The Warm Hands of Ghosts
A Novel
by Katherine Arden


The Warm Hands of Ghosts features Laura and Freddie Iven, siblings who have sacrificed much to the war effort of WWI. The tale opens in 1918. Laura, a combat nurse, has sustained an injury and is sent home from the front. Not long after, she receives the dreadful news that her brother has been lost in action and is presumed dead. But Laura can’t seem to reconcile what she is told with the effects returned to her. Desperate to discover what has happened to her brother, she returns to Europe in search of answers. Letters from a fellow nurse and friend, provide clues for where to begin her search.

Rewind to 1917, when Freddie awakens in an upturned pillbox. Frightened and aware there is only a short amount of time to escape alive, he resorts to an uneasy alliance with a German soldier, who is also trapped. It is evident that the two must band together to free themselves. Their uneasiness and mistrust ultimately gives way and a bond is formed between the two men. As they desperately attempt to escape the war torn countryside, and search for news of his sister Laura, they meet a mysterious stranger.

We trek across Belgium, as the siblings search for one another. Will Laura uncover the truth about her brother’s disappearance? Will Freddie have the strength to fight to stay alive? We root for this brother and sister to find one another before it’s too late.

Katherine Arden has given us an atmospheric gothic historical fantasy, rich with an array of unforgettable characters, that slowly unfurls. But don’t let that description fool you into thinking that Arden dilutes the horrors of war, because she does not. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a story about the lengths one will go to for love, the depths one will fall to obliviate the memories of war and the boundlessness of hope.

Many thanks to the author @Arden_Katherine, @DelRey and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2024, and it did not disappoint. I was immediately drawn into the story and the characters. Katherine Arden is such a lyrical author and I am obsessed. I found myself not being able to pick which POV I enjoyed more. It held my attention so strongly.

Historical fiction about battlefield nurses and soldiers in the trenches in WWI, illness and disaster at home and loss and deprivation abroad. A ghost story, a fantasy, a haunting exploration of families and grief. I really feel the limits of my own abilities of expression, trying to tell you how excellent this book is, or to even provide a basic description that satisfies me. I can say "allegorically fantastical, visceral WWI historical fiction," and sure, that's factual—but it's so wildly insufficient. The book is superb.

Canadian siblings Laura and Freddie are tossed and tumbled by WWI in this novel of devotion, resilience and ghosts. Laura, a nurse, is back in Canada having served hard time working with soldiers wounded and gassed, when a ship explodes in Halifax harbor- her parents are killed and she repeatedly throughout the novel will see the ghost of her mother. Her brother Freddie finds himself in deep trouble alongside a German, Hans Winter when they are buried as the result of shelling. Laura believes Freddie is alive and sets off back to Europe to find him. This is told by both of them- it's an emotional, grim in spots and mysterious quest where Faland, a mysterious fiddler looms large. To be honest, I was most confused by the chapters with Faland and Freddie although less so when he appears in Laura's chapters and especially her friend Pim. Over to others as to how they feel about Faland and what he represents. I kept reading because I very much committed to Laura and Pim. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Magical realism? Folklore? A ghost story? All of the above? It's an interesting read.

The Warm Hands Of Ghosts is a story that unfolds during war about a sister’s search for her brother. Laura, a war nurse, and her brother, a soldier, are each on a mission to reunite with each other, not knowing whether the other is safe or alive during the conflict. They both embark on a journey filled with uncertainty through the chaos of war.

The author’s writing style of this book is beautiful and I enjoyed her descriptions. The story was a slow buildup, starting with details of Laura’s life as a war nurse, her discharge and her life after. I really enjoyed the brother’s character, Freddie. I found myself wanting to skim through Laura’s sections to get back into the story of Freddie and his struggles. I was expecting a bit more from Laura as a character and was wanting a deeper connection with her. There is a light touch of magical realism entwined within the story involving ghosts and the fiddler character that made it much more interesting to me.

Overall, I’d recommend reading if you are looking for a historical fiction / war fiction with light touches of magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited to read something new by Katherine Arden! I have to say that I am super impressed the same author created this and The Winternight trilogy (both of which I really enjoyed). And overall, I think this was good! The only problem for me was the pacing. I wasn't super into it until about 65% but then after that, I read it QUICKLY. So, I subtracted a star for that.

I think the settings were well researched and interesting, from the battlefields, to the hospitals, the hotel, the parkey's house, etc. I think every character was well fleshed out and even the characters that made one appearance (like some of the soldiers) still pulled at your heart strings. I enjoyed reading the slow burn "romances" that weren't really romances...more intense connections built on shared trauma... but made you happy that the characters had found something good after all the bad. The horror elements actually messed with my mind. The whole hotel thing was mind boggling and gave me so much to think about. It really made me wonder what I would do in that situation. I liked that there were fictional horror elements like the ghosts and hotel but there were also the real elements of horror behind a war like PTSD, hallucinations, nightmares, flashbacks, injuries, violence, etc. that felt so incredibly real and vivid.

There were also a few things that happened at the end that made me rethink the entire book and I think that's art. I love when one chapter can make you change everything you thought about the entirety of the story and how you felt about the characters.

This book was tragic and dark and full of trigger warnings, so it might not be for everyone. But, I think it was a really great, original read that I will definitely recommend.

4/5 stars!

I definitely love the unique premise and think the Historical Fiction mixed with speculative almost paranormal plot lines is going to be a major hit. Normally this would be something I am ravenous for, but I found the plot and two POVs (and different timelines?) a bit confusing at moments. It was an interesting and enjoyable read, but I did find myself wanting to put it down quite a bit. I’ll absolutely be recommending the title, as I feel like it was a me issue and not the book!

4.5
If you're looking for a fun light hearted read, I suggest you choose a different book. This story is heart wrenching and tragic. I could never imagine what it's like to face war, to hear the screams of people dying in the trenches next to you and not know if they are your enemies or not. I think that Katherine did an amazing job with her descriptions, she doesn't shy away from the horrors . I won't lie, I'm not a a fan of historical fiction, and I almost put this book down once I realized how dark and sad this book was with minimal fantasy elements, but I'm so glad I didn't.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc from Random House Publishing Group!

This was a very dark book, nothing cheery about it at all. Yet, I could not put it down. It highlighted WWI in ways I have never seen it done before. The majority of the book was about the battlefields themselves: the mud, the fighting, the despair, the illness, the injuries. Laura, a nurse who had been injured and sent home to Halifax, witnessed the death of her mother when an explosion occurred. She lived with the guilt of not being able to save her mother. She also missed her brother who was either missing or dead around Ypres.
This book vacillates between Laura and her brother. It became confusing as the two story lines connected but it did not harm the basic story. The confusion may have been purposeful, as it highlighted the confusion of the battlefield for me.
This book is about the craziness of war and what it can do to a person's mind. As Freddie loses his mind, he meets Faland, the fiddler. Faland took memories from those that had minds already destroyed in the war. Is Faland real? If so, he was the devil himself.
I had difficulty rating this book. It is dark enough that I did not enjoy it. But then, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I was impressed by the scope of the author's writing. So, I am taking the middle road and giving it a 3 star rating.

Katherine Arden weaves masterful craftmanship and emotional storytelling in this new historical read.

Combat nurse Laura receives an unexpected package with her brother’s belongings, and something about it seems off and out of place. He is said to have died in combat, but pieces of the story seem unsettling and missing. She crosses paths with individuals who help aid her in finding out what happened to her brother, and she begins digging a little deeper into the mystery of his disappearance.

I loved the paranormal touches, the sweet relationship dynamics, and the well-rounded moments. At times, the pace of the story was quite slow, but the mystery and intrigue of the plot kept me on my toes.

Keep this new read in mind if you love historical pieces, emotional reads, and Katherine Arden.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a story about Laura, a nurse on the front lines of World War I, and her brother Freddie, a soldier who is missing and presumed dead. It is also a story about grief, love, trauma, hope, healing, and music.

The prose is beautiful; Arden meticulously builds relationships between characters that invite you in to share in their love, be it romantic, familial, or platonic. She describes some of the worst horrors humanity has inflicted upon itself while also finding space to celebrate the small acts of kindness that allowed people to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

“Her conviction, born of long days and longer nights, was that if the world contained magic at all, then it could not also contain their war.”

the warm hands of ghosts is a story set during world war 1, following a combat nurse who has recently returned home after the hospital she was working at was bombed. now, back in halifax canada, another explosion has happened and all she has left is her brother, who is still in german occupied france fighting in the forbidden zone. but when a package reaches her with some of his items and a note saying he is missing, she knows she must get back to france and see if she can find out any information about the only person she has left in this world. And a beautiful story, within two stories, is crafted about love, faith, and sacrifice as we switch perspective of these two siblings encountering a force this world has always known. (and the speculative element involving a magical inn that is described as a “faerie revels that end at sunrise”? yeah, 11/10 for me and my reading wheelhouse.)

i know a lot of you were really curious about my thoughts on this book, because the winternight trilogy is one of my favorite stories, and it really does mean a great deal to me. comparing that to this book feels so impossible, because the stories are so vastly differently, but i still really enjoyed this book and was completely swept away by katherine arden’s prose and storycrafting and heart.

i am just not the biggest historical reader, and i am also not the biggest fan of reading war stories, but i knew if anyone could make me enjoy a story with a backdrop like this, it would be katherine arden. but i did find myself very much enjoying laura’s pov of traveling and healing and discovering what was going on way more than freddies trapped within this war pov (which seems to be a very not popular opinion according to early reviews)! but even despite this book being very catered not to my tastes, there is just something so magical about katherine’s writing, and ability to tell a story. and the way she handled the different evils in this book was really perfect in my opinion. plus, you all know i love a good big sister and little brother story always!

i really don’t want to give away too much of the plot, because it really is cool to discover everything right alongside laura and freddie, but my favorite part of this book is actually the title. just this idea sparking that our own hands can become unusable because of the brutal acts of men (and how women are trying to heal from many of those acts against all odds), and how we can be having our hands guided by ghosts (some ghosts, some angels, some… a little bit of dark entities) was just really thought provoking and so very profound to me. very very galaxy brain. also the theme of how it is easier to blame one person, one thing, rather than a completely broken system that needs to be dismantled and rebuilt. i know this is a world war 1 story, but it feels extra heartbreaking how much of this felt so very relevant in 2024. maybe we need our hands guided a lot more by ghosts and not leaders who still don’t want to view human lives equally 100 years later.

“It was so much easier to hate a man than a system: vast, inhuman, bloodstained.”

this book also puts a very heavy emphasis on hope and how important it is to have a north star to keep that hope alive, keep you having faith, making it easier for you to believe in something and maybe, in turn, believe in yourself. This book really showcases that in a lot of ways - through anger, though sacrifice, though a never waning belief of hope back in that very same person. And also shows the beauty of realizing that you are able to hope in something new, which can also be a safe harbor when the world feels unnavigable by yourself.

also this book has a very big central theme of pairings within the characters. This old and new world that so many of these characters fall into and you can see them having a harder or easier time depending on what way they fall. i feel we (americans) are taught around 8th grade the literary juxtaposition of the 20s and of old and new with gatsby (and at such an annoying length), but this really made me think that maybe this was a heightened view that people were really discussing and feeling during and after the great war (pre jazz era/roaring twenties… listen, i am an sff reader and reviewer not a historical one hahaha but this really was thought provoking for me). but i just really love the element of pairings and how everyone kind of has a co-something counterpart within this story as well. i enjoy it as a reader and also as a type a virgo.

okay i think i am finally able to let you in on the secret reading of this book (i can’t even believe i am about to type this!) I was able to have the opportunity to buddy read this with katherine arden (and a bunch of amazing booksellers and book content creators!) and the amount of research and respect and heart that she put into this novel is so very felt, but i really was lucky enough to experience that so much deeper. i was speechless at how much she knew and how much she dug deeper to learn so many personal stories of families during this time. it allowed me to have an even deeper level of empathy and just taught me so much in regard to understanding what life was really like during this time period all around the world.

i also want to let you know because this was such a magical experience for me, there could potentially be some bias going on, or simply that i just read this book with a different lens compared to if i read it all by myself. You know, it feels a little fated to even write this because the reason i picked up the bear and the nightingale in 2017 was because it was gifted to me by the goodreads staff, which they all wrote sweet things in, and it is forever one of my favorite books in my collection. so maybe i am just destined to have really unique reading experiences with katherin arden.

overall, this was a really heartfelt story and an entire experience that meant a lot to me. it was a true honor reading this, and laura is a character who will stay in my heart forever. i absolutely am already begging for whatever katherine arden does next and this book really helped solidify her as a favorite author of all time.

trigger + content warnings: the whole setting being world war 1, a constant talk and imagery of war, halifax harbor explosion, battle of passchendaele mentions, mentions of chemical gassing warfare, prisoner of war, death, murder, gun violence, so many hospital settings, violence, gore, blood, blood transfusions, needles, surgery, talk of medical conditions and illness constantly, missing loved one, a lot of talk of loss of loved ones (including parents, children, partners, friends), captivity, claustrophobic scenes, extreme ptsd, extreme nightmares, smoking and drinking, crowd crush scene, talk of suicide, suicide ideation.

I absolutely loved the author’s Winternight Trilogy, this Warm Hands is not one of those lovely books. For me, this was a difficult read, you really have to pay attention, it is not a book to be listened to, needs to be read slowly.

I found it hard to keep track of what was happening with Freddie and Winter, what was real and what was what they thought was real. Laura was a bit easier but still confusing. I know the fiddler had a lot to do with this. You need to be in the right frame of mind and be devoted to reading with concentration. Maybe if I had read in just a few settings it may have helped, unfortunately I had to stop and start many times.

Yes, I was expecting another Bear and the Nightingale, they were wonderful. I still love Ms. Arden, just not this one.

Random House and NetGalley provided this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review. This one comes in with 4 stars.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This novel takes place in WWI.  The author's note claims that the word Arden had in mind while writing this book was "steampunk" in the sense that she wanted to show the clashing of old and new world technologies and morals.  This is a historical fiction novel with supernatural elements.

The book begins in Halifax, Canada in 1918.  Laura, a retired field nurse, receives word of her brother's death.  Only Laura's experience shows her that something about his death is not as it seems.  She volunteers to go back to Flanders determined to find out the truth.

The greatest strength of the book lies in its dual narrative structure.  The first part deals with Laura in 1918.  The second deals with Freddie beginning in November 1917 in the trenches.  The mystery and supernatural elements have immense tension because of this set-up.  Laura is trying to find the truth in the present while the reader slowly learns the truth in the past as well.  The timelines eventually merge while never lessening the suspense.

The ghosts of the title deal with trauma, memory, and human relationships.  I don't want to get into more about the supernatural elements because those are part of the mystery.  I really thought this was a successful novel overall.  The idea of the old world changing into something new and unknown was extremely clear.  The showcasing of the war through field surgery and soldiers had a poignant juxtaposition.  And of course, war is shown to be messy and wasteful.  This novel is really more about ideas and concepts in the long run.

The minor problem I had with the novel was at the end of the book when the characters are fleeing Europe and where the characters end up.  Like always money seems to solve a lot.  The romance elements didn't work for me as there was not enough insight into how the characters really came to fall in love.  I would have preferred the romance to come out altogether.  Personal preference really.

While I enjoyed this book, it kinda makes me want to go back and reread All Quiet on the Western Front.  Arrrr!

Although loaded with imagery that evokes the sorrow of the Great War, the story feels slow and only some of the characters really shine.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a fantasy historical fiction that dusts the story with paranormal elements set in midst of World War 1. Arden does her signature work of weaving the grounded history into the fantastical with this story. You follow the paths of a sister and brother, one who was sent home from nursing on the front due to injury straight into a new tragedy at home and the other who is presumed KIA on the front in another meaningless grab for ground and waste of soldiers' lives that was so common in WWI.

This is not a happy story. There are moments of great compassion and true human connection, however there is a great deal more sorrow, listlessness, and general despair with the lack of control that the 2 main characters have over their lives during this story. There is also the evil of apathy that the officers embody paired with the literal Devil that lurks in fog of war on the front. However, the interesting parts - the parts on the front with the brother and his German companion with the fiend who plays the violin - take forever to get going and when they do, they are chopped up by the sister's story which isn't nearly as interesting and full of lots of coincidences to get her plot where it needs to be.

I was a little disappointed by the fantastical elements in this story since Arden's Winternight Trilogy is so good at inserting myth into history. It felt like there wasn't a commitment to one type of myth or theology - there were some Christian elements and references to "the end of days" and Revelations, but sometimes it felt like there was supposed to be some European folklore? And while The Warm Hands of Ghosts makes for a gripping title, it was kind of a let down. The past was what was doing most of the haunting here.

I don't feel like I wasted my time with this story though. Arden uses a brutal, unforgiving style of writing in this story. However, the intimate moments are given that much more care because they are taking place outside of the war. I do wish the scenes in Faland's hotel were more otherworldly. Again, I don't think the fantastical elements were taken far enough. But the scenes between Freddie and Winter were excellent - I kept craving more of those and blowing through the parts with Laura and her companions.

This would be a hard book for me to recommend. I think it is going to be for historical fiction fans more than anyone else. I think if you're going into this story thinking it is going to be like the Winternight Trilogy, you will be disappointed. For me, I wanted more focus on the fable and fantastic, the deals with the devil and how much humans are willing to sacrifice to save those they love, and what they lose when they survive.

Laura Iven never thought she'd return to the front lines of the Great War. A combat nurse wounded during a shelling attack, she was honorably discharged and sent home to Halifax. But when word arrives that her brother Freddie is missing, presumed dead, Laura gets the feeling that no one is telling her the whole story. She finds a way to join a medical team returning to Flanders and sets about investigating the events surrounding her brother's last days. It isn't long before she realizes that he may not be dead at all. His disappearance may be tied to rumors of a mysterious hotel that allows soldiers to forget the horrors of war - if they're willing to pay the price.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a gripping tale where the horrors of the supernatural pale in comparison to the horrors of war. Arden wrote in her afterword that she was trying to get across the surreal feeling unique to WWI, where the "old world" was fast crashing into the new one as advances in technology were starting to accelerate. Arden captures the odd juxtaposition of a war where bayonets and gasmasks existed side by side and posits the question of what a dark spirit of the old world would make of itself in this changing landscape.

As a result, there are less fantasy elements to be found here than in Arden's previous Winter Knight trilogy. Instead, her evocative language is lent to painting the heightened nightmare of No Man's Land and other aspects of the war. There are still ghosts, dark bargains, and buildings that come and go at a whim, but those elements overall felt more in the background. They're there to support the central question: are all the horrible things in your life that you've witnessed and committed worth remembering?

The story of The Warm Hands of Ghosts is tackled from two converging points in the story. The first is from early 1918, when retired combat nurse Laura receives word that her brother Freddie is missing, presumed dead, and she sets out on a quest to find out what really happened. The other timeline is from Freddie's point of view a few months earlier, as we see the events that led to his disappearance. The result is incredible tension as you begin to connect the dots of what happened and as characters begin to appear in both timelines. The finale is a real pressure cooker as the fates of multiple characters hang in the balance, and you find yourself willing certain people to find each other. I raced through the last third of the book, urged on by a sense of foreboding, thoroughly sucked into seeing how it would all play out.

CONCLUSION: The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book of subtle magic in the face of apocalyptic devastation. This is not a flashy fantasy story, but it certainly draws you in with the mystery of Freddie's disappearance and Laura's dogged determination to find the truth. All in all, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a captivating historical fantasy that reminds you of the importance of remembering even when you would far rather forget.

A beautifully written, quietly devastating, emotional gut-punch of a book. This book reaches a hand into your chest and squeezes - I doubt it will be letting go anytime soon.

Arden has a way of writing heroines that are so fiercely competent, strong, and take-no-shit in such an understated way, with no affectation or pretention. They just are, and I adore them so much for it.

Katherine Arden, I will follow you anywhere 🫡 (but preferably not to a WWI trench).

I became a fan of Katherine Arden’s writing after reading her Winternight trilogy. When I saw her announce her next adult novel, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it—especially when I learned ghosts and a magical hotel were involved. However, my expectations for this book were very different from the reality.

I never felt connected to the characters; nothing caused me to disliek them, but neither was there anything that endeared them to me. None of the characters were developed into three-dimensional characters. They read as flat to me. In addition to feeling a lack of connection with the characters and story, the pacing was very slow. The story didn’t feel like it started until almost the 70% mark.

I appreciate what Arden was going for with this book. She shines a light on WWI and how brutal it was for everyone: soldiers, nurses, and their families. She shows how ghosts, of what haunts us in the night, who we used to be, lost loved ones, and what we have done, follow us throughout our lives.

At the end of the day, this book wasn’t for me, but it may be right for you. If you’re interested in the premise, you should check it out!

This is very different from Arden's previous adult fantasy, "the Winternight Trilogy." Although it involves different themes and settings, she still manages to build such layered characters that have complicated relationships with their circumstances. The dual POV was a great choice and it felt like I was able to see through both sides of Falaman's mirror.

4.25

I have the seemingly unpopular opinion of not really enjoying The Bear and the Nightingale, so I was hesitant going into Arden’s newest release but I’ve been loving historical fantasy lately and loved the idea of exploring World War I and all the ways the world changed during that era.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts got off to a rocky start for me. It took a couple of chapters to get into the writing style and find the sense of place, but at about 15% I was completely immersed. The book follows two siblings, Laura and Freddie in a sort of dual timeline. They were both on the front in 1917 when Laura was injured and returned to Canada and Freddie went missing, presumed dead. The book starts in 1918 for Laura and I’m the assault where Freddie goes missing for Freddie, and I really liked the way the two timelines bled together.

Thematically, I think this is doing a lot in regards to the exploration of the era. In the author’s note, Arden talks about how WWI is often overshadowed in U.S. history by WWII, but the amount of technological and societal change during WWI is frankly quite jarring. Arden does a great job exploring grief and PTSD and the horrors of war.

I had some minor qualms with this book. There were a couple of relationships I wanted to see more development from, there were some transitions that I thought could be smoother, but overall I had a great time with this and have not been able to stop thinking about it since I started it.