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A review by natashaleighton_
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An intoxicatingly dark and decadently riveting, gothic feast of a novel that I literally devoured! Alexis Henderson’s sophomore novel House of Hunger is an atmospherically lush and incredibly detailed sapphic horror centering around hedonism, greed and obsessive love—and, in taking inspiration from Elizabeth Bathory, gives us a new spin on vampires (and vampire lore) that I couldn’t get enough of!
It follows Marion Shaw, one of the poorest residents of Prane, a child of the city’s slums who dreams of escaping the city and its miseries for the North, where the wealthy live in luxury and drink the blood of their well compensated servants (known as Bloodmaids.) Applying for a position as a Bloodmaid leads Marion into the service of The House of Hunger.
In a matter of days Marion is swept into this world of extravagance and dark debauchery—and at the centre of it all is the Countess Lisavet. Mysterious, Magnetic, charismatic and seductive— Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when her fellow bloodmaids. begin to disappear in the night, Marion finds herself in a vicious game of cat and mouse. She must learn the rule of her new home—and quickly—or it’s halls will soon become her grave…
I have long been a fan of gothic style fiction, particularly horror so I was incredibly excited to recieve an ARC of Alexis Henderson’s newest novel, and honestly, it’s absolutely AMAZING!
The exquisitely crafted and vividly detailed world building made for such a compelling and enjoyable read with descriptions that thoroughly captivate all of the senses and skilfully harken back to the greats of the gothic genre. The grand sprawling estates, hauntingly claustrophobic hallways and the sense of isolation that creeps into Marion’s daily routine—Henderson’s prose genuinely feels like something that could’ve easily been published alongside Shelley’s Frankenstein, Polidori’s The Vampyre or Le Fanu’s Carmilla and I absolutely loved that!
But, aside from how breathtakingly atmospheric and visceral much of the imagery was, I loved how compelling or down right fascinating some of the characters were. Marion was such an endearing character who just wants the opportunity for a better life, and a chance at love and happiness. Given the life she lives when we first encounter her in the slums of Prane it’s easy to see why she wanted to leave.
Lisavet, although not particularly endearing, was an incredibly fascinating character—we learn very little about her life but what we do learn is quite horrifying. Her charisma and dark magnetism are what take centre stage, enthralling Marion and leading her down an ever darker path to self destruction and ruin. I do, however, wish we’d gotten a little more time with the other bloodmaids, (who didn’t feel nearly as fleshed out as Marion or Lisavet) and would’ve loved to explore their motivations, emotions and experiences prior to their indenture at the House of Hunger.
Like most gothic horrors, the cast is quite small and the setting claustrophobically intimate, but what truly made this a standout read was Henderson’s incredible social commentary amidst all the richly detailed scenes of seduction —on the social class disparities, imbalance of power, toxic relationships and misogyny to name but a few. Her skill in weaving (and highlighting) these very real and highly relevant issues that she ultimately critiques to perfection, is something I wish more authors would do.
Overall, this is a gorgeously imagined, sapphic feast of novel with a delicious and decadently wrought prose that fans of vampires or gothic horror fiction will most certainly enjoy sinking their teeth into.
A huge thank you to Transworld for the incredible ARC.
It follows Marion Shaw, one of the poorest residents of Prane, a child of the city’s slums who dreams of escaping the city and its miseries for the North, where the wealthy live in luxury and drink the blood of their well compensated servants (known as Bloodmaids.) Applying for a position as a Bloodmaid leads Marion into the service of The House of Hunger.
In a matter of days Marion is swept into this world of extravagance and dark debauchery—and at the centre of it all is the Countess Lisavet. Mysterious, Magnetic, charismatic and seductive— Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when her fellow bloodmaids. begin to disappear in the night, Marion finds herself in a vicious game of cat and mouse. She must learn the rule of her new home—and quickly—or it’s halls will soon become her grave…
I have long been a fan of gothic style fiction, particularly horror so I was incredibly excited to recieve an ARC of Alexis Henderson’s newest novel, and honestly, it’s absolutely AMAZING!
The exquisitely crafted and vividly detailed world building made for such a compelling and enjoyable read with descriptions that thoroughly captivate all of the senses and skilfully harken back to the greats of the gothic genre. The grand sprawling estates, hauntingly claustrophobic hallways and the sense of isolation that creeps into Marion’s daily routine—Henderson’s prose genuinely feels like something that could’ve easily been published alongside Shelley’s Frankenstein, Polidori’s The Vampyre or Le Fanu’s Carmilla and I absolutely loved that!
But, aside from how breathtakingly atmospheric and visceral much of the imagery was, I loved how compelling or down right fascinating some of the characters were. Marion was such an endearing character who just wants the opportunity for a better life, and a chance at love and happiness. Given the life she lives when we first encounter her in the slums of Prane it’s easy to see why she wanted to leave.
Lisavet, although not particularly endearing, was an incredibly fascinating character—we learn very little about her life but what we do learn is quite horrifying. Her charisma and dark magnetism are what take centre stage, enthralling Marion and leading her down an ever darker path to self destruction and ruin. I do, however, wish we’d gotten a little more time with the other bloodmaids, (who didn’t feel nearly as fleshed out as Marion or Lisavet) and would’ve loved to explore their motivations, emotions and experiences prior to their indenture at the House of Hunger.
Like most gothic horrors, the cast is quite small and the setting claustrophobically intimate, but what truly made this a standout read was Henderson’s incredible social commentary amidst all the richly detailed scenes of seduction —on the social class disparities, imbalance of power, toxic relationships and misogyny to name but a few. Her skill in weaving (and highlighting) these very real and highly relevant issues that she ultimately critiques to perfection, is something I wish more authors would do.
Overall, this is a gorgeously imagined, sapphic feast of novel with a delicious and decadently wrought prose that fans of vampires or gothic horror fiction will most certainly enjoy sinking their teeth into.
A huge thank you to Transworld for the incredible ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Self harm, and Mental illness