Delilah S. Dawson has perfected novellas. From Bloom to Guillotine to now, House of Idyll, this author is a powerhouse of horror.
Angelina is a struggling singer/songwriter offered the chance of a lifetime to join the experimental luxury compound sponsored by the most famous band in the world, Black Idyll. With her every need accommodated, she finally has the time and space to perfect her music. She has caught the eye of reclusive rock star, Jesper Idyll, who lives up to her every high school daydream. But this paradise has a haunted underbelly heralded by screaming horses, mysterious figures in the night, and dreams too twisted to be real. When people start to disappear and Jesper's ex turns up dead and hideously mutilated, Angelina begins to suspect that something malevolent lurks behind the cult that's grown around the band... Oh and there's a unicorn!!!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for this digital e-arc.*

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Dawson is, hands down, one of my favorite authors. I will read anything she writes. This was creepy, culty, vibey, I loved it. She writes such strong main characters and you just want to see what’s going to happen to them. If you’ve read any of her other books, or you’re into the creepy, unknown vibe, this is for you.

I've enjoyed Dawson's works previously and was excited going into this one. Although I'm not usually a fan of cult books, I thought the premise was intriguing enough to check out especially since it was from an author that I've previously enjoyed. The story starts off well and even though it was a short read, it did feel like it took sooo long for something to finally happen and then not a lot happened. The last thing I read from Dawson was Guillotine which was wall-to-wall action and humor from start to finish that I think I brought those expectations to this book seeing as they seemed similar but the execution was very different. I'm definitely more of a fan of Dawson's writing when it comes to stories such as Guillotine and Bloom but this didn't hit for me like I expected. I do think this book would be great for anyone that's interested in books with famous protagonists and cult themes.

I can officially say that Delilah S. Dawson is hit or miss for me, and this was a hit.

While I found that things were predictable once our main character, Angelina, joined the compound and everything was so clearly too good to be true, nothing's ever free, <spoiler>and this band definitely has a deal with the devil and they're farming these struggling artists for their sacrifices and worshipping,</spoiler> it was very well written and engaging.

It's a quick read, and while there's nothing really surprising about the twists, because, again, it's predictable, it was still entertaining. I liked the main character, too. I'm glad she wasn't written as a stupid, naive woman to make things work for the story. She doubted and questioned things that felt instinctively off to her, but logic was beaten by reasonable explanations, the enchantment of this perfect life she was provided with, and the charm of her childhood idol.

And the ending was good. <spoiler>I love it when women don't lose to men, even if it seems a little far-fetched to me that someone who wasn't particularly athletic or strong could've taken on 3 men.</spoiler> It made sense, "good for her" kind of moment.

Overall, this is a solid 3.5-star book and I do recommend checking out if any of the elements appeal to you.

This was a trip, I never knew what to expect and I was entranced the whole time. I love a cult book and this was a good one, it may not be my favorite Delilah S. Dawson book but fans of her will still like it a lot I’m sure!

Thanks to NetGalley & Titan Books for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I'll be the first to say that I will read anything Delilah S. Dawson publishes - with two of my favorites being Bloom and Guillotine.

House of Idyll is a departure in tone but still carries Dawson’s signature dark, delicate, and lyrical prose that I always devour. The story follows Angelina, a struggling artist who finds herself welcomed into the luxurious compound of her favorite band, Black Idyll. When one bad thing after another occurs on the compound, readers (and Angelina post-delulu) start to get a tiiiiiny bit suspicious that something evil is lurking behind the Black Idyll and their frontman's charming facade.

Perfect for readers who love:
😱 Culty Vibes
🤘🏾 Musically Inspired Reading
🔪 Easy to Devour Horror Novella

Thank you to Titan Books, Delilah S. Dawson and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I love DSD and was so excited to get the ARC of this book.

Angelina’s choices at times were frustrating and yet I understood her rationalizations for them. I knew this would be short but I wish we’d gotten just a little more at the end. Otherwise I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted copy of this novel!

If you are/were a fan of rock bands, specifically from the 70s-90s, I think you would love this book. Most of the MMCs are rockers, which reminded me of bands such as Guns N’ Roses or Aerosmith. As I am a rock fan personally, this made it all the more fun to read this book. It is a quick read punctuated with short chapters and no fluff, which I enjoyed. It is told from a single POV, but that’s did not hinder character development here. I really enjoyed the premise behind this one, and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Giving this one four stars because I would have loved to see the ending chapter/epilogue flushed out a bit more. Ultimately though, after reading any relevant trigger warnings, I definitely recommend giving this one a read!

A dark tale of ambition as struggling songwriter and lowly barista Angelina is invited to the compound of one of the greatest bands of her generation, Black Idyll. What follows is a dark tale of the cost of fame… and cults. Ugh- more cults.

Angelina is a woman at the end of her rope, no other options so of course no matter how good this invitation appears to be, she has no choice but to accept it. A great set up to really launch you into this novella. I enjoyed the imagery but it’s all pretty obvious from the get go (CULT) and I feel like if you’re asking if it’s a cult, it’s a cult. But I suppose desperation makes you fall for things easier.

As someone who typically has enjoyed the authors works, this one may be my least favorite so far. Well written overall, good transitions, just overwhelmingly felt like a story told before. Like you really need to be in a cult mood to enjoy this one. This is if Jennifer’s Body took place in a cult setting.

This was not really for me, I thought it would be..

The characters weren’t interesting and I felt it was quite repetitive. I put this down at half way, I won’t be reviewing this on my channel.

Thank you for the ARC

While 'Rockstar' and 'Fame' stories are not usually my cup of tea, I am glad followed my gut and my love of Dawson's previous books down the rabbit hole into this whirlwind novel.

I LOVE cult stories, and while was rolling my eyes at every choice Angelina made, she was so good at rationalizing, I got her point every time.

This is dreamy and ethereal, and just loved it.

Angelina, a barista and struggling singer/songwriter is down on her luck and recently fired. She's offered the opportunity of a lifetime, residency at the House of Idyll, where she can live without cost and freely pursue her love of songwriting and potential music career. House of Idyll is a safe haven and compound run by the largely successful rock band, Black Idyll, a band Angelina has grown up loving. How can she say no?

Dawson's writing is always gorgeous and immersive. I was there at House of Idyll. I could hear the drum circles and feel the dread and paranoia Angelina felt when things weren't as they seemed.
It was suspenseful, sexy as hell, and I loved the music lyrics in between chapters.
I will always love anything written by Delilah, and when there's a monochromatic theme, an NDA or weird contract in one of her novels, you know you're in for a good time.

Thank you to @titanbooks via @netgalley for one of my most anticipated reads of the year - House of Idyll by @delilahsdawson. I absolutely DEVOURED this one.

This one has it all, rockstars, fame, potential cult, and Faustian bargains. If Delilah S. Dawson writes it, I’ll be there. ✨

In House of Idyll we follow down of her luck Angelina Yves, who has just possible had the worst day of her life. All while also trying to make her music career happen. Then, one day, everything changes and her favorite band not only notices her but welcomes her into their all exclusive, everything included, artist incubator. What could possibly go wrong?

This story is fun, quick paced, sexy, and disturbing all in one go. It ended even better than I could have imagined. I loved watching Angelina grow in this story. I loved the setting, and I love a good rock band horror novel. I loved the lyrics between chapters too. This was truly the best time. I cannot wait to pick up a physical copy soon! Thank you again @titanbooks.

I fell in love with Dawson after The Violence and Guillotine was such a wild ride I knew she'd be an auto-read for me from there on.
The House of Idyll wasn't a synopsis that screamed out to me, I'm not often a fan of starry eyed girls and musicians in horror for the exact reasons this novel demonstrates. I couldn't stand the cheesy lyric excerpts for each chapter and I've never been one to idolise performers so I can't really connect to those who do.
However, I'll sign up to a cult story no matter the basis, I did enjoy the setting and atmosphere at House Of Idyll and there were some creepy, tense scenes to love. I think this would appeal more to a younger audience than myself (37) so I still recommend it. Its a short, easy read if your looking for a little campy fun.

Thank you to NetGalley, Delilah Dawson and Titan Books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Well I was obsessed with Guillotine last year, probably one of my favourite books of the year so I was so excited to dig into this. This is not the same vein at all as that novel, this isn’t gory or revenge based at all. I read this quickly but I still feel a bit meh about the whole thing. It was worth a read with a great ending but somewhere in the middle felt very long.

Thank you to Titan Books & NetGalley for the eARC.

I love DSD's writing and horror stories. I was intriguied by this one being a rock star horror with cult themes. I love books about cults but fame isn't anything I'm typically interested in. I have to say the story worked really well. The cult vibes were believable because the price of fame, and I loved the nefarious vibes throughout the book.

It's easy to make a connection from this story to a real life band that has a camp, and that made it even more sinister and chilling. The only downside I had was this was a similar concept to DSD's other latest horror: It Will Only Hurt For a Moment. Both books take place at an artist retreat and I couldn't help but draw parallels between the stories, but I think I liked HoI better overall. It was thrilling, sexy, and dark. The story's pace was great and it kept me intrigued and reading the whole time. Overall this was a good read and I look forward to many more books by DSD.

This book is set in Los Angeles, CA. Angelina is a struggling musician. She works in a coffee shop and, in the span of one half day, she loses her job and the roof above her head. She is sitting on the sidewalk, singing, cuz how else is she going to survive? When all of a sudden, a nice car stops at the curve and invites her in. Little does she know that life is going to do a 180... for the best? For the worst?

It was a good book, but very middle-of-the-road for DSD. Just another cultish LA mystery storyline. It is an okay, but there was something missing. It's a feeling I've been having but I can put my finger on what it is exactly. Definitely my lease favorite DSD novel.

House of Idyll was a fun, twisted ride through cultish rock star glamour and creeping horror. It’s not my favorite of Dawson’s that I’ve read, but her mix of lush writing and sinister vibes still hooked me. The book leans into the decadent and the bizarre. Dawson is an auto-buy author for me! I’ll always show up for her strange, dark worlds!

House of Idyll was a thrill ride - vicariously living the life that any creator dreams of while all the time thinking, “You in danger, girl.”

Angeline is a singer-songwriter who moved to LA from Georgia and is working two jobs to make ends meet while trying to get her big break in the City of Angels.

On the third worst day of her life, she is offered a chance to live in an artist’s commune by her favorite band of all time - rock gods Black Idyll. Angeline reacts as anyone would - excited, but suspicious (introducing my favorite phrase of the book and possibly the year: “make scones out of her rib bacon”).

The chance to have all her Hollywood dreams - not to mention her teenage dreams - come true is too tempting, and she finds herself at her most creative, but mysterious figures and strange dreams start to make her think it really is all too good to be true.

Fair warning: I could not put this book down until I finished it. I stayed up way too late last night after thinking I could read a few chapters before bed. There is no reading a few chapters of this.

Stray Thoughts:

I had a silver unicorn pendant with my name on it (hey, it was the ‘80’s) that was a birthday gift when I was 12 or 13, so what I’m saying is, can I go to the House of Idyll? (But, obviously a less ominous one?)

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time staying engaged with the book until about 60% in, then everything really took off. I absolutely LOVED the last 40% of the book, which is making it hard for me to rate this novel. Ultimately, I think the writing is just too campy for me. It reads almost like a young adult novel (which I have a hard time with).
.
This story is sort of in the vein of 'sell your soul to the devil' for fame and fortune, with religious cult elements injected into it. The characters in this book are very shallow-and I found it hard to really like any of them. This is labeled as a horror novel, but I think it's subtle enough that readers looking to get into the horror genre could easily digest this story.
.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing an eARC of House of Idyll prior to publication. Expected pub date: 09/09/2025