other over as a war prisoner. They meet a mysterious hotelier who makes the violin sing and serves wine that helps the soldiers who find him to forget. There's always a price, though.

I've struggled all day to organize my thoughts, but there is a lot to unpack with this book! It's a really interesting mix of historical fiction and fantasy with paranormal elements. Arden writes about how she had to find room for the myth in history, and it was surely an ambitious task with such a well documented war. This book is really a slow burn in that it took about half of the book to set up the story and really draw me in. Arden's hauntingly beautiful writing didn't make it feel long, though. There is no doubt that she is an extremely talented writer. She really drew out all of the emotions of war in a way that I could feel down to my core. I finished the book last night, but I still need a hug!

My slight criticism is that the female characters felt a bit flat and less personal to me. Freddie and Winter's story was much more compelling. This may not be for all fans of The Bear and Nightingale books, but I will read anything Arden wants to write!

Laura and her brother Freddie are the main characters followed in The Warm Hands of Ghosts. After suffering injuries during the war, Laura, a nurse, goes back to Halifax. She receives cryptic messages there suggesting that Freddie might still be alive. Laura travels back to Europe to learn more about her brother's whereabouts after making the acquaintance of Penelope, a mother dealing with her son's passing. I enjoyed the two perspectives in The Warm Hands of Ghost. The first is about combat nurse Laura Iven, who decides to return to the front lines after learning of her brother's disappearance, and the other is about Freddie Iven, who finds comfort in an unlikely place—a dark pillbox where he is trapped with his enemy, German soldier Hans Winter. While Freddie's point of view was focused on 1917–18, Laura's was set in 1918. The thing that I found most endearing about these characters was their drive and tenacity. I found it fascinating how the two siblings' relationship developed, how complicated their link was, and how their lives were changed forever. I give this five of five strong stars and am so excited to start talking about this book at my library.

It’s difficult to find the words to describe this quiet masterpiece of a book. Hauntingly beautiful feels a bit cliche, but it’s apt, to say the least.

Katherine Arden has been one of my favorite authors since The Bear and the Nightingale made its way into my hands back in 2017. Her way with language and history in that trilogy had my anticipation high going into this novel. And while what I found was quite different than The Winternight series, it was no less remarkable.

The story follows siblings Freddie and Laura as they experience the horrors of wartime. From opposite sides of the world—Laura, a nurse injured and sent home, and Freddie, a soldier presumed missing and dead—their stories come together in the shadow of stories about a man offering the temptation of oblivion.

The research and dedication to her craft is on clear display. The history, the truths of the time we know only in retrospect, the stories. All are masterfully handled and woven together.

The characters, too, transform before our eyes. Humanity at war readily apparent. Shocking, comforting, and a full range between.

I wanted to savor every moment.

The title, ominous as it may sound at first, lingers by the end, comforts. I cannot doubt that I’ll journey with these ghosts again.

I received an arc of this book from Del Rey via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Ardens' Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series, so I was thrilled to see that she had finally written a new adult novel.

I am not one of those readers who automatically expects an author's works to mimic their previous novels, so the fact that this one was set during World War I and had gothic overtones did not surprise me, although fans of her folkloric retellings should be aware that this particular book deviates quite a bit from that genre, although magical realism is a main feature. Arden's writing is exquisite as always and transports the reader into whatever setting she can imagine. So much is written about WWII that I feel that WWI often gets overlooked for the brutality that the soldiers endured and the emotional trauma that they had to live with during a time when mental health was a taboo subject.

The storyline of a sister, Laura, who was a field nurse returning to the Front to find out the mystery behind her brother's supposed death held a promising start and was nicely juxtaposed with the story of her brother Freddie, his escape from an upturned pill box and his journey thereafter. For me however, the plot moved rather slowly and I had a difficult time keeping my attention. Full disclosure, I am a mood reader and the heavy themes that permeated this novel may have influenced by ability to stay focused as the world seems a bit dreary at the moment.

Overall, I liked but did not love this one. It absolutely does not mean that I would not hesitate to read another of Katherine Arden's novels if given the chance, it's just that this one did not resonate with me. I am sure however, that others who love a mix of war stories and magical realism will absolutely devour it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Katherine Arden for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book. The imagery is gorgeously rendered, bringing war torn Europe vividly to life. I also loved the themes, of the end of an era and its correlation to the end of everything, of war itself and the toll it takes on its mostly unwitting participants. The contrast between the men in the trenches and those giving orders from a chateaux, the meaninglessness of sides when death comes to call, the price of memory. My favorite storyline was that of Wilfred “Freddie” Iven and Hans Winter, a Canadian soldier and a German one who find themselves the only living beings trapped in a pillbox after a disastrous battle.

As the men escape the pillbox and traverse the desolated countryside, their bond intensifies, until eventually they mean everything to one another. They meet a man, Faland, and Freddie follows him to his mysterious hotel. There, Freddie learns and weighs the cost of his own humanity.

Less interesting to me was the storyline of Freddie’s sister, Laura. She is a decorated nurse who was sent home from the front after being wounded, only to have the war’s devastating effects follow her home to Canada. After she receives a box containing Freddie’s belongings and a cryptic note, she teams up with two other women and returns to the front. Her companions are Mary Borden, a woman taking advantage of the wartime freedom for women to run a hospital in Belgium, and Pim, a Victorian beauty of a widow whose son was recently killed there.

Laura’s determination to find out what happened to Freddie was admirable, and Pim’s character arc was intriguing. Had the two stories been woven together more quickly, I might not have felt such a preference for one over the other. As it was, I wanted to hurry through Laura’s chapters to see more of Freddie. Once the arcs converged, I was fully invested and flew through the remainder. This is a very different book than Arden’s previous work. It was well written and impactful, though, and though the fantasy element was subtle, it lended well to the material. I recommend this for readers of historical fiction, magical realism, and war stories.

*I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review*

I’m not a big fan of WWII fiction, but I’m inexplicably drawn to WWI fiction. From 2022’s lit fic novel Two Storm Wood (which this novel reminds me of in some ways) to Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals (which takes place in an alternative-Earth’s version of WWI), novels that capture the ghosts and horrors of those monstrous trenches and stories of those who love them are of interest to me. Add my interest to my curiosity in author Katherine Arden (I’d not read one of her novels before this even if they are on my wishlist) and I was so happy to get a chance to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts.

Arden’s writing is impeccable, from the words chosen to the sentence structure. The prose flows smooth as silk, the dialogue is perfectly suited to the characters and the time period, and the pacing is perfect. The story arc is sublime, with the alternating character-POV chapters lasting just long enough and hitting just when they need to in order to keep the suspense and emotion going. The world building is without fault, as its clear Arden didn’t skimp on the research one bit and put that knowledge to good use in conjunction with her ample writing talents. It’s an absolute masterpiece of a novel.

The themes of trauma, grief, love, fidelity, memory, “madness”, and darkness are all implemented so well here, woven with one another like a complex braid until it becomes one messy unit of no ends or beginnings. Such is the life of a common soldier or a nurse who comes to war. They don’t come to the battlefield until the people in charge have already decided it’s time to fight. The war started before they got there.

It’s a beautiful novel, even if it’s sad and brutal. I cried, but not as much as I thought I would. It was a fantastic read and I’d read it again.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Historical Fantasy/Historical Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Military Fiction/Supernatural Fantasy

First off, what a beautiful book cover!

January 1918

Laura Iven is a discharged field nurse who has and returned to her home in Halifax, Canada. She soon receives Freddy's (her brother) personal effects and a notice that he has died in the war. But she knows something isn't right and travels to Belgium and while there she volunteers in a hospital and begins hearing rumors....

November 1917

Freddie Iven woke up injured in a trench alongside Hans Winter, a German soldier. The two men form an alliance and soon find shelter with a man with certain abilities...


The Warm Hands of Ghosts explores relationships, the horrors of war, loss, pain, injury, love, family, desperation, death, evil, and hope. I found it to be atmospheric with vivid descriptions, haunting prose, and wounded characters. It explores what one person will do to help another, what one person will do to find another and what one person will do to survive.

This was a blending of historical fiction, fantasy, and magical realism.

I was first introduced to Katherine Arden's writing when I read The Bear and the Nightingale. I enjoy her writing, imagery, and the imaginative and original books she writes. I enjoyed this book and found many passages to be very astute observations on war, suffering and human nature.

Atmospheric and haunting.

This was a fantastic read that had me wondering about a lot of things! It was a bit slow at first but I think the second half of the story was the best part of this one! It kinda straddles the line between historical fiction and fantasy, and it's quite different in tone from the author's other books. But, the writing is still very beautiful with a melancholic touch to it.

The Warm Hands Of Ghosts is told from the perspective of two siblings - Laura and Freddie Iven. Laura is a retired field nurse who has returned home to Halifax after being wounded. But, tragedy seems to have followed her here too and just as she's reeling from its effects, she receives word of her brother's death - but things seem unclear. So she sets off back to Europe to discover the truth along with a new friend Pim Shaw who has lost her son too. As they travel through the war-torn battlefields they come across a mysterious hotelier whose wine seems to give tortured souls the gift of oblivion. But, what is the price to be paid?

We also go back a few months ago in time to see things from Freddie's perspective - where he is trapped under a pillbox with an enemy soldier, after an explosion. Harrowing circumstances have them joining forces to find a way to survive and get out, but Freddie has a lot of demons to face - both literally and metaphorically.

This was a fascinating tale that showed the horrors of war and its effect on the psyche while also weaving in a thread of fantasy/paranormal. Though WWI is a part of history to us now, it was quite interesting to see how it might have seemed like an apocalyptic time to some - with warfare, epidemics and turmoil everywhere. Each character has their own ghosts to face- which is a recurring theme in the story. The first half was a bit slow and it took me a while to warm up to Laura as she seemed to be repressing her emotions. I admired her dedication to her brother though. Freddie was an interesting character too and it was hard not to feel sympathy for him. I think both of the characters finally had a chance to shine in the second half as the plot sped up but things took a weird turn at times with the fantasy aspect remaining unexplained till the end(but I guess that's the point). The story was depressing at times but very realistic too!

But on the other hand, the romantic sub plots felt out of place to me - especially Laura and the doctor's relationship. I couldn't really feel the connection between them and I felt like it came out of nowhere. Hans and Freddie's connection was more believable - given their circumstances, but I'd have liked to have seen more interactions between them on page too!
In the end, I think this was a great story with amazing writing and if you're looking for a WWI story with a supernatural twist, you'll definitely enjoy this one too!

I think I might need to sit with this book for awhile - although no amount of distance from it will lessen its impact. As a fan of the Winternight series, this book was one of my most anticipated for 2024. It is definitely a departure from Arden's previous trilogy although still contains her magnificent prose and the way she is able to tell a haunting story with compelling characters with the backdrop of real history.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be more of a fantasy but it really feels like a historical work with some speculative elements. I am not as familiar with WW1 and Arden understands that her reader is likely in the same place. Care is taken in every word of this book to make the reader aware of many of the realities of war, especially at this time of trench warfare and the beginning of the technological revolution.

We mainly follow Laura, a nurse who returns to the front in order to search for her missing brother. Laura is a great follow, she's competent, smart and doesn't bullshit. She collects people along the way and I thought she was a wonderful POV character I cared about immediately. You also care about her quest to find her brother.

I don't want to go too much into the plot because so much of the journey of this book is realizing just what type of book and story you are reading but just know that it is extremely heavy and beautiful. I had to set this book down many times because it just was a little too much. The end was extremely rewarding but left me with a lot to think about.

I'll be thinking about this book for years to come. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Del Rey books for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a powerful yet difficult read. I can’t honestly say that I agree with the interpretations of some Biblical passages or some of the characters’ actions but it did make for a compelling read.

Laura Iven had more than her share of sorrow still she was a phoenix rising out of the ashes of the tragedies that she had faced, endured, and survived. Within Laura’s and Freddie’s story is woven the hauntings, stories and sighting of ghosts and someone who preys on the horrors experienced (of which there are many) of the Great War. It is a story that has me thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it and after I had finished. Later I found the title to be wonderfully chosen, don’t assume you know what events it refers to until you read this book. With all that said, I must say what a wonderful surprise to read the final paragraphs after so many sad twists in the book. Hope for better days after all for Laura and maybe us all.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Haunting and hauntingly beautiful. The writing of The Warm Hands of Ghosts is what will first ensnare you, the characters are going to keep you. This is a world that, once you leave is going to stay with you for a while. A book that I will be constantly recommending. Literary fiction at it's most poignant.