Kosa by John Durgin is a decent horror read with an intriguing premise and some chilling moments. The story has a solid pace and a few good twists. It’s a good read overall—worth a look if you enjoy horror with a mix of suspense and supernatural elements.

"Kosa" is a refreshing twist on the classic Rapunzel tale, turning it into a solid horror story. I enjoyed the dark, creepy atmosphere and the raw, eerie vibe that kept me interested. The story mixes folklore with horror in a simple yet effective way, and the setting feels unique and haunting. While some parts of the plot were a bit predictable and there were a few loose ends, the book still manages to surprise you with its brutal imagery and fast pace. Overall, it's a well-crafted horror novel with a fresh take on a familiar story.

I enjoyed the some of transformation detail and how Durgin wrote those scenes was pretty cool, also eating hair, how he describes those is so yuck, so I’m certainly going to check out more of his work!

I love a good and creepy storyline. Definitely worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

I own this and intend to read it in the future I'm just clearing this off my board to reduce stress. I will update when I read/review.

This book was exciting and hooked me from the start! This work felt very honest to the author and does not feel like a rebranded story. I think to often today bits and pieces are copied and posted from book to book with themes and situations. This book feels original through and through.

I often read well into foreshadowing and reading into common tropes, but with this book I often found myself to be wrong. This book reads well and you do not find yourself rereading parts trying to understand what the author is getting at. After reading this book I look forward to reading more from this author and I'm generally not a fan of horror.

Huge kudos to the author on this masterful work.

It’s a shame what went down at house DarkLit press as this was a solid read. A book that could have excelled if not for the implosion.

Im really forceful lol. But i did read this book and enjoyed it. I honestly really suck at leaving reviews lol. I try though. I really found this book well written. Happy i read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. Kosa is a tale of a witch who roasts children over fires and eats clumps of her adoptive daighter’s scalp and hair to remain youthful and in control of her powers. When Kosa was but a fetus in a womb the power the witch used to sustain herself flowed into Kosa and now the witch must keep her close. Our main story begins years after this when our mmc’s sister rents a cabin in the woods close to her brother to spend Christmas with him since his wife was found having committed suicide in the same woods as the cabin. There were definitely horror elements and over grossness was up, but this was also very much a fairy tale on the Brothers Grimm sense. I gave this 4 stars.

The cover is the best part of this hairy mess of a story. I'm sorry but I couldn't get into this dark Rapunzel retelling

Kosa weaves elements of both Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel into a unique retelling that honors the folktale vibe while updating it into a kickass modern horror story. It kicked off with a bang and ended with a BANG, and in between alternated between slowly building dread and super visceral and brutal horror. It was a tiny bit slow in parts, but it did serve to ratchet up the tension before hitting you with a fantastic twist or two, leading into an insane ending I did not see coming.

Enjoyed this one very much, another great horror suspense from author John Durgin. Never disappoints, highly recommend.

Wow! This Book! Took me a while to not think about what i read here. lol
There is the child hood Disney Rapunzel and then there is 'Kosa' Rapunzel retelling..
Dark, cruel and twisted horror. Packed with gore, spells, and a very wicked messed up witch. geez!
written in 3 parts we read about Kosa and her upbringing, the trauma and being locked away. Just heart breaking and infuriating at the same time. A Lot of character get un-alived/ I really recommend reading through the Trigger warning before jumping into this book. Defiantly not for the faint hearted or light stomached. This has a Hansel and Gretel accord to it; Cannibalism among other dark imagery. Its a horror fans delight! I did enjoy this a lot, vary hard to forget.



Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was dark, intriguing, and downright chilling. Things start a little slowly, but quickly ramp up. There's a tension that pulls you through, cover to cover. The descriptions make it feel like you're watching a movie unfold, instead of simply reading a book. The characters are unique, and interesting, and watching them react and change as things progressed really added to the depth of everything. The cast is completed with a new twist on the fairy tale archetype of the evil witch, but it's not a caricature, which would've been easy to slip into. (It honestly feels like it may have been inspired by a mix of fairy tales involving evil witches). The story itself has a smooth, fairly even pace until you've passed the halfway point, then it just flies towards the end. Perfect for dark, gorey, horror filled book lovers.

I absolutely loved this, and it is easily one of my favorite retellings. This book was definitely creepy! Fantastic writing style and pacing! Can't wait for my next book from Durgin.

I was really excited about his book. I loved the concept, I loved the writing, and I loved the creep factor...

The only thing I was soooooo annoyed at was the ending... I just felt like it was soooooo rushed! The author gave so many details about certain things regarding the plot and then when it all came to a head... IT WAS OVER. WAHHHHHH! The middle was definitely a little mid for me too because I found myself drifting in and out of the story... also NO EXPLANATION OR MENTION ABOUT THE CATS?!?! So NASTY and SO RUDE!

I asked myself during the last chapter, "that's it?!" The elements were all there for a damn good ending, but I was singing... "is that all there is.... yes I guess that's all there is..." (in Nathan Lane's voice of course)

Overall, great concept, but a meh ending.

This was such a creepy read in a good way. Really wowed me and will be picking up more from Durgin in the future.

A great horror read for fans of folk horror and dark atmospheric stories. There's just enough fantasy elements to stay engaging while also not delving so much into fantasy that it detracts from the horror. A genuinely creepy book, and reminded me of some of the original Grimm fairy tales at its essence!

I engulfed this book! When I first started this book I had no idea what it was about. I just loved the cover! This book is so good it will be on my reread list for the rest of my life! I would HIGHLY recommend it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

This was an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review. Thank you to the Author and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it. I was not paid for it.

This book pulled me right in and didn't let go til the end. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.