I enjoyed this one very much. I thought Opal was a fascinating protagonist - flawed, morally gray and making the best of a bad situation. I really liked the relationship between Opal and her brother, which felt authentic throughout. I thought the lore surrounding Starling House was really well constructed and that the plot moved at a good pace, keeping my interest without rushing past anything. Overall, this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really did enjoy this book, but it was for the atmosphere rather than the plot or characters, oddly enough. The 'real world' aspects seemed almost black-and-white in contrast to the 'colours' of Starling House, and I found myself looking forward to those parts, even if they were supposed to be gothic and forbidding!

I liked Opal and her brother very much, as they felt like real teenagers in a difficult situation, and I felt myself rooting for them from the first. This made the aforementioned pull to the Dark Side even more enticing. Reminded of the movie 'Labyrinth', which is the right choice to make?

An excellent book that will stay with me.

A beautifully eerie tale that slowly seeps under your skin. Harrow weaves a haunting story of grief, memory, and the lingering echoes of the past. 🌫️💔

The prose is lyrical and evocative, drawing you into a house that’s as much a character as the people who live there. While the pace is deliberate and at times a little slow, the emotional depth and atmosphere more than make up for it.

Perfect for readers who love a touch of the supernatural with their literary fiction.

#StarlingHouse #AlixEHarrow #LiteraryFiction #FourStarRead #HauntedHouse #BookstagramUK #AtmosphericReads #GhostlyTales

A mysterious and chilling gothic masterpiece, the characters were truly compelling and I was enthralled throughout. Alix is becoming one of my favourite authors!

Thank you so much for the chance to read this earc Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the chance to read Starling House before it was archived. i have tried to read it since but haven't been able to get into it. Once I have read it, I will happily write a full review!

Wow this exceeded my expectations for a horror/dark fantasy book - the story is a thinly veiled portrayal of generational trauma and the strength it takes to break that cycle - but the writing was excellent, the characters complex and sympathetic and the atmosphere was perfectly gothic.
Really enjoyed this and recommend!

Mysterious and chilling I found this a really interesting read with lots of atmosphere. A new author to me and someone I will definitely read again!!

Complete beauty and the beast vibes.
So this book wasn't really for me I can see the appeal, the themes and the writing was fantastic

I was really excited about this book but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me and I think that it’s possible I just wasn’t in the right mood for it - I may come back after a reread and adjust my rating.

The story was a little too slow for me and I found myself putting this down and finding something else to read. I didn’t expect that from the synopsis- I was expecting something that would keep me gripped throughout.

I had to double check Opal’s age as I thought she was a lot younger that what I think she’s actually supposed to be? The book just really wasn’t what I was expecting?

Another one I am really glad that I left for winter nights it was a perfect cosy winter night read so grab your blanket and your cup of tea! A gothic, atmospheric book with a strong female character as well as a realistic love interest could I say. I thought it was so well written and I am really keen to read more by this author.

this was better than i even imagines, such an eerie, creepy, gothic atmospheric book with small town vibes and a haunted mansion, perfect for fall time spooky season reading.
the story was very unique, unlike anything else i have read before and the characters were fleshed out well and each had individuality and their own rounded story.
the story starts with a young girl struggling to make ends meet for herself and her younger brother, and relying on the charity of others, and then suddenly she feels a pull to the big "haunted" house in town and meets its lonesome resident and everything just unfurls from there. except smalls town mysteries to be unveiled and crooks at play.

“Starling House” is my favorite Alix E. Harrow book so far! The pacing, the characters and the atmosphere are all immaculate. If you’re the type of reader who loves matching their books with the season, this one would be perfect for for autumn & Halloween.

I loved, loved, loved Alix E. Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches as well as The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so when Starling House was published last year, I was excited to have another full-length novel from a favourite author.

I’ll be honest, I just couldn’t make it through the first part of the book. Fast-forward by a year and, well, still hadn’t read it. So I went for my trusted audiobook support and, thanks to it, flew through the Starling House, at last.

The narration was excellent, conveying the exact moody and gothic-y feel I’d expect. The story was rich, sinister, mixing the story of mysterious house with a soul of its own and its troubled inhabitants and caretakers.

I very much enjoyed the listen — perhaps in book form it would’ve been a bit too long for me, but the audio narration carried me through and I’m glad I finally got to it.

Now very much looking forward to what the author dishes up next.

Alix E. Harrow is an author who is always on my preorder list.
This book was no exception I read it all in one sitting and couldn't put it down.
The haunted house almost felt like a character itself landing to it's gothic presence.

Alix E. Harrow has a unique way of creating the best, dark and gothic tales. Educational tales like the old ones that made it through time and I know that it sounds much exaggerated and cheesy but I dare you to prove me otherwise.

The storyline as it is the case with all of her books, is distinctive, special. It is action packed and super intriguing. The characters have their own identity and they don’t feel like fictional. The length and the pace of the book are ideal for this tale.

However, what really amazed me this time is the exquisite ability of describing the character’s emotions. It is so remarkable to be able to describe a fictional emotional situation with such acuity and precision.

Finally, I liked the pace of the book too. It was easy to read but had enough action to not be a bore. All in all, I know that reviews are totally varied but I definitely recommend it!

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release. All opinions on the book are my own.

This was a perfect read for Halloween, it was thrillingly haunting and the atmosphere was eerie! Honestly just what I wanted, thoroughly enjoyed!

Starling House is, to put it mildly, astonishing. A modern fairytale that I believe will long be thought of as quintessential Harrow. It took me a while to read it – my apologises – but back in January I was so enthralled by it I found myself trying to read pages of it on the app at the gap between bands at Bring Me the Horizon – you can imagine how loud it was and how captivating the book had to be for me to want to do this. It’s one I will be purchasing in physical form and reading again and again in the future.

Cover:
So we know that the starlings on the cover really set this off, I love the colours and how they complement each other, its a design that sings to my soul! I also am very lucky to own a Illumicrate edition and that cover had a special something something too!

Writing:
Harrow writes so well, it was written in a slow-burn way and it was moody and and atmospheric, I got my Gothic Romance fix here. The problem? It was a little too short - I could have read another 150 pages and I think it would have added to the story. I appreciated the footnotes!

Plot:
Gothic haunted house and someone who is struggling with life, has never had things handed to them on a plate. Yep, we had it here. Write it but make it modern and relevant? Check. I felt a 'found family' building on the side-lines in this, I'm not sure if it was intentional.

Characters:
I loved Opal! She was developed like a 'street-wise' person and she'd just give her arm for those she loves, that's the vibes I was getting here! What do I wish? The house was a character in its own right, I love it when the house is a character and I didn't get that from this book. It would have been the cherry on the top and I'd have smashed my face in that cake!

Romance/ Relationships:
The Romance was a little off here, it was ok, but it was very 'nope' and then 'yes!' I didn't feel the graduation - but it was penned in a Beauty and the Beast fashion. The relationship I held onto for this book was that of Opal and her brother Jasper. I FELT that one.

Audio & Narration:
Natalie Naudus - Not my first rodeo with this narrator, but she ticks all the boxes. It was well paced, clearly annunciate and you know when you can tell a narrator puts on the hat and says I get this character, I'm invested and I'm in that space? Naudus does this and it oozes the emotion it required.

This was a really interesting take on gothic fiction. It had all the elements of gothic fiction that I love - a semi-dilapidated house with a mysterious male inhabitant, underworld beasts, a gritty female lead, etc. etc. I love the idea of the house having emotions and reacting to the people that it choses to be its wardens. I have to admit, I found it difficult to follow the exact stories of how the beasts came to be there, what Arthur's intentions were to try and stop them, but all in all this didn't take away from the fact that it was a very enjoyable and gripping story to read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. I apologise for getting to it so late but it was worth the wait!

This is my first time reading this author and WOW I can’t wait to read more! Her writing is absolutely stunning and the story itself was so clever and unique. I never thought I would think a house had a cute personality but Starling House was so adorable. It reminded me of Monster House. Opal was a really interesting character who at times did some frustrating things but the author did an amazing job of fleshing out her character and showing us why she made those decisions. I liked Jasper but I thought at times he could be really snarky and ungrateful considering what Opal had been through to look after him. At first I thought Arthur was incredibly boring but then we got to know him and I ended up falling in love with him and also his relationship with Opal.

We also have a found family aspect which I always enjoy and the discussion on what a “home” really is was heartwarming. I genuinely teared up at multiple points I was rooting for the characters so badly. Eden and Starling House were such atmospheric settings as well. I 100% recommend this, especially at this time of year! This was released last year on 31st October.