Rating: 3.5/5

Blood on Her Tongue is an atmospheric, unsettling read that immerses you in 19th-century Dutch countryside gloom and family secrets. Lucy’s desperate attempt to save her twin sister, Sarah, from both madness and what might be a far darker possession, is where the story shines. The tension between them is real, and the slow unraveling of old mysteries kept me guessing. There’s a claustrophobic feel to the estate, and the author skillfully blends historical detail with a creeping supernatural dread.

On the flip side, the pacing can drag in places, and I sometimes wished the characters’ motivations were clearer. Still, the eerie mood, the unsettling changes in Sarah, and the persistent question—madness or something else?—make this a compelling gothic thriller that fans of haunting family dramas will enjoy.

Well, all I can say is: Chef's kiss. This book was like this gorgeous, dark swirl of gothic vibes and family drama that just wouldn't let me go. You know that feeling when a story gets under your skin and you're like, "Wait, is this creepy or heartbreaking?" Yeah, that.

The setting was beyond atmospheric—think moody, foggy, "I need a candlelit room and tea to survive this" kind of energy. The relationship between the sisters was the real MVP here—so intense, so messy, so real. And can we talk about the whole "is it supernatural or just twisted reality" thing? Literal chills. Every chapter had me holding my breath and whispering, "No way, no way..."

Also, the body horror? Whew. Not too much, but just enough to make you squirm in the best way. And honestly, the way everything unraveled was pure perfection. By the end, I was like, "Did I just read a masterpiece?" Spoiler: yes, I did. My nights are now significantly spookier and, honestly, better for it. Five stars, no question.✨

Huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Let me just say, Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen was an experience. It completely immersed me in its dark, gothic world of bog bodies, the undead, and, yes, cannibalism. The atmospheric vibe was chef’s kiss—unrelenting suspense and an ever-growing sense of dread that made this creepy tale a brutal kind of fun.

Gross, graphic, and beautifully disturbing are the only words I can think of to describe it, especially the eye-gouging scene. It was so vivid that I caught myself squinting more than once while reading. But that’s the kind of gruesome storytelling I signed up for, so no complaints there!

The character development? Spot on. Van Veen gave us just enough detail to make each person feel like a fully fleshed-out (pun intended) being. It was easy to become invested in their struggles, particularly Sarah, whose affliction and internal battles were so compelling to follow. However, I did feel like the pacing took a hit about 30-40% of the way through. At times, I found myself questioning where the story was going with Lucy, as her personal turmoil seemed to stall the momentum a bit.

And then there was the drama between Lucy and Michael. I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of this subplot. Sure, it added a layer of complication, but did it really enhance the story? Not sure.

This book delivered a rich, gothic tapestry of horror and suspense that’s hard to forget. It was creepy, unsettling, and, at times, shockingly fun—a perfect read for those who revel in the darker side of fiction. I will be obsessing over my thoughts on this book for weeks to come, just like I did with "My Darling Dreadful Thing." Van Veen's stories have their ways of burrowing into your soul - in a non-bog body kind of way, of course! :)

HUGE shoutout to #NetGalley, #PoisonedPenPress, and, of course, Johanna for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review

This gothic horror wears its influences on its sleeve, and for the most part, it succeeds in telling an eerie tale of obsession, siblinghood, and feminine rage. Sarah is sick - stricken by an illness after helping dig up a preserved bog woman. Her sister Lucy (Dracula reference ahoy!) visits to nurse her back to health, and in a household full of arrogant men and housemaids with dark secrets, the gothic atmosphere ramps up to an 11 pretty quickly. I enjoyed this book, although I was never quite invested. Its heroine was a little too modern in terms of her speak patterns and feminist outlooks, so while she made for a compelling voice, it never quite felt authentically Victorian to me. This mismatch made it difficult for me to get immersed. Still, it was a quick, spooky read, and one that made for a perfect chilly December evening.

Blood on her Tongue kept me guessing throughout the entire book, and I loved it. It was slightly heavy on exposition in some parts, but I fear that may have been unavoidable when you’re writing a book that’s so different and so creative compared to the usual tropes and creatures we’ve seen a million times before. The storytelling was so high quality and I understood the characters and their personalities quickly. The way the bog body was used was so interesting and the setting was so atmospheric, I might just have to read it again!

This novel was the perfect little gothic treat. It kept me engaged throughout and I was thoroughly invested in discovering what choices the characters would make next.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the arc and opportunity to review in advance of its publication.

This was my first Johanna van Veen novel and I was very excited to dig in. My Darling Dreadful Thing has been on my TBR for quite some time, but I opted to go for this one first. Started off so strong and then around the 75% mark just began to fall apart for me. Now, I LOVE a "good for her" moment, but this one just didn't hit the mark.

Lucy Lucy Lucy. Oh Lucy. So much potential just wasted. Grief is different for everyone, however, I felt like I needed a little more backstory to understand the sisters' dynamic and how this all came to be. The relationship almost felt estranged, not close, so I was slightly confused as to why Lucy suddenly made a 180 and was on board to help Sarah/Not-Sarah no questions asked.

Another reviewer nailed it for me when they said Lucy's actions were so nonsensical we began rooting for the men to separate the sisters. When I found myself not cheering the women on to free themselves and take over the world I knew it was long gone.

Lucy had every opportunity to use her sister's death/situation as a way to come out of her shell but her obsession with her twin who did not care anywhere near as much about her and her codependency were entirely too frustrating for me to enjoy where the train was heading.

I'm so glad this novel works for so many others, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Won't keep me from reading other Joanna van Veen books, though!

Blood on her tongue is a gory gothic based on vampires. I'm not sure why I requested the ARC for this book, since I don't enjoy vampire novels. But I apparently did, so I read it. I'm squeamish, so this one did not sit well with me. It's very graphic and bloody. The story is fine; set in the 19th century, Lucy's twin sister, Sarah, falls into a slow mental and physical decline. The doctor diagnoses temporary insanity but Lucy doesn't agree and tries valiantly to keep her sister from the asylum.

The characters are difficult to like and the book could have used a ruthless editor. However, fans of gothic vampires will be satiated.

Johanna Van Veen, the mind you have!

This gothic tale is dripping with darkly descriptive prose. From the very first page, Blood on Her Tongue sucked me right in with its haunting atmosphere and visceral storytelling. I found myself unable to stop thinking about the story whenever I had to put the book down.

Van Veen's writing is both captivating and chilling, effortlessly blending the supernatural with deep emotion. The characters are complex and flawed, and the eerie, brooding setting of the bog filled estate felt so real at times, I could picture it all so clearly in my mind. The author masterfully creates tension, skillfully weaving suspense through every twist and turn.

If you’re a fan of gothic fiction, this book is a must-read. It will grip you, unsettle you, and keep you hooked until the very end.

This is the second ARC I’ve gotten of Johanna van Veen’s. I was super excited to get this one as it’s one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. The writing was phenomenal and the story was great. I was completely sucked in to Sarah and Lucy’s complex and sometimes tumultuous sisterhood. I will also say that the description doesn’t really do justice to what’s going on in the story. I don’t know how the author comes up with what they do, but they hook me every time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for this ARC! This will be out in March of 2025!

5 stars

My second read from this author, after My Darling Dreadful Thing, and another 5 stars! Johanna van Veen has a true talent for gothic horror with a Sapphic twist. And she does not shy away from the gore either. There were a few scenes that made my stomach flip for sure.

In this story of sisters, we follow Sarah's breakdown and Lucy's attempts to save her sister from her worst nightmare, being committed to an asylum. After a "bog body" is discovered on the property owned by Sarah and her husband, something insidious takes hold and Sarah becomes sicker and sicker. Lucy is summoned when Sarah's husband Michael and childhood friend now doctor Arthur feel that the end may be near for Sarah. Lucy arrives to find her sister on the brink and begins a campaign to save her sister. But is this really her sister? Or has something evil taken over?

I thought I knew where this story was going but I was wrong. This book had the perfect gothic feel and plenty of body horror and gore. At the core is the answer to the question "how far would you go to protect your twin?".

Atmospheric, gruesome, deliciously cloying horror. The character of the first person perspective is flawed and real. The gothic bog horror book of my dreams.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A Masterpiece of Gothic Horror That Will Haunt You

Some books creep under your skin and settle there, and Blood on Her Tongue is one of them. This is not your run-of-the-mill horror novel. It’s a deliciously unsettling slow burn, weaving dread into every word until the tension is almost unbearable—and then, just when you think you know where it’s heading, it yanks the rug out from under you in the most exhilarating way.

Set in the hauntingly atmospheric Netherlands of 1887, the story follows Lucy, a twin fiercely devoted to her sister, Sarah, who has fallen prey to a mysterious illness—or perhaps something far darker. The plot brims with questions: Is Sarah truly unwell, or is she hiding something? Is it madness, possession, or something even more unthinkable? The brilliance of this novel lies in how it refuses to give you easy answers, forcing you to grapple with its layered, mind-bending twists.

The way the story unfolds is nothing short of genius. Letters, newspaper clippings, and chilling snippets from the past make you feel like you’re sifting through a forgotten archive, piecing together a terrible truth. It’s like being an invisible observer trapped in a house of secrets, and that sense of intimacy—of seeing the unvarnished lives of these characters—heightens the terror.

What really floored me, though, was how much emotional depth the book has. Lucy’s love for her sister is both heartbreaking and complicated, and her own secrets bring another layer of tension. You can feel her desperation, her fear, and her determination to protect Sarah at all costs, even as the story spirals into something utterly unrecognizable.

And the payoff? Oh. My. God. Even as a seasoned horror reader, I thought I knew where this was going. I didn’t. The twists are as shocking as they are satisfying, and the way the horror evolves is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s fresh, it’s bold, and it’s absolutely unforgettable.

If you love horror that doesn’t just scare you but also makes you think—about family, loyalty, and what lurks in the shadows of the human mind—this book is for you. It’s an immersive, beautifully crafted story that will leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t long after the final page. Blood on Her Tongue isn’t just a book; it’s an experience, and I can’t recommend it enough.

I was absolutely dying to read this and it was well worth the wait. Also, I am loving this trend of Victorian style covers. A story of monsters vs. reality, this will have you on edge and curious until the end.

I really enjoyed this slow-burn gothic horror. It was different than I expected, and pretty unique overall. The best compliment I can give as a lifelong reader is, it kept me guessing, and this novel certainly did. It had a great balance of emotion and horror, both social and supernatural. I will likely seek out more by this author!

how to describe this..... the darkness overflows in this one, this gothic horror immediately opens with a bang and never lets up. mysterious bodies from a bog, a sister that is slowly going insane, and twists galore. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Oh. My. YES! Queer. Gothic. Vampirism. Sapphic. Refusal to accept society's designated place for women? Abuse. Chaos. Mental health. On point.
Women pushing and raging against their place and lack of options in life? Here for it all day, every day.
The Author's note in the beginning had me hooked - and the novel did not disappoint.
Lucy travels to her sister's home - to be shocked by her quick decline. The sudden death of her daughter a year earlier brought on a severe illness, hidden by the family and close friends. A mother watched her daughter die - yes, Sarah grieved and broke down.
Yet this experience heightens her husband's unwillingness to deal with her. Lucy rushes to her aid.
Rich with moors, Brontë-esque gothic vibes and delicious vampirism.

I liked this a lot better than the writers first book. Although as a Dutch person I still think using some very Dutch names in an English story takes me out of the flow I have in my head as I translate it making me switch languages in my head a lot.

This story was atmospheric for the first half, building up the tension and leaning in the unknowing of the main character. It lost this feeling at half way. Making it almost camp in the way the “monster” was progressing.

There is no character growth, you may even call it character regression but I think that was the purpose? All in all it was a gothic, folk story with some funny camp like moments.

Thank you for this ARC! It was better than I thought it would be. I am not much into horror, however this one looked interesting, so I took a chance. I ended up reading through this rather quickly! I just could not stop turning the pages. It was everything one could want in a horror novel while being historically accurate. This book delves into dark elements of horror, themes of mental health, female rage and domestic violence among many others. This story will keep you engaged all the way through and have you turning the pages well into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Johanna van Veen's Blood on Her Tongue tells the story of twin sisters with a family history of madness when one of them is overcome with a strange hunger. It's the 2025 horror you need to fulfill all your dark, twisted fiction needs.

This story is just as disturbing and uncomfortable as you expect a book like this to be. It's gritty. It's gory. Every gothic, grotesque feeling you want from a horror haunts the pages of this book. It will take over your attention and feast on your mind. This is the type of strangely addicting horror that I, and so many other people, have been looking for.

For such an unsettling book, the writing is beautiful. The way van Veen puts this idea into words is something that will resonate with me for a while. From the writing to the overall story, it feels like a mix of so many of the elements I love from classic books, to all the wonderful things about modern horror novels. The writing has that old, elegant feel, while still feeling modern and easy to comprehend.

This delivers all the dark horror elements it advertises, but also tackles misogyny, female rage, and mental health. It is an endlessly deep and complex story. This is the type of horror story that will stick with you for quite a while.

I do feel like there were a few moments in the story where the pacing felt off. Some parts were slower than they needed to be. But it's still an overall strong story that I would gladly recommend to fans of the gothic, gory side of horror.

Blood on Her Tongue is a deep and dark horror book that manages to keep a certain level of beauty while it fills you with dread. If you love body horror, historical gothic settings, and complex characters and relationships, this is a great choice for you.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 11/22/2024
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 3/15/2025