The Warm Hands of Ghosts possesses this luminous quality that is, I think, signature to Katherine Arden. I’ve waited years to read another one of her book and this was…surprising. But also utterly devastating.

It took me a while to finish this book because I stopped multiple times, hit a block, then started reading again. The themes were a bit difficult for me to process due to how melodramatic they felt. With the prose being so polished and heart wrenching, the war and a new world’s devil seemed to be too crass of a reality, too raw of a story.

But somehow the book kept on nagging me. Maybe it’s Laura’s quiet resolve to defy sufferings, maybe it’s Freddie’s desperate refusal to lose the broken pieces of himself, or Winter’s blind faith in some inevitable salvation—they kept me reading in angst. Honestly, I didn’t care about the plot anymore halfway through because I knew they were going to see each other again and made it home. It just felt too good to leave. I was probably stuck in that bar for real, addicted to Faland’s music.

Please don’t take another 5 years for the next book. I can’t wait for what Katherine Arden comes up next.

4.5 stars

This book is a stunning, haunting, melancholic exploration of war, tragedy, love, madness, and grief. Being Katherine Arden, of course the writing it beautiful. But don’t go into this looking for anything like The Bear and the Nightingale. This is completely different, but still amazing.
Over the background of the absolute horror of the trenches of WWI, we have a brother and sister battling their ghosts, their trauma, and even reality itself to find their way back to each other. The relationships in the book are heartachingly touching. Parts of the book are a kind of fever dream; the characters aren’t the only ones questioning what is going on. The last 15% of the book is the most emotional. I cried for most of it.
And at the end, we’re left with both the devastation we must live with, but also hope and love. I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Areden is one of the few authors that I will read anything she's written. After reading the Winternight trilogy, I was in love with the voice and the fairy-tale like prose. This book has the same voice and the same fairy-tale type prose. I saw the author's name and grabbed the book, not even reading the description. I was surprised to find it is a story set in World War I. I'm not sure I've read any books about World War I, as everyone seems to be focused on World War II as a setting for many novels. This is an emotional read.

Description:
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

My Thoughts:
The story unfolds from two points of view, Laura Iven and her brother, Freddie Iven. I liked both of these characters and they were fully developed in the book. The plot moved at a steady pace with at atmospheric feel. The ghosts in the story enhanced the tale and somehow seemed to fit.

I feel like I have a much better picture of what World War I may have been like for those serving than I had before reading this book. The scenes in both the trenches and the hospitals were gritty and heartbreaking. War is such a destructive, terrible thing. For those of you who read this book be sure to read over the author's note at the end - I found it interesting. Kudos to Katherine Aren for another great novel!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication on February 13, 2024.

Set during the Great War, this historical fantasy will not disappoint. Filled with family drama and the pains of being at war, you will contiune rreading this until you react the very last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with this ARC!

Every now and then a book comes along that makes you feel like you're a better person for reading it—The Warm Hands of Ghosts is undoubtedly one of those books. The Warm Hands of Ghosts details a time, World War I, which is so often lost in the shadow of what came next. Author Katherine Arden lovingly and unapologetically places that time period out in the sun and shows it as it is, devastating, all-consuming, and hungry. She does not try to sugar coat a time that many thought was the end of the world or to tie it up in a neat ribbon of hope at the end, but lets the pain and uncertainty flow unchecked. It feels heartbreakingly real and it is clear the author carried out a massive amount of research in order to do justice to the time period and the people who suffered in it.
"'Waiting for something to happen?' Laura asked Lucretia as they walked.

'Well, yes,' said Lucretia. 'To you, you know. All your ghosts. You're tailing them like penitent-beads. Your family. Your patients. Not dear Freddie, of course. Because he's not dead.'
Laura said nothing."

Arden’s characters, two siblings, Laura and Wilfred “Freddie” Iven are painfully lifelike characters in extraordinary times. Laura is a tough, far too experienced combat nurse who was permanently injured in the line of duty and honorably discharged. Her brother, Freddie, is a bleeding heart artist who is on the front lines of the war. Both have seen far too much of the earth shattering war already, but when Laura is sent her brother's uniform and dog tags along with a note that he's missing and presumed dead, she sets out to find the truth of his fate—for how could the military send home dog tags and a uniform of a missing man? As she gets closer to the truth, she realizes there is much worse than the physical agony of death on and off the battlefield. (Content warning: this novel contains graphic descriptions of men dying from various wounds throughout the novel. There are also depictions of amputations, the loss of sanity, and murder.)

I was immediately ensnared by the story, as Arden effortlessly depicts the two characters in different time frames, Laura in 1918 at home in Halifax, Canada trying to find purpose after her discharge, and Freddie in 1917 finding himself trapped in an overturned pillbox. The juxtaposition of these two very different, but similar hells, which were both suffocating in their own ways, made it impossible not to care about the siblings. I was at once invested to find out what happened to Freddie and pained the more I learned of his past struggles and watched Laura trying to piece together the truth of his fate.

"'Lord,' the second doctor said finally.
'Think all the girls who went to war came back like that?' Cut up, incorrigible?'"

Laura, though not always likable with her brusqueness and pragmatism, was an incredibly sympathetic character to me. Her matter-of-factness and cynicism probably should have conflicted with her utter devotion to her brother, but instead they form the basis of a very three dimensional woman desperately trying to hold on to not only those she loves, but also, herself. I wonder how anyone could find this character anything but moving, as she is a determined, self-made career woman in survival mode living in a world on the cusp of ruin. It is clear that Laura isn't sure where she belongs in this world if not for her role as an older sister or her job as a nurse. I admired her for her resolution to move forward in the face of impossible odds and for her ability to hang on to her reason in a world very much without it.

Side characters Winter, a German soldier and unlikely ally of Freddie, and Pim, a grieving widow who also lost her son in the war, both search for their own answers in different ways. I found Pim to be a particularly poignant character study of grief and will undoubtedly always think of her when I think of this novel. Arden does a fantastic job of demonstrating the different ways in which people can splinter in the face of overwhelming adversity and loss. Her depictions are somehow understated, but managed to effortlessly sear the imagery of war and despair into my head. The emotions she conveys with such few words are palpable and heart wrenching.

"No poet, living or dead could have imagined this place, real upon earth, and their very language was insufficient to describe it."

To be honest, I found The Warm Hands of Ghost to be a difficult read, which it should be, given the subject matter of war and loss. In fact, it took me almost a month to complete the novel, despite truly wanting to know all of its mysteries and the fate of the characters. The longer reading time had more to do with me and less to do with the novel. However, it does take about 45% of the book for the setup to end and the supernatural stuff to really start coming into play—something that may feel slow to readers who are really keen to get to those parts of the story or aren't huge fans of plain historical fiction. In fact, it took so long for the supernatural elements to become a major part of the plot that it felt a bit jarring for me when they actually started occurring. It felt like I had been reading a historical fiction novel, with a few grieving widows turning to seances to cope with their loss on the side for spice, so it was a bit shocking when ghosts, who I thought had been mere symptoms of PTSD started playing a role beyond trauma, and the devil started playing a tune to make soldiers dance. It was almost like reading two different books in one.

Though it took me some time to get used to the novel pivoting from its depressing, brutal realism into the realm of the otherworldly, I did eventually get accustomed to it. Admittedly, other parts of The Warm Hands of Ghosts remained uncomfortable, as it's inescapably apparent that the atrocities of humanity being committed in this novel are eerily similar to the times we are living in today. That makes The Warm Hands of Ghosts feel disquieting—less like a fictional tale of the past and more like a cautionary tale of what happens when humanity loses the pieces of itself that make it, well, human. It’s truly a testament to Arden’s writing that readers are unable to escape the implications of the past repeating itself and the connections to all of the historical events occurring in our own lifetimes.

"'You hate the war as much as me.'
Faland drew the cork on a new bottle and raised it in a toast. 'Yes, I hate it, clever boy. It's a hell with no master, that men made themselves.' He drank, said meditatively, 'Appetite without judgment: torment by numbers and entirely mindless. Of course I hate it.'"

Ultimately, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is truly unlike anything I've read, combining historical fiction and the supernatural in an unforgettable homage to grief, humanity, and the total devastation of war. The novel manages to examine the price one is willing to pay in order to be okay, to highlight a time period of inescapable uncertainty, and begs the question of what truly makes a person a person. If you don't mind darker stories and love complex characters who don't make the “right” decisions, I highly recommend you pick up The Warm Hands of Ghosts.

"The Warm Hands of Ghosts" by Katherine Arden is a hauntingly beautiful and evocative novel that captivates from the first page. Arden, known for her skill in crafting immersive fantasy worlds, delivers another masterpiece that seamlessly blends magical realism with poignant storytelling. The narrative unfolds with lyrical grace, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between the supernatural and the tangible are delicately blurred.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in Arden's ability to create characters that feel both ethereal and profoundly human. The protagonists resonate with authenticity, their struggles and triumphs serving as a mirror to the complexities of the human experience. Arden masterfully weaves together threads of emotion, exploring themes of love, loss, and the enduring nature of memory.

Katherine Arden's brilliance extends beyond the enchanting narrative and characters in "The Warm Hands of Ghosts" to her remarkable depiction of the forbidden zone during World War I. With meticulous research and a keen eye for historical detail, Arden brings to life the haunting landscapes of war-torn territories. The forbidden zone becomes not just a setting but a character in its own right, echoing the ghosts of the past. Arden's portrayal of the harsh realities of World War I adds a layer of historical authenticity to the novel, grounding the fantastical elements in the grim and poignant backdrop of a war-torn world. Her ability to navigate the complexities of the forbidden zone with sensitivity and precision contributes significantly to the novel's atmospheric depth, creating an immersive experience that showcases Arden's prowess in historical and speculative fiction. Her prose is atmospheric, lush, and meticulous.

Arden's narrative unfolds perfectly with mystery and revelation, keeping readers entranced until the end. The pacing is expertly handled, allowing the story to unfold organically while maintaining a sense of suspense that lingers throughout. The novel's ability to blend the mystical with the mundane, the magical with the everyday, creates an enchanting and thought-provoking reading experience. The book is undoubtedly a mesmerizing tale. Some readers may find the fragmentation of the story somewhat challenging, especially as Arden waits until later in the narrative to fully introduce the magical elements. The initial chapters focus on building the historical and emotional foundation, which, although rich and evocative, may lead some readers to anticipate the fantasy aspects sooner. However, once the magical elements are revealed, they seamlessly weave into the narrative, enhancing the overall depth and intrigue of the story. While the delayed introduction of the fantastical elements may initially feel like a narrative choice that keeps readers in suspense, it ultimately underscores the careful layering of the plot, revealing the magical dimensions with a calculated precision that enhances the novel's overall impact.

In "The Warm Hands of Ghosts," Katherine Arden once again proves her mastery of storytelling. It's a testament to her ability to create immersive, emotionally resonant narratives that transcend genre boundaries. For those seeking a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page, Arden's work is a literary treasure that showcases the enduring power of her storytelling prowess.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.

Wow. I scarcely have words to express my thoughts about this masterpiece.

WWI has always held a part of my imagination and horror, and this story so perfectly captured the terror and strange juxtapositions of that world.

In this story, we follow Laura, a nurse from Canada, as she returns to the front after being injured to seek out the truth of what happened to her missing soldier brother after his jacket and a mysterious note arrive home. There’s ghosts, historical detailing that would make a historian fall in love, and a fantastical devil weaving mystery through the plot.

This book hooked me in and didn’t let me go. It was beautiful, poignant, gritty, and lyrical. It examined the realities of war and the bonds that carry us through the darkest times.

I’m a bit speechless after just finishing this lovely book. After finishing it, it feels whole, it feels complete. Even though one character who plays an impactful role doesn’t have a “complete” ending, I am content with how things ended.

This is a very well written story about siblings whose family has been torn apart during WWI. Along their way, they encounter a paranormal character, who is not what they seem. It’s an interesting take on those who suffered and survived, and suffered even more after the end.

I would highly recommend this to all. Historical fiction with a paranormal twist, a solid 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for this read.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was an absolutely amazing combination of historical fiction, and gothic horror. I loved the combination, it was really well done and completely unique. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

There is so much to this book. It is World War I historical fiction, a soldier brother and a nurse sister. It is a touch of steampunk, new ideas and medical advancements in a changing world. It is magical realism, a mysterious stranger that offers time away from the terrors of war. Mostly, it is a sister's search for her lost brother.

I really like this author. She has an amazing ability to develop characters and settings. This story is haunting and filled with despair, yet the characters continue on. A great read!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -- Ballantine for an ARC copy of this book.

"During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale. "

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie's death in combat, along with his personal effects - but something doesn't make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something - or someone - else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura's and Freddie's deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging - or better left behind entirely."

I mean, an otherworldly war is what I should be saying draws me to this book, but I really want to make a joke about someone doing anything, even going back to war, in order to avoid staying in Halifax.

gorgeous. well written. fantastic. i absolutely loved the entire vibe of this one, and the main message of the tragedy of war. thanks for the arc

I am sorry but I couldn't finish this one. I like fiction about the Great War but when the character of Faland appeared that seemed to confuse the storyline for me, it threw me off I assumed I knew who he was and what his appearance meant but as far as the other characters in the book I enjoyed the storyline of Laura's brother and Winters, the German soldier more than Laura's presence in the book.

1918 The Great War- Medically discharged, a decorated field nurse, Laura Iven, finds herself back home in Halifax, Canada awaiting news from her brother, Freddy, who is still fighting in Flanders. When Freddys personal effects arrive it is with a confusing report of his disappearance and presumed death in battle. Searching for answers, Laura takes a position at a private hospital in Belgium where soldiers tell tales of a very unusual hotelier who might have information about her brother.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a fantastic new tale by author Katherine Arden. I absolutely LOVED the Winternight Trilogy so I was very excited to read her newest adult novel set during World War 1. Although much different themes than her previous novel there was still the perfect touch of magical realism in which a hotelier provides soldiers with respite from the battlefield, wine that offers them oblivion, and a mirror which shows them what they want to see most…for a small price. I really enjoyed this novel and found the authors notes on her thoughts while writing this novel to be very interesting. A must read for 2024!

Beautifully written historical fiction, with each setting rich and vibrant and often terrifying. Arden describes the landscapes and sounds of World War 1 with such detail that it places the reader in that landscape, amidst the mud and muck and horror of war. The mystical elements are exquisite and cloying. Characters are fully drawn, complex - the reader aches and hopes along with them. Each of the relationships - among family, friends, enemies - is organically created and totally believable.

The Warms Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is a book set during World War 1 that follows siblings Laura and Freddie and their different experiences with the war. The timelines take place a few months apart and the majority of the book is spent trying to figure out what happened in those in between months.

This was a very beautiful story. Arden is great at creating atmosphere. While I went into this thinking it would be more fantastical than it was, I still really enjoyed it. I loved Freddie’s journey. I don’t want to spoil anything but it really hit me hard. I didn’t really connect with Laura and her story which was unfortunate. I just felt like Freddie’s part of the book was so much more emotional and interesting that it overshadowed Laura’s part of the book.

If you go into this book expecting a straight ghost story/fantasy story, I think you will be disappointed but if you go in for the rich historical vibes with a sprinkle of fantasy, you will enjoy this.

Sadly didn't enjoy this one. I enjoyed that this was historical fiction set during WW1 and there was thorough research into the setting, but the plot, themes, and characters were underdeveloped. I wanted more from Laura and Freddie. More background on these main characters that just seemed like blank walls.

I received an advanced copy of The Warm Hands of Ghosts in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Del Rey!

This book really blew me away. I was expecting a very standard WWI novel that would probably move me but not make me think much. And I was pleasantly wrong! This is a book about war and how to face it, but it’s also about all the things we do to make the pain stop. The call to slip away when it hurts too much. It’s about self destruction and what it does to those who love us. I think anyone with a background in sobriety or a 12 step group would resonate.

A haunting story that reflects on war, family and what ties us to each other and to life.

Who is this book for? Fans of historical fiction who want to dip their toe into genres such as gothic horror or fantasy

As a fan of Arden's Winterknight trilogy, I was excited to read this more recent work. However, fair warning that this work is very different from that series in terms of subject matter, tone, and the focus of the story. Laura Iven is a World War 1 nurse who was injured and sent home to Canada (before the start of the story), then faces the tragedy of losing her family, including her brother who was also fighting in the war. However, the circumstances of her brother's death seem suspicious, leading her to return to Europe to seek answers.

The story is told from two POVs - Laura and her brother, Freddie, with each POV operating on a slightly different timeline than the other. The story is a bit more on the slow side, most of the drama/resolution coming in the last 50 or so pages. The dual POV is interesting, but it does sometimes feel like it makes the story drag a bit. It is well written, but comes off a bit stilted and staccato at times, much different than Arden's previous writing. She has written that writing this book was a challenge, and I think some of that does end being reflected in the writing itself. At the same time though, I think the story benefits from that contrast. War is not poetic or romantic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: war, death, violence, grief, death of family, PTSD, religion

I loved this book. So warm and beautiful and at the same time absolutely chilling and gripping! Would absolutely recommend.