I found the start a bit slow, for me, but when you got to 'part 2', it definitely picked up to the point where I had a hard time putting it down.

The bond between the two sisters is amazingly written, and definitely makes you want to have sort of relationship with your own siblings.

While it was not normally my cup of tea for books, I know people that it is, and will definitely be buying them their own copy.

3.5 ⭐ rounded down for Netgalley and Goodreads.

This was weird and wonderful. It had an interesting take on vampirism (though I'm not really sure I would call it vampirism) and had several elements of body horror throughout. Beyond this, men are the true horror, which checks out especially in the period this is set.

I felt some of the writing was a bit odd, there were bits that had me going ??? (Lucy was thirsty, so Lucy thought of biting into a lemon, which made her salivate), but overall the prose was lovely.

I have a random and mildly irrational gripe with a very particular scene in which the Italian Greyhound is somehow able to run off so forcefully while Lucy has her fingers around their collar that it pulls Lucy to the ground, dislocates her shoulder and bruises her fingers. I just don't see this happening given these dogs weigh like 3kg and it's (as I said, irrationally) irking me.

By the end of the story I didn't really like any of the characters, and I felt a bit underwhelmed as some things were left unanswered (tell me Aunt Adelheid wasn't *afflicted* as Sarah was?!).

I had thought this was marketed as a sapphic vampires story, and while there was a sapphic romance, it did feel very underdeveloped and unfortunately more like a perfunctory add-on.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an unsettling and creepy standalone. Overall it was enjoyable!

Blood On Her Tongue is a beautiful, terrible, gothic slow burn horror novel that I absolutely could not put down.
A fresh take on a vampire tale, Johanna van Veen had me filled me with dread from the beginning until the very last page.
For a more indepth review check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-2Al_dd7s0

Okay, Blood on Her Tongue is one of those books that just lingers in your brain. Set in 1887 Netherlands, it’s dark, eerie, and impossible to put down. Think Nosferatu vibes meets twisted family drama. The story centers around Lucy and her twin sister Sarah. Sarah starts acting… off. Like, really off. She’s obsessed with some ancient corpse found on her husband’s estate, stops eating, mutters weird stuff, and then—wait for it—gets angry and hungry in ways that are downright terrifying. Is she possessed? Cursed? Or just losing her mind? Lucy’s determined to save her, but the deeper she digs, the more unsettling things get.
What I loved most was how Johanna van Veen keeps you guessing. The setting feels alive (or maybe haunted?), and the symbolism—hunger, duality, obsession—is layered in without being overdone. And the ending? Absolutely chilling. No spoilers, but WOW.

🌟 Why You’ll Love It:
Perfect for fans of gothic horror (Dracula, Nosferatu , Crimson Peak ).
Packed with creepy atmosphere and deeper meanings.
Slow-burn tension that’ll leave you breathless.
If you’re into dark, emotional stories with a supernatural twist, this is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be thinking about it long after you finish.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Blood on Her Tongue!

Lucy’s twin Sarah is ill. But as Lucy nurses her sister, she begins to suspect Sarah’s illness is not brain fever, but something all together different…

A wonderful, creepy take on a more classic vampire/possession tale. This book is really well-written; there’s nothing superfluous in the exposition, and the pacing is fantastic so it’s a quick read. In parts I was reminded of Mexican Gothic because of the setting of a big old house, but Blood on Her Tongue is also not quite like anything else I’ve read.

Some parts of this book are not for the squeamish; there are some quite visceral/gory moments, but I really think these add to the atmosphere of the book!

I almost wish this was longer, I would have liked to spend more time with Lucy and Sarah and Katje and Mrs Van Dijck.

Both this and van Veen's previous book are variations of 3, close to 4 stars. I preferred the other one as it was truly a gothic house book. This one less so. The author excels at atmosphere, but I struggled with the writing style at the beginning. It's weirdly stilted and could have done with some strong editing. The story itself is fine, but I ultimately hated every character by the end. Everyone sucks! Still, I would recommend the overall experience if you're looking for something gothic and haunting.

Thankyou NetGalley & poisoned press for this arc copy, this book gives a good description of the Victorian times when insanity was a taboo subject amongst other things, this book is a horror book with ebs and flows of gore as you read Lucy truth to figure out how to save her sister. I liked the written letters from Sarah’s pov as her obsession became it was good to get into the mind of both of the main characters

What a fun, creepy story. The setting was perfection and I loved the writing style. The entire book had me turning page after page, but the last 30% is absolutely nuts 🤪 and impossible to put down.

My only critique is that it felt like something was missing at the end. I wish the story was a little longer. Otherwise, I was completely obsessive with this Victorian gothic vampire novel.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy.

arc review | blood on her tongue
4 ⭐️
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"I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…"
— Johanna van Veen, Blood on Her Tongue
~
The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behaviour takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. 
~
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read an eARC of Blood on Her Tongue!
~
It was morbid. Grotesque. Twisted. And boy did I EAT IT UP. The writing was captivating. It lured me in from the very beginning, complimenting the gothic atmosphere and psychological horror. I LOVED the madness. As someone who studied bog bodies in school (and lowkey became obsessed), I loved the little snippets of history we encountered at the beginning. I expected the plot to go in one direction, and was pleasantly surprised when it went another route. The corruption arc was done really well, though I wish there had been bit more of a build up to the catalyst which I shall not spoil.
~
The reason I did not give this book five stars comes down to more of a personal preference. I usually try to be objective but I could not help grow disconnected with the relationship between Lucy and Sarah. I’m uncomfortable with cheating, especially when it’s with a family member’s partner, and I KNOW that was the point, but I did find this distracting. Again, this is just a personal thing. I can deal with cannibalism but not affairs with a sibling’s spouse apparently.
~
Overall, though, I can confidently say this is a really good book for all you fans of gothic horror. Please be mindful to check the trigger warnings, as this isn’t a light-hearted book and there are some confronting moments, but other than that, I definitely recommend!

This wonderfully horrible story made of complicated human emotions and the fact that we all are mad to a certain degree or maybe completely, but we weren't pushed hard enough to finally snap and show it, is a perfect mixture of Stoker's Dracula, Shirley Jackson's horror of the mind, and the movie called The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

I am never afraid of monster jumping around or movies like Friday the 13th with maniacs on the loose. I am afraid of dark human emotions that are hidden and madness that taints the soul. And I absolutely in love in every dark, twisted, gothic, horror book that makes me afraid and uncomfortable in that way.

Zwartwater is a perfect setting for this kind of book, because all the torments of the mind and soul should be mirrored in water, mud, fog, bog and the illness of the land. When bad things are about to happen, nature should feel it - that is the reason I would always listen to Pasja and end the madness once and for all. But the philosophical question what makes a person (emotions and memories, or something else) got me so confused and once again very afraid.

Feeling sympathy for something that should be considered evil, unpure and unnatural is obviously a woman thing. No wonder! How many times the main character remembers what behaviour and feelings are unnatural for a woman, what feelings are wrong, what amount of food and laughter could condemn her to be seen as mad? I don't think some characters deserved what happened to them, but it is what it is.


A little spoiler ahead!
I wanted so badly that Sarah was actually insane and all Lucy did was for nothing. It happened just to remind her to stop being her sister's shadow. But I guess this way we got a happy ending (?) 😁

This one drew me in quickly. A most compelling and gory and exquisite, brooding horror.

One twin sister has come down with a sudden and vicious disease. The other is trying to figure out why, and draws a connection to a bog woman corpse sister and husband discovered and dissected.

There's a lot to love about this one. It's quick, there's a mystery, the details are excruciating ... in a good way. I couldn't help but think "Trills, if evil" as I read through. Still, the lustful relationship between one sister and one husband felt sudden and forced ... and the male characters felt a little bit too stereotyped. There's also periodic infodumps, for no good reason. The plot and reasons are spelt out over the course of a conversation between two characters ... this happens several times, and each time I felt, "ugh." Shame that an editorial hand didn't cut or refactor these parts.

The ending is rarer than most. I won't spoil it.

This was gorgeous in the creepiest way. Incredibly immersive with vivid imagery. I really like how van Veen toys with madness in her writing. I’m never sure if something is supernatural or just plain madness. Gothic horror at its best.

This book was so close to being a five star read. It was great, I started reading and couldn't stop.

This book is a slow burn in the sense that it takes a little bit for the story to take a more engaging pacing, but since the start of it there are a lot of elements that contribute to the mystery of the story and gives us some insights about the characters. The atmosphere is so well done, I especially loved the scenes in which the author describes the bog body as well as when the chapters where intertwined by letters or news articles.

It's an eerie, dark and sometimes a little gorey book, and I was having a god time reading it since these days I've been having a mood of wanting to read gothic books.

The thing that stood out the most is the relationship between the sisters, Sarah and Lucy. The author does a great job portraying a lot of conflicting emotions between the two of them, but the most important thing is that they love each other and they would do anything for the other.

Also the drama was on point, it was quite enjoyable, the descriptions of the scenes with more impact in terms of plot relevance and the horror aspect of the book were also really good.

I think my favorite thing about this book is how it shows us a different side to vampires, at least I haven't read a book where it depicts them like in this one, and I liked the way this book does so since early in the story. I found this concept fascinating and loved what it meant for the plot and for the characters, especially for Lucy.

If I found one thing that I have to critique, and the reason it didn't get five stars, is that the ending felt abrupt, I wanted to read a little bit more, but all in all this book is amazing and I'd totally recommend it.

If you loved the atmosphere and setting of Nosferatu, read this!!!✨The vibes were immaculate. As someone who loves body horror, this was the perfect amount. Johanna’s writing just pulls you in and takes you into this gothic setting making it hard to put down. I need a physical copy asap!!

*Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC*

Blood on Her Tongue is gothic, creepy, and twisted in all my favorite ways. Johanna van Veen’s story is a unique exploration of sisterhood, relationships, mental health, bog people, and vampires! The body horror is also a wonderful addition to this classic read. This was a quick read because I was so excited to keep the story moving!

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Johanna van Veen for this ARC

* I read this book in one sitting. I legitimately could not put it down. I was up till 3am. It is a gripping tale of terror, questioning oneself, truth and gore. While there are plenty of things in this book that could be improved, it stands to say the bones are fantastic and it was truly a thrilling read.

The writing took me a few chapters to get into, but once I did, the prose flowed and enchanted. It was also deliciously imagery-heavy, and for a book that is steeped in horror, it made for quite the reading experience. My imagination was rife with body horror while reading. I really loved the different methods of storytelling, through Lucy's perspective, as well as through letters and newspaper articles. I also enjoyed some of the more charming and funny quips throughout.
I also appreciate how Lucy grew throughout the book, her love for her sister made me think about my own family and that was quite poignant.


My main qualms and thoughts are as follows:
- some characters don't feel fully fleshed out, they have one personality trait and stick to it throughout. I feel like the side characters especially could have been given more thought. Regardless, they didn't feel fully flat.
- I would have loved a bit more tie-in with the aunt and her storyline - it was interesting to read about this character and yet she didn't have much to do with the story. It felt like a hint that she fell into a type of madness and was wrongly committed, perhaps it was to be nothing more than a coincidence and a reason for wanting to avoid being committed in the future, but I feel like more could have been done here.
- I loved reading the letters from Sarah. I would have loved more, especially as she grew more obsessive and eventually became host to the parasite. I would have loved to see more of that rather than hear about it from the parasite itself later.
- So the parasite felt not as Gothic and atmospheric as the rest of the book once we were introduced to it. It felt rather mundane actually. I was excited about the prospect of some sort of vampiric entity, and while initially likening it to a tick is interesting, I did feel like some of the supernatural flair disappeared once we learned about what the parasite was.
- I love a sapphic romance, but Katja and Sarah's love felt underdeveloped. Katja seemed fully devoted to Sarah, to the point of being throwing all caution to the wind. Whereas Sarah seemed to merely appreciate her, the love being told and not seen. I would have loved some more scenes to see why Sarah and Katja were drawn to each other and how their love manifests, and especially how the parasite changed that.

Ultimately a good book, with some potential to make it really great!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in
exchange for an honest review.

This was such an unsettling story, very eerie and creepy throughout with heavy body horror themes. However, the I was not a fan of the ending.

This novel toes the line between psychological horror and the paranormal. The story is dark and the tension builds slowly. Sometimes making one want to skip ahead, but not wanting to miss any details. Once the read believes they know how the plot will progress they are faced with new information that makes them revisit their first assumptions. This novel is deeply gothic calling to mind Edgar Allen Poe, Sheridan Le Fanu, and the transgressive eroticism of Anne Rice. This is a slow burn but one that only builds in dread and unease for fear of could happen next.

How far would you go to hold onto your sister?
In this creepy slow-burn gothic horror, Lucy is forced to ask herself this question. Lucy's sister Sarah uncovers a corpse in the bogs and, together with her husband and sister, try to uncover the identity of the deceased. When Sarah starts acting strange and sickly, Lucy is left to wonder if the bog corpse has anything to do with it.

This was a moody, eerie, and bloody horror with an interesting spin on the classic vampire trope. Without spoiling anything, it was a unique look at societal roles for men and women, the bonds between siblings/sisters, what constitutes a person, and how far would someone would be willing to go for their loved one.

I'd recommend this for fans of gothic horror. Also if you enjoyed Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia (for the atmosphere) or A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (for the feminist slant), you might enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This book was stunning and had me intrigued from the beginning. It’s perfect for fans of “A Dowry of Blood” for the vampireness of it. The relationship of the sisters is also something I really enjoyed. And sapphic vampires, you know I love it. I’ve already recommended it to my friends.