Adrian Collins's Blog, page 29

REVIEW: The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is an animated movie released by Netflix on February 11th, 2025. It is a (very) loose adaptation of The Sword of Destiny short story, “A Little Sacrifice” by The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski. How loose? Well, “A Little Sacrifice” is inspired by The Little Mermaid fairy tale and the sacrifices we make for love. This movie is about the war between the humans of a coastal village and a bunch of mermen, while also setting up another romance for Geralt aside from his traditional one with Yennefer.

A loose adaptation doesn’t mean it’s bad, though. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is up there as one of Netflix’s better adaptations in The Witcher franchise. Whenever Netflix sticks to Sapkowski’s material, it’s pretty darn good like Season One of the live action show, and, to a lesser extent, Season Three are decent despite some inexplicable choices. It’s only when Netflix decides to “improve” Sapkowski’s work or generate original material that it becomes less enjoyable.

The premise for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is that Agloval and Sh’eenaz are a pair of star-crossed lovers. Agloval is a prince who is keeping Sh’eenaz, a merwoman, as his mistress while the two hope to make a more permanent bonding. This is difficult when their two races are at war over the oyster trade; one loves their pearls while the other needs them to survive. Geralt is in a funk after being dumped by Yennefer (again) and Jaskier wants to introduce him to other women. One of these other women is Essi Daven, a beautiful bard that is about 99% less annoying than Jaskier.

I’d say despite the “actionizing” of the short story (which had no action at all) The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is faithful in spirit. The hour and a half movie understand that the core of both stories is that Agloval and Sh’eenaz’s love is healing but requires compromises. In the short story collection, it is clearly showing that Geralt and Yennifer’s unwillingness to do any sort of compromising is why they can’t stay together at this time in their lives. It also highlights that there’s a possibility for him and Essi to do the same, but it doesn’t work out.

Still, there are a lot of changes for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. They introduce an antagonistic Ursula figure named Melusina, who is the architect of all the things going wrong with the situation. We also get changes to Jaskier’s backstory and Essie’s, making them more directly tied to events. The merpeople are also portrayed as indigenous beings who are at one with nature while the humans fishermen are rapacious pearl-seekers who would throw out a thousand oysters even though the village is starving. Still, the story isn’t badly written, and I’d give it props in several places for being at competently done.

Animation-wise The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep should be praised. It is a very visually beautiful film and the designs for both humans as well as merfolk are well done. Geralt moves with far more fluid anime-like superhuman moves throughout the story compared to the live action depictions. The voice work is also excellent with Doug Cockle, who did voice work on The Witcher video games, making his return to the role of Geralt after the loss of Henry Cavill. I think the nostalgia factor of hearing him once more perform Geralt’s lines will smooth over a lot of the minor bumps of this movie with hardcore Witcher fans. Sort of like Kevin Conroy’s Batman, many mid-tier projects are elevated simply by his excellent voice acting.

Overall, how is The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep? It is…fine. I would say it is a solid B, B+ production that blows Blood Origins out of the water. If you have a picture in your mind about how a Romeo and Juliet-esque story about humans and merfolk would get resolved by Geralt then you probably know 90% of this movie already. The Essi Daven and Geralt bits are the remaining 10% and are done well. It is a competent and enjoyable animated action film and reminds me of plenty of well-done anime I’ve seen. I can think of much worse ways to spend an evening and it is only an hour and a half, so does not wear out its welcome.

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REVIEW: A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest by Zammar Ahmer

The final page of The Book of Astea has been turned, but now Zammar Ahmer returns to this darkly alluring world for one final farewell to these characters in A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest. Set roughly four years before the events of Riven Earth, this newsletter freebie companion prequel novella is an exciting little treat for fans of the series to soothe their soul after surviving the beautifully bittersweet ending of the duology.

Now, if you are familiar with Ahmer’s storytelling, then you should know that he is not afraid to go dark. But while that still holds true in A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest, this little adventure is remarkably more chill and light-hearted compared to the trauma, heartache and world-ending stakes that the main instalments in The Book of Astea duology deliver. Plus, the fact that the cockroach Maisades doesn’t make an appearance increases the cozy factor exponentially, so there is that. 

Going back in time to see these characters in a happier state of mind before all went to utter hell was just an absolute joy, and I loved that we got to go on not one, not two, but three separate adventures with them as they all go off on their own little mission. Moreover, A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest features some characters who tragically died before the start of Riven Earth, and I really enjoyed seeing how they did (or maybe did not totally) live up to the legacy that they left behind in the main series.

For me, Otto and Tilly’s journey into the swamps was probably my favourite of the three storylines, but I was also captivated by Jaswyn and Raia’s nautical adventure and Kaido’s exhilarating expedition into the mountains. They are each faced with a lot more trials and tribulations than anyone could have anticipated (except for Uncle Galtus of course, just know that he called their idiocy, thank you very much), and seeing the profound character growth they all go through as they have to step up in unexpected ways to handle the conflicts in their way was so empowering and satisfying to experience.

Now, could you treat this prequel novella as your intro to the world of The Book of Astea? Technically yes, but realistically no. I mean, it doesn’t feature any spoilers and Ahmer’s immersive storytelling is undoubtedly strong enough to get you grounded and invested regardless, but I think this story really hits best if you already have a deeper connection to these characters from reading at least Riven Earth first.

For me, A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest was truly everything I didn’t know I needed from a prequel novella, and it is just beyond me how Ahmer managed to pack so much action, emotion, and intrigue into so few pages. Especially the sweet yet slightly heart wrenching epilogue had me completely in my feels with knowledge of what’s coming for these characters, while also giving me so much satisfying closure. If The Book of Astea wasn’t already one of my favourite series yet, then this companion novella absolutely solidified it; this is character-driven grimdark fantasy with heart at its very best.

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REVIEW: The Rig Season 2

The Rig season two released onto Prime Video in early January (2025) and sticks to the Brit-drama 6 episode format. While I’ve tried to avoid them as much as possible, this review does have some mild spoilers for the end of season one (in particular the ending) so proceed with caution!

Season two picks up minutes after the dramatic ending of season one as the Kinloch Bravo crew, accompanied by Pictor’s antagonistic Coke, are whisked off the doomed oil rig at the last moment by helicopter. They are flown not to land but deep into the Arctic ocean to alight on a mining-come-research structure known as The Stack where Coke is top dog and immediately separates and locks down the Bravo crew. Coke is none-too-pleased when Pictor CEO, Morgan Lennox, arrives to breathe down his neck.

The Bravo team are issued an ultimatum by Pictor: we’ll fly you home if you sign these airtight NDAs. Lennox leverages her prior relationship with Rose to convince the crew to play along; while Coke appeals to Magnus’ “leave no-one behind” ethos to enlist the help of the rest of the crew to rescue one of The Stack’s rover teams who are lost on the ocean floor. The main characters largely stay behind to help the rover team, but Hatton (the angry, sweary veteran) and Cat (the pregnant nurse) are among those who return to land with Lennox.

The story of The Rig splits, with one group of characters dealing with the aftermath and devastation on land, focussing mostly on Cat’s search for her wife and Lennox’s attempts to obfuscate Pictor’s involvement in causing the catastrophe. The group who remain on The Stack have to deal with the deep-sea creature, the Ancestor, and the deeply ingrained corruption under Coke’s oversight.

While the storyline in the Arctic has vibes reminiscent of The Abyss, with a little Interstellar mixed in, season two of The Rig has a chronic case of ‘middle book syndrome’. There’s too much vying for attention and, as a result, everything is explored too little. At times it felt as though the creators were leaning too heavily on ‘show don’t tell’ that they forgot to explain and join the dots completely.

There are a lot of unanswered questions by the end of the show that really should’ve been addressed. They took the foot off the gas on the horror side and relied on a paint-by-numbers evil corporation storyline instead. It had a lot of potential that, sadly, hasn’t been realised. If The Rig continues for a third season, I expect it will be geared more towards corruption and politics than the brief whisper of cosmic horror season one hinted at.

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REVIEW: Mists of Memory by N. C. Scrimgeour

Two years ago indie author N. C. Scrimgeour gave us the sea-faring, sea monster-filled dark fantasy Sea of Souls, which combined an impeccably crafted maritime Scottish-inspired fantasy world with atmospheric prose, a dark, chilling tone and near-perfect characterisation.

Now she’s back with the sequel Mists of Memory, and not only is there no sophomore slump with this one but it sails proudly out of the seaborne fog as one of the contenders for fantasy of the year. Mists of Memory is a blood-soaked, heart-rending, compulsively addictive example of what the very best of the genre can offer.

We pick up pretty much where we left off last time, with sailor turned fugitive Isla Blackwood dealing with the revelations of her true heritage while Darce Galbraith, her soul-bonded love interest and sword master turned sea wizard, is trapped back in the capital. Immediately the stakes are set: this is the selkies versus the Admiralty, the latter headed by the memorably villainous Grand Admiral who will stop at nothing to get his daughter back and slaughter as many selkies as he can in the meantime.

In the middle of this blood feud are Isla and Darce, bonded yet separated. Isla must convince her newfound selkie family that she can save them all by completing her mother’s destiny, while Darce must try and defeat the Admiral from the inside while trying to protect Isla’s increasingly bitter brother Lachlan.

Mists of Memory is about people trying to find their true home, and what happens when that is split between their love and their family; it’s a book about sacrifice and generational healing; and it’s a book about how hatred between two peoples can blind them into cycles of violence. The vessel for exploring these meaty themes is Scrimgeour’s fantastic magic system, which involves blood magic that controls the oceans, souls being transferred through selkie pelts, a dream-walking purgatory state and more—a frankly surreal mixture that somehow feels compellingly authentic.

But this swashbuckling sequel is also a wickedly dark and fun ride across the ocean, with huge ship battles, terrifying soulless selkies made of mist riding salt-spray death horses, gruesome torture and scene-stealing twists. Scrimgeour consistently raises the stakes and the set pieces—daring rescues, naval skirmishes and twisted magic are all painted in lucid prose which is never far away from a quotable line or a haunting description.

But most impressive about Mists of Memory, even among all the ship chases and sea magic and sea bird-bonding (so much sea bird-bonding) is the first-rate character work. Scrimgeour has this ability to create realistic characters with sympathetic motivations who you desperately want to work it all out—and then pitch them against each other to torture the reader, while never sacrificing the realism.

Indeed, some of the best scenes are simply quiet conversations: the utter relief you will feel when one character gives a subtle hint they’ve not yet given up on the other, only to be devastated when fate pitches them against each other again. Oh and when these characters are hurt… getting to the end of this book requires nerves of steel and your heart constantly in your mouth so much you fear you’ll spit it out onto your bookmark.

Mists of Memory is a non-stop, deliciously dark white-knuckle ride across waters perilous that somehow finds time to stop and give us character moments that make you and break you, sometimes on the same page. To ride the waves with this crew is to experience the genre at its best—put simply, this is one of the must-read fantasies of the year.

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REVIEW: Silo Season 2

Silo S2 continues the tale of survivors living in huge silos in the middle of what they believe to be an unliveable wasteland. The first season of Silo ended with Rebecca Ferguson’s (Dune, Doctor Sleep) Juliette Nicholls leaving the silo and discovering that all is not as it seems. With the inhabitants she left behind threatening to tear the carefully built society apart, Juliette faces a race against time to uncover the secrets of the silo and return to the world she left behind.

As with the first season, Silo S2 is all about a simple premise and the unravelling of a mystery. Juliette spends the season in another silo with the anxious, lonely Solo – a mysterious man who struggles with his past and is nervous about helping Juliette and losing his one human connection to the world. As she learns more about Solo’s past and the history of the adjacent silo, back home, a rebellion is stirring with the potential for war as many believe that Juliette lives and that secrets are being kept by those in charge.

There’s a slow pace to this season and the scenes in the original silo sometimes feel as though they are lacking the presence of Ferguson’s Juliette. Without her as a focal point, there is something missing as the rebellion grows although others in the cast do step up at times and grab your attention, refusing to let go. Mayor Hollands, played by Tim Robbins, and security chief Sims played by Common are two of the standout performers as they struggle to hold onto their power and control of the silo. They deliver powerful performances and it is always interesting to see the ways they attempt to manipulate those beneath them and maintain their control as the flames of rebellion burn around them. For me, it is a lack of formidable foe for them that makes the season fall slightly short of the expectations and it had me wishing that Juliette would make it back as soon as possible to the silo.

Whilst more grounded than fellow dystopian tale Fallout, Silo S2 is a visual triumph. The world feels lived in and real and brings a sense of claustrophobia that makes you feel a part of the silo. The action scenes are well shot and while it feels like there needs to be more of a leader for the rebellion, there is a sense of hope to the scenes as the civilians fight back knowing that the odds are stacked against them. Whilst there were a few issues with the season, it finishes with one of the best episodes in the entire show and left me wanting more.

Silo S2 builds on a successful first season with more of the mystery of the silos revealed. Strong acting and a realistic dystopian world is brought to life and has you rooting for the rebels to win over those in power who are holding onto all the secrets. With a strong ending, viewers will be eagerly awaiting the third season and a fourth and final one has already been confirmed!

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REVIEW: She Who Waits by Daniel Polansky

There’s a new drug in Low Town, and it’s creating horrors. After witnessing the all-too-familiar results of it, The Warden investigates in book three of the Low Town trilogy, She Who Waits. All the while his relationship with his best friend Adolphus continues to strain, heading towards a secret that could end twenty years of friendship, of war survival, of relying on each other in their own ways, and of brotherhood for better or worse. Wren has also breached the cusp of manhood, his powers growing and the risk to his freedom and safety with it. The end has arrived for our antiheroes, and it’s all going to fall apart.

The Warden has gone up against many things: the Black House, the Association, gangs, and nobles … and this time it’s the very worst of Rigus: the religious zealots of the Steps.

Key to She Who Waits–and The Warden’s humanity–is The Warden’s relationship with Wren, his adopted son. The son wants to stop being treated like a boy, like any 18-year old young man bursting from his father’s shadow does. The father wants better for his son other than being enslaved by the king in a military magic school or inheriting an illicit drug distribution business. Both lives would likely end in a violent and early death, and The Warden doesn’t know what else he can do for him other than ship him out of the empire. The two are at an empasse. However, that empasse and that relationship, as always, take second fiddle to The Warden’s selfishness and his obsession with getting back at The Old Man—Rigus’ top spy responsible for thousands of murders and more, and also the man who taught The Warden all he knows about manipulating and playing the brutal, ruthless smart hand.

She Who Waits is beautiful for it’s complexity beneath the brutality. It’s certainly one of those experiences where readers will pick up on the things that matter to them, running the full gamut from the cynical, snarky, self-depricating, violent Warden going about his brutal business story arc, to the at-times quite horrible and at-other-times quite touching and self-sacrificial relationship between The Warden and Wren, to exploring the damage between Adolphus and The Warden as we find the last threads of their relationship to reveal and unpick. If you can enjoy all three of those arcs, She Who Waits is simply un-put-downable.

Once again, Low Town and its surrounding areas are beautifully depicted. The people are desperate, the population a powder keg, the guard and gentry utterly useless and uncaring, and the big factions are winding up to take their swing for the fences. Long story arcs started in The Straight Razor Cure and built on in Tomorrow, The Killing are brought to beautiful, gritty conclusion, with scores settled, plays unveiled and countered, double crosses, and more all delivered at the kind of pace and addictiveness that makes you miss your bus stop.

She Who Waits is a magnificent ending to the Low Town trilogy. It’s brutal, morose, hopeless, and hopeful. It’s punching up as hard as you can when you’re pretty sure you’ll lose. It’s using other people’s horrible fallacies and manipulating mostly rubbish people and crushing their spirits to do what you think is right, and to do right by yours, no matter how wrong the layperson would say you are. It’s everything you want in a book as a grimdark fan, and more. Polansky is an absolute master of the dark stuff and I will read literally anything he releases until one of us goes to meet She Who Waits, clenching our fists until we can’t anymore.

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REVIEW: Sea of Souls by N.C. Scrimgeour

It took me just about one page of reading Sea of Souls to sink right into N.C. Scrimgeour’s soul-stirring storytelling, and by the end of the first chapter I realised that I had struck pure gold with this book. Drenched in Scottish folklore and mythology, this dark, emotional and mystical high seas fantasy adventure will strike you with equal parts awe and terror.

“The lapping of the waves on the sand filled her ears like a promise. The sea still called her; maybe it always would. But there was no running now. No ignoring what she had to do.”

If there is one thing I adore in my stories, it’s wayward women bucking against society’s expectations and trying to find their own place in the world. So, colour me not surprised when I immediately fell head over heels in love with Isla Blackwood. After spending the last seven years at sea searching for her calling, she is reluctantly drawn back to the Blackwood Estate by a mysterious letter from her dying mother. But upon arrival she finds more tragedy than she ever could have imagined, and soon she is plunged straight into a foolishly dangerous quest of survival, secrets, ancient magic and deadly promises together with her impetuous brother, their brooding swordmaster, and an exiled selkie.

Now, I am usually the type of reader who prefers a deliciously slow-burn start to my stories, but Scrimgeour proved to me that a skilled storyteller doesn’t need a slow start to establish world building, characters and stakes of the highest quality. The level of immersion that Sea of Souls offers is quite simply astonishing, and it’s almost like the visceral, atmospheric and emotionally evocative storytelling made my brain forget that I have aphantasia. Every single setting and character just came to life so vividly in my mind, which turned out to be both a good and a bad thing, considering the fact that zero punches are pulled in this gut-wrenching and horrifying tale.

“My people know better than most how the tides provide for us as much as they punish us. There is a balance to the sea, one which must be kept. That is the nature of the auld ways and the promise I made you. I cannot regret keeping to it.”

For me, there truly isn’t a single aspect of Sea of Souls that stands out as my favourite, because Scrimgeour has done such an incredible job of balancing and interweaving all the external and internal conflicts. I loved digging into Isla’s inner turmoil and her struggle with her identity; I loved all the deliciously complex interpersonal relationships, be they familial, antagonistic, romantic (DARCE!! swoon), or something altogether more complicated in between it all; I loved the dark mystical magic of this world, not just from the shape-shifting selkies and their tragic role in this tale, but also of the sentinels with their ancient magic and bonds of blood; and most of all, I loved that this is a story with a beating heart and a bleeding soul that explores humanity, generational trauma, grief, sacrifice, family, and love in all its devastating beauty.

“And there lies the truth too terrible to admit: the men are the monsters, and the monsters men. This violence belongs to all of us. It will continue as long as we let it.”

There simply wasn’t a single lull in the pacing for me, and the addictive air of mystery and looming sense of dread had me in a chokehold the entire way through. A few revelations and betrayals near the end were maybe not as shocking or surprising to me as they seemed to be for the characters themselves, but that didn’t take away from any of the heavy emotional impact and sheer brilliance of this story.

And the way that Scrimgeour brought home all the core themes with that boldly bittersweet ending just hurt oh so good and made me want to dive into the sequel immediately. If you like that type of atmospheric and folkloric storytelling in the vein of Shauna Lawless’ Gael Song series, Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy or Rebecca Ross’ Elements of Cadence duology and you don’t mind a splash of slow-burn romance in your dark fantasy, then Sea of Souls is an absolute must read; it more than earned my seal of approval. 

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REVIEW: Scavengers Reign

Scavengers Reign is a stunning blend of sci-fi survival, psychological tension, and incredible animation. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, this epic sci-fi tale tells the story of space exploration gone wrong in a fresh and unique way that has captivated audiences first on HBO Max and now in Netflix.

Scavengers Reign follows a group of survivors stranded on an alien planet after their deep-space spacecraft, Demeter (yes like the ship in Dracula) is severely damaged. The alien world is filled with strange beings and life – the unique ecosystem takes some getting used to and can be hostile at times as the planet itself becomes an enemy. In contrast to many sci-fi survival stories, Scavenger Reigns focuses on a slow pace and thrives on existential horror, human resilience and the beautiful and dark relationships that are built throughout the story. As the survivors learn to cope with the alien planet they have crashed on, they deal with isolation, adaptation, and the difficult understanding of what they are capable of and willing to do to stay alive.

Each character in Scavengers Reign have their own in depth, emotional arcs that unfold as they navigate their own path across the world and deal with their own mental challenges as they struggle to adapt in this strange land. The story does what great sci-fi does best: it questions who we are as humans and what we are capable of and Scavengers Reign does it in such a stunningly beautiful way that it is impossible not to be captivated by the beautiful story and well-rounded characters. Levi, Azi, Sam, and Kamen all have their own hopes and dreams and they struggle to align this with their new surroundings and the idea of what their future may hold, and if they even have one at all. It is quiet, introspective storytelling that separates it from action heavy bombastic scenes often found in similar stories. It makes Scavengers Reign stand out and it is all the better for it. Visually, the show is incredible with the world having some really unique and outstanding designs never seen before on TV. The sound design is also a winner with the ambient sounds of the planet coming to life and creating an unsettling but beautiful mood throughout the whole season.

Scavengers Reign is a slow-burn but it is one of the best sci-fi series out there and deals with epic themes and creates a unique atmosphere that can be seen in movies such as Interstellar and Moon. It stands out as a unique tale that looks at the fragility of humanity in a visually stunning story that I hope will one day be continued. This is must see sci-fi at its best. Outstanding.

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REVIEW: The Morrigan by Kim Curran

The historical fantasy novel The Morrigan is the adult debut of author Kim Curran. It tells the story of Ireland’s mythological goddess of war, the Morrigan, from her youth as a shapeshifting girl of the Tuatha Dé Danann to the wrathful goddess she will become and every form of her legend in between. I am woefully ignorant of Irish mythology, and much of what I know about it has come from other fantasy series, particularly Shauna Lawless’ Gael Song Saga. Still, The Morrigan hooked me and held me in its claws from Curran’s prologue.

From her arrival on the shores of ancient Ireland, our protagonist is considered strange. She doesn’t fit in with her people. She is powerful but cannot heal; her magic causes harm. She longs for bloody battles, for death and destruction. She is used as a weapon in the wars of her people and otherwise largely ignored. She stands alone, apart from them, and apart from the humans who later settle on the same green shores. Until they, too, need her battle cries and fury. They will know her by many names, and she will have many forms, but over a thousand years later, they will not have forgotten her.

Curran wrote The Morrigan in the first person, so this legend is told to you directly by the goddess herself. This leads to a hauntingly intimate portrayal, and even though you move through centuries throughout the novel, the story is told to the reader in a constant, familiar voice. This is her tale, and we hear all of it in unflinching detail. The Morrigan is a powerful novel, and the rage and resilience of the protagonist, whatever name she has at that time, almost steams off the pages. Curran has weaved an epic tale of magic; I didn’t want to put it down, and I didn’t want it to end.

Almost every awful, violent, twisted thing you can imagine happening happens in The Morrigan (thankfully, the sexual violence is not explicitly described, though the aftermath of it is). Curran’s writing elicited a physical response at times – I had goosebumps, felt sick, and my heart raced as a result of what I was reading. I think this story will resonate with readers for various reasons, and for me, the most challenging parts of the novel were where we learn about the Morrigan as a mother and what happens to her children. It is rare to have a story be so unapologetic about its darker parts, so brutal and bloody, but still so beautifully written.

My only slight niggle about The Morrigan is the Curran is prone to a lot of character driven descriptions which are sometimes conflicting. For example, one character is described as having ‘eyes the colour of wet slate’; later, they are ‘like bluebells’. This same character has hair ‘the colour of day-old blood’, which sent me down an internet rabbit hole of research, and I’m still not entirely sure exactly what shade his hair is meant to be. I went with auburn. But this is my only gripe over nearly forty chapters, and it did not detract from my reading enjoyment. Plus, I’m now also further informed about the changing colours of blood over time, which might come in handy somewhere down the road.

The Morrigan will stick with me for a while. It is a stunning novel, and Kim Curran is an author I shall be watching with great interest. I will definitely pick up whatever she writes next. Thank you to Kim Curran and the team at Penguin Random House for sending Grimdark Magazine and an ARC of The Morrigan.

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REVIEW: Blood on Her Tongue By Johanna van Veen

Dark, indulgent, atmospheric, claustrophobic, Blood on Her Tongue is an unforgettable plunge into the depths of a sister’s love.

Historical vampire horror has me in a chokehold, and Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is partially responsible. We step back into the Netherlands circa 1887 through the eyes of Lucy Goedhart, who is racing to her twin sister’s side as a mysterious illness is setting in. Once Lucy reaches her sister’s home—aptly and forebodingly named Zwartwater (which translates to black water)—the story swiftly builds two separate threads of horror.

The first, of course, is the supernatural and terrifying things happening to Lucy’s twin sister, Sarah. A preserved bog body was found on Zwaterwater’s property, which seems to have set off the mysterious and terrifying sickness that is slowly stripping Sarah’s physical and mental health away. Through Sarah’s letters that are peppered through the narrative structure of Blood on Her Tongue, Lucy and the reader get an insight to the degradation of Sarah’s reality, leaving Lucy with a horrifying mystery to solve: how could a bog body be making Sarah so ill?

The second thread of horror is built by the whims and threats of the men in Lucy’s and Sarah’s lives. Sarah’s husband is a looming, threatening figure, with little patience for the illness of his wife and a covetous eye toward Lucy. Arthur, family friend and doctor attending Sarah’s sickbed, has intentions for Lucy, too. The push-and-pull happening between the four central characters of Blood on Her Tongue is both part of the historical setting and probably all too familiar to the modern reader.

These two harrowing threads combine to set impossible odds in front of Lucy, forcing her to become doctor, detective, historian, and protector as the illness changes Sarah from the inside out. Her personality has shifted, her body is wasting away, and she cannot be made to consume anything except blood. With a family history of alleged insanity—I say alleged because there’s a heartbreaking little piece of queer history nestled into this story—Lucy fears a future where her sister is condemned to an asylum if she doesn’t get better. And of course, Sarah very much does not get better.

If I have any quibbles, they are minor and attributed to personal taste. The action scenes, like a heart-breaking fight with Sarah’s beloved dog (the dog is okay, promise!), are constructed with such sparse detail that I found myself rereading the few fighting scenes several times just to grasp what on earth happened. An argument can be made that this is not a fight-scene kind of novel, and the disorienting chaos is reflective of how it must have felt for Lucy, who is not a fighter and therefore very much out of her depth for physical struggle against a family dog, and her sister, and various men who try to overpower her. However, they were skimmed over so quickly I did find their delivery frustrating at times. Blood on Her Tongue is also a very narrowly focused story, with repetitive story beats. Something shocking happens to Sarah, everyone wonders what’s happening, there are few answers, repeat. Since it all happens within the confines of the Zwartwater property, it leads to a very cyclic and claustrophobic construction. Again, the argument can be made that it was an intentional style choice, in which case the author achieved exactly what they intended, but for me personally sometimes it felt too claustrophobic and repetitive.

What Blood on Her Tongue achieves, however, is brilliant. The body horror of Sarah’s ordeal is absolutely revolting (complimentary) and I often had to pause in my reading to give myself a moment to stop thinking about it, only to dive right back in. The larger, thematic horror of the power these men have over the sisters is equally traumatic, so that we find ourselves rooting for them even when it becomes obvious that Sarah and Lucy aren’t exactly heroes. The creeping dread built by the question ‘how far are you willing to go for family’ forces us along a dark, confronting ride. The side-order of queer history are perfectly placed, and much appreciated.

Blood on Her Tongue is a must-read for fans of Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson, or for any reader who loves their vampire horror to be dark, uncomfortable, queer, and eerily beautiful.

Thank you immensely to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. I look forward to discovering more of Johanna van Veen’s work.

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