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

This book pulled me in quicker than peat in a bog, but you find out what’s going on with Sarah pretty early on and then it really slows down. I appreciated the relationship between Sarah and Lucy but in my opinion all of Lucy’s actions were annoying and childish. It’s kinda hard to review Van Veen’s novels as they’re just a WHOLE GOTHIC VIBE above all else. As a whole I liked this book more than her debut novel (which I also liked!) as it was waaaaay bloodier and involved bog bodies which totally fascinate me🩸 The cover is also beautiful! Song pairing is My Immortal by Evanescence ❤️‍🩹

PUB DATE: MARCH 24TH 2025 🥳

How far would you go for family?

I devoured this book. I would say it's a read-alike to The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, but it also had similar vibes to What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher, Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Van Veen was a new author to me, and I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover – but that’s what I did. Browsing NetGalley and seeing ‘Blood on Her Tongue’ with its Gothic cover - I was immediately sold. I will also be going back and adding her other backlist titles to my TBR, and if you follow her in social media, you will see why.

I also love the preface, which is a super personal touch from Van Veen talking about some of the trigger warnings in the book, which shows how much she values her readers and their current mental states.

I’d read this off the back of things like ‘The Lamb’ by Lucy Rose, ‘Hungerstone’ by Kat Dunn and ‘Victorian Psycho’ by Virginia Feito, so I think I am deep into in my ‘Feminine Rage’ era, and I’m loving it.

Intimately exploring the mystical relationships of twins, we follow our protagonist after she receives word her sister has become unwell. Rushing to Sarah’s side, Lucy finds her twin gravely ill, raving nonsensically and obsessed by ‘The Bog Body’ – a corpse Sarah’s husband found out in the peat lands they own, buried with a stone in its jaws and all joints staked.

As Sarah descends into madness, we see the affect it has on her twin and the house at large, how the ripples spread and the people Sarah’s illness grips. We see Lucy fight and witness the lengths she will go to in order to protect her sister but the things she will do for her own gain too…

I loved that everything pointed in the direction of vampires and is even categorised as vampire fiction, but then took a sharp left turn into something new and refreshing. A real puzzle-piece story of family, betrayal, mental health and an undercurrent of sapphic romance, this is one I will be actively trying to sell as much as I can.

The perfect read for fans of T. Kingfisher, S.T. Gibson and Sheridan le Fanu!

As always, an enormous ‘thank you’ goes out to both the author, NetGalley and the publishing team at Sourcebooks Inc for an advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review.

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.”

This novel is an eerie Victorian gothic laced in elements of body horror, relationships that decay as others strengthen, cloying sickness under the guise of love, the unveiling of secrets and hidden deception of character, and parasitic creatures raised from the darkness.

🩸Gothic Horror
🩸Victorian Setting
🩸Mysterious Sickness
🩸Body in the Bog
🩸Feminine Rage
🩸Mental Illness
🩸Secrets
🩸Body Horror
🩸Sapphic Rep
🩸Twins

2/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

Oh this would have been a 4 stars if not for the last third of this book. It completely ruined the novel for me, which is unfortunate. Horror novels I find really need to stick the landing and this one did not at all. That being said this had some very well done body horror and some scenes that are for sure horrific.
Lucy was insufferable but I held out hope she would have some character development. She did not. Like she literally has zero self agency and no personality to speak of.
Personally I would have killed Not-Sarah, or rather, let her starve. Sorry but that is NOT your sister!! She KILLED your sister yet Lucy is like ‘she has Sarah’s memories so she just be Sarah in some way’ NO. It is experiencing those things that make you the person, not just seeing the memories. The parasite was not there at the time, so she didn’t live it out! Either way I can’t say this was the best take on vampires I’ve ever read. I honestly wish we had more lore about what sort of vampires they even were because it was really vague. Where do they come from, how are they made, how do they know how to imitate a human, etc?
Furthermore, the ending was just messy. Why did Arthur go evil in the span of 5 pages? And why was he even deemed ‘evil’? Like he saw Not-Sarah EAT SOMEONE’S HAND. Why would he NOT think she was insane?! 😭
I get the point the author was trying to make about how women would be thrown into institutes and asylums for anything abnormal but I’m afraid Arthur was justified in thinking Sarah had to GO. Him doing a 180 and trying to manipulate Lucy into marriage was just so out of character for him and it felt very much forced in.
I think this book was hitting the message of ‘men were misogynists back then!’ a bit too hard because it felt like the men had no personalities outside of being rude to women, which is not at all how things worked back then? They had full personalities along with sometimes being misogynistic and just having Micheal’s whole personality being having him be supposedly abusive just kind of undermines exactly why misogyny is so dangerous -> because it occurs with men who have full interests and lives that do not indicate it at all at first.
I honestly liked Micheal a bit like he served his role well but again I felt he was too cartoon villain ish. He had the best dialogue of anyone for sure, though.
The ending was so abrupt and again, I felt that the reasoning for the characters to do what they did was out of wack. Five chapters ago Lucy was having a panic attack over the thought of killing someone and then she kills two people in the span of like twenty minutes??? We see no jump in her thoughts to justify this and she just acted so stupid.
I personally hate characters who make another person their whole life and that was Lucy. Like girl your twin did not like you half as much as you liked her and the relationship was toxic to the point that it became unbearable.
Lots of people say the novel lost stems after Sarah came back and I have to agree. The mystery of what she was was far more engaging then the plot line of ‘if and how do we feed the parasite using my sister’s body?’
I just UGH was so pissed that Lucy fell for Not-Sarah’s act. I would never have helped her.
But also the second I saw a body with stakes in it I would have ran away so I’d be safe from the events of this novel anyway.
The huge positive of this novel is the writing. Stunning and gorgeous. I only wish the last third of the novel wasn’t the disaster it was :(

Yes yes yes. I LOVED this! Blood on Her Tongue is definitely going to be a top book for me this year. Gothic, gory, perfection. Everything about this just absolutely worked for me. Also cannot wait to have this book on my shelves with those bloody edges!

Once again, Johanna Van Veen masterfully officiates a most unholy marriage of the macabre, the supernatural, and the tragically beautiful in her second horror novel, Blood on her Tongue. There are bleak days ahead for Lucy Goedhart and twin sister, Sarah Schatteleyn. This horrifying tale begins with Lucy rushing to Sarah’s side after learning the news she has contracted a mysterious illness and lies on her death bed. The only thing Lucy knows for certain is her sister’s illness was immediately preceded by the discovery of a bog-body---a naturally mummified human cadaver whose body exhibits shocking evidence of unspeakable violence left abandoned and entombed in the sucking mires of the Schatteleyn Estate. Upon her arrival to the Schatteleyn manor, Lucy also learns that Sarah’s disease is quite…peculiar. She refuses to eat but acquires a bizarre taste for human flesh, and she suffers from a psychosis that fixates around delusions of obsession and possession. Lucy immediately evaluates her twin’s circumstances as critically dire and knows a fate worse than death could be in store for her should Sarah survive without the secrets behind her perplexing condition unearthed. It would mean a one-way ticket to an 1800s insane asylum, truly a waking nightmare. Both Lucy and Sarah are tiptoeing around secrets they are reluctant to disinter, even though it could provide the salvation they so desperately need. The stakes summit at their highest when Sarah’s condition sharply deteriorates, her hunger becoming irrepressible and her secrets impossible to hide any longer. Lucy can no longer ignore the feeling that Sarah isn’t really Sarah anymore, a premonition that she decides can only be attributable to another mental break, like once before…or supernatural possession. Either way, Lucy is suspicious of Sarah: is she mad or bad? To save each other, both sisters must find each other again, sharing the most shameful parts of themselves and confronting hard-to-digest truths, long ago abandoned and deeply buried just like that mysterious bog-body...

This is a Victorian gothic transfused with the grotesquely horrifying and the nightmarishly supernatural, giving you a propulsive page turner that is totally engrossing, absorbing the reader entirely inside a story shocked to life from all the chills, thrills, and kills. Van Veen offers up a refreshingly original perspective on vampirism and takes the reader down a path littered with bog-bodies and monsters---most of whom come, unsurprisingly, in the shape of regular men---oh the misogyny of it all! This book is powerfully evocative, sparking feelings of incredible loss from grief and stolen autonomy. Additionally, compounding grim circumstances and Lucy’s blinding anguish from impossible choices creates a physical, pulsing ache that bleeds over to the reader! There is a good amount of body horror, so that is definitely something to be aware of before starting this book. I loved that Lucy proved to be a resilient main character, and I was totally stunned by the ending. I devoured this story in just a few days, and I already thirst for more!

I am an identical twin, and I feel I experienced a deeper connection to the sisters and a greater understanding of some of their more shocking choices: I will always choose my twin over anyone or anything else. Frequently, I found myself in Lucy’s shoes, and it only heightened the thick miasma of dread I was already suffering for them both! I think it is difficult to really capture the unwavering devotion identical twins can have for each other alongside the complex, contrasting struggles they might naturally experience when society at large likes to invasively gorge on curiosities: examining, comparing, and picking apart the strange and unusual. Having identical twin sisters herself, the author captures these juxtaposing ideas and emotions incredibly well. Once again, I highly recommend reading this book. It’s horrifying and tragic, equally unsettling, but twice as lovely.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. The publication date is tomorrow, March 25th! I will be posting this review on my Goodreads and Instagram accounts.

Another spin on the vampire novel, Johanna van Veen has created a new tale for vampire lore. Sarah and her husband, Michael, live on a swampy estate. A body is found in one of their bogs and buried in a most peculiar manner. Sarah is fascinated and ends up with a sickness stemming from finding the body. Her twin, Lucy, quickly makes her way to Sarah's bedside and after believing Sarah has succumbed to this strange illness, Sarah awakens. And she's not really Sarah anymore. Lucy is torn between morality and her sister/not sister.
Lots of body horror in this one. And I'm not going to give any of the story away. Parasitic would be a good way to put this.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this digital e-arc.*

Blood on Her Tongue is a gothic horror novel, featuring bloody scenes, a twin mystery (love this trope) well-mixed with both bog creatures and vampire legends. The gothic atmosphere was perfect! It set the mood and worked very well with the plot. The introduction with trigger warnings was excellently written and made me even more interested in the book (well done by the author!). I think the author has done a thorough, fantastic job with the text. The story is very well written and perfectly executed. It is beautiful and almost poetic at times. The descriptions are extremely atmospheric and bring the story to life. Johanna van Veen is an exceptionally talented author, and the editorial work on this book is likely very professional and meticulously done. I have read several gothic horror books over the years, and this book definitely fits well into the genre. Some scenes were surprising and downright scary, but I think it is the atmospheric buildup that makes this book so good. Highly recommended to anyone looking to read a dark, eerie tale.

Johanna van Veen’s Blood on Her Tongue is a chilling and atmospheric gothic horror that lingers in your thoughts long after you turn the final page. Set against the brooding landscape of 19th-century Netherlands, this novel masterfully blends psychological suspense with the supernatural, leaving readers questioning the fine line between madness and possession.

The story follows Lucy, a devoted twin who will do anything to protect her sister, Sarah. After a centuries-old corpse is unearthed on her husband’s estate, Sarah’s mental state deteriorates, leaving her fevered, erratic, and consumed by dark obsessions. Doctors dismiss her condition as a “fever of the brain,” but Lucy suspects something far more sinister. As Sarah’s strange behavior intensifies, Lucy is forced to confront terrifying questions. Is Sarah suffering from an unexplained illness, or has something ancient and malevolent awakened?

Van Veen’s writing is lush and immersive, weaving a sense of dread that builds with each chapter. The isolated manor, with its flickering candlelight and shadowy corners, becomes a character in itself — a constant presence that mirrors the unraveling minds of its inhabitants. Through Lucy’s perspective, readers experience the mounting fear and desperation of a woman caught between rationality and the unexplainable.

What sets Blood on Her Tongue apart is its exploration of sisterhood, loyalty, and the unbearable weight of secrets. Lucy and Sarah’s bond is beautifully and painfully rendered, making the prospect of losing one another all the more devastating. The novel also raises questions about the treatment of women in Victorian society, where accusations of madness often served as a means of control.

For fans of gothic fiction, psychological thrillers, and dark historical mysteries, Blood on Her Tongue is an unforgettable read. Johanna van Veen delivers a tale that pulses with eerie suspense and emotional depth, leaving readers both haunted and enthralled.

I found the modern language for something.... not set in modern times to be real off putting and I truly couldn't get my mind off of it while reading. It just didn't work for me.

Vampirism + bog bodies is a combo I didn't know I needed. This is NOT subtle in its nods to Dracula but was honestly a nice change to a dated classic. A version of Dracula where the women are not okay with the men around them being constantly misogynistic and giving backhanded compliments to their intelligence.

The Gothic was Gothicing. Johanna van Veen did a great job making you feel Lucy spiraling. I was a bit thrown off by the modern language though- I get that it was meant to show personality shifts but it didn't really work with 1887 Netherlands.

The gore was goring. If you're squeamish about eyes, get ready! The descriptions of textures and odors were truly disgusting (done so well, just so, so gross).

The story wraps up a little too nicely, but... what about Mrs. van Dijk? She is by far the best character and she (and her new companion) better be living their best lives 🤞🏼

I read the author's first novel and found it, while written well enough, a bit disappointing in its structure and pacing. This novel is better paced and has some really good moments of body horror and gore. Definitely one that might make you a little squeamish.

That said, I don't really feel like it's a gothic novel. Instead, it reads as an imitation of a gothic novel. The beginning opens with the sort of description and atmosphere we would see from novels like Dracula, but this quickly fades and the novel reads much more modern. Some of the dialogue choices really took me out of the novel -- you would never know that this took place in the Netherlands if it weren't for some very small naming conventions and its mention in the synopsis. It could easily be set in England.

I also thought that it lacked a lot of tension in the latter half. Once a key plot point happens, it feels like the plot sort of deflates and we just get a series of the same thinking and actions happening over and over again rather than a smooth progression of the story, and then it ends so abruptly and neatly. A key element of the gothic novel is the slow unraveling of what's happening, the character usually questioning their reality or uncovering an increasing amount of horrific things before finally reaching the denouement. We don't get that here. And the novel tries to do a bit too much with the elements of gothic novels it brings in: is this a book about madness? About queer Othering? About patriarchal violence? About obsession? In trying to do too much, it does very little.

The characters' motivations left me scratching my head at times, as well, because the characterization falls a little flat. Lucy has no character traits aside from being very codependent upon her sister, and the men in the novel very much act like stereotypical gothic men with nothing else added to their personalities or backstory.

I will give the author some props for having a relatively unique take on vampirism. I don't know that I necessarily love it, but I certainly wasn't expecting it.

van Veen's novels are easy to read, but at the end of the day, they leave me questioning why. Why should I pick up this novel instead of a classic gothic novel? There isn't anything all that interesting being said about queerness (which is a very small part of the novel) or any of the other traditionally gothic elements I mentioned above. I just feel like there is something missing from the characters and the plots.

I absolutely loved this. A gothic tale with every page compelling me to move forward. I could not put it down and ate it up in no time.

This was my first ready by Johanna Van Veen so I was not sure what to expect but Blood on Her Tongue did not disappoint. I found the dark elements enticing and gruesome. I will be recommending this to everyone.

I really enjoyed this novel. I liked Van Veen’s previous novel as well, but I felt that in this she really grew as an author, her language is more mature, the story is tighter and she really digs into the gore of it all.

4.25 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like Johanna van Veen is becoming a solid author I turn to when I'm in the mood for a slow-burn Gothic mystery. The settings are always extremely atmospheric, and I feel like I'm actually in the book. I also really appreciate the detail to the characters, and their arcs as the story progresses.

Not only did I love the bond between Lucy and Sarah, I was absolutely obsessed with the vampire lore. It was very different from any other vampire book or movie I've seen, and I really found it to be a refreshing take on the genre. Unlike her previous novel, this one focused more on the bond between sisters rather than being an actual love story, which again, is a different kind of "love" from what we see in traditional vampire stories. I really appreciated this take.

The book did seem to get a bit slow in the middle, and overall the first half didn't have too much happening other than building the characters and leading up to the events in the second half of the book. I feel like it could have been condensed a little bit, but I still appreciated the build of the characters and the slow-burning mystery. The ending was absolutely brutal and filled with blood and gore. I am excited to see what Johanna has coming next, because she is definitely one of my new favorite authors of gothic horror.

I really liked the vibe and setting of this book, but I wasn't that into the plot or the characters. However I loved the writing, so I will definitely check out other stuff by this author.
I will definitely recommend this to people who enjoy gothic and macabre stories. This book would without a doubt have been amazing if I was more j to the plot and characters

When a mysteriously well-preserved corpse is discovered in a local bog on her estate, Sarah is fascinated. Although women of their time aren’t supposed to be interested in science and the natural world, Sarah and her twin sister Lucy are uncommonly curious and educated and entranced by the mystery. When Sarah suddenly falls ill and presents with unusual symptoms after examining the body, she writes to Lucy who immediately comes to aid her beloved sister. But after things start becoming stranger and stranger it becomes clearer and clearer that something sinister is at play that will test their places in society, and both reveal the cracks in and push the limits of their sisterly bond.

This was a weird, enjoyable little book with a great balance of suspense to horror. Nothing felt particularly gratuitous and all the side characters felt sufficiently fleshed out. Sarah and Lucy themselves are great foils to each other, and while many plot beats felt predictable, I enjoyed them nonetheless. I do feel the ending was a tad unrealistic and wrapped up a little too cleanly, but on the whole I’d highly recommend for readers who like horror and supports women’s rights and women’s wrongs!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy! All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

The perfect book to start one’s gothic horror journey. Set in the 19th century Netherlands, Lucy must go to her twin sister’s aid when she receives letters that suggest some sort of madness after her sister Sarah finds a bog body.
Starting with the atmosphere of the book, it was phenomenal. Everything you want in a gothic piece gloomy weather, candle lit rooms, cobblestone streets and Victorian houses. Van Veer does an incredible job throughout the entire book with her descriptions that keep you completely immersed in this world and setting.
Plot wise van Veer’s slow burn of Sarah and her descent into becoming something other was so well written. There’s a big idea of how far would one go to protect the one the loved, or someone who was once someone they loved.

Blood on Her Tongue was a creepy, atmospheric horror that I had a crazy ride on when reading. I really enjoyed it because when I say gothic horror....this is what I am talking about. This was my first book by. Johanna van Veen but it did not disappoint!! Her prose truly made feel like I was part of the story and experiencing everything right there along side our MCs. I can't wait to read more of her work! Thank you to netgalley and poisoned pen press for providing me an early ARC of this book!!!