Gothic horror meets sapphic monster romance?! Y'all this was so good!!

I think this one is going to be a big hit. Blending gothic horror with sapphic monster romance and a mystery element, this novella blurs genre lines in a delightful way. But Not Too Bold follows Dália, a young woman becoming the new Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor was eaten by the Lady of Capricious House. But Dália has been raised for this and is not afraid, even after being tasked with uncovering a thief.

It's short so I won't say too much, but the writing in this is fantastic and it seamlessly navigated the line between horror and romance in a way that's hard to do. It's macabre in the best of ways. Hache Pueyo is an author to watch! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This is a very unique story. The archaic one anatema, is a character I was fascinated with. It was a little bit hard for me to follow but that didn’t take me out of the suspense of it all. I think this book is meant for a specific reader who will greatly appreciate its macabre uniqueness.

A monster spider woman named Anatema, Lady of the Capricious House, reigns supreme atop her mansion filled with servants. The only problem is someone has stolen something precious from her and its up to Dalia (the keeper of the keys) to solve the mystery….or get eaten. “But Not Too Bold” is a delightfully eerie, Gothic sapphic romance novella. A perfect little macabre tale!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was great! I'm really getting to like short stories lately. I enjoy being plopped into a world to see a snippet of a life, one little story out of them all.

This was dark, kinda creepy, and very original!

This book is exactly what I needed to read this weekend. An uplifting, weird, queer, monster, fantasy romance.

Dalia has just become the keeper of the keys as her mentor was just eaten by the lady of Capricious House, Anatema. Anatema is an ancient Archaic One who resembles a giant spider and is in constant search for a bride. Someone has been stealing from Anatema and Dalia must discover who or suffer the deadly consequences. But as Anatema and Dalia spend time together, Anatema finally feels seen and accepted and starts to develop feelings for Dalia. This is not altogether a good thing for Dalia since all brides end up devoured.

This novella is perfectly written. I felt like I was in Capricious House while I was reading and all of the characters were beautifully written. The book puts off great gothic mystery vibes but I also felt cozy and happy. I loved this story. Highly recommend!

Even though Halloween is over, this is a perfect read for spooky season!

Ancient sentient humanoid spiders. Tarantulas as pets. Tarantulas as food. Life in the Capricious House is super goth and feels very Addams Family.

It's a very closed set type of setting, which makes it even better and creepier, imo. As someone who's not really a big fan of spiders, especially giant talking spiders who eat their mates, I was pretty creeped out. I loved the horror-filled descriptions, which kept me going. The prose was rich and very immersive.

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really get the romance portion. It came out of nowhere at the end. I love monster romance, but this was on the very tame end to the point where it was nonexistent.

Anyway.

Read this if you love Goth vibes and weirdness. It's a quick novella and I couldn't put it down. I'd love to read more from Hache Pueyo.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.

Perfect plot and execution for the length of a novella. The gothic creeping factor was really well done and added the horror of the Archaic One. My only complaint that takes it from 5 stars to 4 is that the rush to tie things up felt a bit jarring. There was something thrown in towards the last 10% of the book that felt out of place and then the book ended shortly after that.

I'm a simple guy, I see "sapphic monster romance" and I wanna read it instantly.

This was so instantly atmospheric, in how its written an its overall energy. I'm not sure I can quite describe why - I think part of it was that it is a translation (from the Portugese original).
Either way, it worked wonders for the feelings and vibes the writing was able to invoke. The book also used a bit of simple yet effective text formatting to make some scenes (or certain repeated events) more impactful.

Overall this was a simple story about one of the employees working for a spider-like monster who lives in a reclusive manor. Dália has been training to become the keeper of the keys ever since she was brought to the manor as an orphaned child, and when her predecessor is eaten, it's time for her to step up and finally interact personally with the Madam, who is quite capricious in her moods and temper.
A theft, as well as attraction between staff as well as the Madam herself, complicate things for Dália.

I would have loved to read more of these characters, but this worked perfectly as a novella, too.

Some things I found a bit confusing/ not as smoothly established or fitting to the narrative, but maybe that was my fault for not getting the hints.

The romance is present but not overpowering, and things overall happen pretty fast, so this is an easy unsettling read that I greatly enjoyed!

One thing I will say: I have not read Mexican Gothic, so I cannot judge that, but I do not see how this compares to The Shape of Water at all? So don't bank too heavily on that.

Thank you to Net Galley and Tordotcom for the ARC. The cover and the blurb intrigued me, but unfortunately the actual story was so boring. I didn't care much about Dalia or Anatema or anything that was happening.

This was a fun and unique read, I loved the mystery type plot set against a more folklore/fantasy setting. The world building here is fascinating and id love to read more about the world, as the glimpses we get of the widder setting are, by necessity but unfortunately, brief.

This was a very quick and interesting read. However, it was also very strange and a bit confusing. I really enjoyed the premise and writing style and even though as I said parts were confusing, I still found myself wanting to know what would happen next. I think if the story was a bit longer things could have been explained better and fleshed out in a more satisfying way. I would still recommend this if you are in the mood for great descriptive horror and a fun story!

If you’re on the hunt for something fun, vibrant, a little bit spooky and a lotta bit quirky to beat back the seasonal depression this winter – add this novella to your TBR!

TW: spiders! This one is not for the arachnophobic or even the slightly spider-squeamish.

This was charming and delightfully weird, fast-paced and short enough to be devoured whole in an afternoon. Which is exactly what I did, because I couldn’t put this down.

‘But Not Too Bold’ defies its title in the best way as it tells the story of a reclusive (ha, ha) woman (Anatema!) living in a beautiful, iconic palatial estate with a rich history and an extensive in-house staff that tends to her every need…at great personal risk. Because she’s not just a woman – she’s also a spider.

Thus I present to you: a sapphic monster romance novella that hits some fun gothic-y, horror notes about an ancient spider woman with a thief problem, a bride problem, and a staff problem – the latter two, because she tends to eat them without much notice or remorse.

This is the perfect read to get you out of a slump, as it’s deliciously strange enough to keep you invested, vibrant enough to feel like the best kind of fever dream, with a dash of mystery as Anatema tries to discover who’s stealing from her with help from her new keeper of the keys. Because she, of course, ate the last one.

This somehow manages to straddle the line between vibrant and eerie, between whimsical and poignant, and between romance and mystery while keeping you wholly entertained.. Short and sweet and charmingly odd in the very best of ways. Pick this one up if you need a change of pace, don’t mind spiders, and can also relate to a strong aversion to being perceived – you and Anatema will get along perfectly.

Thank you to Tor for the opportunity to read an early copy of this one! It was truly exactly what the doctor ordered for Halloween eve.

4.5 stars rounded down

But Not Too Bold is such an interesting novella. We follow Dália as she takes up the mantle of Keeper of the Keys in a mansion ruled by an arachnid madam. There are spiders, feasts, brides, love letters, and dollhouses all within this work.

I enjoyed this one and find it to be so unique. Anatema is ferociously appealing as a major character/villain. I think most readers who like strange horror will enjoy this work! My only wish is that it had gone on for another 50 pages or so.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This had everything I could possibly want. Gothic vibes, a little mystery to solve, beautiful writing, a giant lesbian humanoid spider. It was incredibly weird and I say that in the best way possible.

I thought I would have a lot of trouble picturing Madam Anatema and I did, but only at first. As the story goes on, the descriptions and writing in this are so wonderfully done. I really got a clear image of her. Also can we talk about the food in this book? Even the stuff I’d never touch in real life (too many spider dishes, sorry) somehow sounded delicious. I can't stress enough how gorgeous and descriptive this novella was.

Perfectly paced, but because I loved it so much, it still felt far too short. I would have devoured a hundred more pages of this.

Be Bold, But Not Too Bold is the quote that adorns many of the doorways in Capricious House, and both an encouragement and a warning to those who dwell there. As the new keeper of the keys of Capricious House Dália must tread a fine line, please the Lady of Capricious House and keep herself and her curiosity alive. Her first duty? Sleuthing out the person behind the theft of a miniature that contains the memory of the Lady's most recent(ly deceased) bride. But is Dália willing to reveal their identity at the cost of her own life? With magnificent and lyrical prose the author spins this decidedly arachnidan world into being and presents a story and characters that will leave readers enchanted.

This is for readers who enjoyed The West Passage by Jared Pechaček, T. Kingfisher, T. J. Klune, and cozy horror with a touch of romance.

Do you have arachnophobia? Probably don’t read this book. Maybe don’t even read this review.

If the thought of a sapphic romance with a giant spider woman - in a creepy gothic mansion filled with tarantulas no less - doesn’t make you want to burn down said mansion and move to another country, then sit down on a tuffet, and let me tell you more about this novella by Argentine-Brazilian writer and translator Hache Pueyo.

It tells the story of Dália who is one of the servants looking after Miss Anatema, the mistress of The Capricious House. She is not exactly what you would call a great boss, given that Dália gets promoted at the start of the book because Anatema eats her predecessor. Dália is given the job of solving a mysterious theft, and there’s a high chance of getting eaten herself if she fails to do so, or is too bold with her employer.

Anatema is only vaguely anthropomorphic in that her human face is surface level camouflage over so many teeth, and she generally has a greater number of limbs than is strictly necessary. Still, Dália is not as traumatised by all this as many would be, and what starts off as more of a predator and prey situation turns into something more caring.

Things move very quickly in the relatively small number of pages of the book, and I would have preferred more length to really sell Dália falling for Anatema. There’s a distinct power imbalance as well which is not remarked upon either. Regardless, I enjoyed the characters and setting a lot, and the writing is delightful even when people are munching away on fried spider legs, or corralling rogue tarantulas like escaped kittens.

Eight legs out of ten! Thanks to Tor for the early review copy.

Do you prefer your monster romances on the literary side of things? Are you a fan of Kelly Link and Carmen Maria Machado? Of T. Kingfisher's Sworn Soldier novellas? This was dark and lovely, a sugared confection dipped in a porcelain ramekin of blood. It avoids romance tropes to the degree that I'm skeptical about this being a monster romance in anything but the most literal sense by a marketer, it definitely appeals to those who want their stories dark, spooky, and weird.

If you love spiders, you'll adore this book. If you hate spiders, you'll love how much it creeps you out! Either way, its a win!
I’m not sure I buy the romantic component, but this is a horror book. Six pages in I was sold on the atmosphere. Overall, I think it put the focus in the right places for the genre and is a super fun way to spend a fall evening.

Plot - 4
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 3
Personal Bias - 4
Final Score - 4

(CW: spiders)

A murder and a theft kick off this horror novella, and Dália as the newly anointed Keeper of the Keys of Capricious House has to appease the Lady of the House Madam Anatema by solving the crimes. See, the item stolen was a doll of Anatema's last bride (who lasted three weeks, longer than most), and her dolls hold her precious memories. The Brides don't last long, because the lady of the house eats them when they look at her. The lady isn't human.

I love a good body horror monster bit of speculative fiction, and this novella hits the spot at 112 pages. A little mystery drives the plot, but even in a short span, Pueyo brings us an intricate world filled with rich foods, riches beyond imagination (especially for the small village), and lots of spiders. It's both fascinating and enjoyable, but also thought provoking in an eerie way that I intellectually appreciate but am also terrified of. But three cheers to monstrous women, and the men and women who fall in love with them.

This book was oddly satisfying and was jam packed with weird aesthetics, & AMAZING visuals.
I am 100% afraid of spiders in real life and this book only intensified it and I LOVED IT. The way this was written I could devour at least 30 more books written in the same world!
Humanoid spiders AND a mystery?! You’re kidding me. Easily devoured this book and now I want more!
Thank you netgalley and Tor for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review!