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.

2/13 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!

"A hand brushed hers. Warm fingers, a little rough with glass. Ghosts have warm hands. She didn't open her eyes. She didn't dare. Looking would burst her fragile soap-bubble of belief. She didn't look even when that familiar hand wound its fingers with hers, and pulled her forward."

WHAT AN ETHEREAL APOCALYPTIC PIECE OF WWI HISTORICAL FANTASY!

Centering on the experiences of WWI, "The Warm Hands of Ghosts" focuses attention on the other-worldness of fighting in the Forbidden Zone, the trenches, the pillboxes, and hospitals. We meet an injured combat nurse named Laura Iven, in Halifax, who has been discharged but wants to return to Flanders, Belgium to find her missing brother, Freddie. Though she has received his war items in a box, Laura still believes he is alive. In addition, Laura has just lost her parents, along with her childhood home, to a mysterious explosion on the water. In the non-linear timeline, we also experience Freddie's POV and his experience of being trapped in a pillbox with a German soldier named Winter. Laura returns to Belgium, with friends Pim and Mary, to resume their nursing duties in Flanders, but on the way to the hospital, their car explodes and they end up walking to a mysterious hotel. A man named Faland runs the hotel in the middle of a wasteland, playing his ethereal violin every night for soldiers. Several characters throughout the story experience Faland's haunting music drawing them. Through pneumonia, gruesome injuries, hospital trauma, explosions, and battle stories, those serving in this war experience several mysterious encounters with helpful ghosts. The questions throughout the book haunt the reader. Who is Faland? Are the characters hallucinating? Are these ghosts angels?

WOW. This book has a beautiful and haunting originality. Not only did I enjoy learning more about WWI, I was enlightened in knowing that many fighting in this war actually experienced encounters with people that seemed to come from unexplained places to save or help in darkest times. The mystery in this writing captivated me completely. Katherine Arden did extensive research in preparation for this book, highlighting the apocalyptic landscapes and experiences that left soldiers in severe trauma. She states, "The Great War's cultural influence was filtered through fantasy." And because America entered this war so late, it does not get the attention it deserves. This book is one that appeals to me in every way, and it got better and better as I read.

Thank you Netgalley, Katherine Arden, and Random House - Ballantine for the privilege of reading this eARC in exchange for my honest, original review.

The review can be seen in full at. https://onereadingnurse.com/2024/02/13/the-warm-hands-of-ghosts-by-katherine-arden-arc-review/

And a blurb at https://www.instagram.com/p/C3S2wujOI6F/

The full text is:

I feel particularly blessed by Del Rey recently as this is the second major title they’ve let me review recently! The Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series, so when I learned Katherine Arden was coming out with a historical fiction with a speculative twist (but I call it Magical Realism), the book bounced to the top of my anticipated reads for the year.

Arden explores combat nursing and trauma in Flanders Fields as the characters learn the reality that one way or another they are going to lose their souls. *Shudders* Let’s look at the book facts and I’ll share my thoughts.

....break for book data...

WWI fiction is probably the farthest genre possible from my normal reading. I do love reading about nurses and speculative fiction/magical realism, but my real draw to The Warm Hands of Ghosts was the author. Can she go from writing an amazing fantasy trilogy to delivering a historical fiction of equal magnitude?

Oh, yes she can.

Arden has 100% solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me.

It takes a deft hand to capture the trauma and black humor of war, whether it’s soldiers or combat nurses or anyone else on the front lines. These characters are traumatized, shell shocked, injured, damaged in many ways, and still cling to whatever small kernel of heart is keeping them human.

I love Laura. She seems like the perfect combination of nursing practicality, older sister, wit, and survivalist. I’ve got no link to Freddie and the less you know the better but believe me that you’ll be emotionally bleeding for him.

I didn’t really know that much about Flanders Fields but reading about the mud and drowned pillboxes and utter devastation of it all was kind of terrible. It’s interesting to read about the time before America got involved and we are focusing on Canadian and German soldiers for the most part. We were about to start getting involved and some officers had come over but the troops weren’t on the ground yet as this book started. 

What I probably loved most though was the speculative element. The less you know the better but the central question revolves around the fact that the soldiers are selling their souls one way or another, and is one way better than another? Who or what is this folk story violinist that seems to appear peripherally to the battlefield, and why does he drive men crazy?

And of course, can Laura find Freddie before it’s too late?

There’s a lot going on in this book and I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy so that I can spend more time in the future with these pioneering women and haunting images!

Thanks for checking out my early book review of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. I received a free early digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and as always, all options are my own ♥️

Here is my feedback for the warm hands of ghosts! Thank you so much for letting me read this story early! I am truly appreciative and grateful!

Katherine Arden is a master of historical fantasy, and weaves together the horrors of war with the fantastical elements of Faland and his hotel and the ghosts that follow the characters beautifully, making both characters and readers wonder what’s real, what’s imagined and what's madness. 

The story is heartbreaking and haunting, following a soldier trapped behind enemy lines and his sister, a battlefield nurse who has lost everything, and is desperate to understand the mystery of her brother's disappearance. It's a story about grief and loss and love and what, exactly, it means for the world to end. This is one of those books that I put down and sob when I finished. I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time. 

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is very different from her Winternight Trilogy, but I love it just as much. I think fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and people who liked Addie but wanted for more action will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the e-arc.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to preview The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. Based on my love for Arden's Winternight trilogy, I requested this book as soon as I heard it was coming out soon.

Like that series, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is beautiful, brutal, so very human. I don't read many books that take place during World War I, and this book reminded me why. It's more terrifying and horrible than I want to imagine. Somehow Arden manages to weave hope and love into the inhumanity of war while also vividly depicting the horror. I'm not going to lie; this was hard to read at times. The trauma is palpable and inescapable. However, the beauty in the writing and in the characterizations made me love it.

4.45!

“We were born together, we died together. I cannot live without you.”

Happy release day to this gem of a book!!

I had so much fun with this book because honestly it had History, Magic, Realism and Resilience. It had me in awe because the way it just effortlessly intertwines historical events with elements of fantasy with a spellbinding and immersive narrative. Katherine Arden just blew me away with this one, I had already heard the best things about her Bear and the Nightingale trilogy so you can understand why I already had pretty high expectations, despite its different setting and its safe to say that I was satisfied with how it went because she so easily crafted a tale of the enduring bonds of family, love, friendship and loss + the way it took into account the power of love, courage, and hope in the face of adversity. This book also showed the range of Arden's writing style.

Katherine Arden enhanced the gritty realism of war and its consequences whilst also dusting this book with light magical elements to keep a balance and to keep us more intrigued. I would also say that her worldbuilding in this one was also top notch because there was this sense of mystery and wonder which complemented the historical setting so much and it was also another reason why I was so hooked with it.

The warm hands of ghost follow two point of views one of Laura Iven a combat nurse, who after news of her brothers disappearance from the front lines takes it upon herself to go back and find answers and the other of Freddie Iven who finds solace in the must unlikely place, a dark pillbox with no way out and trapped with his enemy, a German soldier Hans winter. Laura's POV was set in the year 1918 whereas Freddie's was in 1917-18. Now what I enjoyed the most about these character was the determination and the ambition that they had and on top of all that, the relationship between the two siblings and the complexities of their bond and how their lives are irrevocably altered by the events of a gruesome war.

I personally enjoyed Freddie's point of views more because they were just more engaging for me and had me hooked because of the setting and the sense of dread and mystery, with how its all going to go down. For his part, I loved how she turned the animosity between Freddie and Winter into a friendly bond which developed into something so deep, vast and strong that completely had me rooting for them. There was not much romance in this one besides the tension between Freddie and Winter + Laura and Jones, nothing happens until the very last chapters.

As for the plot, I can no say anything other than the things that i have mentioned above as they would be a spoiler and I would like you all to have the same experience that I had.

Also, keep in mind that it tackles dark themes in the book, from the suffocating dread of claustrophobia to the devastating impact of grief and PTSD, Through Laura and Freddie's journeys, this book shed's light on the psychological scars left by war, drawing a haunting portrait of the human cost of conflict.

Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and savored every minute of it and would most definitely recommend!

*Thank you for NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for giving me an E-arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book.
4.75 out of 5 stars

Katherine Arden. I read The Bear and the Nightingale and absolutely adored it. I loved it so much I read the next two books in the series, and bought the first three installments of Small Spaces, although I have yet to read them.

I had forgotten how...smooth Arden's writing is. So smooth you don't feel yourself falling into the story and becoming oblivious to everything else. More than once I tried to get some reading in during my busy days, only to find that I had blown through homework time.

But while her previous books were misty tales on the fairy side, this story devastates your heart, bringing war bleeding through the words. It follows Laura, a nurse who has already seen enough of the war, and her brother, Freddie, on two separate timelines. She is searching for him, he is searching for a way out of being essentially buried alive with an enemy soldier.

The humanity written into Freddie and Hans' situation is fathomless, and shows a care and compassion that we are often too busy to notice or engage in on a regular basis, much less in the time of war.

And Laura's love for her brother and insistence on answers carries her through not only the present, but the past as well.

Oh so magical but oh so heartbreaking, this is a beautiful tale. You can tell that there was a lot of time and research put into this book. I believe this may be my favorite Arden book yet.

This historical novel, imbued with a speculative element, narrates the somber Gothic tale of a combat nurse who embarks on a quest to find her brother. His death in the trenches is shrouded in mystery and ominous indications, This is a exquisitely crafted and atmospheric work of fiction from one of my favorite authors.

A delicious historical fantasy with a fun speculative element. The book did remind me that I actually dont really enjoy historical novels, BUT it was a great story that kept my interest throughout.

In her newest novel, The Warm Hands of Ghost, Katherine Arden has crafted a brilliantly haunting work of WWI historical fiction and thrown in more than a dash of the supernatural. This is a story of siblings – Laura, an injured combat nurse returns to the battlefront in search of her missing brother, Freddie; Laura’s expedition will require her to wade through the senseless violence of war and grapple with ghosts (both literal and figurative).

The Warm Hands of Ghosts takes some time to really get moving in terms of plot, but it’s well worth the wait because Arden’s characters are ::chef’s kiss:: Laura Ivens is fiercely loyal, competent as hell, and hard as nails on the outside, but quietly kind and compassionate. Laura reminded me a lot of some of my favorite characters – Puck Connelly from Stiefvater’s Scorpio Races and Alex Stern from Bardugo’s Ninth House to name a few. I also appreciated that Laura is supported by two strong women - for all that wartime experience tend to feature men (and this book does include chapters from the POV of Freddie), Laura and her compatriot’s narrative really stole the show.

Arden also does a terrific job of giving the reader an unflinching look at the Great War. I was especially fascinated by Arden’s focus on the harsh juxtapositions presented by modern inventions and attitudes colliding with the old world. In Arden’s phenomenal author’s note, she describes this as ‘steampunk’ and writes, “The years of World War I were as close to a moment of historical science fiction as we will ever get: an indescribable mashup of changing mores and technologies. And its participants, like time travelers, were people of one era flung without warning into another.” (Quick tangent - It was through this author's note that I learned WWI was the catalyst for Tolkein's Lord of the Rings?!)

The Warm Hands of Ghost delivered an emotional gut punch and left me asking for more damage. It also convinced me to reevaluate the importance of WWI to western thought and art. I know so many of my friends are going to love this one as well. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This book is out today.

Wonderfully heart wrenching, and magically romantic all at once, Arden's The Warm Hands of Ghosts is an inventive look at The Great War, World War I. I'm not usually one for historical fiction, but I'm a big fan of The Winternight Trilogy by Arden so I had to give this a try. Throw in a fae-like fiddler and some supernatural intervention and impossible wartime romance and I was hooked!

This book follows Laura, a Canadian combat nurse in WWI, and her brother Freddie, a soldier, in parallel points of view from the winter of 1917 to the spring of 1918. From the beginning, I was drawn to Laura's story and the way she approached her place in this war. She was injured and sent home, but returned when she received her brothers jacket and both dog tags from Flanders field. Something wasn't right and she needed to find the truth.

Freddie was trapped in an overturned pillbox with an enemy soldier, desperate to survive. They miraculously make it out and get on another to safety through secrecy and deciet. Their paths slowly begin to cross in real time, and their stories unfold as one in both tragedy and hope.

Through war, death, destruction, and hopelessness at returning to civilian life, the promise of a future holds strong. The hope for happiness in this war torn world is a powerful thing, and Freddie and Laura both seem to find it despite all of their trauma.