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wildflower_magic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
I loved the House- it's my favorite character. The Alice in Wonderland elements were amazing. I've heard others say the ending was rushed and while it was fast I think it was thorough. This is a book where everything gets wrapped up in a perfect bow at the end so it won't leave you with much mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Slavery, Sexism, Vomit, and Suicide
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Pedophilia
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abortion, Incest, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Classism, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Racism
displacedcactus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Alix E. Harrow has been a hit-or-miss author for me and this one was more of a miss. The pacing was slow and even though the characters were in their mid to late 20s, it really read like a YA with broody teenage MCs. The slow pacing meant certain things took too long to get explained, leaving me to spend about half of the book thinking that there was bad characterization or too much hand-waving away of details.
This book does have very similar vibes to For the Wolf and Lakesedge, so if you liked either of those and are looking for something that will make you feel the same kind of way, you might enjoy this more than I did. Also probably good for readers who usually gravitate towards YA but would like to branch out more into adult fantasy.
This book does have very similar vibes to For the Wolf and Lakesedge, so if you liked either of those and are looking for something that will make you feel the same kind of way, you might enjoy this more than I did. Also probably good for readers who usually gravitate towards YA but would like to branch out more into adult fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Racism, and Child death
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Starling House is another top-notch novel from Alix E. Harrow. It was perfect for fall, exactly the plunge into plot that I needed, with lovable characters to boot.
For you if: You like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch.
FULL REVIEW:
Well, folks, Alix Harrow has done it again. She’s an auto-read author for me, and every new book she publishes reaffirms that decision — including this one. (The Once and Future Witches is still my favorite of hers, but that’s because of that book’s sheet brilliance, not because of any flaws in Starling House.)
The book takes place in the fictional blue-collar town of Eden, Kentucky (which is actually based on a real town whose history Harrow describes here). Opal is a young woman just trying to keep her and her younger brother, who is in high school, fed. She’s also haunted by dreams of Starling House, the ancient Victorian with a reclusive warden that nobody likes to talk about. And honestly, I don’t know how to keep going with this synopsis because there is just so much: a fairy tale kid’s book, magical beasts, a sentient house, a lonely pining man with tattoos and a sword, a cat named Baast, and a plot that unearths slavery and racism and and its lingering repercussions today. Basically, IT HAS IT ALL.
Truly, I loved my time with this book. It’s perfect for October, with all the gothic vibes without going full-on horror. I also loved Opal as a main character. She’s not quite reliable, but she’s got a ton of spirit and grit. Her choices aren’t always perfect, but her heart’s in the right place, and it’s easy to empathize with her. I also loved Arthur and their slow-burn romance. The audiobook edition of this one was also excellent, with Natalie Naudus incredible as always.
TLDR: If you like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch, this is a good choice!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Starling House is another top-notch novel from Alix E. Harrow. It was perfect for fall, exactly the plunge into plot that I needed, with lovable characters to boot.
For you if: You like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch.
FULL REVIEW:
Well, folks, Alix Harrow has done it again. She’s an auto-read author for me, and every new book she publishes reaffirms that decision — including this one. (The Once and Future Witches is still my favorite of hers, but that’s because of that book’s sheet brilliance, not because of any flaws in Starling House.)
The book takes place in the fictional blue-collar town of Eden, Kentucky (which is actually based on a real town whose history Harrow describes here). Opal is a young woman just trying to keep her and her younger brother, who is in high school, fed. She’s also haunted by dreams of Starling House, the ancient Victorian with a reclusive warden that nobody likes to talk about. And honestly, I don’t know how to keep going with this synopsis because there is just so much: a fairy tale kid’s book, magical beasts, a sentient house, a lonely pining man with tattoos and a sword, a cat named Baast, and a plot that unearths slavery and racism and and its lingering repercussions today. Basically, IT HAS IT ALL.
Truly, I loved my time with this book. It’s perfect for October, with all the gothic vibes without going full-on horror. I also loved Opal as a main character. She’s not quite reliable, but she’s got a ton of spirit and grit. Her choices aren’t always perfect, but her heart’s in the right place, and it’s easy to empathize with her. I also loved Arthur and their slow-burn romance. The audiobook edition of this one was also excellent, with Natalie Naudus incredible as always.
TLDR: If you like gothic/urban fantasy and want a quick, fast-paced book that packs a punch, this is a good choice!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual content
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm upset it's over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Car accident
Moderate: Vomit, Alcohol, Classism, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest, Sexual content, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
downtown_kb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“The house calls the homeless and hungry, the desperately brave, the fools who will fight to the very last.”
A southern gothic set in a coal mining town in Kentucky, this story is steeped in fictional history and lore and gives you a beautiful sense of place. The descriptions and imagery are wonderful. There's a degree of horror - think more fantastical Stephen King or T. Kingfisher dealing with eldritch horrors - and a little romance to round it all out. I found this to be less of a dark fairytale and more of what happens when you discover the fairytale is real.
There is a dark, spooky atmosphere in a town known for its bad luck, whispers of monsters, and hints that maybe greed led men to dig so deep for coal they perhaps found something darker.
While there is a lot going on, I think the pacing of this story is really good. It builds using footnotes and a change of POV which lends well to the suspense. There are stories told within the story as the protagonist, Opal, begins to discover the truth about Starling House.
Speaking of Opal, I loved her. She made for a fun narrator. She is plucky and sarcastic, cut-throat and clever. Imperfect, not beautiful - “sharp and a bit crooked”.
The love interest, Arthur, and only remaining Starling, is at first cold but through his POV you learn he is the classic tortured hero who is kind and so lonely underneath the hard shell. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the Starling House from his role. And while this romance is more of a subplot, it still has its cute moments as these two are drawn together.
This book was not what I expected, it was better and it set such a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed this read and I think it will stick with me for a while.
(This is very good on audio as well. Natalie Naudus did the mood and the characters justice.)
A southern gothic set in a coal mining town in Kentucky, this story is steeped in fictional history and lore and gives you a beautiful sense of place. The descriptions and imagery are wonderful. There's a degree of horror - think more fantastical Stephen King or T. Kingfisher dealing with eldritch horrors - and a little romance to round it all out. I found this to be less of a dark fairytale and more of what happens when you discover the fairytale is real.
There is a dark, spooky atmosphere in a town known for its bad luck, whispers of monsters, and hints that maybe greed led men to dig so deep for coal they perhaps found something darker.
While there is a lot going on, I think the pacing of this story is really good. It builds using footnotes and a change of POV which lends well to the suspense. There are stories told within the story as the protagonist, Opal, begins to discover the truth about Starling House.
Speaking of Opal, I loved her. She made for a fun narrator. She is plucky and sarcastic, cut-throat and clever. Imperfect, not beautiful - “sharp and a bit crooked”.
The love interest, Arthur, and only remaining Starling, is at first cold but through his POV you learn he is the classic tortured hero who is kind and so lonely underneath the hard shell. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the Starling House from his role. And while this romance is more of a subplot, it still has its cute moments as these two are drawn together.
This book was not what I expected, it was better and it set such a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed this read and I think it will stick with me for a while.
(This is very good on audio as well. Natalie Naudus did the mood and the characters justice.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content
glasgal_online's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is so lovely to read. It’s wonderfully gothic, with the slightest elements of horror and fantasy woven through. Opal and Arthur make bad decisions and sometimes you want to yell at them for being so dumb, however I was hopelessly invested in their stories either way.
A very good read perfect for spooky season!
A very good read perfect for spooky season!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
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