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Title: Starling House

Author: Alex E. Harrow

Pub. Date: October 23 2023

Genre: Gothic Fantasy/Horror

Format: Physical Illumicrate Edition

Publisher: Tor Books

Pages: 308

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It’s become a summer time tradition for me to read at least one horror book and since Alex E. Harrow has been on my list of authors to read from this year, here we are! Starling House was actually an eARC I received last year but never seemed to be in the right mood for it, not picking it up sooner was a mistake. This book is a whole vibe whether you’re looking for a creepy house to get sucked into or not. We meet our MC Opal while she’s living in a motel in Eden town Kentucky with her sixteen year old brother Jasper. Orphaned and homeless, they’ve learned how to get by on their own in a town where none of its residents have much luck anyway. Think dirty running water and smoke filled skies stemming from one greedily owned coal mining company. In Eden there is also the Starling property with a big mysterious house previously owned by Eleanor Starling, a recluse 19th century author who disappeared. Starling wrote a children’s book titled “the Underland” which featured beasts of all forms, her book eventually being deemed too dark for continued circulation. The Starling house has seen many warden’s and whenever one dissapears or dies, another shortly arrives. Opal who once was an aspiring author, is intrigued by E. Starling and so she finds a way to get hired as a cleaning lady by the current warden Arthur Starling. Opal soon finds out she isn’t the only one interested in the Starling house and the powers that be will stop at nothing to uncover its secrets.

We love books that feature books in them, almost always they serve the purpose of pulling the reader in. I’m already a sucker for small town vibes even when that town exudes “Do Not Enter” vibes, sign me up! Starling House is slow paced with a healthy balance of plot/character driving the story. The warden of the Starling estate Adam Starling reminds me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird’s Boo Radley but with a sword and secretly bad a**! the MC Opal is hard not to like, she openly admits to thieving for a good cause which in her case is her brother Jasper’s future. Although I typically don’t support stealing for a living, this town in particular is just rotten to its core. Opal and her brother Jasper are the town rejects but not a care is given to what other people think and I love that for them. We get a strong sibling relationship, found family that won’t quit on Opal, long buried town secrets, a house you’ll come to see the magic in, and a love story between two misfits. Centered at the heart of this story are themes of racism, incest, and grief. Some of these themes are a part of the towns history and others such as the racism Jasper experiences due to the color of his skin are also a driving force. The fictional town of Eden Kentucky with its coal mines that were historically mined by slaves is an important piece of the story. This was one key element I would’ve liked to see more fleshed out since it was referenced and does play a role in one of the characters lives. Haunting, atmospheric, gritty while also melancholy…just what I was looking for in a Gothic Horror read this summer 🖤

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