This wonderful book seemed to be a cross between In Memoriam/Birdsong/Regeneration Trilogy and Master and Margarita.

Laura Iven has been a nurse at the front in World War 1, being a witness to all that entails. She returns to Halifax, Canada due to an injury, to more trauma (an horrific incident in her home city)

She receives news that her brother, Freddie, is missing in action , but is not convinced by this. A message from a "spiritualist" (she was taken in by 3 sisters- weird ones - see Macbeth) tells her he is alive. Disbelieving this, but still not convinced , she joins a group of volunteers to return to the Front.

On a nightmarish journey to the front and the field hospital, a figure appears and takes pity on the group.

Meanwhile her brother Freddie has ended up sheltering in a crater with a soldier who is German. The will to survive takes over any sense of patriotism and the bond between the pair is reinforced by them saving each other from death.

Freddie meets a mysterious fiddler known as Faland and finds it hard to escape his "hospitality".

The hellish nature of war blurs the boundaries between life and death. Due to the missing bodies of the dead, we find out that many women feel compelled to go to the war zone to find out the truth for themselves. What is maybe better documented, is the increase in seances and people who claimed to be able to communicate with the dead.

There are elements of "magic realism" in the character of Faland for example (see Sarah Perry's Melmoth and Bulgakov's Master and Margarita). There are also nods to Milton, the Faust myth and Wilfred Owen .

The author writes that
"I have always been interested in the place where history meets myth"

I had loved Arden's Winternight trilogy and wasn't sure whether a book about the First World War by this author would please me as much as that. However, I can say that I really enjoyed that place where "history meets myth" .

Absorbing, full of pathos and the truth about human nature.

It's a cliché to describe a ghost story as haunting, but it's an apt term for 'The Warm Hands of Ghosts', and not because it features a few spooks. It's the sort of book that draws you so fast and completely that every time you put it down it takes a moment to adjust back to the real world, and you'll remember it for long after you've finished.

The story is set in 1918. A Canadian nurse, Laura, has returned home from the Western front after being seriously injured. She's barely recovered when a munitions ship explosion destroys much of her home city of Halifax and kills her parents. Then she receives some of her soldier brother's belongings and a cryptic letter - it's not clear if he's died or not. So she decides to return to the battlefields to find him. Meanwhile alternating chapters set a few months earlier unfold the story of what happened to her brother Freddy - after surviving being buried alive, he and a German soldier encounter Faland - a legendary figure who is supposed to have the power to allow soldiers to forget their troubles, but only for one night. Those who find him a second time disappear forever...

Whilst it is a fantasy story, it is rooted absolutely in the horrors of the First World War. In fact the reader will almost certainly conclude that no supernatural dangers are as awful as the things done by humans in that war. The first part particularly, where there is little of the mystical elements, is graphic in its descriptions of the hellish trenches, the casualty stations, and the aftermath of the explosion in Halifax. It isn't inappropriately so - I don't think you can do justice to the truth of the conflict in a novel without being brutal - but it's not a cute and cuddly fantasy. I think the fact it's set in more recent history makes it harder hitting than something set in a more medieval time, as fantasies often are.

The characters are good - well drawn and people you can really care about. Arden is one of those writers who can reliably ensure you are invested in the fates of those she writes about. Laura is a great character, and she is balanced by the even more redoubtable but slightly heartless Mary, and the softer, more Victorian Penelope. The male characters are more in a supporting role, even Freddy, but are also nicely written. There's even a bit of romance, although it's not a major feature.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a great read - even if you're not a great fan of fantasy, I think the 'historical' element is strong enough and the mystical element not too 'out there' for it to be worth reading. And for fantasy and ghost story fans, it's a must read.

What a beautiful story and amazingly written book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

This is a beautifully written immersive book , it charts the challenges and horrors of war and the lives and struggles of the people involved. A wonderful historical novel that resonates with many people involved in conflicts today.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is set during the Great War, and Laura, a nurse returns to the Front to search for her brother, Freddie, who is reported as having died in the trench warfare, though Laura believes this may not be true.

This is a hauntingly beautiful historical novel which incorporates a compelling speculative twist that serves to heighten its impact. It draws on the documented mythologies and folklore of the Great War such as The Angel of Mons.

I found that I quickly became involved and invested in this story and I couldn't put it down. It's one of those reads you know your review will fail to do justice, and I don't want to reveal too much to avoid spoilers.

Its panorama is sweeping, taking in Halifax (Nova Scotia), London and the battle fields of Flanders, describing each location so vividly that you feel you are there yourself, experiencing it directly.

The author has clearly done masses of historical research which ensures a feeling of complete authenticity, but it is worn so lightly and easily that the story never once feels bogged down by it. I already knew a great deal about the First World War, and have visited some of the places mentioned in the novel, but I also learned a great deal, including about the Halifax Explosion of 1917 which I had never heard of.

The prose is beautifully written and the author's descriptive skills embroider upon her historical knowledge to build a world that is a dark, terrifying, brutal hellscape.

Her characters are equally well drawn: the novel is populated with living, breathing people, and given the hellish situations they face, you quickly come to care for them and become invested. In her Afterword, the author describes them as a mix of historical and literary references.

I loved Laura's dogged determination and bravery; I felt Freddie's fear and desperation; I puzzled over the ambiguity of Faland, the very embodiment of evil; and I felt an inward fury at the hypocrisy of the military leaders, and sadness at the loss of a generation of young men on both sides.

Katherine Arden is a born story-teller and she uses her powers to explore the trauma and futility of war, and the power of love and endurance, in this exceptional, compelling, haunting novel. I really cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to the publisher, Century, for access to the Netgalley e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an absolutely gripping story. I was unable to put it down. Katherine is a wonderful story teller keeping the reader engaged, Well researched makes for a really good read. I am looking forward to reading more from Katherine.

I loved this book. I’ve read all of Katherine Arden’s books so as soon as I saw this was coming out I new I had to read it.

I’m actually not the biggest historical fiction fan nor books set in war time but this book is just so well written that I was hooked from the start. It’s beautiful and you can tell just how much research was done to get this just right. It’s a story of love and loss and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Following the lives of Laura and her brother Freddie during WWI, this dual timeline novel is unflinching in the depiction if the horrors of war - both in the trenches, military hospitals and for the soldiers loved ones. Katherine's writing is of course well known for being poetic and beautiful - so this a brutal, but rewarding read with elements of the supernatural alongside the historical aspects.

I‘ve read all of Arden‘s previous work so it was obvious I‘d want to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts as well. I‘m usually a bit weary of WW stories (too many history classes) but I decided to go in as blind as possible, i.e. only looked at a very short and general plot synopsis. And I‘m glad I did.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It was moving and had me captivated throughout. I loved the supernatural touch. As always, Arden has definitely done her homework researching her topic and the story benefits from it. This one is obviously different from her Winternight trilogy but I loved the characters just as much.

In November 1917, Freddie Iven awakens in darkness. He is trapped under an overturned pillbox, and he is not alone. Trapped with him is a German soldier by the name of Winter, who quickly becomes his sole means of survival. But where can the two of them go once they finally claw their way out, where they won’t be killed as enemy soldiers or deserters? Meanwhile in January 1918, Freddie’s sister, Laura, receives word of Freddie’s death along with his uniform and tags. But if Freddie is missing, presumed dead, how has she been sent his things? Determined to find out what happened to her brother, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer nurse for a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers and stories of a mysterious fiddler who can give soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this be what has happened to Freddie?

I’m not usually a big fan of WW1 or WW2 stories, but I am a huge fan of Katherine Arden so I decided immediately that I wanted to give this book a go, and I’m very glad I did. It is a moving and intriguing novel, with a fantasy/supernatural touch which actually fits incredibly well with a war theme. The historical elements seem very well researched and Arden manages not to get bogged down in the horrors of war whilst also not glossing over them.

I enjoyed the characters, particularly Laura, Winter and Jones (I didn’t particularly like Freddie but, in his traumatised state, I think we can forgive him), and I loved the tense, supernatural atmosphere throughout the story. It was very easy to understand why the soldiers had so many stories of ghosts and why so many of them would believe the rumours of the fiddler so, despite being a fantasy novel, it was very real and believable.

This book, in short, is one of the best historical fiction novels I have read in a long time. I read it in one sitting, so immersed I was in the world and characters.

The book follows two main characters - Wilfred (Freddie) who is a soldier on the frontlines in WW1 and his nurse sister Laura. We open with Wilfred being trapped in a pillbox in no-man’s land with an injured German soldier called Winter. The two save each others lives and navigate through dangerous terrain. They end up helped by the mysterious fiddler with an agenda of his own, that separates them and finds them struggle to reunite together. We also follow Laura in the wake of tragedy, receiving a box of her brothers effects and being told he is missing in action. We follow her as she finds her way back to the front to find out what has happened to him…

I found this to be both a rich historical fantasy and also a searing meditation on the nature of PTSD and grief. Literally, it’s a battle of wits with the devil, but you can also read it as the horrors of war and shell shock being the real danger. It is very thoughtfully done and I found myself loving the gentle evocative language. It is stronger when talking about Wilfred, I found Laura’s chapters more inspid, but overall this is a really good example of its genre.

4.45 stars!

When I first started this I didn't know what to expect, I went in blind and I'm glad I did because this book surprised me in ways I didn't expect. Ardens writing, at the same time, is different and not so different to her breathtaking Winternight trilogy, a blend of historical, the human condition and magical realism.

This story took me away to war-torn Europe, which learning about is usually quite bland to me. Rather than focusing on the outcome of the war, it focuses intimately on what war makes of people. The bonds it forms, desire, heartbreak, change, realising the person you have become and acknowledging what you no-longer recognise, no longer believe in. This story was painstakingly real, it revealed to me some of my own feelings I've carried along these past few months, making them sharp, poignant even. Overall, this is a heartfelt story absolutely worth being given a read.

I would also like to applaud Arden for the care and research she clearly put into writing this. It might be small, but I noticed a few nods to the standard of medical care and treatments used during the time the story is set (e.g. using wax to alleviate arthritis - my med-brain was like hah!).

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the chance to read this one early!!

4.5 Stars

Thank you Katherine Arden for breaking my DNF/flops streak x

The Warm Hands of Ghosts follows two narratives - Laura Iven and her brother, Wilfred (Freddie) Iven - during World War One and the battle of Passchendaele.
In November 1917, Freddie finds himself trapped in a collapsed pillbox in no man's land with Winter, a German soldier, and together they fight to get free and make their way to safety. Along the way they meet Faland, a mysterious musician and impossible legend among the soldiers in Ypres, and Freddie becomes entangled with him in an effort to help Winter.
In January 1918, Laura has lost both her parents in a ship explosion in Halifax, Canada. Upon hearing the news her brother is missing in combat, she returns as a nurse to the Western Front to search for him.

Can't express how much I loved this book! It's visceral and unflinching in its depiction of the horrors of war, but at its core, it's a tale of hope and love. I loved every character, I loved how no-nonsense Laura was and I loved the journey every character went through. The plot was gripping and I could barely put the book down, and I found it to be really well-paced. Something I struggle with with dual timelines is the switch back/forth can feel jarring, but this flowed naturally.

Thank you Century & Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Content warnings: war, death, violence, blood/gore, wounds/injuries, suicide, mental illness, loss of parents (content is graphic and frequent)

Thank you to Cornerstone and Random House UK for this ARC!
When Laura Iven, a decorated WWI nurse, returns to the front in search of information about her brother Freddie, she's expecting to face the horrors of war once again. What she's not expecting, however, is to be haunted and drawn in by the stories and ghosts that linger in the trenches. With rumours of something evil lurking around the soldiers, we follow Laura and her brother Freddie in two separate narratives as they try desperately to grasp onto the threads of life and memory in order to survive.
Katherine Arden has a knack for character and for setting - I first noticed this in 'The Bear and the Nightingale', and still am in awe of it now. Both Laura and Freddie are so distinct, their voices so well-honed, and I grew to love both of them. Laura's staunch grit and Freddie's lyrical despair offer two equally poignant POVs, and I especially enjoyed seeing the romance storylines play out in both narratives.
Arden's description of the front (the trenches, the medical and hospital sites, the empty villages) is both brutal and poetic in turn as we see it through both Laura and Freddie's eyes: the impossibility of the cruelty, the senseless nature of death, the fear of forgetting what makes you you, the necessity of companionship and staving off loneliness. Arden weaves the in-universe lore of the ghosts and the myth of the Fiddler in with the truth of WWI existence (reading her Author's Note really illuminated a lot of the inspiration and research that brought this novel to life), creating a historical fantasy that presses up against the borders of fact/history and imagination/myth. Balancing the literal and metaphorical darkness that war brings along with the vitality and light afforded by memory and love, Arden has written a book that I will struggle not to keep thinking about for the foreseeable future.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts is, by some margin, the best historical novel I have read in a long time. The story of Laura, a First World War nurse, and her beloved soldier brother Freddie, hooked me from the first line. Like Faland's haunting violin music, Katherine Arden's expertly woven tale of evil and longing and love kept me enthralled, spellbound, utterly gripped. The story is steeped in the horror of the trenches, and the true-life accounts of ghostly apparitions and sightings by soldiers at death's door. Arden's story took me through that door, and into the mad, malevolent, darkly magic world of Faland, who may or may not be the Devil. Whoever he is, Faland survives by stealing the memories of soldiers, men so desperate they are willing to trade their souls for relief from the madness of war.
"Freddie...was trembling. He'd go mad if he gave that memory. He knew it suddenly and clearly. It was a cornerstone of the tottering edifice of his soul. All that he'd become was in that memory: fear and courage, darkness and kindness. Lose it and he'd collapse like a house of cards. He couldn't lose it. He couldn't bear it..."

Incredibly moving, achingly authentic, utterly brilliant.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before; what pulled me in was the mention of Halifax and the 1916 explosion which I learned about on holiday in Nova Scotia in 2019. I am also interested in Passchendaele as my great uncle was killed there in 1917. With so much of interest to me I was very disappointed with this book. None of the characters felt real to me, they were all rather flat and underdeveloped. Faland was unpleasant but so was so much else going on at the time. Right up to the last fifty pages it wouldn’t have bothered me if I hadn’t finished the book. Three stars for research.

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>“Wars are stark things, are they not? Black and white. Allies and enemies. Not this time. You will not know who your enemies are, nor will they reveal themselves as you expect. You will not know whom to trust, but you must trust regardless. Do you understand?”</b>

I was extremely thrilled about a new Katherine Arden book as she completely enchanted me with her Winternight trilogy.

<b>The Warm Hands of Ghosts</b> is a historical fiction taking us back to darker times when tragedy struck on a greater scale during the Great War in the 1910s.

Laura returns to Halifax after being discharged due to her leg injury, leaving behind her brother Freddie who is still fighting in the trenches of the War in Belgium. She eventually receives word that her brother had died in the War, but something is not clicking into place for Laura and so she decides to return to Belgium to as a volunteer at a private hospital and seek the truth of her brother's demise.

We follow two perspectives that transports us to different settings in the War, one is narrated through Laura's POV in the present time (1918) and the other is narrated in the past through Freddie's POV in (1917).

The characters forge unexpected bonds with both allies and enemies while navigating through a great bloody war that will forever alter humanity.

Themes of grief and hope are very prominent and they are what I consider to be the backbone of the book, and I admire the supernatural elements Arden wove into the story.

I found Freddie's chapters to be more compelling than Laura's as they were more heavy with emotions and witnessing what he had endured just made me more attached to him. Laura on the other hand was just okay, but it was Freddie who was the star of the book.

There is a small bit of romance (which I wish was a bit more prominent).

Overall, fans of historical fiction may enjoy this but don't dive into this book expecting it to be similar to Winternight as it's more fantastical and relies on Slavic fairytales whereas TWHOG has a completely different tone.

All I can say is that this book is a monster book!!!
And by that, I mean, it has the author’s soul all over it. Have you ever read a book that you knew was incredibly considered and meant so much to the author. For instance, many authors, arguably most, would say that they put their blood, sweat, and tears into their project, and you might believe them based on the sheer challenge of writing anything for any length of time. In Ghosts, you feel the impact of the writer’s care in every word, the punctuation, and every decision.
The flow of the book was like riding a gentle wave toward shore where you know you’re safe, moving toward the shore at a precise speed that will effortlessly land you in exactly the place you cared to end up the whole time. That is my experience with this book. Such a work of art, and what a story and oh my I will rave on.
My absolute favourite in a very, very long time.
Maybe I’m just in the mood for this type of novel set in this time and these places, with these characters, what can I say, it just worked for me on all levels and I think it’s going to work for a lot of people.

Thanks to netgalley or providing me with this ARC!

It’s January 1918 and Laura Iven has been discharged WW1 Combat nurse after sustaining a injury after the hospital has been bombed. She returns to her home in Halifax Canada. When she receives the personal effectives of her brother Freddie who is fighting in the war. She doesn’t believe that he is dead as some of his things are still missing. When she investigates, she finds out that he is not dead but missing. She decides to return to the war front on the hunt to find her missing brother.
I am a big fan of Katherine Arden’s Winter trilogy, especially ‘The bear and the Nightingale’ so I was looking forward to this.
The warm hands of ghosts is different to the authors previous works. Whereas the Winter trilogy is fantasy, this book is more historical fiction, with a touch of fantasy. Once again this is a well written and richly descriptive book and I found myself immersed in the writing and really enjoying the first half of the book. But as Laura returned to the front and we learn about Freddie in Farland’s clutches I started getting confused in what was going on and started struggling with it and I nearly gave up but continued in till the end. 3.5 stars from me.

📚 r e v i e w 📚

the warm hands of ghosts - katherine arden

if you’re familiar with katherine arden’s other works, namely the winter night trilogy, you’ll know why i was so excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest book.

the warm hands of ghosts have everything i love in a book:
- beautifully haunting writing
- historical fiction
- a hint of the paranormal
- resilient characters
- sibling love

what we have here is a haunting and in parts, horrific tale of life during ww1 and the ghosts we carry with us but at its heart, it is the story of the iven siblings, laura and freddie. they have always been close and so naturally, both of them sign up to fight for their countries, freddie becomes a soldier and laura a field nurse. both witness the true horrors of the war on the front lines and both embark on a journey to return to each other, travelling across europe in the search of answers.
much like with the winter night trilogy katherine arden manages to marry the realities of ww1 and the paranormal.
throughout their travels, both siblings encounter a mysterious hotelier, hear stories of haunted trenches and strange goings on, all set to the backdrop of bombings, trauma and the most deadly conflict in recent history.
if you love whimsical writing, historical fiction and a touch of the paranormal, you should pick up the warm hands of ghosts.

the warm hands of ghosts is out now.
thank you @netgalley for the advance copy.