Mixing horror and romance to mesmeric effect, Harrow’s gaudy gothic fairytale finds curious Opal drawn to the haunted Starling House and its mysterious heir.
Step into Starling House - if you dare...
Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it's best to let this ill-omened mansion - and its last lonely heir - go to hell. Stories of the house's bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.
Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets - just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she's never had: a home. Yet Opal isn't the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it.
Sinister forces converge on Eden - and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she'll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family's ugly past to achieve a better future. She'll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light...
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781529061123
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 528 g
Dimensions: 241 x 164 x 32 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
This book has everything you could possibly want this fall . . . a cursed town, a haunted house, a vivid and eerie setting—plus, characters willing to risk everything - Reese Witherspoon, Reese’s Book Club October 2023 Pick
Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent, and Starling House, with its gentle reassurances of the homes we make and the love we deserve, is more than satisfying. It’s pure loveliness in book form - Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six
Gorgeous, poignant, and honest—an unforgettable read - Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
The gaudy, dark seam between horror and romance. Starling House is Alix E. Harrow’s greatest work yet – if you can survive its slow belly-crawl into hell - Ava Reid, author of Juniper and Thorn
This is gothic fairy tale at its best and truest: dark and romantic, angry and hopeful . . . I loved it - H.G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter
This book is as knife-edged and sharp as its protagonist, a rich and strange exploration of home and need and want . . . A smart, spectacular contemporary Gothic - Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Magicians
This is one you’re going to love - Glamour Magazine
Starling House will no doubt take its place alongside fiction’s most memorable haunted houses - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Harrow’s mash-up of twisted fairy tales and Southern gothic fiction is a haunting story of longing, lies, and generational curses - Library Journal, Starred Review
Alix E. Harrow is a fantasy author who just does not miss. This magical, heartfelt haunted house tale is no different - Paste Magazine
Devastating, eerie and upbeat - SFX
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“The perfect Halloween read”
Thank you to BlackCrowPR for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Starling House is a gothic, atmospheric novel following Opal as she tries to uncover the mystery of Starling House. Why does she dream...
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"Starling House" by Alix E. Harrow is a truly enchanting tale that swept me off my feet from the very first page. This book is an exquisite blend of magic, well-drawn characters, and lyrical prose that... More
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Halloween is fast approaching, and I do love to curl up with a good horror when it comes to my October TBR list! Starling House promises a haunted house thriller, as Opal starts a job for the mysterious Arthur... More
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