Frankenstein meets Fungal horror with a touch of queer romance in this story about two Victorian gentlemen, a botanist and a taxidermist, who have hidden their relationship in a botanical garden and have begun to experiment on creating a "daughter". Simon and Gregor are unusual men, they live together in their own botanical garden, dividing the space for each of their own separate work. Gregor is a botanist who yearns to get a place in the Royal Horticultural Society and has begun working on a new plant... a plant that he uses on a recently deceased corpse... a plant that is growing and becoming "aware." Simon is Gregor's partner and a taxidermist who spends most of his time working on his art in a dark basement. Together Simon and Gregor craft together a "Daughter" from the corpse, they create Chloe, an experiment who is growing and flourishing at an alarming rate... yet there is a cost to this growth and the maintenance of what Chloe is, is only becoming harder. Can Gregor and Simon figure out how to maintain their new daughter and keep prying eyes away... or was it a doomed experiment from the start? This was definitely an interesting fungal horror take on Frankenstein with a touch of queer romance in it. The story definitely had a ton of potential on some parts but other parts were really lacking. I loved the fungal horror and the experiment a la Frankenstein story, but what I really wish was further worked on and fleshed out was the relationship between Simon and Gregor, they might be called romantic partners but they didn't even feel like partners, there was no romance, there was barely any real relationship shown between the two and I just don't think that it works out well in the story without a strong relationship. I wanted their story to be explored, I wanted their strained relationship, their ethical dilemmas and fatherhood mentality to be explored in their relationship, especially since they are two queer men having a forbidden relationship outside the bonds of regular society. I feel like the book definitely is a good read it just isn't a great one and it has potential and fans of Frankenstein should definitely give a go though!

*Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

If you know me even a little bit, it will come as no surprise at all that A Botanical Daughter had me at its cover. The mention of Mexican Gothic made it impossible to walk away and that one sentence: two Victorian gentlemen hiding their relationship away in a botanical garden who embark on a Frankenstein-style experiment with unexpected consequences? Well, hello, lover!

On the brink of a reading slump, feeling a bit let down by books I was sure I would love, A Botanical Daughter called to me, and with some trepidation at stepping into the unknown, I decided to answer. And boy, am I glad I did! WHAT A BOOK!

A Botanical Daughter is to plants what Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is to humankind and C.E. McGill’s Our Hideous Progeny to animals, and I loved every second of it. It might be one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read (and I was thinking that before the absolute weirdest love-making scene EVER) but I mean that in the best possible way.

I loved Gregor and Simon, the botanist and taxidermist who join forces to create life, and who make an somewhat unlikely but really rather cute couple, and I loved Jenny, their housekeeper / governess. But I adored CHLOE, the daughter, the all natural and yet supremely unnatural being that was never supposed to be. I felt pity, I felt sorrow for this creature, and I felt happiness. Seriously, all the feels for what is essentially a blob of fungus? Somebody give Noah Medlock an award, stat!

Historical fiction, fantasy, drama, horror, A Botanical Daughter does not fit into a single genre box and much like its creature, all the elements are wonderfully symbiotic. A tale of life, death and love, laced with both sorrow and humour, I had a fantastic time with A Botanical Daughter and I will be reading whatever Noah Medlock decides to write next. Recommended!

Massive thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to netGalley for the arc!

This is a fantastically unique book filled with oddly loveable characters, vivid imagery and a spooky plot that will have you questioning your morals.
Simon and Gregor live in an idilic greenhouse filled with beautiful and rare plants from all over the globe, on the outskirts of society these two have made a home for themselves, both able to live out their passions and be together away from the judgement of society. When a rare fungus arrives it sets Gregor on a path that will change their lives forever.

The setting is London in the late 1800s (my favourite time period) at the hight of the Industrial Revolution, the descriptions of the greenhouse, the plants, the clothes and just the society is so vivd and inviting. The detail is especially brilliant of the plant creation or monster depending on how you look at it, it’s eerie, disturbing but also beautiful and inspiring.

I feel like although there are three main characters we managed to get to know each of their individual personalities. This multiple pov really added depth to the storyline as we got to see each mindset and different opinions of CHLOE the creature.

Overall this is such an expected book with twists and turns that will have you questioning your own morals, a beatifically grotesque tale of forbidden love, tragedy, horror and obsession that you won’t be able to put down.

It was beautiful written and a great concept. I loved the plants and the men we’re following. But it also fell flat and I actually debated DNFing at certain points

3.5/5

Mexican Gothic meets Mary Shelley....

The gist: A queer Victorian couple creates a "daughter" - Frankenstein style. but with plants.

My thoughts:

The pros - The writing is very unique; it's quite Victorian-esque and gets you drawn into the world building (including the cultural norms at the time). I honestly can't think of another modern book with such similar a Victorian edge.

The cons- the relationships were weird. Both the romantic and paternal/family relationships just seemed so strained and forced. The "climactic ending" kinda gave me a bit of ick, if I was going to be honest. (Don't want to give spoilers, so I'll leave it at that).

Ultimately: if you are a fan of fungi, Frankenstein, or the conversations around ethics of creation, this book might totally be up your alley! I thought it was okayyyyy, but not one I would re-read, mainly because of the semi-weird relationships that I just couldn't get into (and to clarify: the main queer romantic relationship made sense, and I'm totally cool supportive of queer literature. It was the *other* relationship triangles that were weird).

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.

The botanical and taxidermic imagery throughout the book added flavor to an otherwise pretty straightforward rich-gay-Victorian-men narrative. The real stars here were Chloe, the botanical daughter herself, and Jenny; I wish the story had been from one or both of their perspectives, or at least that their relationship (made more complex by the unsolved murder, reanimation, and forbidden queer love without the privileges that Gregor and Simon had to hide in safety) had been explored and forefronted more. Gregor and Simon's characterizations also felt uneven, and their feelings towards each other and towards Chloe seemed to shift wildly on a whim.

Beautifully grotesque! "A Botanical Daughter" by Noah Medlock is the unsettling story of two reclusive queer men, a renown botanist and a taxidermist, in late 19th century Britain. Whilst living in a botanical garden, hidden from the disapproving eyes of Victorian London, MCs Simon and Gregor create a Frankenstein-style experiment with a creepily sentient fungus grown with a variety of other plants inside the body of a recently murdered girl.

Not gonna lie, this book seriously freaked me out. It's not my normal genre, but I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and this book certainly did that. As Gregor's fascination with his "excitement" grew and Simon became more and more outspoken against it, my sense of foreboding grew exponentially. Yikes! With each ensuing chapter, my mind was further boggled.

"A Botanical Daughter" is truly a horrifically outstanding book. A must read for those who enjoy queer horror. Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC.

3 stars

"They were one with the birds in the freedom of their flight, falling in the wildflowers and rolling, laughing. Their hair falling in tangles. Broken petals strewn across cotton dresses."

There were flashes of brilliance in this novel. The cover is gorgeous, the premise quite intriguing. A botanical Frankenstein with queer representation, I was sold. The story began with such beautiful prose, I was highlighting sections every few pages but somehow I lost the thread of the narrative. For me, the further into the story I got, the more disjointed my experience.

The first quarter of the book introduces the main characters and a few of the secondary ones. Gregor, Simon, and Jennifer make up the primary trio. Gregor the botanist, Simon the taxidermist, and Jennifer the local girl hired first to do laundry and later to be the live-in housekeeper. I wish we could have spent a little more time with Rosalinda, Gregor's friend and socialite, she was one of the most interesting characters in the book for me.

The queer representation was subtle initially, but there were a few sections later in the book that unfortunately took me right out of the narrative. There is also a scene very late in the story between two characters that I wish had been told a little more "off the page".

Overall, this lacked the horror I was expecting and I felt lost and disconnected for a good part of the middle of the book. I can forgive a lot though, based on the sparks of poetry in the writing.

I could recommend this to someone looking for a hint of horror without going too far into gore. This is a monster story at its core, but a monster covered in beautiful flowers. While I did not love this one the way I'd hoped, I would consider giving this author another try in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanical Daughter is a wonderfully lush debut novel set in the late 1880s following two gay gentlemen who live their lives sequestered away in a large botanical garden of an estate. Simon does taxidermy, and Gregor is one of the top botanists in his field. When Gregor aquires a wild new species of mycelium from overseas, he quickly realizes that this mycelium has vast potential to do more than sit prettily on a trellis. In a fit of inspiration, Gregor and Simon combine their skills to create CHLOE, a sentient plant-being who is built up of the mycelium as well as a combination of several other botanist and taxidermist "specialties". What ensues is a character-driven examination of humanity, queerness, the need to grow, agency, wellness, and so much more. Some elements were better explored than others, but I personally felt an emotional connection to CHLOE, and I was constantly cheering for CHLOE's freedom. The Frankenstein parallels are there, but so are more heartfelt themes of love and the desire to protect one's family and the messes we make along the way with the best intentions. I wouldn't call this the most terrifying horror I've read, but as far as "monster" horrors go, this one is solid. It's a beautiful story and I highly recommend this to any plant enthusiast and monster horror fans.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for my thoughts!

Content Warnings listed on Storygraph that are approved by the author:

Graphic-- Gaslighting, Animal death, Animal death (taxidermy), Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Sexual content (necrophilia), Murder, Sexual content.

Moderate-- Alcohol, Cursing, Homophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Suicide (faked)

Minor-- Classism, Colonization, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders

Do you know what Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein offers adaptations? Themes of Queer families and Queer love. Which is exactly what A Botanical Daughter is a story about.

The ideas in this book are fantastic. The adaptation of the creature in CHLOE is phenomenal. Gregor gives me the same complex feelings Victor gives me.

I do think the pacing in this is a little off. I wasn’t able to quite grasp how much time has gone by which made a couple of the scenarios in this feel rushed and not as fleshed out as they could be.

This is a Frankenstein for the fungi folks. 🍄

A unique retelling of Mary Shelley’s _Frankenstein_, _A Botanical Daughter_ by Noah Medlock tells the story of a strange family connected by experiment and devotion. Simon, a gifted taxidermist, and Gregor, a skilled botanist, live together in a glass house perfect for their partnership. When Gregor receives an unusual fungus delivery, he soon discovers it’s intelligence and hatches a plan to give it form by very unusual means. This engrossing and ornate read will leave the reader beautifully disturbed.

This book was so strange, I couldn’t put it down! This beautifully gothic, botanical, obsessive tale follows a couple living reclusively in a greenhouse on the ruins of the family estate. Gregor is a botanist, with a fascination for mushrooms and who has been treated disdainfully by the Royal Horticultural Society. Simon, his long term partner is a skilled taxidermist. The arrival of a new housekeeper Jenny, mourning the loss of her closest compassion and a rare specimen of Sumatran mycelium will change their lives forever.

I want to be really careful not to give spoilers so I won’t share too much on plot but it’s absolutely fascinating. The progression was at the perfect pace. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending but the whole book was a delight.

I loved the scientific exploration in this, the obsessive need to push further, to discover, to experiment, to create something never seen before. It was absolutely magnificent.

The setting was just mesmerising, the hot greenhouse on the grounds of the burned down stately home, the orchids and birds of paradise it was just all so gorgeous. The setting was just described so vividly.

Characters are all flawed but create a strange but thriving found family (something I love in literature). These are three people who due to the prejudice of others are not able to be their true selves in society and live a reclusive life on the outskirts of the village.

There was so much I loved about this book. If you’re looking for something wonderfully weird, totally immersive and with a tense obsession with scientific discovery then this is for you!

This was like a queer Poor Things Frankenstein mash-up and I loved it. The writing was quirky and captivating. The body horror was 👩🏼‍🍳💋 it asks questions that pertain to society today such as what is ethical and what isn't.

I loved this book, the vibes were immaculate and I’m a sucker for plant horror and gothic atmosphere horror so immediate win. However, marketing it for its gay relationship feels a little weird because I was actually more invested in the sapphic love going on along side the main plot. Still a superb read I’d recommend to all my friends and followers.

As much as I was excited to read this Good Omens style botanical Frankenstein novel., I struggled deeply with the writing style and the over-embellished prose. The actual thematic content of the novel was inspiring; profound discussions of the nature of creation, love, family, and connection, but I sincerely wished the core had been couched in prose that felt les grating to me. The horror element added to the cozy, cottage core vibes a unique take on a familiar genre, and will certainly appeal to those who don't mind the writing. I also wish the characters had felt more nuanced: in an effort to mimmic the Gaiman/Pratchett style of writing, Medlock copies the outline but not the nuanced character details, leading to protagonist who don't feel fully complete.

Oscar Wilde, Frankenstein and Mexican Gothic… did someone write this for me? Full of horrific and disgusting scenes, this is the epitome of an atmospheric novel. Botanist Gregor finds a fungus that seems conscious. He finds a recently deceased young woman and implants it to create a living hybrid. What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, Gregor has not read Frankenstein. His partner Simon is ambivalent about the whole idea, but his taxidermy skills serve the project. Lastly, Jennifer, their housekeeper, joins their household to care for the experiment. As an animal lover, I had to skip many parts relating to Simon’s taxidermy projects, but there is gruesomeness galore with regards to humans too. The writing is beautiful and so detailed that you can almost taste the dirt. The characters are lovingly described, their philosophy and internal struggles laid bare. My only problem with this novel is that it was a little slow for my taste. Objectively, I know that it’s a great book but, as a reader, I prefer lower quality and higher thrills (what can I say, I’m trashy!). That said, this is a wonderful story that will please a large audience.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Titan Books.

Thank you to Titan Books for the ARC!

Gregor, an accomplished botanist, finds his verdant world turned upside down when he discovers a fungus that could essentially give life to a (dead) human host. Together with his partner Simon - an equally accomplished taxidermist - and their housekeeper Jenny, Gregor proceeds with growing their 'Botanical Daughter' in their queer and tangled oasis. But can they maintain control over the mycelium and flowers that make up their creation?

If you enjoy any type of plant horror/gore, this is the book for you. Medlock balances the scientific and botanical minutiae alongside the more outlandish, otherworldly unease (and looming threat) of a free-thinking fungal entity. Some of the imagery was truly quite sickening (complimentary), and I particularly enjoyed the eruptive climax of the book, when Gregor and Simon stumble upon the extent of Chloe's capabilities. The setting was also marvelously done, with the greenhouse and its jungle within being described so vividly that I could feel the moisture in the air. I also love a period piece, so the language and stylisation worked well for me.
However, I did feel that some of the characters felt slightly underdeveloped. Each character is fascinating on the surface, but I never felt like I really got to know Gregor or Simon - Simon especially (for example, the reason they chose their respective career paths, or why they got together - sometimes I felt as though I was being told about their love for one another, but I couldn't really see any reason for or evidence of it). And, while Jenny felt somewhat more rounded to me, I would have loved to have had more of her reaction to the Constance/Chloe connection, as this was a crucial aspect of her history and arc.

Overall I'd recommend this if you enjoy any type of gothic literature or queer horror - although it wasn't terrifying so much as it was a bit gross (again, complimentary). I'm looking forward to what Medlock writes next! 3.5/5

“A family! Simon, of course! That’s what binds people together. if we can be a family then contextual issues solves itself. Mutualism, homemaking, protection… and if ill providence robs one of a birth family, one simply as to find another. Or make it from scratch.”

I originally intended to save this one until closer to its release-date, but once I got my hands on the ARC there was no controlling myself. Let me tell you the story of how a humble debut novel became my most anticipated release of (the first half of) 2024, and most importantly, whether it managed to live up to that insane hype I set for it…

The Story:
A Botanical Daughter somehow managed to include not one, but two of my recent literary hyper-fixations in its set-up: it’s a Frankenstein-retelling ánd centers around botany/herbology/plant-magic. We follow a duo of two queer (in more ways than one) Victorian gentlemen, living a secluded life in caring for a large botanical garden at the edge of town. Here, away from the judgmental eyes of their peers, they’re free to express their love for each other and practice their respective scientific projects; for Simon, the art of preservation and taxidermy, and for Gregor, the care and cultivation of exotic plants and fungi. For their next project however, their joined talents will work together to a creation that will surpass anything either of them have done on their own. In a Frankenstein-esque experiment, the two set off to build a living human from body-parts, plants and fungi.

What I loved:
Upon first glance, it was clearly the concept, themes and “vibes” that attracted me to this book most, and I’m happy to say that Noah Medlock made excellent use of all of them. Thematically it strikes all the notes you might expect from the synopsis and it being a Frankenstein-retelling: there’s the ethics and complications around science and creation, the exploration and redefinition of the queer and the “monstrous” and a generous helping of found-family and paternity. All of it is wrapped in lush descriptions and botanical imagery, which brings the story to life before your eyes in vibrant and verdant colour. Medlock gives his writing a distinct Victorian edge, which was hit-or-miss for me personally, but was a nice nod to its source of inspiration.
If you want to get a feeling for the vibes this book will offer, look no further than the stunning cover-art. It perfectly combines the beauty and tranquility of nature, and the almost cottage-core-cozy vibe the book has, whilst contrasting it a few creepy and unsettling events sprinkled in. Cozy-cottage-core and horror sound like they shouldn’t work together, but somehow this is a genre I want explored further. Might I propose we coin the term “cottage-gore” for it…?

Room for improvement:
Although I overall loved this debut, there were two aspects that kept my enjoyment from being at a full-5-star-worthy-level. Firstly, there were the characters and their narrative voices. As much as the plants and setting came to life for me, the characters did not. Simon, Gregor, Jenny and Chloe all felt a little too flat and lacking in distinct personality for me. The personalities they did have were fairly one-dimensional and a few “change-of-mind-moments” and character interactions fell flat for me as a result. [ In particular, the falling out between Gregor and Simon over Chloe’s “monstrous nature” felt unearned. Neither of them had expressed such strong opinions beforehand, so the emotional change of heart felt too abrupt. In particular, the falling out between Gregor and Simon over Chloe’s “monstrous nature” felt unearned. Neither of them had expressed such strong opinions beforehand, so the emotional change of heart felt too abrupt.
Secondly, some of the themes I mentioned I loved were also explored too shallowly for my liking. With the set-up created, there was so much more emotional and ethical depth to be explored here. As an example: the paternal feelings that both man feel for Chloe, in regard to their inability to have a biological daughter together, was touched on, but never explored in depth. Same for the incredibly complex feelings Jenny must have had towards the creature she’s caring for after finding out that part of her body is made out of the corpse of her former lover…! That’s a goldmine of character work left untapped just there!
Had this been done, in combination with more rounded and complex character-development, I would’ve had a new favourite on my hand.

Regardless of the room for improvement, I had a wonderful time with this novel and am looking forward to what Medlock writes next. Many thanks to Titan Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Readalikes:
- The House in the Cerulean Sea if you’re looking for more cozy-gay-cottage-core with a helping of found family.
- Mexican Gothic or What Moves the Dead for more botanical/fungal horror.
- Our Hideous Progeny if you’re looking for the best feminist/queer Frankenstein adaptation penned to dated, in my personal humble opinion.

Simon and Gregor live together in this big house that is more a botanical garden than home. Simon is a taxidermist and Gregor’s a botanist who has just discovered a new and strange fungus that seems to have a high level of intelligence. Which drives him into his next project (with some help from Simon) to create a plant that has a conscious.

This story is about family and fungus…which sounds a bit weird but it works well. The horror was very mild that I wouldn’t consider this horror. Even though I loved the storyline, this authors writing was way too flowery for me. Some people love that but I found myself skimming some sentences just to get to the point.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an early arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

A refreshing take on the Frankenstein classic! This one is definitely for the Fungal/Plant cozy horror, Queer T. Kingfisher-coded writing style. It's simultaneously eerie, cottage-core, disgusting, and comforting.