3.5.

i really enjoyed it and thought it was well-written, funny, original, and dark. definitely for the chronic pain, body-horror, and mommy issues girls. also, i love cú.

thank you creature publishing and netgalley.

This was amazing. It sheds a spotlight on invisible illness and chronic pain in the realm of a horror novel mixed with Irish folklore. The scene where Brigid’s telehealth doctor gives her a diagnosis just stopped me in my tracks. This was incredible, and I’m so thankful to the author for writing this.

This was a fun read, definitely a more humorous take on horror. I think that the concept; blending Irish folklore with the idea of childhood trauma, religion, delusion, and women's health held a lot of promise. I loved the parallel between Brigid's health journey and the strange things she was experiencing. The ultimate switch when she finally found a doctor to support her and answered the question of 'is it all in my head', and how this flowed through and was reflected in the rest of the story felt really well done.
I wish the novel had leaned more heavily into the horror aspect. I found myself really drawn to the parts about folklore. Some parts felt a little disconnected or rushed to me particularly the relationship between Emma and Brigid towards the end, and I do have to say that some of the dialogue didn't quite hit the mark for me, but i think that just comes down to personal taste and preference.

3.5/5

Love! Love, love, love! I read this in one sitting, absolutely devoured it. Thank you Daly for this food.

I actually only have positive things to say about this book! As a chronic illness girlie myself, I was blown away with how accurate and close to home reading our main character's experiences were. It's accurate down to every little bit; and Daly doesn't refrain from showing those gory and gross details, which I greatly appreciate. It's refreshing to read a book that doesn't censor what living with a chronic illness is really like. I really enjoyed moving through the story with this character and I was cheering for her the whole time.

The horror itself is creepy and suspenseful, and the interweaving of Irish folklore into it works well. The humor doesn't take away from any of the horror either. In fact, the main character's use of humor really brings to light how her experiences with her family shape her reactions to (and dismissals of) the horrifying things happening to her.

Amazing characters, great horror, and also a lovely cat. Can't forget to mention the cat! An actual 11/10 with no notes. I adored this!

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC!

Absolutely hooked from start to finish! This book dives deep into darkness with a chilling, spine-tingling vibe that stays with you long after the last page. Brigid isn’t just a character — she is the beating heart of the story, raw and real in her struggles, grief, and the messy maze of identity she navigates. The moments of horror hit like a punch to the gut, forcing you to pause, rewind, and soak in the intensity. Beyond scares, this novel masterfully explores themes of pain, invisible illness, and the complexities of being a woman with nuance and heart. A stunning, unforgettable read that lingers in your mind and soul.

Brigid's (pronounced "Breej")'s mother has disappeared and she is now living in her mother's house. Her mother's body was never found though her car was found in a river and since it's been a month, her mother has been declared legally dead. A picture of Jesus is haunting Brigid along with a mysterious bird. The scald crow of the title is one of the goddess Morrigan's forms.

Brigid suffers from an untreated mysterious chronic illness. This book is really well written. Brigid is a very sympathetic character with her past abuse by her mother, the picture of Jesus and bird that won't leave her alone and her constant pain. She's just so broken, you want to hold her and tell her everything is okay. There are a lot of creepy parts in this book. It seems like some kind of supernatural force is doing a really good job of gaslighting Brigid and she is so broken down that she's letting it happen.

I was rooting for Brigid to get it together, find a doctor who can treat her and kick the supernatural entity in the teeth. Brigid is so passive through most of this book, she was frustrating me so much at times, I just wanted to shake her. Her mother reminded me of Carrie White's mother, super religious and a horrible monster except Brigid's mother might be an actual monster. It took awhile for Brigid to show some backbone but when she was I was cheering and applauding her. You go Brigid!

This is a really good book. I liked it a lot.

Brigid’s story is one of raw vulnerability. She’s haunted by childhood trauma, estranged from her closest friend, and forced to return to a house full of memories she wishes she could forget. As she struggles with chronic pain and self-blame, the world around her seems to twist and warp—crows that won’t leave her alone, a painting of Jesus she can’t throw away, and nightmares that feel too real.

What really hit home for me was how this book captured Brigid’s fear that no one would believe her—that her pain and confusion were somehow her own doing. It’s a deeply unsettling read, not because of the eerie events themselves, but because it taps into the doubt and isolation so many of us have felt at our lowest moments.

This isn’t just a ghost story; it’s about what it means to be believed, and how hard it can be to trust yourself when the world tells you not to. A beautifully crafted, haunting tale that lingers long after you close the book.

Scald-Crow immediately caught my eye when I saw Creature Publishing's post for their new on NetGalley books. This story follows Brigid, who lives with chronic pelvic pain, as she moves into her now missing mother's home. She tries to find answers not only as to her mother's whereabouts, but also the cause of her chronic pain and illness. Irish mythology also plays a heavy part in this story.

Brigid has a difficult relationship with her mother who abused her as a child and made her believe everything was always her fault. This has lead her to doubt herself in everything. Doctors don't make anything easier when they would rather brush her off than find real answers.

On top of all that, Brigid starts experiencing the strangest things upon moving back into her childhood home. A crow that used to harass her comes back into her life, a painting of Jesus keeps reappearing no matter how many times she throws it out, and frozen body parts keep popping up in the weirdest of places.

Everything is in her head though, right? That's what everyone's always told her and made her believe. So why start questioning it now?

The chronic pelvic pain is what caught me, because it's something I've lived with for years and years. IC and Adenomyosis have both been parts of my story, and both are a part of Brigid's as well.

The chronic illness representation in this book is so well done. I can't thank Grace enough for writing this deeply needed story. Anything I can see myself in will have a deep impact on me, and I love that horror is becoming this for so many of us more and more. It's a safe way to see and experience the very real things we live with in real life. Before this, I don't think I've ever seen IC or adenomyosis mentioned in fiction, so thank you for helping to bring awareness to both of these diseases.

Thank you Grace Daly, Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced E-book.

The Scald-Crow publishes October 14th. Be sure to read this one!

4.5 stars
I loved this! What a creative, creepy and horrifying book. Brigid was a well written character to base the entire story on. I felt for her, her pain and grief and confusion around herself and her life. There were moments of pure terror that had me rereading certain parts in shock and disbelief. This was a clever and powerful commentary on pain, invisible disability and womanhood. A triumph of a novel with real depth and emotion.

4.5 stars

Unsettling, dark and painful (quite literally, shout out to my chronic pain ghoulies woop woop)

As someone with endometriosis I really reallllly appreciated seeing it represented when so often I hear so little about it. Brigid's story allows us access to the reality of what it can be like to live with a chronic condition. The narration through Brigid's self-deprecating humour and somewhat glum outlook on life was actually very captivating, because I felt it and could relate to it. I also valued the exploration of how absolutely "insane" some health professionals can make you feel (I know I've left majority of phone calls and visits if you can somehow get one in tears). All I can really say without giving too much away is that this felt so real.

The focus on Irish folklore was also very interesting! I now want to delve deep into it and research it all!

While I enjoyed it, I did feel that the pacing felt slightly stilted at the beginning compared to how quickly it ramped up in the final 25%. It was still enjoyable though but I perhaps wanted a bit more of that ending pulled forward a little to enjoy it for longer.

ALSO there is a quote that I will not share as I read an arc and will check it when it's published! But it's about Catholic guilt and it HIT ME!!

I will definitely be recommending this!

I love some creepy folk horror and The Scald-Crow did not disappoint in the slightest. The horror elements were balanced well with a good amount of humor, which I was definitely a fan of.

Brigid has returned to her childhood home after her mother has passed away. Suffering from an undiagnosed chronic illness, Brigid is faced with the mounting task of emptying her mother's home of unwanted belongings, including a Jesus painting that keeps reappearing in different spots throughout the book. Through this clean out, we learn about Brigid's past with her parents and that what she believed were hallucinations and more undiagnosed issues, might not be that way at all.

I loved how Daly was able to give the reader a creepy story, yet keep it lighthearted with a dabble of self-depreciating humor. There was also the intertwining of Irish Folklore, which I'm not at all familiar with, but Daly was able to explain it easily for the reader to understand and link.

Plus there's a cat, so that's always a plus.

Thank you Netgalley and Creature publishing for a copy of this ARC.

I approached The Scald-Crow with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, drawn by its premise of blending horror, dark humor, and themes of medical trauma. The book follows Brigid, a woman grappling with chronic illness and the haunting question: "Can a sick woman ever be trusted?"

From the outset, Daly's writing is sharp and self-aware, often breaking the fourth wall with a voice that's both sardonic and vulnerable. Brigid's internal monologue is raw and unfiltered, capturing the disorienting experience of living with an invisible illness. The narrative's interplay between the grotesque and the absurd creates a disquieting atmosphere, reminiscent of the psychological tension found in the works of Iain Reid.

The novel's exploration of Irish folklore adds a layer of cultural depth, though at times, the supernatural elements felt more like a metaphor for Brigid's internal struggles than fully realized plot devices. The pacing occasionally falters, particularly in the middle sections, where the narrative becomes entangled in Brigid's spiraling thoughts.

Despite these moments, The Scald-Crow offers a compelling examination of trust, identity, and the body. It's a book that lingers, challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about illness and perception.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

✨REVIEW: 5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🐦‍⬛The Scald-Crow by Grace Daly🐦‍⬛

🦷synopsis: Her mother has gone missing and Brigid’s only option is to move back into her childhood home in the idyllic Midwestern town of St. Charles, Illinois. Soon the uncanny begins: A particular crow that once harassed her reappears, following her everywhere. A painting of Jesus keeps coming back, no matter how many times she throws it away. Frozen body parts show up in places rubber band balls and door stoppers ought to be 😩😩. Every night the same nightmare repeats: her real mother is dead and decaying in the closet, and the identical mother who raised her is not her mother 💀. But it’s all in Brigid’s head. It’s all her fault. It must be. What other explanation could there be?

🦷my opinion: I started this book without knowing much about it and I think it was the best decision.

Brigid is a lonely girl who has to move back into her (presumed dead) mother’s house and in the move, cleaning the home she starts seeing a painting of Jesus that keeps coming back to her no matter where Brigid has hidden it 🤣. She also sees some strange things and feels like she is losing her mind, and I thought I was losing it with her too 😬. I loved this story, it had everything; humor, Irish folklore, psychological horror and a very likable protagonist 😭💖 If that wasn’t enough, the ending felt very Coraline-esque and I AM A FAN. Definitely a book that you enjoy very quickly and UFF I loved it. <333

🙂‍↔️Release date is October 14 so you’ll have the perfect Halloween read.

✨Highly recommended if you✨

🐦‍⬛Like funny horror stories.
🦴Like crows and cats.
🐦‍⬛Like folklore and mythology.

I would like to thank @gracedalyauthor and @netgalley for the advanced e-copy. <33

This was lovely! The underlying themes about the horror of women not being believed are very well done and I’m obsessed with the cat. I think the underlying mythos could have been done better, but overall fabulous.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The pacing felt uneven, the humor didn’t always land, and I found myself wishing some subplots, particularly Brigid and Emma’s relationship, had been more fully developed. Plus, the story demanded more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give—and I’m willing to give *a lot*.

That said, the author does an excellent job of conveying a powerful message, and actually manages to explore the absurdity within horror without shying away from it.

This has so many layers to it, it's complex yet simple in its telling. When the story unfolds it takes you on a journey many women today can relate to medically the Irish Ness of the tale another bonus to the read. I enjoyed this entertaining and informative.

4.5 stars rounded up, release date 14/10/25.

I absolutely love any kind of folk horror and it was fascinating to learn about Irish folk tales which were intertwined throughout this story beautifully. Grace Daly also tackled the very real struggles of those living with chronic illness poignantly and with humour, which added to how real and genuine it felt.

On the face of it, tackling every day tasks from one POV could have been very boring, but this was anything but. There were some genuinely creepy moments during and I was happy about the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stunningly creepy - this read takes on chronic pain head on. No one can trust a sick woman, right? Can we, the reader, trust a sick woman? The Scald-Crow does a phenomenal job of towing the line between doubt and belief. Incredibly paced and sprinkled with the perfect amount of humor among the gore and the creep.

Cú, the ever-returning Jesus, unexpected lesbians!!! Just a few of my favorite things out of this book.

Love. I love this. I am not an extreme horror reader but in my estimation this does not hold back on the scary/gross factor. Brigid is recently disabled with chronic pain and illness and hasn’t been able to square away disability/Medicaid yet. So when her mother’s house becomes available (because her mother seems to be dead though they never found a body) she can’t pass up a rent free option no matter how awful her life was there. Her memories are almost as debilitating as her physical pain. The question comes down to, does she trust herself and therefore acknowledge that her situation is dire or does she trust most people around her who would say she’s wrong?

A book that’s scary, funny, gross, and heartwarming all in one, AND done well is a rare find. But this book is that rare gem. I LOVE Irish Folklore, so seeing it wrapped into a horror sort of novel is thrilling. We get the experience of a woman in great pain and stress, it’s grotesque and reminds me of feeling heard.