Winter

by Rhya Tenney

Charlie Braedon would like to believe one steers one’s own fate, but things are getting out of hand. Her engagement is broken, her health is questionable, and she has a wrist-cuff full of intrusive medical AIs trying to report on her. Desperate to reverse her fortunes, she buys an apparent dream house, but she is barely moved in when she begins hearing noises. Soon locals reveal what she wished she had known before. For starters, she now lives on the most haunted road in town. There are rumors the empty stone building on the neighboring hill might be haunted. And, more disturbing yet, an urban legend tells of an AI whose avatar wanders that long street and draws near to those about to die.
Is fate real? Is she on a collision course with it? If Charlie is to keep her sanity, she must determine the cause of the phenomena and learn exactly what is at stake—and for whom.

Genres: Science Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

Published April 24, 2025

About the author

Rhya Tenney was born and raised in New York City and now lives and works in eastern Pennsylvania. If she had a tagline as a writer, it might be: Odd stories, yes, but they’re fun. Her characters keep company with ghosts, scientists, fortune tellers, AI, and the curious and inconstant denizens only detected by the mind’s eye. Expect old houses, snippets of poetry, nuggets of Buddhist thought, and get-togethers that don’t go as planned. Her books are woven from the threads of multiple genres—so expect the unexpected.

Reviews for Winter
"Tenney’s genre-blending novel combines a haunted-house mystery with artificial intelligence SF. …A delightfully weird and surprising tale of the paranormal.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Rhya Tenney’s WINTER is an … enthralling and introspective blend of supernatural elements and fantasy, with compelling displays of tension, emotion, and chills. The dread in the story culminates into a unique twist that leaves readers wanting more from this magical universe."—IndieReader

“Unsettling haunted house story, made fresh with sentient AI.” ⚡️Editor's Pick - BookLife Reviews

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

After moving into a house that she feels is a godsend in her time of need, Charlie’s celebration of embracing a new chapter in life is cut short when she begins experiencing strange sights and sounds in her new home. She quickly sums it up to living all by herself in a big house, but soon realizes that maybe the strange activity taking place is something more than a trapped animal or forgotten cell phone. In the novel Winter by Rhya Tenney, readers are treated to a story of ghosts, an AI bot that seems to have the gift of precognition, and a lingering haunting taking place at a nearby abbey. Left to her own devices (pun intended) to make sense of what is going on, Charlie turns to AI for help, as well as tracking down any people attached to the house for answers.

Charlie experiences a lot of anxiety and uneasiness being alone in her new house. This is understandable, as she’s not used to living alone just yet, and it’s a big house. Her first night alone in the house is nerve-wracking:

Unsettled, Charlie kept pacing. Getting no relief from this, she poured herself some wine, went back to the living room, and stood eyeing the closed drapes.

It has something to do with the business over there. That was all it was. Annoying, yes, but she didn’t like to leave the blinds up, drapes open after dark anyway. It was okay. Nothing to see here. She took a gulp of the wine and went back to unpacking her boxes.

But each box seemed to unleash a new fear, and she was getting more and more spooked as she moved about. She heard noises. Some of it was the wind. Some of it was the baseboard heat. Some of it didn’t seem to have an explanation.

She thought she heard coughing and then checked every room and even ventured outside in the late October wind. No one was there. When she later heard footsteps, she had to repeat this exercise.

Feeling somehow vanquished from the lower floor, Charlie checked that the front door was really locked and retreated up the stairs.

The part about the death bot was really intriguing. When the bot, Aidric, is first in the story, I am not certain what exactly he is – just that it is revealed he’s not human. So I understood later in the story that Aidric is the death bot capable of seeing when people die.

Reading this story is like reading a mystery. Charlie spends a lot of time investigating the history of her house and talking to a lot of people. I understand her need to get answers as soon as possible, especially after she gets a call from the death bot and is told her death was foreseen. (The part where she updates her will left me feeling sad, especially knowing that she is only 29 years old.) But this novel is like a mystery; the hauntings in her house are terrifying and strange. The part with a ghost carrying a candle around is likewise scary, and it’s pretty nerve-wracking knowing that there is a spectral BEAR involved in the hauntings too.

I loved how the paranormal activity amped up on Halloween. What a perfect day for that to happen! Yes, the day starts out with some strange antics, but then a bunch of ghostly activity happens. Plus, everyone finds out about how Charlie is friends with the “death bot.” That seemed to be a perfect “Halloween thing” to happen on that day, too.

At the end of the book, there is a note from the author about her use of an AI in the story. Her interest in AI as part of a future landscape does get the reader thinking about what parts an AI played in the story could one day be true. Given the rise in technology, it’s not impossible. Still, AI does play a very interesting role in this story, and I felt that the author did a good job in balancing the use of AI with the paranormal aspect of the story quite well.

Rhya Tenney’s Winter is an unforgettable and unputdownable novel of a house that has “seasons” that include ghosts and precognition. Filled with exciting plot twists and scary ghost scenes, it’s the kind of novel sure to be enjoyed by readers who love ghost stories as well as stories with characters using AI for everyday purposes.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in a giveaway, so thank you to Goodreads for providing this copy!

This book is an interesting one. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into it, and it was quite the rollercoaster as I went through it.

Technically speaking, there were a few moments that I found a bit jarring or just odd feeling choices. There's a few breaks in some of the early chapters that feel unnecessary, as after the break it continues immediately after. Some chapters felt a bit like this, while a handful of others ended extremely abruptly - and not in a "ooo, cliff hanger" sort of way. More so like a thought was cut off and that's that.

Beyond this, though, the story itself is engaging. The mystery and curiosities kept me going through the jarring moments, bringing me back into what was going on. And while I did find portions of it confusing and found myself re-reading certain sections, that could also be a me issue and not necessarily the author. Regardless, it's an enjoyable story with an interesting take on near-future AI and the part they play in our lives.

[Danielle Theberge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I put this book down so many times and thought to myself, “what the hell am I reading?” By the 4th time of me asking myself that I almost DNF’d it (which isn’t my style). It was NOT what I was expecting at all nor what the synopsis described. It’s a story that takes place in the near future where AI is primarily used - a woman, newly separated from her fiancé, buys a beautiful house that seems to good to be true. She soon realizes that it’s haunted but not by ghosts but premonitions of the future and some displaced memories from the past. So, she teams up with her AI medical device to figure out the history and to try and stop not her own demise but the demise of a new friend she has made. It was so weird in the fact that things were all over the place that I had no idea what was happening - if it was real time in the house or a premonition. The writing was just OK, I probably won’t read anything else from this author. Her writing style isn’t my cup of tea.

[Jessica Plopper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Based on the description I would most likely have purchased this book if I had seen it in my travels.

Charlie is a little down in her luck in the love department but scores big when she purchases the house of her dreams! Things get a little weird when she starts hearing scratching noises and footsteps and it only escalates from there. I did not expect the AI storyline going in but was able to figure out some of the twists as I was reading. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and appreciate that I had the opportunity to read it :)