Sneak Peek for Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
on August 22, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary, Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Fiction / Gothic
Pages: 23
Format: Audiobook
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Alix E. Harrow’s Starling House is a dark, gothic tale set in the small, unlucky town of Eden, Kentucky—a place haunted by secrets and the eerie legend of E. Starling, a nineteenth-century author who vanished after writing The Underland. Before she disappeared, Starling House appeared—an uncanny, brooding structure now home to her last heir, Arthur Starling.
When Opal, a young woman just trying to find a way out of Eden for herself and her brother, takes a job at Starling House, she finds herself drawn to both the home and its lonely occupant. But what begins as a chance for escape soon turns into a fight for survival as old nightmares and buried secrets rise to the surface.
My Thoughts
I gave Starling House 3.5 stars. I listened to it on audio, and the narration was excellent—it really captured the moody, atmospheric quality that Harrow does so well. The gothic setting, the cursed family legacy, and the sense of something lurking beneath the surface were all right up my alley. The writing itself is beautiful and immersive, full of the kind of lyrical darkness Harrow is known for.
That said, the pacing didn’t quite match the strength of the story’s ideas. It felt like the book was caught between being a novella and a full-length novel—too short to fully develop its world and characters, but too long for the pacing it sustained. There are moments where the story drags a little, and others where I wished it would linger longer on the emotional depth or mystery.
All the ingredients for an excellent gothic novel are here: the haunted house, the town with a cursed history, the tender and complicated relationships, and Harrow’s gorgeous prose. I just wanted to connect more to the characters and care more about their lives.
Still, I appreciated the atmosphere and themes of home, belonging, and what it means to fight for the life you want. It’s a book I’m glad I read (or listened to), even if it didn’t quite hit the high mark I hoped for.
Final Thoughts
Starling House is a beautifully written, eerie story with great potential. If you love gothic tales, haunted houses, and richly descriptive writing, it’s absolutely worth a read—just know that it’s more about mood and atmosphere than fast-paced plot.
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