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The Seventh Sister
Not yet published
Expected 7 Apr 26From the author of The Madness comes a haunting folk horror fable of lost sisters, old gods, and the terrible power of belief left to rot in the woods.
After the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood.
When another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for themselves, learning to live with death as a constant, lurking presence. The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of isolation, and the forest around them grows restless…
Years later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits, silent and sentient, in the depths of the all-seeing trees.
This lyrical and haunting folk horror explores how trauma can root itself in the soil of childhood, how love can curdle into obsession, and how gods, especially forgotten ones, never stay buried for long. But at its heart, it’s about how they fracture, survive, return, and reckon with what they’ve made together.
After the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood.
When another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for themselves, learning to live with death as a constant, lurking presence. The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of isolation, and the forest around them grows restless…
Years later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits, silent and sentient, in the depths of the all-seeing trees.
This lyrical and haunting folk horror explores how trauma can root itself in the soil of childhood, how love can curdle into obsession, and how gods, especially forgotten ones, never stay buried for long. But at its heart, it’s about how they fracture, survive, return, and reckon with what they’ve made together.
285 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 7, 2026
7 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Kurtagich
11 books1,640 followersDAWN KURTAGICH IS AN AWARD-WINNING HORROR AUTHOR.
Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and TEETH IN THE MIST, and BLOOD ON THE WIND. Her adult debut novel, THE MADNESS, was pre-empted in a two book, six-figure deal and was published in August 2024. Her next adult novel, DEVIL’S THORN, was announced in 2024, another two-book, six-figure deal, forthcoming in 2025.
By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!
When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. At the age of 25, she received a life-saving liver transplant. Her doctor’s still have no idea why her original liver (Leonard) failed. She is enjoying life with her new liver, Lucy.
She leaves her North Wales crypt after midnight during blood moons. The rest of the time she exists somewhere between mushrooms, maggots and mould.
Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and TEETH IN THE MIST, and BLOOD ON THE WIND. Her adult debut novel, THE MADNESS, was pre-empted in a two book, six-figure deal and was published in August 2024. Her next adult novel, DEVIL’S THORN, was announced in 2024, another two-book, six-figure deal, forthcoming in 2025.
By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!
When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. At the age of 25, she received a life-saving liver transplant. Her doctor’s still have no idea why her original liver (Leonard) failed. She is enjoying life with her new liver, Lucy.
She leaves her North Wales crypt after midnight during blood moons. The rest of the time she exists somewhere between mushrooms, maggots and mould.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 1, 2025
As usual the author weaves horror with deeper themes of grief, friendship bonds and sisterhood. I’ve read all of the authors books and they are all very unique, the writing style is different and stands out, and the ending of the book will always leave you thinking.
Im definitely a fan of this author, I think “the seventh sister” may be my new favourite of her work. Her books are definitely a good choice for book club picks if you want to have lots to discuss.
Im definitely a fan of this author, I think “the seventh sister” may be my new favourite of her work. Her books are definitely a good choice for book club picks if you want to have lots to discuss.
Want to read
November 25, 2025pre-read notes:
I got the ARC for this cult folk horror and honestly? I’m pretty intrigued! The cover is also atmospheric and creepy 🫣 coming in April 2026! 🩶
I got the ARC for this cult folk horror and honestly? I’m pretty intrigued! The cover is also atmospheric and creepy 🫣 coming in April 2026! 🩶
November 26, 2025
This copy was made available to me for free through NetGalley. I want to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this.
Here is a description from NetGalley:
The Seventh Sister
By Dawn Kurtagich
After the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood.
When another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for themselves, learning to live with death as a constant, lurking presence. The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of isolation, and the forest around them grows restless…
Years later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits, silent and sentient, in the depths of the all-seeing trees.
This lyrical and haunting folk horror explores how trauma can root itself in the soil of childhood, how love can curdle into obsession, and how gods, especially forgotten ones, never stay buried for long. But at its heart, it’s about sisters: how they fracture, survive, return, and reckon with what they’ve made together.
:OFFICIAL REVIEW:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 Stars
When I was a little girl, running feral outside with my younger sister was a daily occurrence. Especially in summer, when we’d transform into whatever we wanted to be for the afternoon. Olympic gold medalists on the trampoline like Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller. Badass roller bladers from the movie Airborne. Pink and yellow Power Rangers fighting off Rita Repulsa. (I was always Kimberly. My sister hated the color pink.) Playing “light as a feather, stiff as a board” from The Craft. (We never could quite nail down witchcraft.)
When I think back on those times, (I’m sure my references age me. And that’s fine. Everything’s fine), it’s like another dimension. Another world. Difficult to describe.
The Seventh Sister IS that feeling.
With a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, the author is able to weave the tale seamlessly between the past and the present. Told through the eyes and experiences of a woman with six sisters, this story will have you questioning whether your own childhood experiences were truly born of imagination…or was it something other?
The book explores themes of family, tragedy, trauma, and growing up. All things that resonated so deeply with me, I had to wipe away tears. (If you have a sisterly bond, you might be able to relate.)
I was swept away into Beltane, into the rot and roots and soil, walking amongst the trees with the Ward sisters. The author’s ability to put you there, and to care about this family is masterful. The images crafted are difficult to look at, but harder still to look away from.
Overall, I’m so pleased I read this story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves gothic-esque stories, and who doesn’t mind some scenes that may be hard to stomach.
And I’ll end with thanks to Daudir, forgotten God of the Wood. Because it just feels wrong not to.
Here is a description from NetGalley:
The Seventh Sister
By Dawn Kurtagich
After the tragic death of their parents, the seven Ward sisters are sent to live with their grandmother on the remote forest island of Beltane, a place suspended between time and shadow. What begins as an attempt to mend their fractured lives soon twists into a waking nightmare, where grief bleeds into childhood fantasy and ancient rites awaken a dark and eerie devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood.
When another cruel tragedy strikes, the sisters are left to fend for themselves, learning to live with death as a constant, lurking presence. The fragile world they’ve carved splinters beneath the weight of isolation, and the forest around them grows restless…
Years later, a cryptic letter summons the surviving sisters home. Drawn back into the wild embrace of their dangerous faith, they confront a truth more terrible than memory, and the dreadful secret that waits, silent and sentient, in the depths of the all-seeing trees.
This lyrical and haunting folk horror explores how trauma can root itself in the soil of childhood, how love can curdle into obsession, and how gods, especially forgotten ones, never stay buried for long. But at its heart, it’s about sisters: how they fracture, survive, return, and reckon with what they’ve made together.
:OFFICIAL REVIEW:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 Stars
When I was a little girl, running feral outside with my younger sister was a daily occurrence. Especially in summer, when we’d transform into whatever we wanted to be for the afternoon. Olympic gold medalists on the trampoline like Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller. Badass roller bladers from the movie Airborne. Pink and yellow Power Rangers fighting off Rita Repulsa. (I was always Kimberly. My sister hated the color pink.) Playing “light as a feather, stiff as a board” from The Craft. (We never could quite nail down witchcraft.)
When I think back on those times, (I’m sure my references age me. And that’s fine. Everything’s fine), it’s like another dimension. Another world. Difficult to describe.
The Seventh Sister IS that feeling.
With a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, the author is able to weave the tale seamlessly between the past and the present. Told through the eyes and experiences of a woman with six sisters, this story will have you questioning whether your own childhood experiences were truly born of imagination…or was it something other?
The book explores themes of family, tragedy, trauma, and growing up. All things that resonated so deeply with me, I had to wipe away tears. (If you have a sisterly bond, you might be able to relate.)
I was swept away into Beltane, into the rot and roots and soil, walking amongst the trees with the Ward sisters. The author’s ability to put you there, and to care about this family is masterful. The images crafted are difficult to look at, but harder still to look away from.
Overall, I’m so pleased I read this story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves gothic-esque stories, and who doesn’t mind some scenes that may be hard to stomach.
And I’ll end with thanks to Daudir, forgotten God of the Wood. Because it just feels wrong not to.
November 29, 2025
This book weaves the grief and imagination of seven sisters in a way that I was not expecting, but will be happily haunted by for a while. It may not be for the faint of heart or stomach. It is raw and shocking at times. Grief is that way. It is the story of the wards we use to protect ourselves from grief and trauma, that sometimes fracture and we have to reckon with and make right later.
The Ward sisters quite literally have their own language and are fiercely loyal to each other, and are also divisive at times. As someone with sisters, I immediately resonated with this. Their arrival at Beltane after their parent's tragic death will test these bonds, but this book is beautifully layered and complex in so many more ways too.
At first, the forest is a place of exploration and fantasy...a safe haven if you will. Dawn Kurtagich does a fantastic job of stitching doubt and an unsettling feeling which pulled me in right away. They learn to live in harmony with the forest and their new world, and then it becomes an obsession, a religion, a necessity, survival. Eventually they turn their backs on it, or it on them...and there will be a reckoning. Their beliefs are tested. Was everything always just childhood fairy tales they told themselves to get through their grief? In the end, it all comes full circle and is deeply affecting.
All hail Daudir.
Side note: I don't understand what happened with Willow.
#netgalley
The Ward sisters quite literally have their own language and are fiercely loyal to each other, and are also divisive at times. As someone with sisters, I immediately resonated with this. Their arrival at Beltane after their parent's tragic death will test these bonds, but this book is beautifully layered and complex in so many more ways too.
At first, the forest is a place of exploration and fantasy...a safe haven if you will. Dawn Kurtagich does a fantastic job of stitching doubt and an unsettling feeling which pulled me in right away. They learn to live in harmony with the forest and their new world, and then it becomes an obsession, a religion, a necessity, survival. Eventually they turn their backs on it, or it on them...and there will be a reckoning. Their beliefs are tested. Was everything always just childhood fairy tales they told themselves to get through their grief? In the end, it all comes full circle and is deeply affecting.
All hail Daudir.
Side note: I don't understand what happened with Willow.
#netgalley
December 7, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“The Seventh Sister” by Dawn Kurtagich is a fever-dream of folklore, trauma, and sisterhood; it’s an eerie, atmospheric combination of “Yellowjackets” and “Lord of the Flies,” all taking place in what the characters believe is a gothic fairytale.
The story follows Clem, one of seven sisters raised on the isolated island of Beltane under the watch of their grandmother who is a woman devoted to an unnamed, ancient forest god. Told largely through flashbacks, the story slips between Clem’s present-day disbelief in magic and her haunting memories of childhood: ritual games, whispered rules, and escalating sacrifices that blur the line between survival and worship. As you move between past and present, the unsettling question lingers: Was the god real or was he born from grief, neglect, and imagination?
Kurtagich’s writing is vivid, immersive, and often brutal. The forest is alive in every sense; it’s lush, rotting, hungry. Body horror and decay imagery appear throughout, making this a book not suited for faint stomachs but perfect for those who embrace darker, visceral storytelling.
Each sister suffers in her own way, and while their names can be difficult to track at times, their dynamic is hauntingly real: tender and vicious, loyal and fractured. Their isolation after being forgotten by the adults and systems meant to protect them pushes them into ritual, obsession, and belief as a way to survive overwhelming loss. Watching the childhood games twist into religion, sacrifice, and delusion is both heartbreaking and spellbinding.
There are hints of romance with a character from Clem’s past, though his presence feels fleeting compared to the overwhelming emotional weight carried by the sisterhood, grief, and mythology. The story builds slowly but deliberately as secrets surface and the truth of what happened to the sisters, including the deaths that still haunt Beltane, comes to light.
The final reveal about the god and the island is bold and definitive, though I did wish it remained more ambiguous, but the ending resonates, pulling together themes of belief, trauma, and the unbreakable tether between siblings.
Beautifully written, disturbing, and emotionally raw, “The Seventh Sister” is a story that crawls under the skin and lingers. It’s a dark, lyrical exploration of grief, imagination, and the powerful, sometimes terrifying, bond of sisterhood.
“The Seventh Sister” by Dawn Kurtagich is a fever-dream of folklore, trauma, and sisterhood; it’s an eerie, atmospheric combination of “Yellowjackets” and “Lord of the Flies,” all taking place in what the characters believe is a gothic fairytale.
The story follows Clem, one of seven sisters raised on the isolated island of Beltane under the watch of their grandmother who is a woman devoted to an unnamed, ancient forest god. Told largely through flashbacks, the story slips between Clem’s present-day disbelief in magic and her haunting memories of childhood: ritual games, whispered rules, and escalating sacrifices that blur the line between survival and worship. As you move between past and present, the unsettling question lingers: Was the god real or was he born from grief, neglect, and imagination?
Kurtagich’s writing is vivid, immersive, and often brutal. The forest is alive in every sense; it’s lush, rotting, hungry. Body horror and decay imagery appear throughout, making this a book not suited for faint stomachs but perfect for those who embrace darker, visceral storytelling.
Each sister suffers in her own way, and while their names can be difficult to track at times, their dynamic is hauntingly real: tender and vicious, loyal and fractured. Their isolation after being forgotten by the adults and systems meant to protect them pushes them into ritual, obsession, and belief as a way to survive overwhelming loss. Watching the childhood games twist into religion, sacrifice, and delusion is both heartbreaking and spellbinding.
There are hints of romance with a character from Clem’s past, though his presence feels fleeting compared to the overwhelming emotional weight carried by the sisterhood, grief, and mythology. The story builds slowly but deliberately as secrets surface and the truth of what happened to the sisters, including the deaths that still haunt Beltane, comes to light.
The final reveal about the god and the island is bold and definitive, though I did wish it remained more ambiguous, but the ending resonates, pulling together themes of belief, trauma, and the unbreakable tether between siblings.
Beautifully written, disturbing, and emotionally raw, “The Seventh Sister” is a story that crawls under the skin and lingers. It’s a dark, lyrical exploration of grief, imagination, and the powerful, sometimes terrifying, bond of sisterhood.
December 16, 2025
“Are we all just echoes? Trapped in the routine of our former selves, brainwashed so thoroughly that we've never truly es-caped, ritual bound and memory washed, forever circling the pattern of who we were?”
Many thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Dawn Kurtagich for providing me with a copy of this book! 😊
The Seventh Sister follows the Ward sisters, who have just arrived on the island of “Beltane” to live with their grandmother after the sudden death of their parents.
Just as they are settling into their new life, tragedy strikes again and the sisters are thrown into a world of ritual, sacrifice and death as they attempt to navigate their grief while also trying to appease the mysterious “Forgotten God of the Wood”.
I really liked the themes of family, sisterhood, grief and trauma explored through this book. The relationship between the sisters carried the story and felt really realistic and raw. I love that on one page they could be bickering and quite literally maiming each other and on the next page they’re fighting to keep each other alive. The complexity of the characters was great, especially Clem. I like how even though she had done some terrible things I still couldn’t bring myself to hate her - at the end of the day she was just a child dealing with an unimaginable situation. It was interesting to see how the relationships with the sisters changed, and their ups and downs as they experienced more trauma and loss.
The prose in the book was really powerful. I felt as though I could actually smell mold and mushrooms at some points due to how evocative the writing was. The author creates a really fleshed out setting and is very good at invoking the readers senses (omg the maggots 🤢). The house was a good metaphor for the mindset of the girls, I love how the dilapidation of their home mimicked the breakdown in their mental states. The author depicts a really well done “descent into madness” and it was interesting to see the girls evolve into completely different people and how they justified their beliefs and rituals. I was heartbroken witnessing certain character deaths and seeing what happened to their bodies after the fact - the body horror was disgustingly great and had me cringing a lot of the time!
I enjoyed the ending. I like that it is open for interpretation and you’re left not 100% knowing what is real and what isn’t. I think the depiction of loss was really tragic and realistic, the story represents that we can never truly escape our childhoods and how we are forever changed by, and bonded to each other through, our grief and suffering.
Overall it was a very enjoyable, sad and sickening read (in the best way). Anyone who enjoys body horror, creepy settings, sisterhood or mysterious supernatural creatures will find something to enjoy about this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Dawn Kurtagich for providing me with a copy of this book! 😊
The Seventh Sister follows the Ward sisters, who have just arrived on the island of “Beltane” to live with their grandmother after the sudden death of their parents.
Just as they are settling into their new life, tragedy strikes again and the sisters are thrown into a world of ritual, sacrifice and death as they attempt to navigate their grief while also trying to appease the mysterious “Forgotten God of the Wood”.
I really liked the themes of family, sisterhood, grief and trauma explored through this book. The relationship between the sisters carried the story and felt really realistic and raw. I love that on one page they could be bickering and quite literally maiming each other and on the next page they’re fighting to keep each other alive. The complexity of the characters was great, especially Clem. I like how even though she had done some terrible things I still couldn’t bring myself to hate her - at the end of the day she was just a child dealing with an unimaginable situation. It was interesting to see how the relationships with the sisters changed, and their ups and downs as they experienced more trauma and loss.
The prose in the book was really powerful. I felt as though I could actually smell mold and mushrooms at some points due to how evocative the writing was. The author creates a really fleshed out setting and is very good at invoking the readers senses (omg the maggots 🤢). The house was a good metaphor for the mindset of the girls, I love how the dilapidation of their home mimicked the breakdown in their mental states. The author depicts a really well done “descent into madness” and it was interesting to see the girls evolve into completely different people and how they justified their beliefs and rituals. I was heartbroken witnessing certain character deaths and seeing what happened to their bodies after the fact - the body horror was disgustingly great and had me cringing a lot of the time!
I enjoyed the ending. I like that it is open for interpretation and you’re left not 100% knowing what is real and what isn’t. I think the depiction of loss was really tragic and realistic, the story represents that we can never truly escape our childhoods and how we are forever changed by, and bonded to each other through, our grief and suffering.
Overall it was a very enjoyable, sad and sickening read (in the best way). Anyone who enjoys body horror, creepy settings, sisterhood or mysterious supernatural creatures will find something to enjoy about this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
While the beginning felt a bit slow and slightly confusing, that feeling didn’t last long. Once I got familiar with what was happening, the story pulled me in quickly, and I enjoyed it.
One of the most compelling elements of this book is how it plays with childhood fantasy. It’s something that felt instantly relatable… those imaginary worlds we create as kids, especially when we’re playing outside. Here, though, those fantasies take on a far more mysterious and unsettling tone, turning something innocent into something quietly terrifying.
This story explores trauma, the bonds of sisterhood, and the fractures that can form under unimaginable circumstances. The inclusion of ancient rites added an intriguing layer, and the themes of isolation and survival showed how deeply those experiences can affect someone mentally and emotionally.
Overall, this is a haunting and atmospheric read that blends supernatural elements with real psychological depth. It’s eerie, unsettling, and lingers with you after you finish. If you enjoy gothic or folk horror, you’ll enjoy this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
One of the most compelling elements of this book is how it plays with childhood fantasy. It’s something that felt instantly relatable… those imaginary worlds we create as kids, especially when we’re playing outside. Here, though, those fantasies take on a far more mysterious and unsettling tone, turning something innocent into something quietly terrifying.
This story explores trauma, the bonds of sisterhood, and the fractures that can form under unimaginable circumstances. The inclusion of ancient rites added an intriguing layer, and the themes of isolation and survival showed how deeply those experiences can affect someone mentally and emotionally.
Overall, this is a haunting and atmospheric read that blends supernatural elements with real psychological depth. It’s eerie, unsettling, and lingers with you after you finish. If you enjoy gothic or folk horror, you’ll enjoy this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 2, 2025
My first arc book! I loved it. This novel is a dark, beautiful fever dream. The writing is lush and immersive—every tree, shadow, and breath of wind feels alive, as if the woods themselves are watching. The author’s descriptive language pulls you into a world where nature is both sanctuary and threat.
Grief runs like an undercurrent through the entire story, shaping the girls’ choices, their fears, and the fierce bond of their makeshift sisterhood. Their dynamic feels raw and real: protective, loyal, and sometimes (a lot) brutal. At times it echoes Lord of the Flies, but with a distinctly feminine perspective—a portrayal of girlhood that is wild, sacred, and unsettling all at once.
The “god of the woods” adds a haunting, folkloric layer that blurs the line between reality and myth, making the island feel sentient, hungry, and holy. The atmosphere is tense and eerie, and the sense of grief and nature and brutality keeps the story gripping from start to finish.
Overall, the book is gripping, beautifully written, and emotionally resonant. A chilling but gorgeous exploration of survival, grief, and the complicated power of sisterhood.
Grief runs like an undercurrent through the entire story, shaping the girls’ choices, their fears, and the fierce bond of their makeshift sisterhood. Their dynamic feels raw and real: protective, loyal, and sometimes (a lot) brutal. At times it echoes Lord of the Flies, but with a distinctly feminine perspective—a portrayal of girlhood that is wild, sacred, and unsettling all at once.
The “god of the woods” adds a haunting, folkloric layer that blurs the line between reality and myth, making the island feel sentient, hungry, and holy. The atmosphere is tense and eerie, and the sense of grief and nature and brutality keeps the story gripping from start to finish.
Overall, the book is gripping, beautifully written, and emotionally resonant. A chilling but gorgeous exploration of survival, grief, and the complicated power of sisterhood.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC for review. To be published April 7, 2026.
3.5 stars
Seven Ward sisters from late teens to age 3 lose their parents and are sent to Beltane, a remote island, to live with their grandmother whom they didn’t know existed. She teaches them how to survive off the land, including the lore of the island, god Daudir, God of the Wood.
The girls survive there for many years and through many trials until tragedy strikes and the girls who remain are scattered. Years later a letter draws the girls back to confront the truths and the myths of what occurred during their time there.
I loved the setup of this novel and the girls during their time on the island. In fact, I really liked so much about this folk horror (seeing a lot more of this) but I had one major problem with it that was really hard to accept, impossible to ignore and pretty major. But for that this would have had a higher rating, cause, come on! Spooky, feral sisters! What’s not to love?
3.5 stars
Seven Ward sisters from late teens to age 3 lose their parents and are sent to Beltane, a remote island, to live with their grandmother whom they didn’t know existed. She teaches them how to survive off the land, including the lore of the island, god Daudir, God of the Wood.
The girls survive there for many years and through many trials until tragedy strikes and the girls who remain are scattered. Years later a letter draws the girls back to confront the truths and the myths of what occurred during their time there.
I loved the setup of this novel and the girls during their time on the island. In fact, I really liked so much about this folk horror (seeing a lot more of this) but I had one major problem with it that was really hard to accept, impossible to ignore and pretty major. But for that this would have had a higher rating, cause, come on! Spooky, feral sisters! What’s not to love?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After the Ward sisters lose their parents in a sudden tragedy, they are sent to Beltane—a remote, forest-draped isle that feels untouched by time. There, in the shadow of whispering pines and restless fog, awaits a grandmother they have never known… and something far older still.
A darkness stirs within the woods, bleeding into the sisters’ grief with its quiet pull—a devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood. When another loss tears through their fragile refuge, the sisters are left to face the forest’s secrets alone.
Years later, a cryptic letter calls the surviving sisters back to Beltane, back to the trees that remember everything. What they find waiting is a truth rooted deep in sorrow, devotion, and decay.
I’ll say no more—this is a tale best experienced firsthand. One of the most chilling and beautifully written works of folk horror I’ve read this year.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
A darkness stirs within the woods, bleeding into the sisters’ grief with its quiet pull—a devotion to Daudir, the Forgotten God of the Wood. When another loss tears through their fragile refuge, the sisters are left to face the forest’s secrets alone.
Years later, a cryptic letter calls the surviving sisters back to Beltane, back to the trees that remember everything. What they find waiting is a truth rooted deep in sorrow, devotion, and decay.
I’ll say no more—this is a tale best experienced firsthand. One of the most chilling and beautifully written works of folk horror I’ve read this year.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
-A map!
-Sisterhood (even twins) FAMILY (every sister has a vital role with identifiable strengths and weaknesses)
-Grief
-Folk & Gothic Horror elements-Secrets & Lies, inherited trauma, sacrifices and consequences
-Haunted/Magical Forest
-Forest god/rituals/rules of the forest/effigies
-Atmospheric
-Increasing dread and darkness
"When they walk back to the house, they're a little rawer, a little wilder than before. They are daughters of the forest, because the forest is an infection and all of them have the fever."
-Guilt & Redemption
-Isolation and Survival
-Faith and Doubt
-Loss & Grief
-Supernatural elements
-Nature--I loved the alchemy and natural remedies and reliance the most
-Identity and Transformation-huge character arcs
-Power and Control (very much reminds me of other power dynamics among young people left on their own--Lord of the Flies, Yellowjackets, The Means Ones
More review to come!
*My favorite of Dawn's books so far
-Sisterhood (even twins) FAMILY (every sister has a vital role with identifiable strengths and weaknesses)
-Grief
-Folk & Gothic Horror elements-Secrets & Lies, inherited trauma, sacrifices and consequences
-Haunted/Magical Forest
-Forest god/rituals/rules of the forest/effigies
-Atmospheric
-Increasing dread and darkness
"When they walk back to the house, they're a little rawer, a little wilder than before. They are daughters of the forest, because the forest is an infection and all of them have the fever."
-Guilt & Redemption
-Isolation and Survival
-Faith and Doubt
-Loss & Grief
-Supernatural elements
-Nature--I loved the alchemy and natural remedies and reliance the most
-Identity and Transformation-huge character arcs
-Power and Control (very much reminds me of other power dynamics among young people left on their own--Lord of the Flies, Yellowjackets, The Means Ones
More review to come!
*My favorite of Dawn's books so far
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.
This book sounds very intriguing and trust me, it is.
The horror elements are well and truly here: weaving past and present in narration, third person or first person, we discover a secluded home in the depths of a forest inhabited by one old woman who takes in seven young kids whose absent parents died in a car crash. The traumatized children soon make up a world and a God of their own, but is it really a child's play, or is something sinister really lurking in the forest?
You never really know what to expect next, who to trust; the author has a lovely way of conveying that feeling that you can only rely on yourself, despite the main protagonist having six sisters and a love interest.
Some passages were genuinely disturbing to read, and it’s not often that a horror book gives me pause. The Seventh Sister is deliciously haunted, cursed, murky and mushroom-y.
This book sounds very intriguing and trust me, it is.
The horror elements are well and truly here: weaving past and present in narration, third person or first person, we discover a secluded home in the depths of a forest inhabited by one old woman who takes in seven young kids whose absent parents died in a car crash. The traumatized children soon make up a world and a God of their own, but is it really a child's play, or is something sinister really lurking in the forest?
You never really know what to expect next, who to trust; the author has a lovely way of conveying that feeling that you can only rely on yourself, despite the main protagonist having six sisters and a love interest.
Some passages were genuinely disturbing to read, and it’s not often that a horror book gives me pause. The Seventh Sister is deliciously haunted, cursed, murky and mushroom-y.
December 9, 2025
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Seventh Sister by Dawn Kurtagich
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Folk Horror
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 7, 2026
📚 283 pages
After the tragic loss of their hedonistic parents, Clem and her sisters are sent to live with their Grandma Alys on a deserted island. Grandma holds some very eccentric beliefs, leading the young girls to become obsessed with the mysterious "forgotten god of the forest."
This one was a bit too slow paced for me, but I did enjoy the dual timelines and unique, intricate folklore of the island. The horror/gore aspects were wonderfully visceral and disturbing (in the best, most effective way for a horror novel!) and the atmosphere Kurtagich created was truly eerie and unsettling. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and was the perfect ending.
Thank you so much Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital review.
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Folk Horror
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 7, 2026
📚 283 pages
After the tragic loss of their hedonistic parents, Clem and her sisters are sent to live with their Grandma Alys on a deserted island. Grandma holds some very eccentric beliefs, leading the young girls to become obsessed with the mysterious "forgotten god of the forest."
This one was a bit too slow paced for me, but I did enjoy the dual timelines and unique, intricate folklore of the island. The horror/gore aspects were wonderfully visceral and disturbing (in the best, most effective way for a horror novel!) and the atmosphere Kurtagich created was truly eerie and unsettling. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and was the perfect ending.
Thank you so much Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital review.
December 16, 2025
The Seventh Sister marks Dawn Kurtagich’s step into haunting folk horror for adults, blending psychological terror with mythic elements and a slow burn unraveling of secrets. The story centers on the Ward sisters, who, after the tragic death of their parents, are sent to live in isolation on the forested island of Beltane. What begins as an attempt to heal their wounds becomes a descent into ritual, superstition, and something far darker lurking in the woods. Hunting exploration of grief, belief, and the dangerous power of isolation.
This book had me thinking, needing to know what was going to happen next it kept me on the edge this is my first book from this Author and trust me it won’t be my last .
This book was giving to me as an ARC by the NetGalley in exchange for my honest and voluntarily review.
This book had me thinking, needing to know what was going to happen next it kept me on the edge this is my first book from this Author and trust me it won’t be my last .
This book was giving to me as an ARC by the NetGalley in exchange for my honest and voluntarily review.
December 4, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
"I hate how they make me feel at home, how welcoming and familiar the signs of death are. So intimate that it's like walking through my childhood bedroom."
What happens when 7 adolescents are left to fend for themselves on an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest? This atmospheric tale blends elements of horror, folklore, and mystery. By the end, it will leave you questioning what’s real and what’s an imagined reality born from coping with life’s darkest moments. I loved how moody and immersive the author’s writing was. I could practically smell, see, and hear the Island of Beltane. This story carries the same unsettling, survival-driven energy found in Yellowjackets & Lord of the Flies.
"I hate how they make me feel at home, how welcoming and familiar the signs of death are. So intimate that it's like walking through my childhood bedroom."
What happens when 7 adolescents are left to fend for themselves on an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest? This atmospheric tale blends elements of horror, folklore, and mystery. By the end, it will leave you questioning what’s real and what’s an imagined reality born from coping with life’s darkest moments. I loved how moody and immersive the author’s writing was. I could practically smell, see, and hear the Island of Beltane. This story carries the same unsettling, survival-driven energy found in Yellowjackets & Lord of the Flies.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a tragic, folk horror that tells the story of seven sisters in a dual-timeline format. The overall tone is dark and unsettling, and there are plenty of gruesome scenes described (Granny Alys, oof). The sisters are trying to survive the best they can, but it’s disturbing to see how much death and decay they experience on Beltane, especially Poppy.
I rate this 4 stars. While I enjoyed this book and read it in one day, I felt the ending left some plot points unresolved, especially regarding Willow. I went back to re-read the ending to see if I missed something, and I still don’t understand what happened to Willow in both timelines.
I would recommend this book and would read another book by this author.
I rate this 4 stars. While I enjoyed this book and read it in one day, I felt the ending left some plot points unresolved, especially regarding Willow. I went back to re-read the ending to see if I missed something, and I still don’t understand what happened to Willow in both timelines.
I would recommend this book and would read another book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC of The Seventh Sister by Dawn Kurtagich.
The Seventh Sister follows the narrator Clem and the story of her sisters as they go to live with Granny on a mysterious island. The story jumps back and forth through past and present tense as it unfolds the struggles and triumphs the sisters face as they live at Beltane.
I really enjoyed this novel as the characters were well developed and the plot had me guessing whether forgotten god of the woods was real or a made up story for the sisters to cope with reality of their lives. Warning there is body horror but it is not excessive and definitely has a purpose in the story.
The Seventh Sister follows the narrator Clem and the story of her sisters as they go to live with Granny on a mysterious island. The story jumps back and forth through past and present tense as it unfolds the struggles and triumphs the sisters face as they live at Beltane.
I really enjoyed this novel as the characters were well developed and the plot had me guessing whether forgotten god of the woods was real or a made up story for the sisters to cope with reality of their lives. Warning there is body horror but it is not excessive and definitely has a purpose in the story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Seventh Sister is a beautiful, yet horrific story. There are twists you wouldn't expect, feelings you didn't expect to feel, & you will be holding breaths you didn't realize you were holding. The Seventh Sister is an absolute masterpiece & very though provoking. I hope this book is adapted into a movie or limited series, it just gives you that craving for an on screen depiction! Dawn Kurtagich has become one of my new favorite authors, The Seventh Sister is now one of my all time favorites!
*I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
*I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kurtagich is back again with her signature voice, a vicious and ancient voice I'd recognize even 6 feet below. She writes like a root that strangles and a wound that bleeds. The Seventh Sister is a disturbing descent into darkness and madness. If you enjoy tales of dangerous devotion, sinister secrets, and the curse and cure of sisterhood, you should read it!
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for sharing an ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for sharing an ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2025
The Seventh Sister is eerie, emotional, and hard to put down. Dawn Kurtagich creates this unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere that keeps you guessing the whole way through. The blend of grief, identity, and psychological horror feels unique, and the slow-building tension really hooked me. If you like dark, twisty stories that get under your skin, this is a great read.
December 6, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!
I really enjoyed this book and binged it in less than a day. Some parts were a little heavy for me but I'm really glad I picked this up. I look forward to reading more from this author for sure.
I really enjoyed this book and binged it in less than a day. Some parts were a little heavy for me but I'm really glad I picked this up. I look forward to reading more from this author for sure.
December 10, 2025
In this strange tale, seven sisters are orphaned and sent to their grandmother's home on a lonely island. Grandma is a witch and is teaching them about the god of the forest and things spiral out of control.
Want to read
November 24, 2025A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
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