Wow. Just wow.

I can’t even describe this book adequately without giving spoilers except the vibes! Omg this was eerie, and creepy, and the slow burn of the horror aspects of this were bang on. I absolutely had no clue what on earth was going on the entire time and when that REVEAL happened!! Literal chills. No way would I ever have suspected what was actually happening.

Read this. Now. If you love a horror/scifi-ish/dark/borderline taboo romance that just keeps on packing punches, get on this!!!! I am reading every single book from this author no questions asked, her books have been on my tbr way too long and I’m mad I haven’t read them.

Thank you SO much NetGalley and the author and publisher for this review copy!

Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors! I love that she writes such a wide variety of books that never feel repetitive. I was so excited when this book was announced. It’s seriously the perfect spooky read and the covers are absolutely gorgeous 😍. Thank you to NetGalley and Karina Halle for the opportunity to read this book early!

I could not put this book down. From the very beginning, Sydney (and the reader) realize that something isn’t quite right with the foundation she’ll be working at over the summer. I honestly had no idea what was going on or who could be trusted. I spent so much time coming up with theories of what could be happening (all my guesses were wrong 😂). I said WTF at least 20 times and pretty sure I spent half the book looking like this emoji 😳.

Grave Matter is addicting and is the perfect blend of romance, mystery, horror, and science fiction. I stayed up way too late finishing this book because I just had to know what was going to happen next. If you’re looking for a creepy, fall read with the perfect amount of romance, I highly recommend this book!

This book was fun! I love when spooky, weird mushrooms are used in horror stories pretty much always, and this was no different. Although the characters were adults, they did come off a bit immature and teen-like here and there with somewhat comically evil villains, but I could understand their motivations and still enjoyed them all for the most part. There were some big twists and turns I really enjoyed. The atmosphere of the lodge and island were equally spooky and cozy in ways that were perfect for an early fall read.

I didn't expect the book to be quite as "spicy" as it was. Though that didn't personally bother me, I would say it is something to consider going in if you do have any sensitivities to that kind of thing. Also some very questionable consent going on in some of those spicy scenes that I didn't love and struggled with a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for providing me with this arc to review.

When I say I couldn’t put this book down, I mean I was hooked from the first chapter all the way until the very end (which blew my mind, by the way). I’ve read some of Karina’s other books in the past but this was my first horror/thriller by her and I absolutely DEVOURED it! All the mind games and twists and turns had me questioning everything the entire time, it was thrilling!

What a wild ride. Everything from the characters to the scenery and even the vibes are all so captivating, and the writing is done so beautifully that you become fully engulfed. The story was so spooky and creepy that it had me constantly biting my nails and audibly gasping. Trust me when I say that you will be on the edge of your seat the entire time and will be sleeping with the lights on at night!

I have absolutely no criticism for this book, and I would HIGHLY recommend to anybody looking for an amazing gothic horror/thriller that also has some steamy romance and amazing spice! I would also highly recommend checking trigger warnings first lol. 5 stars all the way, thank you Karina for this amazing piece of work!!

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝑴𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑮𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑼𝒔, & 𝒀𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔! 🌿🍄

I dove into this book 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑—I had only seen a few tropes on social media, and the second I saw them, I 𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 to NetGalley to apply! 😍 Lately, those 𝑾𝑻𝑭 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 have been sneaking their way to the top of my list, and I think I found a new fave. 👀✨

First of all, shoutout to the author for all the 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 research and the attention to detail. The way she created such an 𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄 world surrounding fungi was unreal. 🍄🌲 I’ve always been anti-mushrooms (I mean, 𝒆𝒘 in food), but now I’m equally fascinated 𝑎𝑛𝑑 terrified by what fungi can do to the human mind and body. 😱 Let’s just say I’m not looking at mushrooms the same way ever again! 🍄🧠

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter—so 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒚 and 𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆 in the best way possible. The tension was 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 throughout, and the writing just pulled me into this world of mystery and madness. It’s definitely one of those reads that’ll keep you up at night, and I’m already so excited to see what the author does next. 😍🖤

The story follows Sydney Denik, an aspiring mycologist (𝒚𝒂𝒚, 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑴!) who gets a second chance when a dream opportunity comes her way—joining a prestigious foundation doing Alzheimer’s research. 💼🌿 She leaves her past behind to join a group of grad students at an isolated lodge on Vancouver Island, which sounds idyllic, right? 𝑾𝑹𝑶𝑵𝑮. 😨

The Madrona Foundation has secrets—big, scary secrets—and Sydney soon realizes that not everything (or everyone) is as it seems. From ghosts walking the halls to dead animals that move like they’re still alive, the weirdness just keeps building. 🪦👁️ And then there’s the psychologist she’s falling for (yep, 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐 forbidden romance with ALL the tension 😏). But as Sydney uncovers more about the foundation, she starts questioning her own sanity—𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒅 or are the horrors around her 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳? And, OMG, the 𝑾𝑻𝑯 moments just don’t stop. 🫣💀

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for this ARC! It releases on 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟑 and trust me, you do 𝐍𝐎𝐓 want to miss this one! 💫

Grave Matter is a haunting and emotional journey that artfully blends gothic horror with deep character exploration. The story centers around Vaughn and his grief-stricken return to his hometown after the tragic loss of his childhood love, Grace. Unable to move on, Vaughn finds himself wrapped in a dangerous, supernatural pact, creating tension as both his emotional struggles and the dark forces he engages with come to life.

I thought the novel was beautifully atmospheric, with Halle’s writing evoking eerie settings that felt vivid and immersive. The themes of grief, loss, and the lengths one might go for a second chance are portrayed with nuance. Vaughn's emotional turmoil and his desperation to defy fate are palpable, making him a flawed yet relatable protagonist.

Halle excels at balancing the horror elements with the romantic and psychological threads of the story, keeping the reader hooked. The pacing is consistent, with moments of dread and suspense intricately woven into the plot. Fans of gothic horror and paranormal romance will especially appreciate the way the novel blends the two genres seamlessly. In my humble opinion, Grave Matter is a must-read.

This book is a wild ride that blends horror, mystery, and romance in a deliciously unsettling way. Sydney's experiences at the Madrona Foundation are haunting and filled with palpable tension, drawing you into a world where every character hides their secrets. The interplay of psychological thrills and romance keeps you guessing, while the eerie atmosphere creates an irresistible sense of dread. The way Sydney navigates her fears and desires makes this story an electrifying exploration of what lurks in the shadows. It’s an addictive read that’ll definitely leave you craving more.

5 ⭐ 3 🌶️

I went into this book completely blind outside of absolutely adoring the stunning cover, and to be honest, I recommend you close this app and do the same. This one is so much better when you have no clue what's coming.

Still here? Fine, don't say I didn't tell you though.

Grave Matter is the most perfect spooky season read. It's haunted, suspenseful, spicy and has a touch of sci-fi paranormal vibes that keeps your brain W O R K I N G to figure out what the heck was going on. My jaw literally dropped from one twist and my head was spinning from what felt like a dozen more. This is absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year.

I really loved these main characters, and the side characters too. The villains were even fantastic and I really enjoyed watching their downfall. Manuwar's fungi puns gave me life and the spicy spice had me fanning myself. This was truly just so good from beginning to end and I am running to recommend it to all my friends as soon as possible.

This book was everything I wanted and more and I can’t wait for more people to pick it up. Karina Halle is easily one of my favourite authors- not only does she live in Victoria (same as me!) but she writes literally everything I want to read. From Dracula retelling to sexy sleepy hollow books. When I saw she was writing a psychological thriller/horror book- well I knew this book would become my new personality.
Sydney (crazy that the FMC both lives on VI and has the same name as me, talk about kismet) goes to study fungi with the Madrona Institute for the summer. Enter Kincaid, her sexy professor/ psychologist (you know where I’m going with this). Very quickly Sydney realizes that things are not as they seem and that the organization she is working with might be into some darker things.
In the era of fungus themed horror- I am happy to add Grave Matter to my list of recommendations. I absolutely adored the characters- who were all broody and complicated. The setting was lush and atmospheric (not to mention I could picture it so perfectly, because duh I live here). I absolutely adored this book and I just know that others will too.

🍄• 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝙺𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎•🍄

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TROPES:

Professor (doctor) X Student (patient)
Forced Proximity
Only one tent
Isolated PNW setting
Slow burn
Obsessed hero
Stalker
¿ WTF did I just read

I’m super thankful for @authorhalle and @netgalley for sending me this ARC. This book was hard to put down. The intensity, slow burn, twists and turns that was taken during this book just left me speechless. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kincaid so so so much. 🥲

This was SO GOOD. I don't read thriller/horror often, but this book combined those genres with romance so well that I couldn't miss this. It was already on my TBR, but I was eager to read the ARC! The worldbuilding, and absolutely spooky vibes are perfect. Reading it in the dark (especially the ENDING) was not my best idea. I was spooked.

I loved the romance, mystery and how I felt like I was going crazy alongside the main character. I didn't see the final reveal coming (I've never figured out plot twists well though) and I wanted to SCREAM.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for a free and honest review!

Right away I was creeped out and Grave Matter got more unnerving as time went on. It had a lot of modern phrases in it, which bothered me and took away from the story.

Listen, you need to add this to your fall tbr immediately. The creepy/spooky, mystery thriller vibes in this book? Immaculate.

I had no idea the ride I was about to be on when I started this book. I literally did not trust a single person in this book, even the mc at times. Everything was super secretive and all these creepy things kept happening with no explanation. It kept me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out wtf was actually going on 😅 I guessed some of the twists, but the ending? Mindblown 😵‍💫

The pacing was a bit slow at times, but the pay off was insanely worth it. If you’re like me, and you like books like Gothikana and The Coven, but make it darker and a thriller, then this will be right up your alley. I firmly believe it’s best to go into this one blind, but it is dark so check your triggers.

Thank you to Karina Halle and NetGalley for providing me with an arc! ✨

🍄‍🟫 Student/Patient x Professor/Doctor
🍄‍🟫 Neurodivergent/ADHD rep
🍄‍🟫 Dark Academia
🍄‍🟫 Haunted Forest
🍄‍🟫 Women in STEM
🍄‍🟫 Isolated PNW setting

I have had the Dark Eyes, Dracula Duet and Gothic Shades of Romance series on my TBR for a while now, however I have not gotten around to reading them, so this is the first book by Karina I have read.

Grave Matter did not disappoint and I will definitely be picking up those other books.

This book is a mix of gothic/dark academia, horror, sci fi, thriller, and fantasy.

Sydney Denik, is an aspiring mycologist. She gets a chance to work with some of the best scientists that have the cure for Alzheimer’s at the Madrona Foundation.

After losing her scholarship at Stanford, her family, and financial support, Syd commits herself to the research position at Madrona. She just hopes she doesn't get thrown out when they find out she lost her scholarship.

Everly, the main researcher becomes her guide and mentor.

Even though she knows she shouldn't, she finds herself drawn to Wes Kincaid, her psychologist and her professor. Even though she has only just met him, she feels like she knows him.

She starts to realise Madrona isn't what it seems and that something sinister is going on when she starts seeing disturbing visions of Amina, a girl who was on her flight, but can then never be found and Clayton, who she doesn't get along with. She is told Amina was sent home as she was homesick and Clayton was dismissed.

So how is she still seeing them??

As well as visions of people who aren't there, she sees animals that are alive....but shouldn't be!!!

The plot of this book is unique and I haven't read anything like it before, however it does have a really slow start before it picks up the pace. I have to admit I almost DNF'd but I'm so glad I stuck with it especially for that ending. Be prepared and don't give up, it's definitely worth it.

Unfortunately, many mushroom puns are in spore taste.

Sorry, I had to. But OMG WHAT WAS THIS BOOK??!?!! I was SO SURE I had figured out the ending and was not prepared for just how wrong I was. I was also not prepared for how much I loved this--fungi jokes and all.

Okay, that's not true because I LOVED Nocticadia by Keri Lake, and this is what you would get if Nocticadia and What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher had a baby. This is my *exact* brand of dark academia and I need a million more books like this STAT.

If you're reading this for the fungi, the dark vibes, the morally gray...well...everyone, and the pacing--you will LOVE this. This is so well paced and organized, and you truly feel like you're going as insane as Sydney by the end. I literally kept saying "there's no way there is any other way this ends. It has to be this." I can't get over how wrong I was, and how much I LOVED the real twist. The vibes were vibing and the twist was twisting.

If you're reading this for the smutty bits--you will also not be disappointed in terms of quality. As usual, ,A+ 10/10 no notes. If you're expecting LOTS of it--you also won't be disappointed! Because while there isn't a lot, I promise you won't even miss it. I was SO invested in this story from start to finish. And I have an incredibly strong urge to go play The Last of Us again. You know. No particular reason why.

I fully expect this book to be my new personality for at least the next month. MINIMUM. Great spooky season read!

I have read the synopsis of this book and was very intrigued when the author announced this book, especially when she dropped all the different trope listings. With that being said let’s begin.
Again this book with our female main character getting off a plane, excited about arriving to work with Madrona Foundation. Down on her luck after losing her scholarship and everything she’s basically worked for she’s hoping that the foundation hasn’t found out so she can continue her research. Not only does she have to give up all her electronic devices that can reach the outside world. She also has to see a psychologist while she’s there. Dr. Wes Kincaid.
No, you can tell that Dr. Wes Kincaid is going to be one of those MMCs that we just love. He’s gonna be obsessive. He’s gonna be possessive. And don’t we just love that.
This does have that dark romance vibe that edges on horror due to some of the visualizations that you get from what Sydney sees.
I thought the book was very unique and loved how Karina Halle wrote her descriptions of the animals and fungi in the book. I really hope in the future she writes another similar to this because the amount of research she had to do to write this was amazing. I absolutely loved it.

The best word to describe my feelings for the first 50-60% of this book is unnerving. The while time I knew something was off but could never figure out what. As the story progressed more things were revealed but I still did not see the twists coming (which rarely happens).
I do recommend going into this blind but check the trigger warnings if you need to.
Karina excels in so many different types of story, but I think this one might be my favourite

i don’t think i’ve ever said “what the fuck?!” so much. what a fantastic read.

i trusted absolutely nobody in this book, including the mc at times. by 80% i thought i’d figured it out, turns out i had no clue. what came after had me holding onto my seat.

karina halle knows how to write a psychological horror perfectly. creepy, eerie and unnerving.

i recommend you read this with the lights on.

🥀 adhd rep
🥀 haunted forest
🥀 dark cottagecore
🥀 degradation kink
🥀 professor x student
🥀 women in stem
🥀 what the fuck did i just read

An absolutely addictive first psychological thriller/gothic horror for Karina.

A medium paced read that speed up dramatically in the last ~20% and had you holding your breath.

Written in first person perspective, I felt really immersed in Sydney’s character. I didn’t know who to trust, including Sydney’s and her senses - a testament to great writing.

Full of twists I did not see coming this was the perfect read for spooky season and I thank Karina and NetGalley for the ARC.

Another book by Karina that I will force upon others

I went in without reading the blurb, just on the aesthetic and tropes and I'm so glad I did! For most of the book I was trying to figure out what was going on, was everything as it seems? It had this air about it that just pulled you in and gave this sci fi realm that. you simply didn't know what the future held. The last 20% had me on the edge of my seat when we started finding out the whole truth and it was not what I expected at all. It reminded me of Fringe mixed with creepy summer camp Stephen King vibes. A standout moment, for me, in this story outside of the amazing plot twist was the ADHD rep in this one. It was so refreshing how open it was discussed and how it affected the FMC, especially masking. It definitely leans into Gothic Horror/Sci-Fi so be sure to read TW if needed!

POV: 1st, Singular
Angst: Medium
Spice: 3/5