Starling House by Alix E. Harrow Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Length: 12 hours 26 minutes
Published by Macmillan Audio on October 3, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.
Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.
Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.
As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.
If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.
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Starling House is a standalone book by Alix E. Harrow. I do not read many gothic fantasy books but this one I wound up loving, it was my favorite read of the year. I was not sure what to expect to be honest, but I loved every second of unraveling the story piece by piece.
Opal is a down on your luck girl from Eden, Kentucky. She takes care of her younger brother any way she can, and things do not come easy in her life. Opal is drawn to the Starling house, always has been. After a few chance encounters with the heir of the Starling house, Opal winds up getting a job there as a housekeeper. Not an easy job, it has been neglected and to be honest it is kind of spooky. Things constantly change in the house, rooms or paths alter and it is almost like the house is alive. That is not the only job that needs to be done though, the dark secrets of the house must be discovered, or they will take everything over.
The Narrator:
Natalie Naudus did a great job bringing the story to life. I thought she channeled Opal’s character well and I stayed intrigued by the story. All in all, she did a great job.
