I absolutely love everything Karina Halle writes! This book was captivating and such a great ending! Love, love, love it!

Unsettling. addictive. Seductive and twisted. Karina Halle's Grave Matter is a gothic psychological thriller that combines elements of dark academia, science fiction, and horror romance. This was an incredible experience that was ideal for the spooky season!

Could not put this down!

This had me so confused…in all the right ways! I just couldn’t keep up with the plot twists and changes. I’m rarely left reeling with wanting to know the ending but this had me chasing pages!

This is what I need… DARK dark! Not only was there morally grey behaviour (and some super steamy BDSM, degradation and praise spice) the plot line merged onto a suspense/thriller psychological horror vibe.

As an ADHD babe, this also hit me on such a deeper level.

So addictive. So seductive. Sooo freakkinnn gooood! LOVED IT!! Get it on the TBR!

I recently finished “Grave Matter” by Karina Halle, and I find myself torn. I knew going in that this was a romance, but wow, this book would have been so much better without the romance and the sudden, intense (and somewhat overwhelming) spicy scenes.

The story of Sydney and her research on the island in Vancouver Island was phenomenal! I absolutely love fungi horror, and this book was exemplary in that genre. The plot was incredibly strong, and the characters were well-developed. However, the spicy scenes felt incredibly forced and randomly placed throughout the book.

I believe this could have been a new horror classic if Halle had stuck to the horror elements of the story. I still recommend it because of the strong plot and great characters. If you enjoy spicy books, this one might be perfect for you. But personally, I could have done without the romance.

Overall, I give it 4 stars.

OMG! What a thrilling adventure! I was completely captivated by every single part of this book. Each chapter was so engaging that I couldn't put it down. I found myself utterly enchanted by every aspect of this story. The author's detailed writing made me feel every emotion, as if I were watching a movie play out in my mind. This was my first book by this author, and now I'm determined to read every one of her books. I highly recommend adding this to your endless TBR list. I'm at a loss for words; all I can say is the haunting atmosphere, the spice, the unexpected twists, and the wild turns - they all came together perfectly in this thrilling read.

I LOVED this book! I have never read anything quite like it. There were multiple times where I would read through the page and/or turn the page and my mouth would be on the floor. Literally like :O haha. There were a few points throughout the book where I was like, "Wait, is this really happening? Or is this going to be revealed as a hallucination?". I could not wait to get to the ending to figure out what was going on.
The ending felt a little rushed to me and I would've liked to have more at the ending as well, as far as how the other students dealt with the trauma of what they experienced. I am glad that the main characters had their story wrapped up nicely, but I would've loved to have a little bit more of their life post-Madrona as well.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

"Grave Matter" is a thriller romance that half-worked for me: I was very intrigued by the thrills! Alas, the romance left me cold. Can a couple be called a "slowburn" if the main character was having graphic sex with her love interest in her dreams in the first chapter or so? And then.. multiple graphic chapter-long sex dreams? It didn't FEEL very slow-burn; it felt insta-lust, and the love interest was so generic that I just never connected with that part of the plot. The thriller part was competently done for about half the novel and went wildly off the rails. The whole thing left me with the opinion that this had potential but just didn't work in execution.

Well, that was some read!

I can't lie a third into this book, and I was ready to call it quits. At that point, Sydney, our main character, was floundering over her strange, almost Deja vú like feelings for Wes and I'd had enough of it, I couldn't see where the plotline was going?
Also, having read the whole book, those feelings changed when the author started to weave what was an EPIC plot at the end.
I'm very interested in mycology and have recently read Mexican Gothic and having purchased a book on mycology by Paul Stamets (look him up, just amazing), I was very keen to read this.

All the characters are well written, and the descriptions of the Madrona facility and surrounding landscapes are so well done that I felt I couldn't DNF this book, and I'm so glad I didn't.

I don't often read "sexy" romance books, but Grave Matter was promised to have some horror plot to it - particularly, fungi horror, which is a favorite of mine since The Last of Us (which is namedropped multiple times in the book). I'm glad I gave it a shot because in the end, though the sex scenes made me uncomfortable, I enjoyed the book overall.

The story starts with Sydney arriving at the Madrona Foundation's isolated research center off the west coast of Canada, and she immediately begins experiencing weird things. I appreciate Halle kicking things off immediately, as it sets an aura of unease that permeates the whole of the story from the start. And it's the atmosphere Halle excels at - I've lived in the Pacific Northwest so maybe that helped but Halle's description of the beautiful locale was so easily visualized. I lit a pine tree candle and played some soft rain sounds to really up the vibes and totally recommend that for this read (opposed to the recommend Spotify music list, which I felt was a bit much for the story). Even without my accessories though, I think I would have smelled the petrichor and felt the wind just from the writing.

The relationships are also mostly fine, though I take issue with the main relationship. I'm firmly on the side of Lauren, one of Sydney's new friends and fellow student who is also studying for the summer at Madrona. She teases Sydney about the attraction between her and Dr. Kincaid (lol at the pun in his name), and Sydney should know better, given a bad interaction with a former professor cost her her education BUT this girl just makes several dumb decisions. It's all explained but I still couldn't help but roll my eyes at times.

The relationship I took issue with was the main one, but that's mainly because I am most definitely NOT into degradation kinks, especially with uneven power dynamics. It was icky for me every time but to each their own so long as everyone involved is a consenting adult. But absolutely not for me, hence the removal of a star. Otherwise, I would have given this five stars as an effective and fun fungal horror story. Without the sex and more into the science body horror and this would've been five stars.

The horror is reminiscent of The Last of Us, which Halle mentions multiple times and has several characters be fans of - several of Sydney's cohort (and Sydney herself) are studying to be mycologists so it makes sense to me, but it still felt a little silly with how often it was mentioned lol Again, I just wish Halle gave us more of the horror. The scene with the bears on their hike was so tense! And Halle took care in researching the science, which makes it feel more real when the students are in class and learning about the magical Amanita excandesco. I love when writers do the leg work to make it feel real.

I have a hard time recommending this though because I'm unsure who to recommend it to. Is it romance, is it horror? I don't know who the overlap is in that venn diagram lol Me, I suppose, when the sexy times aren't my anti-kink *shrug*

It is a fast read though, and a fun atmospheric thriller.

4.5⭐ Rounded to 5⭐

This book took me on a psychological rollercoaster, and I loved every minute of it. Right from the beginning, Grave Matter sets an unsettling tone that’s hard to put your finger on, creating a constant undercurrent of dread that intensifies with every twist. The plot thickens with each new horror, and the slow-burn pacing, paired with the polished writing, makes it impossible to put down. I finished this in just two sittings because I had to know where it was all headed.

When the final twist hit, I found myself flipping back to all the subtle setup scenes carefully woven in from the start. It’s a brilliantly constructed plot that makes you want to comb through for details you missed. Grave Matter is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a deeply psychological, unsettling thriller.

Sydney, the main character, is layered and fascinating. I loved being in her head and seeing her navigate each situation at the Madrona Foundation. Her relationship with Dr. Kincaid adds a thrilling, forbidden element to the story. Their dynamic, from his dual roles as her doctor and professor to the added spice, brought so much tension and intrigue. Kincaid was brilliant, dark, troubled and intense in all the right ways. The supporting characters are equally strong, each uniquely developed. Some will draw you in, while others keep you on edge, adding to the book’s eerie atmosphere.

The sex scenes are well written, touching on BDSM elements and tying into the psyche of Sydney. They never felt out of place or forced, placed perfectly along the timeline to break up the unease and horror distracting you only for a moment before you get a shocking reminder of being at the Madrona Foundation.

This book nails the balance of horror, sex, and plot. The Dark Academia vibes with the scientific angle isn’t something I’ve much of read before but fungi horror is my new favourite thing.

This was my first read from Halle but I’m excited to read more of her work.

As a final note, definitely check your triggers for this book. It's a hell of a ride. Gore, body horror, animal body horror, death, the list goes on.

HOLY COW!!! The memory loss, age-gap relationship, death, and suspense!!!! This book was a phenomenal read! I could not put it down!!! The chemistry between Sydney and Wes was electric from the start!!! And the bit of mystery while trying to put the pieces of what is, has and will happen had me on the edge of my seat!!!

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

While this was certainly entertaining,I’m can’t say that I really liked it. It didn’t know if it wanted to be a romance, a thriller, a supernatural horror, and it didn’t quite hit on any genre perfectly.

Sydney Denik, a mycologist student, got kicked out of Stanford after an incident with a professor occurred. Prior to that, she was accepted to a hard to get in program called The Madrona Foundation. Instead of saying that she no longer is a student she decides to go to further her career. While she’s there, she feels an attraction to a professor named Wes Kincaid, who is also her psychologist. She starts seeing things and hearing things from another student that makes her think something majorly bad is going on in the labs at the Madrona Foundation. Animals that look like zombies start appearing and she starts hearing and seeing ghosts. Will she discover what’s going on or will she face the same fate as prior students?

I will be honest, I thought the pacing was slow but it pulled through in the last half of the book. The plot twists gave me whiplash. It was so intriguing that it was hard to put down during the ending.

Read if you love:
* Sci-fi
* Women in stem
* Gothic horror
* Romance
* Professor/student

A darkly atmospheric psychological horror romance that will have you doubting reality.

University science student, Sydney, is accepted to a mysterious foundation that researches deep in the wilderness of Western Canada. As soon as she steps off the private plane, strange things start to happen.

The description of the plants, wilderness and animals are amazing. I used to live in BC, and felt like I was right back in the nature of Whistler. Karina did a great job of building the tension and the horror.

The pacing lagged a bit in the middle for me with more mystery and not enough answers. The ending was a bit too complicated to wrap up and I didn't believe the romance.

🍄 Unreliable narrator
🍄 Mushroom puns
🍄 Undead forest creatures
🍄 Forest isolation
🍄 The trees have eyes (maybe literally)

Thank you to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC.

This book is best read on your lovers boat, while eating mushrooms.

4.5 stars

I feel like I’ve seen this book everywhere lately and it absolutely lived up to the hype! I went into it having no idea what to expect and I definitely think that’s the way to go. I’ll try not to give anything away, but I will say that it’s the perfect spooky romantic thriller for this time of year. The dark atmosphere & creepy vibes were *chef’s kiss*. I really had no idea where things were going, what was real, or who to trust. This will mess with your head and you’ll never look at fungi the same way again.

There were parts that genuinely had me spooked and twists that I never would have guessed. Also, a woman in stem MC never misses. For the dark romance girlies, we have a protective and obsessive MMC who delivers the spice (with kinks). I’ve read a couple of Karina’s other books and enjoyed them, but this especially has me wanting to dive into her backlog.

Thank you to Metal Blonde Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!

THIS ONE WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!

I recommend going into this psychological thriller with as little information as possible! Karina Hall did a phenomenal job with this one - I am so impressed and would highly recommend folks who love solving mysterious mind fucks add this to your TBR immediately.

The way this book discusses neurodivergence and ADHD hit home for me along with the focus on mushrooms, of which I am a fan of all varieties ;)

I'll admit that the romance was a bit off-putting at first, but as the story continued I had a deeper appreciation for the relationship that unfolded.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I would love to read more from the author.

I have read Karina Halle stories in the past and enjoyed them, but something about this particular book felt stilted and a tad juvenile. Ultimately, I DNF'd around the 20% mark.

I gave this 3.5 stars! I enjoyed the way this book was written! Very atmospheric. The cover is also gorgeous and will look excellent alongside others in the genre when it’s released in paperback.

I went into this book blind and it turned out very differently than I expected.

Sydney has been expelled from college for sleeping with her professor. She’s been accepted into this prestigious research program in a romper forest to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Once there her mind starts playing tricks on her and she doesn’t know who to trust and that includes herself.

Parts of the book really drug on but other parts kept me on the edge of my seat. It did have some fun twists and turns and the storyline was very original and detailed. I was just expecting more romance. It was just very different from books I normally read not saying that’s a bad thing

4,5 stars. A perfect fall read that kept me hooked from the beginning to the very end. I keep this review purposefully vague and short, because I don't want to accidentally spoil something. And in my opinion, the less you know going into Grave Matter the better.

The atmosphere and overall feel of the book: it was eerie and at times also creepy, but that's what made me fall in love with the book even more.

It was also made very well from psychological aspect. It kept me questioning what was real and what wasn't. Plus I didn't know at all who was telling the truth and who wasn't.

The plot twist was great. I did not expect that all.

And the spice. It was very well written, and in my opinion there was enough of it.

I really hope a lot more people find this book and like it as much as I do.