Honger

by Johanna van Veen, Jonas de Vries (Translator)

In de duistere thriller Honger van Johanna van Veen is Sarah Schatteleyn in 1887 ernstig ziek. Ze weigert te eten, mompelt onzin en raakt steeds meer geobsedeerd door het veenlijk dat is ontdekt op het landgoed van haar man. Haar tweelingzus Lucy Goedhart wil haar koste wat kost behoeden voor een gruwelijk lot in het gesticht, en zal daarvoor het geheim achter het veenlijk moeten ontrafelen. Hoe langer Lucy's zoektocht duurt, des te erger Sarah eraan toe raakt en hoe vreemder haar gedrag wordt. Ze wordt steeds kwader... en hongeriger. Is Sarah ziek, wordt ze langzaam gek of speelt er iets veel vileiners?

Honger van Johanna van Veen is een meeslepende horror die je op het puntje van je stoel houdt. Voor fans van Thomas Olde Heuvelt en Stephen King.

'Een auteur om rekening mee te houden.' - Rachel Gillig, New York Times-bestsellerauteur

'Adembenemend. Verdient elke vergelijking met Dracula en andere titanen in het genre.' - Publishers Weekly

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Vampires, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2025

About the author

Johanna van Veen grew up in the Netherlands with her two sisters. She received an MA in English Literature with a specialization in early modern literature, as well as an MA Book and Digital Media with a specialization in early modern book history.

Reviews

[Sydney Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl’s gotta eat 😌

[Farda Hus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I thought this would be a gothic romance.lol.

How surprised I was when it turned out to be nothing like that. This book was full of wackos, so many wackos in one place. It was completely unhinged, and I loved every second of it.

There were so many moments that made me grimace and go, “eww,” and the detailing of the gory events? Eww, eww. Ultimate eww. The shock factor was top-notch, I never knew what would happen next.

And guys, the atmosphere? It was there. Eerie, dark, and mysterious, that really pulled you in. Loved, loved it.

Oh, and I have to share this wild historical fact I highlighted: Back in the 1800s, before they even knew about blood types, doctors would only transfuse blood from men because they believed—get this—

"Men are stronger, as is their blood."

Of course, men. Always so strong and superior, even down to their blood. 🙄

This book was a ride, disturbing, unpredictable, and absolutely gripping. If you love dark and twisted stories, this one’s for you.
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Johanna van Veen for this ARC.

[bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that even I who write full reviews for all the books I read wouldn’t know how to review Johanna’s books. they’re just an experience that you should just live on yourself. if you want to experience gothic tales with horror that is so unique! Yes unique. Her horror stories/plots are very original and awestruck then I highly recommend her. Her debut was perfect as well. so my review is: read it!!



***ARC provided by the publisher—Poisoned Pen Press—in exchange for an honest Review.***

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I can’t help wanting to live. Like other creatures, I am hell-bent on surviving.”

Blood on Her Tongue is what happens when gothic horror, sisterly obsession, and sapphic yearning take a long walk into the woods and don’t come back the same.

From page one, I was hooked. It’s eerie, lush, and unsettling in the best way. The 1880s Dutch setting is damp and dripping with dread. The sister dynamic is off the charts intense. The vibes? A+ haunted femininity.

Sarah’s descent into… whatever she’s becoming (is she sick? possessed? starving? something else entirely??) had me whispering what the hell is happening every chapter and loving it. Lucy’s loyalty made me ache, and the slow burning, hunger tinged sapphic undercurrent had me emotionally unwell.

Johanna van Veen writes like she’s channeling something dark and beautiful, equal parts body horror and poetry. There’s blood. There’s longing. There’s a goat. (No, really. The goat lives rent free in my brain now.)

If you liked Carmilla but wished it had more gore and unhinged sister vibes, or if you just want to feel haunted in a very literary, queer, folkloric way this one is for you.

I Highly Recommend.

4.5

[Kaitlyn Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Johanna Van Veen masterfully officiates a most unholy marriage of the macabre, the supernatural, and the tragically beautiful in her second horror novel, Blood on her Tongue. There are bleak days ahead for Lucy Goedhart and twin sister, Sarah Schatteleyn. This horrifying tale begins with Lucy rushing to Sarah’s side after learning the news she has contracted a mysterious illness and lies on her death bed. The only thing Lucy knows for certain is her sister’s illness was immediately preceded by the discovery of a bog-body---a naturally mummified human cadaver whose body exhibits shocking evidence of unspeakable violence and was left abandoned and entombed in the sucking mires of the Schatteleyn Estate. Upon her arrival to the Schatteleyn manor, Lucy also learns that Sarah’s disease is quite…peculiar. She refuses to eat but acquires a bizarre taste for human flesh, and she suffers from a psychosis that fixates around delusions of obsession and possession. Lucy immediately evaluates her twin’s circumstances as critically dire and knows a fate worse than death could be in store for her should Sarah survive without the secrets behind her perplexing condition unearthed. It would mean a one-way ticket to an 1800s insane asylum, truly a waking nightmare. Both Lucy and Sarah are tiptoeing around secrets they are reluctant to disinter, even though it could provide the salvation they so desperately need. The stakes summit at their highest when Sarah’s condition sharply deteriorates, her hunger becoming irrepressible and her secrets impossible to hide any longer. Lucy can no longer ignore the feeling that Sarah isn’t really Sarah anymore, a premonition that she decides can only be attributable to another mental break, like once before…or supernatural possession. Either way, Lucy is suspicious of Sarah: is she mad or bad? To save each other, both sisters must find each other again, sharing the most shameful parts of themselves and confronting hard-to-digest truths, long ago abandoned and deeply buried just like that mysterious bog-body...

This is a Victorian gothic transfused with the grotesquely horrifying and the nightmarishly supernatural, giving you a propulsive page turner that is totally engrossing, absorbing the reader entirely inside a story shocked to life from all the chills, thrills, and kills. Van Veen offers up a refreshingly original perspective on vampirism and takes the reader down a path littered with bog-bodies and monsters---most of whom come, unsurprisingly, in the shape of regular men. Oh, the misogyny of it all! This book is powerfully evocative, sparking feelings of incredible loss from grief and stolen autonomy. Additionally, compounding grim circumstances and Lucy’s blinding anguish from impossible choices creates a physical, pulsing ache that bleeds over to the reader! There is a good amount of body horror, so that is definitely something to be aware of before starting this book. I loved that Lucy proved to be a resilient main character, and I was totally stunned by the ending. I devoured this story in just a few days, and I already thirst for more! I am an identical twin, and I feel I experienced a deeper connection to the sisters and a greater understanding of some of their more shocking choices: I will always choose my twin over anyone or anything else. Frequently, I found myself in Lucy’s shoes, and it only heightened the thick miasma of dread I was already suffering for them both! I think it is difficult to really capture the unwavering devotion identical twins can have for each other alongside the complex, contrasting struggles they might naturally experience when society at large likes to invasively gorge on curiosities: examining, comparing, and dissecting the strange and unusual with cold clinical efficiency. Having identical twin sisters herself, the author captures these juxtaposing ideas and emotions incredibly well. Once again, I highly recommend reading this book. It’s horrifying and tragic, equally unsettling, but twice as lovely.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.

[Ricarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When everybody keeps questioning your sanity but you actually just need a good, healthy meal. (Blood, meat, maybe organs.)

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title/Author: Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen

Page Count: 368 pages

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Format: Physical ARC

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: My Darling Dreadful Thing

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978146424...

Release Date: March 25th, 25

General Genre: Horror, Gothic, Paranormal

Sub-Genre/Themes: Historical, Netherlands, twin sisters, bog body, mental illness, sprawling estate, marriage, secrets & lies, family, possession

Writing Style: Character-driven; Incisive; Stylistically complex, intricately plotted

What You Need to Know: In 1887 Netherlands, Lucy's twin sister Sarah falls ill, refusing food, speaking incoherently, and fixating on an ancient corpse found on her husband's estate. Diagnosed with brain fever-induced insanity, Sarah faces the threat of an asylum. Lucy, determined to save her, must uncover the truth behind Sarah's condition, though both sisters harbor secrets.

Perfect for Readers Who Enjoy:
-1880s
-Character-driven
-Creepy
-Gothic fiction/Historical horror
-Obsession,secrets
-Supernatural
-Psychological
-Twin sisters
-Vampires
Final Recommendation: I loved the mash-up of supernatural and psychological horro. The helplessness Lucy and Sarah feel as women whose lives are governed by men and haunted (relentlessly) by the memory of their aunt being sent to an asylum. The women are determined to avoid the same fate. But their fight grows harder as Sarah’s husband and doctor refuse to believe what is happening. It's harrowing and claustrophobic and a real picture of how women can lose everything--even their own agency and autonomy
Comps: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal, Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, A Long Time Dead by Samara Berger, A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**

Blood on Her Tongue is set in the late-1800s in the Netherlands. We follow Lucy after she receives word that her twin sister, Sarah, is unwell.

Lucy travels to where Sarah resides, at her husband's large estate. A doctor, a friend of the family, has diagnosed Sarah with a temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. Lucy is desperate to see Sarah's condition for herself.



Once she is on the estate, Lucy feels that something more is going on than the simple explanations the doctor, and Sarah's husband, are putting forth. Therefore, she's determined to solve the mystery, and figure out the cause of her sister's rapid decline.

As Sarah's condition worsens, she becomes violent, and hungry. Lucy considers possession, or maybe it is insanity. Either way, Lucy is willing to risk anything to keep her sister out of some miserable lunatic asylum.



I loved the set-up of this story. You could feel the Dracula inspiration in such a clever and substantial way.

There's a piece of the story that involves the finding of a body in the bog on the estate, who they dub the bog woman. I thought that was super intriguing and provided a nice eerie backdrop right from the start.

It was also so fun when the author incorporated little pieces of mixed media into the story, as it made it feel more real, or believable. I have to think van Veen had Dracula in mind with that sort of inclusion as well.



The author did an incredible job of creating a lush gothic vibe as well. It felt like a classic story, yet more accessible to all in regards to language and pacing.

Overall, I felt this was really well done. I loved the atmosphere, paired with some phenomenal death scenes. Johanna van Veen didn't shy away from getting dirty.

Everything that went on, it got crazy, thinking about being in Lucy's shoes, the things she witnessed, the changes she saw in her sister, are terrifying to think about.



The Body Horror, in general, was fantastic; toe-curling and uncomfortable. My jaw was on the floor and I was squealing in delight through multiple scenes.

Please keep in mind this is coming from an experienced Horror Reader, so tread cautiously if you aren't a fan of gory content, or are maybe trying out the genre for the first time.



I do love sister stories, and this is a memorable one. I'm really looking forward to picking up more from this author. I suspect we're going to have a long and beautiful friendship.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audio production brought this story to life; very well done!

[TheConnieFox · Rating 2 out of 5]

♥ My Overall Thoughts ♥
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

For some reason, this gothic horror novel just wasn’t for me. I wanted to give it a higher rating, but I just can’t. I read the digital book and listened to the audiobook. I think that if it didn’t have historical and supernatural elements in this book, I would have loved it. It was the story that didn’t grab my attention, however it was well written, thought provoking and had mysterious vibes to it!

I can completely understand why people would absolutely love this book though! It has overall high ratings and a great plot.

Even though this was not for me, I want to write a review and discuss what this book is about, so it gets to the right audience. I gave this a 2 star rating, but please don’t let it keep you from reading this novel.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

♥ Synopsis & Rating ♥
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

This book is set in 1887 in the Netherlands. It is a historical gothic novel, where twin sisters get caught in a supernatural horror. The twin sisters are named Lucy and Sarah. This novel centers around Sarah’s illness and obsession with a centuries old bog. This body was found on Sarah’s husband's estate. Lucy wants to help her sister Sarah, so she doesn’t end up getting institutionalized. Lucy is a nurse and starts to investigate her sister’s illness. Overall, I give this 2 out of 5 stars.


♥ What I enjoyed about the book ♥
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

⇥ The sisterhood connection. 👯‍♀️
⇥ The women’s roles and control!
⇥ Very well written. ✍️
⇥ Great Narrator ✅
⇥ The darkness of it ✔️
⇥ The loyalty of the sisters 😭
⇥ The plot 🔴
⇥ The gothic elements 🖤
⇥ Beautiful cover 😍

♥ What didn’t work for me ♥
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

⇥ The historical societal theme ❌
⇥ I found it be boring and I just could not get into the storyline at all. ❌
⇥ The supernatural horror theme ❌
⇥ I felt that the plot was not well executed. ❌
⇥ I felt it lacked twists and turns that I love reading in horror/thriller books. ❌
⇥ I felt that it dragged on and on and on. ❌
⇥ I felt it did not come with strong character development. ❌
⇥ I had a hard time connecting to the characters. ❌
⇥ The animal cruelty in it. ❌

♥ Who I think would enjoy reading this and Content Warnings ♥
════ ⋆★⋆ ════

I think fans of historical and supernatural novels would enjoy reading this book! Content warnings include gore, blood, body horror, animal cruelty, child death, sexual content, forced institutionalization, death of a parent and child abuse.

This book is out now on Amazon, Audible and bookstores everywhere!

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥

ツ౨ৎ

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, gothic, creepy, eerie, and hard to put down! Blood on Her Tongue exceeded my expectations with its interesting take on sisters, relationships, mental health, bog people and vampires. I enjoyed this authors previous book, My Darling Dreadful Thing]! I'm mean she literally killed it with this bloody amazing book!

The Netherlands, 1887

Lucy has traveled to her twin sister Sarah's home to help care for her after she has become ill. Sarah's behavior has changed since she attended the examination/dissection of a centuries old body that has been found in the bog. When Lucy arrives, she is alarmed at her sister's condition.

I enjoyed how this book is told through letters and with the 1887-time frame. I also loved how the complexities of the sister’s relationship were shown - the love, the devotion, the fights, the inflicted pain, and the bond. There is also the mental health component. Sarah lost a child previously and suffered depression and did some questionable things. When her behavior came into question again, her mental health came under scrutiny.

The vivid description, the imagery, the intriguing characters, the originality, the plot, the gothic setting, and the writing were off the charts! I found this book to be wonderfully written, well thought out, and perfectly executed. There are some gruesome scenes so be warned. This book will not be for everyone, but for those that enjoy gothic horror with a bit of blood, this may be the book for you!

Dark, addictive, gothic, and bloody!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Brandon Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense, bloody madness!! While I wanted a bit more from this, it still very much caught me by surprise and had me hooked throughout.

[vicky ꨄ︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

ೀ 1★ .ᐟ

I think I lost brain power reading this book. I wanted to love this so much but I could not bring myself to care about this. The amount of times I nearly dnf this book but decided to push through hoping that it’ll get better since I’ve been seeing so many people loving this book. Yeah I should’ve just dnf. When I tell you that I feel like nothing happened in this book, even though a lot was definitely happening.

Also I was actually able to sleep peacefully due to this book. It knocked me out for the whole night. Who knew that it would happen.

I could not care about what was happening to her sister. Like I really couldn’t. Can we also talk how Lucy just pissed me off so much. Like I get it she’s your twin sister but like at this point you just have to accept what is happening. Like she discovers the truth and she’s like she’s my twin sister and I’m like sure she is.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.




















ೀ preread ᡣ𐭩

I need this to spook me, like I’m begging for this to be scaring since all the horrors that I read so far didn’t feel like a horror book!

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

spoiler-filled vlog will be up on my youtube channel on the 12th :)

I loved the themes of female rage and codependency as vampirism all throughout the book; everything was brilliantly done, down to the gothic pacing, mixed media, and epigraphs from Dracula. Though it wasn't an overwhelming 5-star feeling the way I felt for this author's debut, I think it's well-deserved nevertheless. It's one of those historical books where you have no idea how 1887 feels like, but you just know it was done correctly.

[JaymeO · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bloody mess!

I had super high hopes for Blood on Her Tongue, as My Darling Dreadful Thing was one of my favorite five-star reads of 2024. It was such a fantastic Gothic debut that I really hoped van Veen would write another stunner.

Unfortunately, while Blood on Her Tongue is a fast-paced read, it suffers from mediocrity. Even the author admits in the afterward that she struggled with this book more than her first, by constantly rewriting it.

While not a fan of the vampire plot, I recently read Dawn Kurtagich’s The Madness, which I really enjoyed despite its subject matter. I decided to read Blood on Her Tongue because I really hoped that I could enjoy it as much as the former vampire themed book.

Unfortunately, there is nothing new here except that the author uses the term “parasite” to explain Sarah’s affliction instead of “vampire.” While the book takes place in 1887, the characters use more current language that feels like anachronisms. The plot is also very similar to other books in this genre and lacks originality.

Perhaps I had too high of hopes for this book considering her debut was off the charts fantastic. Regardless, I am still a fan of van Veen and will gladly read her next offering.

Trigger Warning: Be prepared for a lot of gore (blood, eyeball popping, and cannibalism).

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected Publication Date: 3/25/25

Thank you to Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Blood on Her Tongue in exchange for an honest review.

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5 star read from this author! I also loved this book! I’m a massive fan of vampires and gothic horror so this was just a treat to read. Super easy to read as well, I think that’s why I love this author so much.

[Adrienne L · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This started off pretty good, and I was definitely intrigued by the bog body aspect and the early description of the autopsy and investigation. Unfortunately, this devolved into a mess of a story that was as stagnant as the bog water itself.

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NG
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.

***

Hey, Johanna van Veen, I really loved your last book about bog bodies and lesbians. What’s your next book going to be about? Bog bodies and lesbians you say? Count me in.

Okay, so I’m teasing a little. But it kind of really charms me to see a writer’s hyperfixations on full display. It makes me feel tenderly parasocial (though not in any way that I would make their problem, I very much believe in the ‘para’ part of parasocial).

In any case, I couldn’t tell if Blood On Her Tongue was implied to be part of the same universe as My Darling Dreadful Thing--it certainly draws from similar themes--but, honestly, it doesn’t matter. Because I love these themes. Cannot get enough of these themes. And Blood On Her Tongue still manages to have its own identity, distinct from My Darling Dreadful Thing, while still feeling connected to it somehow. In some ways (and this is super relevant to Blood On Her Tongue) it could almost its twin: unique but intriguingly reflective.

The book it set in the Netherlands, in 1887 (I kept wanting to find this significant because Dracula was published in 1897 but I don’t actually think it was) and opens with Lucy Goedhart visiting the ominously named Zwartwater to tend her twin sister, Sarah - who, on the discovery of a bog body (!), has fallen prey to a mysterious illness. As Sarah worsens, growing more and more frenzied, emaciated and hungry for flesh and blood, Lucy attempts to uncover exactly what is happening to her sister. If it’s the madness her husband, Michael, and childhood doctor friend, assume. Or something far, far more sinister. Or liberating?

There’s definitely some Dracula influences here— we’re talking extended of periods of feverish illness, blood transfusions, overly “helpful” men condescending from the heights of the patriarchy, epistolary elements, questions of identity and otherness, a few names & roles in common, for example a Lucy and an Arthur, the latter being a doctor--but the correspondences are fairly light, mostly there to inspire thought than shape the book. I did feel faintly vindicated, however, that the author clearly finds the same bits of Dracula horrifying that I do, which are not necessarily intended by the book to be horrifying. Like the three brave dudebros who claim to love Lucy getting all excited to pump her full of their blood, one after the other, in the name of saving her. I’m pretty sure we’re meant to be more upset by the terrible change overtaking the once-virtuous Lucy but I always found this scene beyond gross, especially given the, err, fluidic symbolism of blood throughout the book.

Anyway, I feel very supported in this interpretation by Blood On Her Tongue, which is deeply preoccupied with the power wielded by male medical professionals, and the tyranny of patriarchal benevolence. Honestly, it’s just a wonderfully horrifying (there’s eyestuff, God help me, there’s eyestuff) and satisfying read. I think there are probably people out there who are a bit tired of “ah but the real horror was colonialism/patriarchy/heteronormativity” but I am not those people. As a queer person of my particular identity category I am very very aware that I have been the horror throughout the history of the genre (and, indeed, am still the horror for some people) so I continue to find find a lot of (healthy) catharsis and (probably less healthy) vindictive glee in watching that lens of “who is the monster here” turn back where I personally feel it belongs.

There was so much I found creepy, fascinating and--in my own sick way--kind of delightful in this book. I don’t want to head too far into spoiler territory but there’s some murders in here that made me extremely happy. I do wonder, retrospectively, if I was supposed to feel more ambiguous about parasitic taking over my loved ones. Obviously it’s not good when parasitic beings take over your loved ones but I did turn to my partner after reading, asking “If I was taken over by a parasitic being and they had all my memories and basically my personality, even if they also carried the memories and personality of other people with them, would you still love me?” and H. mumbled yes and went back to sleep. So, y’know? There are possibly a lot of questions about the philosophy of identity to be asked here but I still can’t figure out the degree to which Blood On Her Tongue wanted us to be asking them. Like, were we supposed to see Lucy’s commitment to #TeamParasite as … wrong? Delusional? An inability to cope with the grief of potentially losing her sister? I think there would have been ways for the book to make us feel more disquiet about Lucy’s choices here but, for whatever reason--and I can’t figure out if this was me, or the text--I personally felt no disquiet.

I mean in the age old battle of Parasites v. Patriarchy I’ll take parasites every time.

The major emotional spine of this book is the relationship between Lucy and her twin sister, Sarah, and it’s a really complicated relationship. Devoted, yes, but imperfect, touched by betrayal and bitterness, and the capacity for cruelty that’s only possible when you know someone else a little too well. It’s incredibly well-done, but the mild disadvantage of it is that other characters tend to get short shrift. For the most part, this didn’t bother me, I didn’t really care that Arthur and Michael were slightly one dimensional Victorian blokes. But I did feel bad for Sarah’s lover, Katje, who gets to give a big speech about how she’s constantly defined as a victim of abuse but, at the same time, doesn’t really get enough textual space to be anything other than … a victim of abuse:

People look at me, and all they see is this abused girl they must pity. It’s a hard thing, to be reduced to the abuse you’ve suffered. People don’t understand that I am so much more than what my father and uncle did to me. Even worse is that I can never say that out loud, because what my father and uncle did to me, well, that’s not the sort of thing you can hint at, let alone discuss in polite society […] Only Sarah has ever seen beyond all of that. That’s why I love her terribly.

I guess it doesn’t help that, in the Dracula schema, Katje is sort of Sarah’s Renfield. But I felt it was pretty clear that the text intended her to be more than that--whether we see their love as toxic or not--and I would have liked to see it a bit more. I mean her last moment in the book is being off-page fetching a carriage. I felt the same way about Mrs. van Dijk, last seen seeking truths and losing fingers for her trouble. But I also understand a book can only be so long and we can see my mild grumbling here as a compliment to the construction of the characters that I was so invested in them. Although now I’m on this subject, I do wonder if Michael couldn’t have done with a much more characterisation, at least as regards Lucy initially falling in love with him. By the time we meet him, he’s an impatient, unfaithful, husband to Sarah who literally has two extra teeth in his lower law so that it hurts when he kisses you. It’s fairly clear at that point that Lucy’s on-going attachment to him is a combination of masochistic desire and self-hatred but the beginning of the books invite us believe she was sincerely in love with him once-upon-a-time. Girl, why? I know, in abstract, the cisheteropatriarchy can deceptively present itself as attractive and powerful (especially to those lacking power) but I wish there’d been a touch more substance to Michael’s initial appeal to the sisters. Not because I cared so much about Michael. But because it made Sarah and Lucy look a bit daft. Then again, he does have a big house. To quote the lady of all big houses, we cannot underestimate the appeal of the beautiful grounds at Pemberley.

Let me also make clear that these thoughts--I’d barely call them criticisms--are the most minor of issues. I loved this book to death and beyond it. I also want to draw attention to the writing, because well-chosen language is a weakness of mine, and the vibes here are immaculate, perfectly conveyed by the prose. I remember My Darling Dreadful Thing had a fine turn of phrase but Blood On her Tongue has a richness that really suits the gothic mode of the story. There’s a semi-cloying quality to the imagery that is so perfectly chosen to be beautiful and, at the same time, slightly too much. As a reader you’re constantly torn between swooning and feeling slightly sickened, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s a book written in red velvet and viscera.

Lucy let Pasja’s ear run between her fingers to calm herself. There was something almost sinfully pleasurable in caressing the dog’s ears, which were soft and furred on the one side, hot and naked and beautifully veined on the other.

So yeah. If you’re down for an exquisitely written, deliciously messy (emotionally and literally) piece of anti-patriarchal Dracula-flavoured gothic horror, and who wouldn’t be, I cannot recommend Blood On Her Tongue highly enough.

Very much looking forward to the author’s next book about bog bodies and lesbians.

[Saranya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-Reviewed

🩸Where gothic horror meets queer history and the family dinner table is set with secrets and... blood.
🩸If you’ve ever thought, “I wish Dowry of Blood had more bog bodies and fewer functioning relationships,” then this author has answered your dark little prayer.

Set in the mist-drenched Netherlands of 1887, this historical vampire horror follows Lucy Goedhart as she races to her twin sister Sarah’s side—only to find that Sarah’s idea of a snack now includes hemoglobin and a side of existential dread.

🏚️ Atmosphere:
Zwartwater (literally “black water”) is the kind of estate where you expect the wallpaper to whisper secrets and the furniture to bite back. The claustrophobic setting amplifies the tension, trapping Lucy in a house full of secrets, suspicious men... and one... very hungry sister.

🧛 Vampires:
It’s blood-soaked, emotionally fraught and steeped in historical unease. Sarah’s descent into madness—or monstrous transformation—is told through fragmented letters and Lucy’s increasingly frantic sleuthing. The horror is both supernatural and disturbingly humane...

Lucy’s fears of institutionalization and societal rejection... It’s not just about what’s lurking in the shadows—it’s about who gets cast into them.

🐕 Warning: There’s a fight scene with a dog. The dog lives. But your nerves? Not so much.

This book was literally a fever dream of gothic horror, where love is twisted, history is haunted and the only thing thicker than blood is the atmosphere. Read it with the lights on—and maybe skip dinner:)
🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Zana · Rating 2 out of 5]

And here I thought this was going to be a new and exciting take on vampire lore. And if not, I thought at least the book would be enjoyable.

But it ended up being neither of those.

I was seated and ready in the first third of the book. The Gothic vibes were vibing. The FMC's cursed/infected sister was biting family friends. The FMC ate a microscopic smidge of her sister's skin. Dark, gross, and the book seemed like it was delivering on its promises.

But after that, it started to become unintentionally silly. Right after the FMC's sister's death, the FMC has sex with her brother-in-law?? And then she gets a marriage proposal from their family friend while she's panicking about her sister's corpse making noises in the coffin??

While I love Gothic horror, I know it has its silly moments (lbr, vampires are campy as hell). But this felt kind of ridiculous considering that the FMC's sister just died. Later on, the FMC references the "would you love me if I was a worm?" meme and that legitimately took me out. (I'm not sure if this was intentional but it made me snort.) There was another line where a male character calls the FMC, "my sweet little fuck" and that straight up took me out of my reading experience to the point where I couldn't recover from it.

Other than that, the story itself was pretty standard Gothic horror fare with its creepy setting, misogyny galore, lack of bodily autonomy and women's rights, and subverting sexual norms. The writing wasn't anything to rave about. The characters, their actions, and even the FMC's thoughts felt like they were fulfilling stereotypes and tropes instead of being written as fully realized characters.

While I didn't dislike my reading experience, I wasn't all too disappointed when this ended up being a quick read.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this arc.

[willowmoth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... 🤔 I’m sitting with some... feeeelings. I'll start with: It’s a beautifully written book. It has an oppressive, gothic atmosphere, full of dark, gory imagery that pops in here and there. I did find things to enjoy (the fraught relationship between the two FMCs, and some of the thematic messaging) but I struggled to connect overall. Part of the disconnect is likely from me loathing absolutely every character for one large reason (or several.)

Every character felt toxic, and while the story leans heavily into femme rage, it came across more like a gothic motif than something fully earned or emotionally convincing. Instead of delivering layered psychological horror, I feel like it relied on predictable tropes and kitschy shock value, which left it feeling more surface-level than I’d hoped. (The anachronistic language also tugged me out of the setting at times.)

That said, the vibes are undeniable: moody, atmospheric, and perfect for readers who love morally grey madwomen, wanting to throw all the men in the trash, and of course... some gothic gloom.

If you’re looking for something refreshing or truly unique in the vampire fic world, though, this may not be it. (DON'T GET ME WRONG. It is very fun for the vibes... but too shallow and predictable to leave a lasting impression (for me.))🖤

Lastly, I love all of the gay! Give us more sapphic gothic stories, dear world. 🙏🏽🕯

TL;DR: Gorgeous gothic vibes… but lacking some depth. Imagine a gothic house full of assholes and one monster. Or Victorian Jerry Springer and the episode name is, “Help! My Bog Body Has a Better Personality Than My Entire Family!" 🧟‍♀️

An undeniably fun ride, but not a favorite. 🖤

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

Oh this would have been a 4 stars if not for the last third of this book. It completely ruined the novel for me, which is unfortunate. Horror novels I find really need to stick the landing and this one did not at all. That being said this had some very well done body horror and some scenes that are for sure horrific.
Lucy was insufferable but I held out hope she would have some character development. She did not. Like she literally has zero self agency and no personality to speak of.
Personally I would have killed Not-Sarah, or rather, let her starve. Sorry but that is NOT your sister!! She KILLED your sister yet Lucy is like ‘she has Sarah’s memories so she could be Sarah in some way’ NO. It is experiencing those things that make you the person, not just seeing the memories. The parasite was not there at the time, so she didn’t live it out! Either way I can’t say this was the best take on vampires I’ve ever read. I honestly wish we had more lore about what sort of vampires they even were because it was really vague. Where do they come from, how are they made, how do they know how to imitate a human, etc?
Furthermore, the ending was just messy. Why did Arthur go evil in the span of 5 pages? And why was he even deemed ‘evil’? Like he saw Not-Sarah EAT SOMEONE’S HAND. Why would he NOT think she was insane?! 😭
I get the point the author was trying to make about how women would be thrown into institutes and asylums for anything abnormal but I’m afraid Arthur was justified in thinking Sarah had to GO. Him doing a 180 and trying to manipulate Lucy into marriage was just so out of character for him and it felt very much forced in.
I think this book was hitting the message of ‘men were misogynists back then!’ a bit too hard because it felt like the men had no personalities outside of being rude to women, which is not at all how things worked back then? They had full personalities along with sometimes being misogynistic and just having Micheal’s whole personality being having him be supposedly abusive just kind of undermines exactly why misogyny is so dangerous -> because it occurs with men who have full interests and lives that do not indicate it at all at first.
I honestly liked Micheal a bit like he served his role well but again I felt he was too cartoon villain ish. He had the best dialogue of anyone for sure, though.
The ending was so abrupt and again, I felt that the reasoning for the characters to do what they did was out of wack. Five chapters ago Lucy was having a panic attack over the thought of killing someone and then she kills two people in the span of like twenty minutes??? We see no jump in her thoughts to justify this and she just acted so stupid.
I personally hate characters who make another person their whole life and that was Lucy. Like girl your twin did not like you half as much as you liked her and the relationship was toxic to the point that it became unbearable.
Lots of people say the novel lost steam after Sarah came back and I have to agree. The mystery of what she was was far more engaging then the plot line of ‘if and how do we feed the parasite using my sister’s body?’
I just UGH was so pissed that Lucy fell for Not-Sarah’s act. I would never have helped her.
But also the second I saw a body with stakes in it I would have ran away so I’d be safe from the events of this novel anyway.
The huge positive of this novel is the writing. Stunning and gorgeous. I only wish the last third of the novel wasn’t the disaster it was :(

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good gothic story about how women had to tread carefully or fear being locked away by the men who claimed to love them but really only wanted to own them. Why can’t we lock up hysterical men? There’s a lot of them out there walking around and being a-holes who could do with a padded room and a daily dose of laudanum to keep them docile and quiet. No one would miss ‘em.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed this. It has some pitch black humor and an imperfect POV and several women who said eff it all and lived life on their terms after a bog woman changes their world and much bloodletting occurs. Such a satisfying ending with the snaggle toothed bastard. I have no complaints and would give it a 4.5 ⭐️

Dark and just a little gory and loads of fun if you like this kind of thing like I do.

[Leo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rejoice, I'm finally fucking free from this nightmare and embarrassment to my culture! Special shout-out to the audiobook narrator for being so awful at Dutch I could not understand her most of the time, and I had to consult the writings.

I don't feel like being professional in my wording because this is genuinely so terrible I cannot muster the energy to make my review palatable or whatever. Take it or leave it.

I cannot imagine why they chose someone that decided to just wing the pronunciation, I'd rather have someone read the names Anglicised. I genuinely couldn't understand most of the supposed Dutch as a native speaker, which is frankly offensively terrible handling in an audiobook. It's whatever if a narrator cannot pronounce a line or two, but when you can't pronounce any of the names or places in the book? What's the fucking point? And again, I don't mean as in it's not "accurate", I mean she actively made it more difficult to understand than it would've been if they'd just pronounced everything the English way.

But I digress. My issues with the god awful audiobook are not my issues with the actual book, oh no, those are much worse.

🌿 THE PLOT 🌿
- This is one of the most nothingburger plots in existence. Somehow, despite things kind of happening, next to nothing actually really happens. It's a lot of bitching and whining and people acting like wooden puppets in a Bethesda video game.

- Lucy, the most unlikeable woman in the world, is having an affair with her rapidly mentally deteriorating twin sister Sarah's waste of oxygen husband. Sarah then proceeds to kick the bucket. This part somehow takes forever and has no suspense whatsoever; most of it is just Lucy whining about not being picked or whatever. There is an ungodly amount of repetitive inner monologues in this that just amount to "weh weh my sister is unwell and I'm fucking her husband :((((".

- Sarah comes back and pretty much immediately, 60% in, reveals that actually she's just a man-eating parasite. But like, she absorbed Sarah's memories so close enough, am I right. Somehow Lucy thinks this is totes legit.

- Lucy then spends the rest of the book basically bitching that everyone is so evil and insane for thinking Sarah should probably be in an asylum for LITERALLY EATING PEOPLE'S FINGERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. Like omfg yeah how dare all those crazy ass misogynist men think a woman shouldn't just be running around doing crimes, how awful!!! Men HATE to see a girlboss win.

- Lucy then kills both of the men in this book and idk fucks off to the bog with Sarah. Maybe Sarah killed her who gives a shit honestly.

🌿 THE CHARACTERS 🌿
- Absolutely everyone has the personality of a stale boterkoek. Lucy's personality is that she's always pathetic and bitching about something. Sarah's is that she's a crazy parasite. Michael is an evil man. Arthur is honestly kind of just there until the last 10% where he lowkey makes some valid points even if he's a bit crazy about it. Like yeah no he's right, Lucy is Sarah's little pet in the most embarrassing way you could fathom. How crazy of him to say that, you guys just don't understand ~girlhood~ and siblings.

- Katje and aunt whatever her name is are just kinda there in the background so the author can slap the Sapphic label onto this book I guess. They don't matter beyond the aunt being a vague reason why Lucy thinks asylums are bad because she got sent there to die because she was gay.

- There's some other minor characters who I can't be assed to describe bc they literally do nothing but stand around lol.

🌿 OTHER 🌿
This was genuinely so ass. I'm not even against problematic/fucked up protagonists who do everything wrong, but the book wanted you to hate the men SO bad it was embarrassing. Like, yeah evil rapist man was evil, but it isn't crazy of him to not want a woman running around EATING PEOPLE.

And yes, I understand that books aren't necessarily endorsing their protagonists' actions, but Lucy has literally zero redeeming or fun traits. She's not fun to follow, because all she does is have a cringe-worthy affair, cry about her sister, and do whatever the parasite/sister wants. Like, that's it. That's her whole personality. She's insufferable.

The writing in this is frankly terrible which doesn't help. Every character just starts exposition dumping as if they're talking to the audience to tell you things directly. There is not a spec of natural dialogue in this, the parasite literally just starts casually monologuing their lore at several points. Seriously?

Beyond that, the writing is anachronistic in a way that entirely takes you out of it. Everyone talks like they're in a stale modern YA book. At some point a character shouts YOU FUCKING BITCH!!! FUCKING CUNT!!! Like genuinely, what is this? What the hell is "my sweet little fuck". The thing is that if you translate this to Dutch, it not fitting a 19th century setting at all aside, this makes no god damned sense. What would that even translate into? "Mijn zoete lieve neukje"???? We don't have that word in Dutch! It makes no sense!

The locations felt really random too. Why are we in Drenthe, why are we in Leiden, it does not feel like the author has been to these places even if she probably did because this country is tiny lol.

This story just isn't believable at all. Like, I know I'm saying that about a supernatural book, but my god. Lucy confronts Sarah about being off, she immediately admits to being a parasite and goes "yeah but like I have her memories tho lol" and Lucy just immediately accepts this with pretty much no protest. No manipulation or gaslighting or anything. Lucy's just that stupid. Sorry, but who wants to read about a protagonist that's morally shit, whiny, AND stupid? Like, pick a struggle honestly.

There is so much that hinges on plot contrivances. Like oh yeah we're totally gonna be fine now, actually if I eat a whole body I won't have to feed anymore for a year really. For Reasons. We'll be fine happy ending the evil bad misogynist men are dead, rejoice! Paired with the juvenile info-dumping dialogue, it feels more like someone having a conversation defending their plot holes through the characters.

🌿 IN CONCLUSION 🌿

Blood on Her Tongue is an embarrassment and the reason nobody takes Dutch literature seriously. I'd really hoped a queer, female-oriented book would be better than much of the slop that gets churned out here, but it seems I was foolish to have such hopes at all.

I should've just DNF'd this but I felt like I owed Dutch books a commitment. Ik vraag me echt af hoe ik nou "my sweet little fuck" moet vertalen; ik zal er wellicht één hele dag van wakker liggen.

[Steph's_Creepy _Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensational. Delicious. Devious. Beautiful. Articulate. I could go on forever.
I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this before it is released. I have read another book by this author and she just does not fail.
Gothic horror at it's finest. Now, it's a slow burn but it's worth it. You are fed a trickle of excitement at every chapter that keeps you hooked and aching for the next piece of the puzzle.
The descriptive atmosphere made me feel like I was in this story. The fog, rain, cold, bogs and victorian house made me feel immersed. Perfect read.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

- 3.5 ★

“There’s no saying what horrors might lurk in those black waters.”

Lucy and Sarah are twins with a very codependent relationship. one day, Sarah’s health and sanity starts to decline and she’s not acting like she used to. Lucy wants to get to the bottom of what’s going on and as Sarah starts to get worse, her behavior escalates to a point of no return. i actually liked the direction this story took when it came to what Sarah was experiencing, it made her interactions with the people around her more interesting. i loved the gothic setting and atmosphere, this author has really perfected those two things within her books. i just didn’t connect to the characters, i was invested in everything going on but it was more out of curiosity than care for how things would turn out for them.. i did like the way it ended though and i will still continue to read whatever Johanna van Veen writes but i definitely preferred My Darling Dreadful Thing.

➸ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Margo Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐ rounded up. A gothic horror novel, set in the Netherlands in 1887. The voice is great, with a glint of humour and self-aware playfulness with genre. The descriptions are vivid and memorable - sometimes gruesomely so.

There are some lovely touches, including the gothic-themed trigger warning: "In your hands, you hold a work of gothic horror... I do wish to warn you so that you may prepare yourself accordingly before you wander into its darkness wearing only a flimsy nightgown and holding a dripping candle to light your way..."

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this gothic horror ♥️🩸

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

forgive a girl for being a little peckish

3.75/5 ✨

[erica ࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75★
”What was a person if not the sum of all they had ever thought and felt and lived through?”

This book tests the limits of a sisterly bond. You’d do anything for your sister, right?

It was so close to perfect for me but the ending left a bit to be desired 🥲 I loved it though! Even more than her debut novel, My Darling Dreadful Thing, which I also enjoyed. If you’re in the mood for a (sorry) moist, dark, gothic atmosphere, this author hasn’t disappointed yet. 🖤

[Brooke (B for Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dread is Palpable
This gothic horror is rightly getting a lot of attention as a literary accomplishment. This sick, stenching, gooey atmosphere of 1880s Netherlands and the bog woman, is one that I am honestly trying to shake off.

The takes body horror to a depth, really examining the limits of gruesomeness that are tolerable and both repellent and fascinating. The author really succeeds in creating characters who are extremely conflicted in their grief and longing.

Personally, I feel like I have enough real life body horror in my life, so this was a stretch for me at times, not something I seek for enjoyment, but has literary merit. There were a couple moments I felt like were gross for gross sake, but also that is part of exploring the darkness of humanity and what is gross and why, and how we experience decay and denial. I felt so revulsed so many times, but also it was very interesting to see how the author evoked those feelings of disgust.

3.75 Rounding up.

"Please, she thought, you must get well again, if not for your own sake, then for mine. I can't do without you. You can have my blood, if you need it. You can have my flesh and bones, too. You can have it all, as long as it keeps you here".


I am in your blood, and you are in mine