At the core I am a gothic horror baby and this was DELICIOUS.

Johanna Van Veen has written a totally immersive historical gothic horror that's at times disturbing, visceral, and traumatizing. A few times in this book I literally had to say "BLECH" out loud at some of the descriptions, they were so gross!

One of the strongest parts of this novel is that the whole time you have no idea if these things are real or imagined and I especially loved the idea of a bog body preserving some kind of evil parasite. Pepper in a bit of feminine rage and this is such a compelling read. I couldn't put it down!

This book doesn’t just scare you—it unsettles you, creeping under your skin in ways you don’t notice until it’s too late. Every shadow feels darker, every silence heavier, and by the time you reach the end, you’ll wonder if you were ever really alone while reading it.

I had high hopes for this one. I loved the setting, gothic atmosphere, and body horror elements. What ultimately led to my DNF around the 70% mark was the poor reveal/info dump in dialogue that would have been much more fascinating if written as a deduction or late 19th century experimentation. I struggled to care after the truth was revealed and I only had her choice to see me through.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC of “Blood on Her Tongue” by Johanna van Veen! If you're looking for a chilling gothic horror novel, with an interesting take on the gothic formula, and on vampires, you should check out “Blood on Her Tongue”. These characters are complicated, they are messy, and their love is absolutely monstrous. The complicated and toxic relationship between the twin sisters, Lucy and Sarah, is at the center of the tale, driving it forward. The author also takes full advantage of the historical setting to reflect on women’s lack of rights at the time, adding another layer of horror to the plight of the sisters. I enjoyed reading through the mystery of Sarah’s illness, wondering what is a fevered delusion and what is real, and how far Lucy is willing to go to help her sister… and I won’t spoil those answers for you. If you’re wondering about trigger warnings, and there will be a couple, the author gives some at the beginning of the book! Personally some of the gory bits had me squirming, but I’m just a bit squeamish. If you pick up this book I hope you will enjoy your dread filled trip to the Schatteleyn estate as well, be careful of the bogs, sharp pens, and sharp teeth…

I just want to start off by saying that I simply could not pass up the opportunity to read a sapphic, vampire novel. And better yet, it was a gothic novel too!

I am honestly so conflicted about whether I’m slightly disturbed or if I absolutely loved it! I think it’s probably a mixture. The body horror in this book was done so well, it didn’t feel like too much.

Although the sapphic part wasn’t super in your face, I still really enjoyed that element of the novel. I think specially because of the time period in which the book is set.

I highly recommend reading this if you enjoyed Dracula or Carmilla. This is undoubtedly your gothic horror you’ve been looking for!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An absolutely fantastic read. I was bought in right from the very first page. I cannot wait to read more by Johanna, she is dynamite!

A beautiful gothic horror story at its finest!

The atmosphere and vibes were absolutely immaculate and immersive. There were time I forgot I was actually reading a book and felt like I was involved in the story as well.
Van Veen‘s lyrical writing is so eerie and dark it catapults you into the world right away.
The longing and tension were definitely well done and I‘m so happy I got the opportunity to read this.
Whoever yearns for beautiful writing paired with a beautiful eerie atmosphere and the perfect gothic setting, then this is for you😍

"Some hungers can’t be starved—and some horrors can’t be buried."

Dark, unsettling, and dripping with gothic horror, Blood on Her Tongue is a feast of eerie atmosphere and creeping dread. Set in 1887 Netherlands, it follows Lucy, who rushes to her twin sister Sarah’s side when Sarah becomes obsessed with a bog body dug up on her husband’s estate. Sarah stops eating, starts speaking in riddles, and is quickly diagnosed with madness—but Lucy isn’t buying it. Something far more sinister is at play, and as Sarah’s hunger grows, so does the terror.

Johanna van Veen spins a tale that feels both classic and fresh, blending supernatural horror with an intimate, eerie exploration of sisterhood. The prose is lush, the tension is sharp, and the sense of doom clings to every page. There’s a slow, creeping horror here—one that builds until you’re breathless, unsure whether the true monster is the curse lurking in the shadows or the desperation of those trying to fight it.

Bloody, haunting, and impossible to put down, Blood on Her Tongue is gothic horror at its best—deliciously eerie, beautifully written, and sure to linger long after the final page.

Thanks Netgally for the arc!

Delightfully written
Horror is not my usual go to, but the cover art, description, and themes simply begged me to give this a go. And am I happy I listened!
Despite the gloomy atmosphere, the stench of death permeating every page, and the emotional turmoil our narrating character is undergoing, there is a thin veil of beauty cast over the entire novel.
Lucy (love the nod to Dracula here) adores her twin, even when she's not the easiest person to be around. And this can clearly translate to a dedication that transcends sanity. The sisterly bond between Lucy and Sarah is something to behold and watch out for, even if unnatural creatures were not on the prowl.
I'm not going to lie and say any of the characters are particularly lovable, but you can find yourself reflected back in some behaviours. And who wouldn't develop a few character flaws when faced with the impossible?
Totally recommend, add this to all the bookish lists and every TBR

3 Stars

Blood on Her Tongue is a gothic tale about two sisters and the lengths they’ll go to for each other, for love, for hunger and for survival.

Lucy, upon receiving a letter from her sister’s husband, Michael, arrives in Zwartwater to be by Sarah’s side. Sarah has fallen mysteriously ill, seemingly mad and refusing to eat. Since the discovery of a body in the bog on the estate, Sarah has been experiencing nightmares, feeling like she hasn’t been alone, and craving blood.

What I liked:

- the gothic atmosphere. I love a dark, dreary old property at the turn of the 19th century. There’s something so lush and ripe for horror about it. Zwartwater is wonderfully painted as this old estate, tilled far longer than the 16th century, where all manner of phantom or creature may reside.
- the story was somewhat original and not at all what I expected. I won’t go into spoilers, but I wasn’t expecting the reveal.
- some scenes really leant into body horror and it was deliciously gross and creepy. Probably a little more eye stuff than I’d like though.

What didn’t work for me:

Plot/narrative

- As refreshing and original as the story’s ultimate creature was, the message and themes were not. The execution of the narrative was too heavy-handed, repetitive and dull in parts to really deliver that message effectively. A lot of times characters would exposition dump, or read/say something in one way then turn around and repeat that same thing to another character.
- too much tell, not enough show.
- there was not enough proper structure to the narrative with regard to conflict and resolution. It ended somewhat abruptly with a newspaper epilogue in a way that felt like the characters didn’t really learn anything and was pretty unsatisfying.


Characters

- I didn’t particularly like or root for either Sarah or Lucy. I could understand elements of what the author was going for with regards to the historical treatment of women, the feminist angle, and general female solidarity, I just didn’t quite think it was done particularly well.
Sarah and Lucy were both victims of circumstance (their own and from outside), but I feel that as characters they were not fleshed out enough for me to really relate to or care about. Lucy especially was so frustrating because she only seemed to exist to pander to Sarah, and Sarah we only got to know in a round about way.
- the implications about Katje were awful, but her character was completely irrelevant to the story and added nothing.
- Michael was comically terrible and it frustrated me. Men being shit is nothing new and although it makes sense in this time period with the subject matter, he was a cardboard cutout of a shit husband when a little more exploration of his character could have been so much more interesting. Why would Lucy have loved him if everyone knew he sucked?
- was Arthur, as a medical doctor, really that terrible? I don’t think so.

Overall, I liked what this book was trying to say, it’s leaning in to gothic horror, though I just don’t think it landed well.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the eARC - this is my honest, subjective review*

When it comes to horror, my favorite is the gothic variety, so when I first read the synopsis for this gothic sapphic horror with elements of body horror, I was hooked. Unfortunately though, it didn't quite land where I was expecting it to.

The set-up was phenomenal, anyone familiar with the motifs of gothic horror will fall very comfortably into this world. The author not only took the time establishing the grim, wet, and boggy setting, but also coupled it with a rich character study showing how these characters ticked. Through a slow unravelling we learn the dynamic complexities of our main character Lucy, her bed-ridden twin Sarah, and Sarah's somewhat aloof husband Michael, I truly felt like I understood these characters and their various motives, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them, and appreciated the manor in which their histories were revealed to us.

Then it kind of lost itself and everything past the climax suddenly felt like reading a different book. It took on a more colloquial tone and had characters seemingly repeating the same, somewhat comical, conversations across multiple chapters. In the beginning, there was some great discourse on the challenges of being a woman in the Victorian era and how no one took their mental health (and general health) seriously, but slowly, then rapidly, it dissolved into the type of feminine rage that left me with a weird taste in my mouth.

Over all, there was a lot I enjoyed, from the setting of Netherlands in the late 1800's, to the unglamorous almost grotesque take on vampires. Where it lost me was in the last half where it felt like most of what we learn about character's personality early on doesn't completely align with where we were lead to believe they should have evolved to.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first horror book I've read that was actually horrifying. But in an I felt disturbed the entire book type way. She was creepy, gross, gothic, and wild. It's a short little read but definitely has impact.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Blood on Her Tongue" was a gripping gothic novel that tackles feminist themes, especially those surrounding agency. The novel has several well-developed characters that were both lovable and despicable; their actions and goals really make you want to keep reading. "Blood on Her Tongue" has more gore than I was expecting (in a good way) and it definitely added to the plot. Some books add gore just for gore and not necessarily to advance the plot, as gore was used here.

This is what I wanted from a gothic novel. It kept a fast paced snappy plot rolling, while still crafting this atmosphere of dread, and capturing the dreary cold feeling of living in a leaky, decrepit, estate home. ALSO!!!! Hello toxic familial relationships- not only was there consistent action, the intrapersonal relationships between the characters were SALACIOUS, and I ate it right up. Also, speaking of the characters, at least the two main leads- Lucy and Sarah were wonderful. They were complex foils of one another, both are flawed and the book doesn’t shy away from showing you how they hurt each other as well as the other characters in the story.

Despite the tight plotting, a lot of the book itself is an examination of their bond, and the two sisters unpacking the unspoken baggage that’s built up between them during their adult years. They love each other more than anyone in the world, but as is a staple in gothic literature, love seems balanced on a knife’s edge with hate and resentment. The book spends a lot of time examining how far one might go for their family, and (for the millionth time) I LOVED it.

I would also be remiss not to mention the ending. Which was also… PERFECT. Without spoiling anything- this is a book that could have been ruined by a bad ending- so I was very nervous leading up to the final pages- only to be thrilled as all the prices started to slot into place exactly how I wanted them. The ending pushed this to a 5 star book for me

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Blood on Her Tongue.

When I read the synopsis- a gothic vampire novel- I was intrigued and excited. Blood on Her Tongue starts out strong- an unknown body found in the bog, staked to the ground with a rock shoved in her mouth. A mysterious sickness quickly follows, and Lucy rushes to her sister's side, seemingly too late. Unfortunately, this book was all downhill from there on out. Gory in parts (apparently I have an eyeball ick,) dragging in others, with a somewhat satisfying ending. My biggest issue with this book was the dialogue- this book takes place in 1887, but Lucy often sounds entirely too modern, and it kept taking me out of the story.

I think I lost brain power reading this book. I wanted to love this so much but I could not bring myself to care about this. The amount of times I nearly dnf this book but decided to push through hoping that it’ll get better since I’ve been seeing so many people loving this book. Yeah I should’ve just dnf. When I tell you that I feel like nothing happened in this book, even though a lot was definitely happening.

Also I was actually able to sleep peacefully due to this book. It knocked me out for the whole night. Who knew that it would happen.

I could not care about what was happening to her sister. Like I really couldn’t. Can we also talk how Lucy just pissed me off so much. Like I get it she’s your twin sister but like at this point you just have to accept what is happening. Like she discovers the truth and she’s like she’s my twin sister and I’m like sure she is.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When Lucy receives a frantic letter from her twin sister Sarah begging her to come to Zwartwater Estate, she doesn’t hesitate. Sarah’s message is panicked and tinged with a familiar madness that Lucy cannot ignore.

At Zwartwater, Lucy finds Sarah horribly changed — gaunt, frail, and raving about an insatiable hunger she refuses to satisfy. Surrounded by her husband Michael, their childhood friend and doctor Arthur, and Michael’s quiet, young relation Katje, Sarah’s condition continues to worsen. As Lucy investigates, she uncovers her sister’s obsession with a recently unearthed body — grotesquely preserved and showing signs of brutal torture. Lucy must unravel the truth before Sarah’s illness consumes her — or before her mysterious hunger consumes someone else.

Comparisons to Stoker’s Dracula are apt here, but van Veen plays with classic vampire tropes in fresh and unsettling ways. Her monster feels both familiar and reimagined, and those craving more gore from their Gothic horror will be satisfied — Blood on Her Tongue does NOT skimp on the blood. Readers tired of Van Helsing and his band of bumbling vampire slayers will be delighted by the novel’s strong focus on female relationships. Here, the women drive the narrative — plotting, connecting, and claiming power in a genre that often sidelined them.

The decaying Zwartwater Estate is oppressive and haunting, and Sarah’s sickroom feels suffocating as outdated treatments — blood transfusions, laudanum in alarming doses — seem to push her closer to death. The looming threat of the asylum adds even more tension, although a tighter structure and a quicker pace would have made that tension sharper and the conclusion more impactful.

Final Verdict: Blood on Her Tongue is a satisfying gothic read — eerie, atmospheric, and rich in dread. Its originality, coupled with its focus on female bonds, makes it a worthwhile addition to contemporary Gothic fiction. Fans of Dracula and Carmilla will find much to enjoy, but I’d also recommend Hiron Ennes’s Leech for readers who connect with the book’s claustrophobic dread and themes of possession.

Twin sisters, toxic relationships, oh and the dead coming back to life and feasting on blood, what a time to be alive in the Netherlands in 1887. Lucy and Sarah are twin sisters, Sarah being the more beautiful, vibrant one while Lucy was the more reserved sister. They love each other but also envy one another... and when Sarah marries the man that Lucy is in love with things only get more twisted. Then Lucy gets news that Sarah is sick, refusing to eat, speaking nonsensically, and becoming obsessed with a centuries old corpse that was recently discovered on her husband's estate. Lucy hurries to find out what is wrong with Sarah while also dealing with the fact that she's been having an affair with Sarah's husband... but when Sarah begins to slip into madness, gouging out her own eyes... and then being presumed dead until Lucy hears her scratching in her casket... only for Sarah to come back to life... things only get more twisted. As "Not-Sarah" reintegrates into the household things only spiral further into madness as Lucy begins to realize that whatever has come back in her sister's body has an appetite... but also still has all the memories of her sister. Lucy now must decide where her heart lies, with the complicated relationship with her sister or with the man she's in love with but is realizing she never really knew. This was such an interesting story about the relationship between siblings, about the complicated and twisted sense of family and obligation, and most of all, the lengths we will go to for our loved ones. I loved the gothic atmosphere and the slight vampire vibes from this. The relationship between Sarah and Lucy was so fun to read and just so layered and complex. It's a fantastic read and I would absolutely recommend it!

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A gothic horror masterpiece, Johanna created a creepy atmospheric vampire novel unlike anything I’ve ever read. I was going into this expecting your traditional vampire lore but I was so wrong. I have a special interest in late 1800s medical and mourning history so this really was perfect for me, the amount of small details that were added really carved a special place in my heart for this author. This story asks how far would you go for someone you love even if that someone might not be the same person you knew. I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to Johanna Van Venn’s debut book immediately! (Pun definitely intended 🦷) Thank you to NetGally and the Publishers for the opportunity to read this early for review.

This was an incredible gothic novel. Johanna has struck again. I loved this story and was sucked in immediately. There were quite a few times where I cringed due to the gore; however, Johanna's author note made it very clear what to expect from the novel. I was invested in Lucy and Sarah's story. Also the men in their lives were INFURIATING and 100% got what they deserved. Not Sarah was so incredibly creepy and it was easy to picture her. I appreciated following Lucy's story and her struggle to determine if she would rather live with Not Sarah or not have a sister. Overall I really liked this one and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys gothic horror.