This was delightfully unexpected in all the best ways. Investigation meets budding romance, and figuring out their own personal nightmare.

This book billed itself as a cozy romantic horror novel and didn’t really manage to be any of those. It seemed more concerned with shoehorning quips into every bit of dialogue than telling an actual story. Didn’t do it for me.

Direct Descendant is a delightful mix of cozy fantasy and light horror, wrapped in humor and charm. The narrative alternates between Cassie, a local with a mysterious connection to the town’s supernatural elements, and Melanie, an outsider who’s determined to rationalize the unexplainable. Their different outlooks on the unfolding events bring both humor and warmth, especially as their instant attraction to each other is depicted in a lighthearted, amusing way.

The town of Lake Argent itself is a fascinating setting, where the residents have long accepted a pact with Darkness that provides them with practical, everyday benefits—like excellent healthcare and uninterrupted cell service. The blend of supernatural elements with mundane perks adds an interesting layer to the world-building, and the quirky townsfolk, while not deeply developed, add flavor to the overall atmosphere.

Despite its charm, the book struggles with pacing. The romance develops quickly, leaning heavily into the insta-love trope, which leaves little space for the characters' relationship to grow over time. The plot, particularly the supposed mystery and horror elements, feel underdeveloped. By the time the central conflict is clear, most of the suspense has already dissipated, making the latter part of the book feel more like filler. While the book leans into humor, it misses an opportunity to build real tension or explore its eldritch theme in a more impactful way.

That said, Direct Descendant is a good choice for those looking for a light, easy read with a quirky, fun vibe. It’s perfect if you’re in the mood for a whimsical romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously. However, readers who crave a more compelling plot or deeper narrative stakes might find it lacking in substance. The charm of the writing and the humor make it enjoyable, but the plot doesn’t quite deliver on its intriguing premise.

A cozy fantasy with lots of magic, romance, and all the found family vibes. Perfect for fans of House in the Cerulean Sea or similar, I can’t recommend Direct Descendent enough!

Book review: Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff

First of all, big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing the ARC!

This book had its strengths and weaknesses, but overall, I found it an enjoyable yet somewhat flawed read.

The romance was super cute, and the humor really stood out—many jokes and snarky comments genuinely made me laugh. The overall tone was sweet, snarky, and highly enjoyable. I also appreciated the unique approach of blending eldritch horrors with a light-hearted, humorous perspective, which brought a fresh and fun twist to the mini-genre.

However, the plot left much to be desired. It lacked suspense and stakes, making it feel weak and unsatisfying, especially regarding the 'eldritch horror' elements. The story's progression felt underwhelming and predictable, with very little actually happening. Around 80% of the book read like filler, with minimal developments to move the story forward.

The novel also jumps right into the action without providing enough context, which made the first half quite confusing to follow. While the writing style was undeniably charming, it couldn’t entirely make up for the lack of substance in the plot.

In the end, while the humour, romance, and unique tone were highlights, the weak and unengaging plot kept this from being a standout read for me.

Final rating: ⭐⭐⭐

If I had a penny for every time I read a sapphic romance taking place in a small cursed town where one of the women was a baker, I’d have two pennies, which isn’t a lot, but I am sure glad it happened twice.

The story follows Cassie, who is part of randomly selected four people to take care of her town by being a representative of the Darkness (capital D). The idyllic (if somewhat peculiar due to, well, magical stuff) peace in the town is wrecked one morning, when an outsider sacrifices himself in front of Cassie. Now not only are things slowly spinning out of control, but there is also a new woman in town, Melanie, who feels unexpectedly not so out-of-place for someone not from around here. The problem is, Melanie is here to find out more about the recently disappeared man, and Cassie is unsure how truthful she can - or should - be…

To put it simply, this book was such a great time, in multiple ways (I mean, it literally made me snort out a laugh more than once). I found the characters refreshing in their variability of age (yes, I have reached that point in my life where I want to see main characters above 25; getting kick ass 70+ year olds is an added bonus) and lovable in their mannerisms and interpersonal relationships. The setting of the book was also entertaining and easy to follow, keeping me engage throughout the story.

The only two pieces of criticism I can give are probably more of a personal preference. The story has a love-at-first-sight thing going on, and it was being laid a bit thick at times (seemed so to me! not the biggest fan of the trope..). And the way the book ended was a bit too fast and neat to my taste, but I suppose it did fit the light tone of the story itself.

All in all, Direct Descendant is certainly a book worth checking out if you like small town settings, everyone being in everyones' business and things that look like dogs (even though they might not be).

There is a growing genre of cozy fantasy romance novels set in north-American towns where it always seems to be Halloween. Direct Descendant is the first book I've read which does something similar with horror. It has an enjoyable story, a captivating setting and a fun romance. I was more into the location and cast of characters than the central romance, but I'm not generally that into romance books anyway.

I am going to give this one a 3.5. It is well written and funny but for some reason, I never actually got into it. I felt like it was the second book in a series. No lead in just dumped into it and there was nothing that made me really care about the characters. It is a good book, just not for me.

*Direct Descendant* by Tanya Huff is a thrilling and engaging urban fantasy that grips readers from start to finish. Set in a world where magic and the supernatural exist alongside everyday life, Huff masterfully blends action, mystery, and humor. The protagonist, a strong-willed and relatable heroine, navigates a complex web of family secrets, magical inheritance, and hidden dangers. Huff’s writing is sharp, with vivid world-building and well-paced plotting that keeps the suspense high. *Direct Descendant* is a fantastic read for fans of both fantasy and detective genres, offering a unique and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended!

I've enjoyed Tanya Huff ever since a friend handed me a copy of "Sing the Four Quarters" way back in high school. Direct Descendant is a fantastically fun read that is part horror, part romance, and part small town slice of life (like a bizarro Hallmark movie). The story is told in dual first person view, alternating between Cassie-a resident of Lake Argent, and Melanie-an outside who has been sent to town to investigate the local disappearance of a man from the city. What Melanie doesn't realize is that Lake Argent is a special town, one whose pact with the Darkness grants them a somewhat charmed life (as long as they don't piss off the Darkness). Cassie is relatively newly appointed as one of the agents who maintains the town's pact, and Melanie's arrival might be just what she needs to kickstart her sense of responsibility (and test out the idea of love at first sight).

Melanie and Cassie were both fun to read about, and alternating between their POVs was a great way to slowly learn about the town and how it works. A few other reviewers have commented that they felt thrown in at the start of the book, but I actually enjoyed the way that Tanya Huff just sort of started the story in the middle and dropped in bits of explanation along the way. Direct Descendant is a sweet fantasy romance with a side of supernatural horror and although it reads as a standalone I wouldn't mind seeing more stories set in Lake Argent.

This was absolutely delightful: a cozy mystery horror romance (say that three times fast!) set in a small Canadian town with... some oddities. Eccentricities? Whichever. The characters are well-drawn, the horror/mystery is well-done and impactful, and the romance is actually romantic. Like other reviewers, I've been reading Huff's work for decades but this is a real delight, pulling together her humor and her horror-writing skills to make a really engaging whole. Like the very best humorous speculative fiction, this doesn't shy away from the dark realities underlying some of the world-building, but just because the world can be serious and terrifying doesn't mean it can't also be very funny (and, in this case, as one of Huff's characters despairingly says, very Canadian). An instant (and probably frequent) re-read.

I've been reading Tanya's books for decades and they get better the older she gets. This is no exception. In this little Canadian town that seems to avoid notice a strange society has developed around it's paranormal residents. The main character has the interesting title of "Mouth" which we learn more and more about as the story progresses. The town doesn't welcome to many people and when an unwelcome visitor disappears, quite literally, They manage to get the police to go away but the grandmother of the missing man hires an out of work teacher to go to the town to find out what happened to her son. Really the townsfolk would like to know as well since their entire way of life may depend on it. Sparks fly between the two main leads and this great mystery may come between them. It's really a funny, sweet and interesting story. Very good read. Thanks for the opportunity to read this story in advance.

A nice book but not as scary as I would have hoped it would be. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3 ⭐️
i liked the premise of the story! the blend of humor and wittiness within the characters and the mystery was nice!! but, i did feel that the actual murder and mystery was a bit underwhelming and i wasn't at the edge of my seat as much as i would've liked!! still, it was a captivating book to read and the characters themselves made up for it!

This is the most hilarious, adorable romp of a romantic horror novel that I can imagine, and I loved every minute of it. It's set in a small Canadian town full of hilarious characters all trying to have a good life and do their best...

...and they just happen to all be under the patronage of a Dark entity from Below, as part of an Agreement that's held for the last nearly-200 years. In exchange for them doing their part, the Dark makes sure the town is safe and well looked after (meaning, among other things, that they are one of the VERY rare northern Canadian small towns with excellent cell service). The secret has been safely kept for all that time...until now.

Cassidy, the first heroine, has grown up there and takes it all for granted, even after she's Chosen as the new Mouth of the Dark, meaning that when consulted, she has to be a vessel for the Dark's voice - but everything goes wrong when she discovers an outsider sacrificing (or, as they say in the town, "s-wording" himself) with strategic intent.

Melanie, the second heroine, is sent up from Toronto by the stranger's rich grandmother to investigate what's happened...and of course the two of them fall in love. And it's hilarious!

Here are a few lines I highlighted along the way:

Talking about the ancient (REALLY ancient) library volunteer, "This place couldn't function without Miss Peggi, but she's doing Toddlers, Tomes, and Tombs and hasn't a minute to spare."

"Aunt Jean glared at all three of us over the top of her glasses. 'We do not cuddle eldritch horrors!'"

"Facing the apocalypse is easier with chocolate chips."

My one and only note is that in the first 2 chapters, both from insider Cassidy's PoV, I was pretty confused about the worldbuilding. (The characters made so many references I didn't understand that I took a time out to check whether I'd made a mistake and this was actually Book 2 in an ongoing series.) However, the dialogue in those first 2 chapters was still so snappy and engaging, and all the stuff that I did get was SO fun that I hung on and kept on trying anyway...and then it all snapped into place and became effortlessly wonderful and SO much fun from around Chapter 3 onwards. So, please don't give up if the first chapter or two are hard to parse!

I will definitely be re-reading this a lot, and I already have a few people in mind who should DEFINITELY be given copies as gifts once it's out. :)

Direct Descendant feels like a family member to Enchantment Emporium - similar magic world, although this one’s based on eldritch horror, similar big sprawling family getting involved in everyone’s business - but that’s just the surface tropes included. Without giving too much away, Cassie and her ancestors have been in Lake Argent, Canada, since its founding, and she has recently been tapped as a leader in her community, a job she doesn’t take super seriously until someone from out of town disappears under mysterious circumstances. Melanie is sent to find out more about this mysterious disappearance - she’s not normally a private investigator, she’s a Literature teacher by trade - but she needs the money, so off she goes to Lake Argent.

Cassie and Melanie meet and fall in love - it’s closed door intimacy - but their relationship is complicated because Cassie isn’t supposed to share the truth about Lake Argent… and Melanie is there to suss out the truth. The stranger’s disappearance starts causing havoc with the town’s eldritch partner, and as a town leader Cassie has Responsibilities.

Everything comes to a head, there’s a big battle, the good guys are victorious with some repercussions. No surprises!

The charm of Direct Descendant is in its characters - each one unique and immediately knowable, with their own stories and lives happening - and in its humor, which is extremely grounded and real and true to each character’s being.

A fun adventure with some eldritch horror elements is a great way to spend a day or two.

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW for the ARC!

Thank you for the ARC provided through NetGalley.

I tried. I pushed through when other reviews said that it starts to make sense later and I pushed to the end in hopes that it was as cozy as other reviewers stated. I finished this book and I still have no idea what I read and why. The writing is like an awkward conversation which is from what I gather is the point because the town itself is filled with socially awkward characters isolated from the rest of the world. There were some charming moments and I at times did laugh, but reading this was a struggle. Cassie and Melanie’s instant love did not make sense. The start of the book jumps right into action with the only explanations being towards the end of the book.

We do not cuddle eldritch horrors...

But we do read about them!

Melanie, a currently unemployed teacher, finds herself hired by a rich woman to look for her lost grandson's last memories, and she ends up in a strange town filled with eccentric people. And hidden secrets.

This book was truly an experience. I found myself getting lost in the small town of Lake Argen. The small town charm was evident on every page, if one ignores the tentacles in the lake and creeping shadows. You know, the usual small town problems.

The sapphic romance was cute, albeit very rushed. Basically a love at first sight situation without much opportunity for development beyond physical attraction. The chemistry is there, don't get me wrong. It just was too rushed. As in 'move with me after two days of knowing of one another'-rushed. But because I was enjoying the rest of the book, it wasn’t as much of a bother in this case.

I enjoyed Melanie a lot more than Cassie who often felt too immature. So much so I thought she was a teen during the first few chapters. Even the other characters comment on her immaturity often.

But Cassie's POV brought the cozy eldritch horror I was so looking forward to. So, I ended up basically focusing on that and overlooking my qualms with her.

Overall, if you want a cozy sapphic romance (albeit rushed) set in a small Canadian town that's knee deep in eldritch horror, this book is for you.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

Finally, thank you very much for the ARC!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff is a fast-paced, engaging urban fantasy that blends elements of mystery, family dynamics, and supernatural intrigue. The protagonist, a young woman with a powerful lineage, offers a compelling lens through which to explore both personal and mystical challenges, and Huff does an excellent job of building an intriguing world filled with supernatural lore. However, the plot can sometimes feel formulaic, relying on genre conventions that don’t always offer fresh twists or surprises. While the character development is solid, some secondary characters lack depth, making their motivations and actions feel one-dimensional at times. Despite these critiques, Direct Descendant delivers an entertaining and action-packed read for fans of urban fantasy, even if it doesn't quite break new ground within the genre.