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Hex House
A feverishly told, dark and unsettling Scotland-set fairy-tale about a safe haven for women which transforms them into vessels of revenge, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, A. G Slatter and Julia Armfield
ELLY
Elly is running. Pregnant and still in her wedding dress, she flees the cottage that her new husband has rented for their wedding night. Because he’s not what people think he is – and she knows that, one day, he’ll hurt her in a way she can’t fix. Freezing and lost in the dead of night, Elly begins to lose hope.
A woman in the woods alone is never the beginning of the story. It’s usually the end.
So, when a beautiful house appears out of nowhere and a woman beckons her inside, it almost feels too good to be true.
Welcome to Hex a refuge, a home, a sanctuary. A place that can only be found by those who truly need it; a place that promises to teach Elly how to access a power more incredible – and more terrifying – than anything she could have imagined.
SIOBHAN
Four years after Siobhan meets Elly at Hex House, her life is in ruins. Once a promising filmmaker invited to the house to make a documentary with her brother, Theo, she’s given up on her dream after witnessing unspeakable horrors there. Now, she spends her time drinking too much, toying with an older man in increasingly dangerous ways, and trying to get Theo to speak to her again. She ignores the scar on her stomach that never fully heals.
That is, until someone reaches out with news about Hex House that could change everything.
And Siobhan knows, deep down, that she was always destined to return.
ELLY
Elly is running. Pregnant and still in her wedding dress, she flees the cottage that her new husband has rented for their wedding night. Because he’s not what people think he is – and she knows that, one day, he’ll hurt her in a way she can’t fix. Freezing and lost in the dead of night, Elly begins to lose hope.
A woman in the woods alone is never the beginning of the story. It’s usually the end.
So, when a beautiful house appears out of nowhere and a woman beckons her inside, it almost feels too good to be true.
Welcome to Hex a refuge, a home, a sanctuary. A place that can only be found by those who truly need it; a place that promises to teach Elly how to access a power more incredible – and more terrifying – than anything she could have imagined.
SIOBHAN
Four years after Siobhan meets Elly at Hex House, her life is in ruins. Once a promising filmmaker invited to the house to make a documentary with her brother, Theo, she’s given up on her dream after witnessing unspeakable horrors there. Now, she spends her time drinking too much, toying with an older man in increasingly dangerous ways, and trying to get Theo to speak to her again. She ignores the scar on her stomach that never fully heals.
That is, until someone reaches out with news about Hex House that could change everything.
And Siobhan knows, deep down, that she was always destined to return.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
44 people are currently reading
1597 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 5, 2026
2.5 ★
Another slightly disappointing read.
This year I am making a conscious effort to engage with a wider variety of genres and the description of this one really hooked me - it had all the elements to make the story a compelling one and reminded me a little of 'Just Like Home' by Sarah Gailey which I enjoyed a lot.
Unfortunately many of the aspects of the story felt undeveloped. For example, the main protganist was experiencing some sort of traumatic response to the events at Hex House and acting out through alcoholism - this was depicted as a relatively shallow coping mechanism, and though some sort of familial past with the illness was touched on it was never developed. Similarly, Ellie, the other protagonist, reminisct several times on returning to her abusive husband - I think this was a great opportunity to develop a more nuanced narrative on victimhood and the complex feelings that one might feel within such a relatioship but this was similarly glossed over. The magic used was unexplicable and though part of its appeal was the mystery I never fully understood how it fit in with the narrative.
Further, I think the idea of 'Stockholm syndrome' could have composed a major undercurrent in this novel which would have been incredibly interesting to explore.
In short, many aspects of this story intrigued me but they did not really deliver. Although several interesting themes were touched on, the book lacked the emotional depth to make them more impactful within the story.
Another slightly disappointing read.
This year I am making a conscious effort to engage with a wider variety of genres and the description of this one really hooked me - it had all the elements to make the story a compelling one and reminded me a little of 'Just Like Home' by Sarah Gailey which I enjoyed a lot.
Unfortunately many of the aspects of the story felt undeveloped. For example, the main protganist was experiencing some sort of traumatic response to the events at Hex House and acting out through alcoholism - this was depicted as a relatively shallow coping mechanism, and though some sort of familial past with the illness was touched on it was never developed. Similarly, Ellie, the other protagonist, reminisct several times on returning to her abusive husband - I think this was a great opportunity to develop a more nuanced narrative on victimhood and the complex feelings that one might feel within such a relatioship but this was similarly glossed over. The magic used was unexplicable and though part of its appeal was the mystery I never fully understood how it fit in with the narrative.
Further, I think the idea of 'Stockholm syndrome' could have composed a major undercurrent in this novel which would have been incredibly interesting to explore.
In short, many aspects of this story intrigued me but they did not really deliver. Although several interesting themes were touched on, the book lacked the emotional depth to make them more impactful within the story.
May 1, 2026
Hex House is a beautiful merge of fairytale, urban legend, mystery, and revenge, all wrapped up in an incredibly atmospheric setting and gorgeous writing. These characters felt so lifelike, flawed and broken as they were—sometimes pieced back together with all of their sharp and bloody edges still showing, like many trauma survivors in the real world.
I love a story told like this, with glimpses of "then" and "now" gradually meeting in the middle, and I thought it was brilliantly done in Hex House. Elly's chapters give us an opportunity to know and love a few truly wonderful women and to experience the house in all its glory, while Siobhan's chapters tease out the threads of a multilayered, tragic event.
While Hex House includes some painful elements and quite a few very dark scenes, there's something oddly gentle about Amy Jane Stewart's writing that approaches it all with such care and love. I can't believe that this is the author's debut novel, but it makes me incredibly eager to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for (very minor spoilers):
I love a story told like this, with glimpses of "then" and "now" gradually meeting in the middle, and I thought it was brilliantly done in Hex House. Elly's chapters give us an opportunity to know and love a few truly wonderful women and to experience the house in all its glory, while Siobhan's chapters tease out the threads of a multilayered, tragic event.
While Hex House includes some painful elements and quite a few very dark scenes, there's something oddly gentle about Amy Jane Stewart's writing that approaches it all with such care and love. I can't believe that this is the author's debut novel, but it makes me incredibly eager to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for (very minor spoilers):
April 22, 2026
*4.5
Hex House is a fantasy-horror blend done in a way that actually works for me. It deals with serious subject matter, features fully developed and realistically flawed characters, and uses its darker elements to serve both the plot and a larger purpose beyond just aesthetics.
The story tackles heavy topics including domestic abuse, women’s autonomy, substance abuse, and handles them with care. They’re woven into the narrative well, keeping the story engaging without trivializing it’s themes. This reads like a dark, feminist fairy tale that explores trauma, resilience, and rage, with a strong focus on women's struggles and transformations.
This is also one of the rare times where I enjoyed both POVs equally. Both perspectives follow complex characters dealing with their own issues, and their threads move at an even pace toward the same end goal. I liked how the perspectives contrasted and gradually came together in the final act.
I loved the investigative/documentary-making aspect. It keeps the mystery of Hex House front and center, making the story more plot-driven while also giving solid character development for both the observer and the observed.
Stewart definitely made her presence known with this debut! I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Readers who enjoyed The Brood by Rebecca Baum like I did will have a phenomenal time with Hex House.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hex House is a fantasy-horror blend done in a way that actually works for me. It deals with serious subject matter, features fully developed and realistically flawed characters, and uses its darker elements to serve both the plot and a larger purpose beyond just aesthetics.
The story tackles heavy topics including domestic abuse, women’s autonomy, substance abuse, and handles them with care. They’re woven into the narrative well, keeping the story engaging without trivializing it’s themes. This reads like a dark, feminist fairy tale that explores trauma, resilience, and rage, with a strong focus on women's struggles and transformations.
This is also one of the rare times where I enjoyed both POVs equally. Both perspectives follow complex characters dealing with their own issues, and their threads move at an even pace toward the same end goal. I liked how the perspectives contrasted and gradually came together in the final act.
I loved the investigative/documentary-making aspect. It keeps the mystery of Hex House front and center, making the story more plot-driven while also giving solid character development for both the observer and the observed.
Stewart definitely made her presence known with this debut! I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Readers who enjoyed The Brood by Rebecca Baum like I did will have a phenomenal time with Hex House.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2026
This story unfolds across two timelines, following Elly and Siobhan, whose lives become dangerously tied to a mysterious place called Hex House. In the past, a pregnant Elly is on the run from her new husband - she stumbles upon the house in the woods, a refuge that feels like salvation but hides something far darker. Years later, Siobhan is still haunted by what she experienced there while filming a documentary, her life uncoiling in the aftermath. When she’s pulled back toward Hex House, it becomes clear that the house is not just a sanctuary, but something far more sinister. Told like a cautionary fairy tale, this is a story about power, temptation, and the price of stepping into something that seems too good to be true.
This is a fever dream in the best way with a blurring of the lines between reality and something just slightly off. And if you know me, you know that fever dreams are my sanctuary. The story has the feel of magical realism, but with a strong emphasis on the “real”. The emotions, the choices, and the consequences all feel grounded even when the story drifts into the eerie and weird. Despite its layered structure and dual timelines, it was surprisingly easy to follow, and there’s a steady sense of impending dread woven through every page that never lets up.
Elly’s journey hit me hard. Her mix of desperation and fragile hope was heartbreaking, especially knowing she was trying to escape something she just couldn’t fully outrun. Siobhan’s storyline felt just as powerful in a different way. Her descent into dangerous habits and her twisted relationship felt achingly human, and her addiction was both intoxicating and painful to watch unravel.
For a debut, this is incredibly impressive. The writing, the atmosphere, and the emotional depth all came together in a way that stayed with me long after I finished. I’ll definitely be watching for whatever this author does next!
Thank you so much to and for including me on this book tour and providing me with a copy of Hex House in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fever dream in the best way with a blurring of the lines between reality and something just slightly off. And if you know me, you know that fever dreams are my sanctuary. The story has the feel of magical realism, but with a strong emphasis on the “real”. The emotions, the choices, and the consequences all feel grounded even when the story drifts into the eerie and weird. Despite its layered structure and dual timelines, it was surprisingly easy to follow, and there’s a steady sense of impending dread woven through every page that never lets up.
Elly’s journey hit me hard. Her mix of desperation and fragile hope was heartbreaking, especially knowing she was trying to escape something she just couldn’t fully outrun. Siobhan’s storyline felt just as powerful in a different way. Her descent into dangerous habits and her twisted relationship felt achingly human, and her addiction was both intoxicating and painful to watch unravel.
For a debut, this is incredibly impressive. The writing, the atmosphere, and the emotional depth all came together in a way that stayed with me long after I finished. I’ll definitely be watching for whatever this author does next!
Thank you so much to and for including me on this book tour and providing me with a copy of Hex House in exchange for an honest review.
Read
April 16, 2026A dark fairytale with rich atmosphere, for fans of Scottish folklore and creeping, slow-building horror.
Premise - Pregnant newlywed Elly flees her honeymoon cottage on her wedding night, knowing a life with her new husband would be more dangerous than facing the wild unknown of the woods.
Elly, near hopeless, stumbles upon a beautiful house, Hex House, and learns that it’s a refuge that appears only to those who need it most.
Fast forward four years and we meet Siobhan, an alcoholic hot mess with a mysterious scar, a brother, Theo, who won’t talk to her, and ties to both Hex House and Elly. Now, the only way forward is back.
While this is a very well-written story and surely find a large and eager audience, it wasn't quite for me. I can't seem to figure out what it is that didn't grip me, so I'm not going to put a star rating on it. It's a good book, just not my specific taste.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lianne Walker. She did a great job building the atmosphere of Hex House in her read!
Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Premise - Pregnant newlywed Elly flees her honeymoon cottage on her wedding night, knowing a life with her new husband would be more dangerous than facing the wild unknown of the woods.
Elly, near hopeless, stumbles upon a beautiful house, Hex House, and learns that it’s a refuge that appears only to those who need it most.
Fast forward four years and we meet Siobhan, an alcoholic hot mess with a mysterious scar, a brother, Theo, who won’t talk to her, and ties to both Hex House and Elly. Now, the only way forward is back.
While this is a very well-written story and surely find a large and eager audience, it wasn't quite for me. I can't seem to figure out what it is that didn't grip me, so I'm not going to put a star rating on it. It's a good book, just not my specific taste.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lianne Walker. She did a great job building the atmosphere of Hex House in her read!
Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5 stars rounded up.
The Hex House is marketed as a dark Scottish gothic folk horror novel. The Hex House is supposed to be a story, not a real place. However, if you need it, you will be able to find it. But is it what you think it is? For me - no. This premise sounds interesting but the execution was lacking for me, I was bored. I kept waiting for the story to turn into something else, and it eventually did, but I did not find the payoff entirely worth it.
2.5 stars rounded up.
The Hex House is marketed as a dark Scottish gothic folk horror novel. The Hex House is supposed to be a story, not a real place. However, if you need it, you will be able to find it. But is it what you think it is? For me - no. This premise sounds interesting but the execution was lacking for me, I was bored. I kept waiting for the story to turn into something else, and it eventually did, but I did not find the payoff entirely worth it.
April 26, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Elly, newly married and pregnant, flees her controlling husband and is welcomed into Hex House by its mysterious administrator, Haina. She discovers that Hex House is a refuge for many other women and that there is something sinister at its heart.
Siobhan and her brother Theo are working on a documentary about the mysterious house and are welcomed.
Years later, Siobhan and Theo haven’t spoken since the night they fled Hex House, and Siobhan’s life has become a wreck. She hears that Haina is dead and finds that Hex House is calling her.
There is so much to this book. It explores fear, anger, pride, rebirth, obedience, ambition , and sacrifice as well as marriage, friendship, community, and family - found and native. It is a slow burn, but the pacing is a little uneven at times. The story itself is original, and the characters are developed, though I would have liked to have had a little more insight into Siobhan. Why did she choose to have a beef with Owen? We have no idea about anything in her background that would explain her motives
Overall, I read it straight through with only a brief pause for sleep because I have no respect for my physical and mental health (allegedly).
Anyway, this is a nice gothic tale of female empowerment and feminine rage, especially how it can be exploited - even by those who claim to have our best interests at heart.
Elly, newly married and pregnant, flees her controlling husband and is welcomed into Hex House by its mysterious administrator, Haina. She discovers that Hex House is a refuge for many other women and that there is something sinister at its heart.
Siobhan and her brother Theo are working on a documentary about the mysterious house and are welcomed.
Years later, Siobhan and Theo haven’t spoken since the night they fled Hex House, and Siobhan’s life has become a wreck. She hears that Haina is dead and finds that Hex House is calling her.
There is so much to this book. It explores fear, anger, pride, rebirth, obedience, ambition , and sacrifice as well as marriage, friendship, community, and family - found and native. It is a slow burn, but the pacing is a little uneven at times. The story itself is original, and the characters are developed, though I would have liked to have had a little more insight into Siobhan. Why did she choose to have a beef with Owen? We have no idea about anything in her background that would explain her motives
Overall, I read it straight through with only a brief pause for sleep because I have no respect for my physical and mental health (allegedly).
Anyway, this is a nice gothic tale of female empowerment and feminine rage, especially how it can be exploited - even by those who claim to have our best interests at heart.
October 29, 2025
Love when a debut is perfect.
April 6, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Titan Books for an early copy - all opinions are my own.
Hex House is a cleverly woven dual-timeline, fantastical horror that promises feminist themes and an atmospheric Scottish setting. While it delivers strongly on both counts, magical realism is not something I seek out in horror so there was a disconnect early for me.
This is a wonderfully strong debut with an excellent balance of heart and bite. The tone perfectly matched the dark, disturbed setting. Amy Jane Stewart masterfully uses timelines and POVs to feed the reader small pieces of the plot until they form a whole, cohesive story.
The pacing was a bit disjointed but mostly leaned slow. Rather than assisting in building the dread, it smothered it a bit. My largest disconnect in the cast of characters was with Siobhan. I could not find anything relatable or endearing about her. The women of Hex House as a whole were lovely though and watching the friendships bloom was a nice juxtaposition to the horrors unfolding.
I’m anxious to try more by Amy Jane Stewart. This is an excellent story and I’m hoping to find additional connection with the next.
I recommend for fans of atmospheric stories, fantastical horror, and psychological darkness.
Thank you to Titan Books for an early copy - all opinions are my own.
Hex House is a cleverly woven dual-timeline, fantastical horror that promises feminist themes and an atmospheric Scottish setting. While it delivers strongly on both counts, magical realism is not something I seek out in horror so there was a disconnect early for me.
This is a wonderfully strong debut with an excellent balance of heart and bite. The tone perfectly matched the dark, disturbed setting. Amy Jane Stewart masterfully uses timelines and POVs to feed the reader small pieces of the plot until they form a whole, cohesive story.
The pacing was a bit disjointed but mostly leaned slow. Rather than assisting in building the dread, it smothered it a bit. My largest disconnect in the cast of characters was with Siobhan. I could not find anything relatable or endearing about her. The women of Hex House as a whole were lovely though and watching the friendships bloom was a nice juxtaposition to the horrors unfolding.
I’m anxious to try more by Amy Jane Stewart. This is an excellent story and I’m hoping to find additional connection with the next.
I recommend for fans of atmospheric stories, fantastical horror, and psychological darkness.
February 12, 2026
I was hooked from the start i literally couldn’t put this book down and found myself waking up early to get a few chapters in before my day started. A cross over of genres between fantastical and horror truly terrifying but beautiful . Cleverly written that makes every chapter ending a cliffhanger and keeps you reading. I can’t wait to read more from this Author with thanks to Titan books for the ARC
April 30, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook.
📝 Short Summary
A dark, unsettling fairytale about a mysterious house that appears when you need it most but comes with a cost you don’t fully understand.
Review
This audiobook pulled me in immediately. The opening scene with Elly running, pregnant and still in her wedding dress, sets such an eerie and emotional tone right from the start. You can feel something isn’t right, and that quiet tension carries all the way through the story.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines between Elly and Siobhan. One is just entering Hex House in a vulnerable moment, and the other has already been through it and is clearly still affected. That contrast kept me hooked because I was constantly trying to piece together what actually happened inside that house.
Hex House itself felt like its own character. It starts off as a sanctuary, almost too perfect, and then slowly shifts into something more unsettling. That dark fairytale atmosphere was done so well. It is not loud or jumpy horror. It is more of a slow, emotional unease that builds and lingers.
The audiobook experience made everything stronger. The writing already feels immersive, but Lianne Walker brought so much life to it. Her narration felt natural and really captured the emotional weight of both characters. The shifts in tone, the tension, even the quieter moments all came through in a way that made it hard to stop listening.
I also loved how it blends genres. It moves between horror, fantasy, and magical realism in a way that feels seamless but is still grounded in emotion. It is the kind of story that quietly pulls you in and stays with you after.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, especially if you enjoy dark fairytales, eerie settings, and character driven stories with a haunting edge.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook.
📝 Short Summary
A dark, unsettling fairytale about a mysterious house that appears when you need it most but comes with a cost you don’t fully understand.
Review
This audiobook pulled me in immediately. The opening scene with Elly running, pregnant and still in her wedding dress, sets such an eerie and emotional tone right from the start. You can feel something isn’t right, and that quiet tension carries all the way through the story.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines between Elly and Siobhan. One is just entering Hex House in a vulnerable moment, and the other has already been through it and is clearly still affected. That contrast kept me hooked because I was constantly trying to piece together what actually happened inside that house.
Hex House itself felt like its own character. It starts off as a sanctuary, almost too perfect, and then slowly shifts into something more unsettling. That dark fairytale atmosphere was done so well. It is not loud or jumpy horror. It is more of a slow, emotional unease that builds and lingers.
The audiobook experience made everything stronger. The writing already feels immersive, but Lianne Walker brought so much life to it. Her narration felt natural and really captured the emotional weight of both characters. The shifts in tone, the tension, even the quieter moments all came through in a way that made it hard to stop listening.
I also loved how it blends genres. It moves between horror, fantasy, and magical realism in a way that feels seamless but is still grounded in emotion. It is the kind of story that quietly pulls you in and stays with you after.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes, especially if you enjoy dark fairytales, eerie settings, and character driven stories with a haunting edge.
April 28, 2026
Hex House left me thinking about anger and survival long after I closed the book. Amy Jane Stewart builds a house that is both refuge and reckoning, a place that appears to women at their most desperate and asks them to choose what they will become.
The prose moves with a steady, unnerving clarity and the magical realism elements feel earned rather than decorative. Elly's flight into the woods and Siobhan's fractured aftermath form a conversation about trauma, memory and the cost of reclaiming power. The women who gather at Hex House are not caricatures of victimhood.
They are complicated, sometimes frightening, often fierce.
My only reservations are that the pacing slackens in places and a repeated phrase began to grate, but those moments did not undo the book's emotional force. This is not a comfortable read. It asks you to sit with rage and with the idea that survival can demand hard choices. For readers who want horror that interrogates rather than merely shocks, Hex House is a memorable debut. I will be recommending it to friends who like their horror thoughtful, unsettling and rooted in human consequence and morally complicated too.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the ALC
Publication Date Apr 28 2026
The prose moves with a steady, unnerving clarity and the magical realism elements feel earned rather than decorative. Elly's flight into the woods and Siobhan's fractured aftermath form a conversation about trauma, memory and the cost of reclaiming power. The women who gather at Hex House are not caricatures of victimhood.
They are complicated, sometimes frightening, often fierce.
My only reservations are that the pacing slackens in places and a repeated phrase began to grate, but those moments did not undo the book's emotional force. This is not a comfortable read. It asks you to sit with rage and with the idea that survival can demand hard choices. For readers who want horror that interrogates rather than merely shocks, Hex House is a memorable debut. I will be recommending it to friends who like their horror thoughtful, unsettling and rooted in human consequence and morally complicated too.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the ALC
Publication Date Apr 28 2026
May 3, 2026
Hex house is a fantasy horror involving a mysterious sanctuary whose inhabitants are performing strange rituals.
The first chapter is incredibly compelling. Our first glimpse into this world is through the eyes of a character, Elly, who you can’t help but feel for. However, then the story moves on to our other narrator, who is certainly not as likable, but worse than that, not as compelling. Elly’s chapters fly by, but Siobhan’s chapters creep at a snails pace. Her story doesn’t feel as important until we reach the last slice of the book.
What this book has going for it is that readers know there is a tragedy that happens, but not quite what it is or how we come upon it. The fun is definitely in piecing together the story!
I wish the pacing was more consistent- it felt like getting a head full of information and action one chapter, and then the complete opposite the next. A jarring experience when reading.
The story itself once complete was satisfying and interesting (although I wasn’t blown away by the ending) I just wish the execution was a tatch cleaner.
The first chapter is incredibly compelling. Our first glimpse into this world is through the eyes of a character, Elly, who you can’t help but feel for. However, then the story moves on to our other narrator, who is certainly not as likable, but worse than that, not as compelling. Elly’s chapters fly by, but Siobhan’s chapters creep at a snails pace. Her story doesn’t feel as important until we reach the last slice of the book.
What this book has going for it is that readers know there is a tragedy that happens, but not quite what it is or how we come upon it. The fun is definitely in piecing together the story!
I wish the pacing was more consistent- it felt like getting a head full of information and action one chapter, and then the complete opposite the next. A jarring experience when reading.
The story itself once complete was satisfying and interesting (although I wasn’t blown away by the ending) I just wish the execution was a tatch cleaner.
April 28, 2026
The ultimate direction and conclusion of the book really let me down. It's very much a good-for-her type of story that focuses on women's rage. However I'm much more of an SFF reader and I felt that the book's engagement with the themes was far more litfic/magical surrealism than I'm personally a fan of.
I also don't enjoy the Thriller type of book that has a simple premise and a simple explanation that the reader can guess from the beginning, but insists on dragging and dragging out the 'mystery' to keep you engaged. It's not engaging; it's just frustrating and feels kinda cheap and transparent.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me an ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I also don't enjoy the Thriller type of book that has a simple premise and a simple explanation that the reader can guess from the beginning, but insists on dragging and dragging out the 'mystery' to keep you engaged. It's not engaging; it's just frustrating and feels kinda cheap and transparent.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me an ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 29, 2026
Shoutout to Titan Books & NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest feedback!
As soon as I sensed the depth between the multiple POVs (Elly and Siobhan's), that page-gripping tension built with the non-linear narrative and the hungry, angry spirit in our revenger Haina, I knew I'd be hooked on this book. And I sure was right. Fiercely full of female rage and empowered by the intense energy of the powers within the house, the women in this story are sure to be remembered for their courage, and their sacrifices.
Just ever so captivating, cunning and impressive— I was deeply entangled, enchanted and emotionally bewitched by Amy's debut novel. Kudos and cannot wait to read more in the future ✨
As soon as I sensed the depth between the multiple POVs (Elly and Siobhan's), that page-gripping tension built with the non-linear narrative and the hungry, angry spirit in our revenger Haina, I knew I'd be hooked on this book. And I sure was right. Fiercely full of female rage and empowered by the intense energy of the powers within the house, the women in this story are sure to be remembered for their courage, and their sacrifices.
Just ever so captivating, cunning and impressive— I was deeply entangled, enchanted and emotionally bewitched by Amy's debut novel. Kudos and cannot wait to read more in the future ✨
April 27, 2026
Ethereal, supernatural
Two women, two different set of circumstances end up needing the necessity of a place, rumored to be a myth, an urban legend-The Hex House.
Supposedly a safe house of sorts, a place to hide from societal issues, and possibly rehabilitate-to regain one’s composure, strength and the will to move on.
A superb detail driven debut about life’s pitfalls, a place to regroup and possibly be handed “tough love”
The author’s handling of delicate issues and substance abuse is beautifully written into the story, while also rendering one speechless with the graphic descriptions.
Thanks to Titan Books for this arc, and a truly a unique reading experience!
Two women, two different set of circumstances end up needing the necessity of a place, rumored to be a myth, an urban legend-The Hex House.
Supposedly a safe house of sorts, a place to hide from societal issues, and possibly rehabilitate-to regain one’s composure, strength and the will to move on.
A superb detail driven debut about life’s pitfalls, a place to regroup and possibly be handed “tough love”
The author’s handling of delicate issues and substance abuse is beautifully written into the story, while also rendering one speechless with the graphic descriptions.
Thanks to Titan Books for this arc, and a truly a unique reading experience!
Did Not Finish
March 18, 2026DNF @ 40%
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the e-ARC.
This book was sadly not for me. While the writing was good, I'm not a fan of magical realism at all. I thought the book would be a horror fantasy but this wasn't the vibe.
I did not like the characters at all, and while I did get the sense that I was supposed to feel bad for them, I had no clue about them or their personalities as far in as 40%. While I would be intrigued to know what happens, I found myself not caring and not wanting to pick up the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the e-ARC.
This book was sadly not for me. While the writing was good, I'm not a fan of magical realism at all. I thought the book would be a horror fantasy but this wasn't the vibe.
I did not like the characters at all, and while I did get the sense that I was supposed to feel bad for them, I had no clue about them or their personalities as far in as 40%. While I would be intrigued to know what happens, I found myself not caring and not wanting to pick up the book.
Read
May 5, 2026DNF at 51%
April 30, 2026
Mother Knows Worst
BWAF Score: 6/10
TL;DR: A nervy, specific feminist folk horror about the price of rescue. Amy Jane Stewart writes a sanctuary that is also a snare, a maternal hand that is also an inventory, a bird-woman transformation that refuses to settle for metaphor. Uneven at the sentence level, unmistakable in nerve. Stewart knows where dread lives. A debut with claws.
Haina calls them angels.
She runs the house. She drinks espresso while the other women eat. She places a hand on the small of Elly’s back the first time they meet, and Elly thinks: she sees me. Maybe I don’t have to explain.
It is the move Amy Jane Stewart‘s debut wants to make, over and over: the maternal hand that is also an inventory, the welcome that is also recruitment. Hex House is a sanctuary in the woods that finds women who need it. Specifically, women whose husbands have started to leave bruises. Specifically, women who have learned that complaining gets them hurt worse. The house feeds them. The house teaches them to access their hex, which is a kind of revenge form: claws, beak, wings. The house asks for something in return.
The structure is a dual timeline. Elly is the THEN. Pregnant, still in her wedding dress, she runs from a husband (Ethan, charcoal suit, charming, the kind of man who tells you to stay) and finds the house in the trees. Siobhan is the NOW. Four years ago she made a documentary at Hex House with her brother Theo. Whatever happened there has left her scarred (literally, a thing on her stomach that will not close). She drinks. She works at a vintage cinema called the Showroom. She runs into her former film professor (Owen, Jaws T-shirt, blazer, the kind of man who undoes a button when told to) and starts a private experiment in cruelty.
The Owen sections are the surprise. A man whose entire personality is the performance of not being That Guy. He invokes consent in the same breath as he watches a former student finish a bottle of wine, alone, at the cinema. Siobhan, who knows what she is doing, conducts a small private trial of him. The reader watches both of them know what is happening and pretend they do not. Owen is the most accurate creation in the book: more recognizable than Ethan, who reads as a checklist of red flags, and more disturbing because he believes his own press.
Stewart is from the Scottish Borders. Her PhD at Sheffield, per her author site and the Titan publicity copy, concerns the figure of the winged woman: angels, circus artists, the transgressive flying figure in literature. Hex House is in conversation with that material in a way that is more than thematic. The transformation scenes commit. When a woman called Lakshmi opens her wings in the middle of the garden, the camera (Theo’s camera, Siobhan’s gaze, the reader’s) does not turn away. The women have been making themselves smaller for so long that the unfolding registers as both monstrous and obvious. Of course they have wings under there. Where else would the rage have gone.
The prose is the variable. Stewart reaches at the sentence level. A heart is a startled creature. A face is split in two. The lack of a house lives in a person’s bones. The metaphors arrive in clusters, and not all of them survive proximity to the others. There is a habit of reaching for the simile when the noun would do, and of layering two when one would land harder. The book is most effective in its plainer registers: a woman in a bathroom, fingers under cold water, watching another woman cry without explanation. A jar of honey at breakfast. A pork rib licked clean. The flat thing.
There are pacing issues. The Siobhan and Owen plot, fascinating as it is, swells into something close to its own novella, and the book has to work to braid it back in. The middle section at the house slows in a way that flatters no one. The mythology, when it finally begins to be explained, is explained more than it is shown. Haina, who is the book’s gravitational center, gives speeches in her last act that the earlier book did not need her to give.
Still. The book has nerve. It has a specific argument about what abused women learn, and how they learn it, and what they do with the lesson once it has finished being delivered. It does not shy from the fact that the mother who saves you is also the mother who can choose to unsave you. It is honest about the appeal of Hex House (the appeal is that someone finally believed you) and honest about the cost (someone is always charging interest). It refuses to let its bird-women be a metaphor only. They are the metaphor and they are also bones, talons, claws on hardwood, the smell of rot underneath the floorboards.
A debut. A real one. Stewart’s instincts are stronger than her sentences yet, but the instincts are very good. She knows where dread lives. She knows that a hand on the back of the neck can be a kindness or an inventory, and that the women being touched do not always know which one it is. She knows that the house is hungry and she trusts you to figure out what that means.
(It means the same thing it has always meant.)
BWAF Score: 6/10
TL;DR: A nervy, specific feminist folk horror about the price of rescue. Amy Jane Stewart writes a sanctuary that is also a snare, a maternal hand that is also an inventory, a bird-woman transformation that refuses to settle for metaphor. Uneven at the sentence level, unmistakable in nerve. Stewart knows where dread lives. A debut with claws.
Haina calls them angels.
She runs the house. She drinks espresso while the other women eat. She places a hand on the small of Elly’s back the first time they meet, and Elly thinks: she sees me. Maybe I don’t have to explain.
It is the move Amy Jane Stewart‘s debut wants to make, over and over: the maternal hand that is also an inventory, the welcome that is also recruitment. Hex House is a sanctuary in the woods that finds women who need it. Specifically, women whose husbands have started to leave bruises. Specifically, women who have learned that complaining gets them hurt worse. The house feeds them. The house teaches them to access their hex, which is a kind of revenge form: claws, beak, wings. The house asks for something in return.
The structure is a dual timeline. Elly is the THEN. Pregnant, still in her wedding dress, she runs from a husband (Ethan, charcoal suit, charming, the kind of man who tells you to stay) and finds the house in the trees. Siobhan is the NOW. Four years ago she made a documentary at Hex House with her brother Theo. Whatever happened there has left her scarred (literally, a thing on her stomach that will not close). She drinks. She works at a vintage cinema called the Showroom. She runs into her former film professor (Owen, Jaws T-shirt, blazer, the kind of man who undoes a button when told to) and starts a private experiment in cruelty.
The Owen sections are the surprise. A man whose entire personality is the performance of not being That Guy. He invokes consent in the same breath as he watches a former student finish a bottle of wine, alone, at the cinema. Siobhan, who knows what she is doing, conducts a small private trial of him. The reader watches both of them know what is happening and pretend they do not. Owen is the most accurate creation in the book: more recognizable than Ethan, who reads as a checklist of red flags, and more disturbing because he believes his own press.
Stewart is from the Scottish Borders. Her PhD at Sheffield, per her author site and the Titan publicity copy, concerns the figure of the winged woman: angels, circus artists, the transgressive flying figure in literature. Hex House is in conversation with that material in a way that is more than thematic. The transformation scenes commit. When a woman called Lakshmi opens her wings in the middle of the garden, the camera (Theo’s camera, Siobhan’s gaze, the reader’s) does not turn away. The women have been making themselves smaller for so long that the unfolding registers as both monstrous and obvious. Of course they have wings under there. Where else would the rage have gone.
The prose is the variable. Stewart reaches at the sentence level. A heart is a startled creature. A face is split in two. The lack of a house lives in a person’s bones. The metaphors arrive in clusters, and not all of them survive proximity to the others. There is a habit of reaching for the simile when the noun would do, and of layering two when one would land harder. The book is most effective in its plainer registers: a woman in a bathroom, fingers under cold water, watching another woman cry without explanation. A jar of honey at breakfast. A pork rib licked clean. The flat thing.
There are pacing issues. The Siobhan and Owen plot, fascinating as it is, swells into something close to its own novella, and the book has to work to braid it back in. The middle section at the house slows in a way that flatters no one. The mythology, when it finally begins to be explained, is explained more than it is shown. Haina, who is the book’s gravitational center, gives speeches in her last act that the earlier book did not need her to give.
Still. The book has nerve. It has a specific argument about what abused women learn, and how they learn it, and what they do with the lesson once it has finished being delivered. It does not shy from the fact that the mother who saves you is also the mother who can choose to unsave you. It is honest about the appeal of Hex House (the appeal is that someone finally believed you) and honest about the cost (someone is always charging interest). It refuses to let its bird-women be a metaphor only. They are the metaphor and they are also bones, talons, claws on hardwood, the smell of rot underneath the floorboards.
A debut. A real one. Stewart’s instincts are stronger than her sentences yet, but the instincts are very good. She knows where dread lives. She knows that a hand on the back of the neck can be a kindness or an inventory, and that the women being touched do not always know which one it is. She knows that the house is hungry and she trusts you to figure out what that means.
(It means the same thing it has always meant.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart
4.35 rounded down to 4 orbs 🔮
Est. Pub. Date: April 28, 2026
Titan Books
A father's intuition…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Since you were small, your greatest strength was your unwavering loyalty. Every person you befriend is like fine china in a wooden hutch that you must protect from breaking. So, daughter, I have failed as a father. When you brought home this man to meet us, I put on a trepidatious smile. A wolf in a sheep's designer suit greeted me, shaking, or rather obliterating, my hand to prove his alpha maleness to me. The California tan, white veneers, and Rolex watch were meant to signal prestige and wealth. But I knew better. I have seen his kind before, standing charismatically upon the docks, casting his line of lies for the next naive victim. Your giddiness brought a sense of worry. You were enamored with the superficial and often overlooked the obvious flaws that were pelting me straight in my protective fatherly face. And so it went, my artificial acceptance of this man. That is, until you went missing…
🧐 A small glimpse: In a split-perspective novel by Amy Jane Stewart, we are introduced to pregnant Elly. Entering your wedding day with regret is often a recipe for disaster, but for meek Elly, she stays the course. In a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, Elly is offered a solution, one that sees her escape to a safe place for women, the Hex House. This house is one of folklore, something magically materializing in the depths of the forest for women in need of safety, an escape from the cruelties of men. Siobhan, a drunken filmmaker, is our other set of eyes, as she orchestrates an abundance of mayhem. Following Shiv, we partake in her demented relationship with her ex-college professor, Owen. Simultaneously, we learn about Siobhan’s complex relationship with her brother Theo. One that includes a “falling out” after the two were invited by Haina, the Hex House matriarch, to tape a documentary. This is where our story lines intersect, as Siobhan, Theo, and Elly meet within the confines of the mysterious Hex House. What happened there changed their lives forever.
👍 Orbs Pros: The solid prose! I loved Amy Jane Stewart’s ability to weave in enough debauchery to keep me biting my fingernails while also interjecting just enough tender moments to draw me in to feel empathetic for the main characters. This is all done within the framework of the serious topic of domestic violence and abuse. Women Power! From victim to hunter, the women's outlooks morphing into something otherworldly proved empowering. Creative! One would look at the cover and think, well, this must be your average slasher. But oh, how you would be fooled. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there is something quite unusual residing in these pages. Moral ambiguity! The grey area between right and wrong… I love a story where there are many ways to look at the outcome.
👎 Orbs Cons: I will play devil’s advocate on this one and say “some” might find the male characters in the novel are overdone. To be honest, I am not sure if there was one that had any redeeming qualities other than Theo. With that in mind, the bigger question at the conclusion was, had the victim turned into the villain? Scenes of physical abuse and torturous ways exist. If you are particularly leery of that type of content, you might want to steer clear.
Highly Recommended! I loved the story! A wickedly deceptive novel that creatively snuck up on me. The dual POV gave distinct levels of variation and helped secure my overall satisfaction.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: I tight-lipped my way through the toasting at your wedding. Being the bigger man, I just wanted my little girl to be happy. Perhaps I had misread the signs. That is, until your husband came calling, hysterically. An act, perhaps? He said, "You were gone without a sign, just poof!" It took every fiber of my being not to interrogate your man and demand answers. I had concluded that he was the perpetrator. Every time you rushed off the phone when he appeared, or the lame excuses you made for his blatantly horrid behavior. I abstained, for what would happen if I intervened? A wedge would be driven between us! Some time later, the police reported that your “husband” went missing as well. How convenient! So now I sit, a daughterless father, nary an answer in sight. I often rewind time until that unfortunate initial meeting where I correct my misdoings and tell him what I actually think of his tired act. Perhaps that would have saved me the pain and sorrow of missing a child.
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4.35 rounded down to 4 orbs 🔮
Est. Pub. Date: April 28, 2026
Titan Books
A father's intuition…
💡 Orbs Prologue: Since you were small, your greatest strength was your unwavering loyalty. Every person you befriend is like fine china in a wooden hutch that you must protect from breaking. So, daughter, I have failed as a father. When you brought home this man to meet us, I put on a trepidatious smile. A wolf in a sheep's designer suit greeted me, shaking, or rather obliterating, my hand to prove his alpha maleness to me. The California tan, white veneers, and Rolex watch were meant to signal prestige and wealth. But I knew better. I have seen his kind before, standing charismatically upon the docks, casting his line of lies for the next naive victim. Your giddiness brought a sense of worry. You were enamored with the superficial and often overlooked the obvious flaws that were pelting me straight in my protective fatherly face. And so it went, my artificial acceptance of this man. That is, until you went missing…
🧐 A small glimpse: In a split-perspective novel by Amy Jane Stewart, we are introduced to pregnant Elly. Entering your wedding day with regret is often a recipe for disaster, but for meek Elly, she stays the course. In a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, Elly is offered a solution, one that sees her escape to a safe place for women, the Hex House. This house is one of folklore, something magically materializing in the depths of the forest for women in need of safety, an escape from the cruelties of men. Siobhan, a drunken filmmaker, is our other set of eyes, as she orchestrates an abundance of mayhem. Following Shiv, we partake in her demented relationship with her ex-college professor, Owen. Simultaneously, we learn about Siobhan’s complex relationship with her brother Theo. One that includes a “falling out” after the two were invited by Haina, the Hex House matriarch, to tape a documentary. This is where our story lines intersect, as Siobhan, Theo, and Elly meet within the confines of the mysterious Hex House. What happened there changed their lives forever.
👍 Orbs Pros: The solid prose! I loved Amy Jane Stewart’s ability to weave in enough debauchery to keep me biting my fingernails while also interjecting just enough tender moments to draw me in to feel empathetic for the main characters. This is all done within the framework of the serious topic of domestic violence and abuse. Women Power! From victim to hunter, the women's outlooks morphing into something otherworldly proved empowering. Creative! One would look at the cover and think, well, this must be your average slasher. But oh, how you would be fooled. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there is something quite unusual residing in these pages. Moral ambiguity! The grey area between right and wrong… I love a story where there are many ways to look at the outcome.
👎 Orbs Cons: I will play devil’s advocate on this one and say “some” might find the male characters in the novel are overdone. To be honest, I am not sure if there was one that had any redeeming qualities other than Theo. With that in mind, the bigger question at the conclusion was, had the victim turned into the villain? Scenes of physical abuse and torturous ways exist. If you are particularly leery of that type of content, you might want to steer clear.
Highly Recommended! I loved the story! A wickedly deceptive novel that creatively snuck up on me. The dual POV gave distinct levels of variation and helped secure my overall satisfaction.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: I tight-lipped my way through the toasting at your wedding. Being the bigger man, I just wanted my little girl to be happy. Perhaps I had misread the signs. That is, until your husband came calling, hysterically. An act, perhaps? He said, "You were gone without a sign, just poof!" It took every fiber of my being not to interrogate your man and demand answers. I had concluded that he was the perpetrator. Every time you rushed off the phone when he appeared, or the lame excuses you made for his blatantly horrid behavior. I abstained, for what would happen if I intervened? A wedge would be driven between us! Some time later, the police reported that your “husband” went missing as well. How convenient! So now I sit, a daughterless father, nary an answer in sight. I often rewind time until that unfortunate initial meeting where I correct my misdoings and tell him what I actually think of his tired act. Perhaps that would have saved me the pain and sorrow of missing a child.
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC through NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's feral to start a book with a pregnant bride sprinting through a freezing Scottish night in her wedding dress. Elly fleeing her brand new husband on their literal wedding night is the kind of opening that makes you sit upright like, oh, we are not easing into this, we are running barefoot through trauma immediately. And the fact that she knows, bone deep, that he will hurt her in a way she cannot fix? I was already clutching my emotional pearls.
Then the house appears.
Hex House does not creep into the story, it materializes like a morally ambiguous fairy godmother with a side hustle in vengeance. It only reveals itself to women who truly need it, which is either the most comforting thing ever or the beginning of every cult documentary I have ever watched. The woman who beckons Elly inside, Haina, radiates that serene, ancient energy that says, I have seen some things and I am not explaining them to you. I was obsessed with her and also side eyeing her the entire time.
What Stewart does really well is lean into the idea of sanctuary as something sharp. This is not a cozy witch cottage where you bake bread and process your feelings. Hex House offers power. Real, transformative, slightly terrifying power. And the revenge element? Delicious in theory. A refuge that turns survivors into vessels of something darker, something avenging. It scratches that primal part of your brain that wants every abuser to step on a cosmic Lego.
But then we get Siobhan, four years later, and this is where things get messy in the best and worst ways. Siobhan was once a promising filmmaker who came to Hex House with her brother Theo to document it. Now she is spiraling, drinking too much, sabotaging her own life, and engaging in some deeply questionable dynamics with an older man that made me want to gently shake her and also hand her a glass of water. She carries a scar on her stomach that never fully heals, which is both literal and the least subtle metaphor in the world, and yet it works because her entire life feels like an open wound.
Here is the thing. Siobhan is not likable in a traditional way. She is sharp, self destructive, sometimes cruel. If she were a man, half of Goodreads would be calling her irredeemable. But I kind of loved that about her. Not in a girlboss way, more in a, this woman is deeply unwell and I respect the commitment to the bit. Watching her try to outrun what happened at Hex House, while clearly being magnetically pulled back to it, is like watching someone keep texting their toxic ex and being shocked every time it goes badly.
The dual timeline structure mostly works. Elly’s story is immediate and desperate, all raw survival and creeping enchantment. Siobhan’s is slower, soaked in regret and self loathing. Sometimes the back and forth made me feel like I was emotionally resetting every few chapters, just as I got settled into one thread. The pacing drags in places, especially when you want answers about Haina or the true nature of the house and the book just stares at you mysteriously instead. There are questions that remain very much unanswered, and your tolerance for that will absolutely determine your final rating.
Tonally, it sits in that murky space between folk horror and dark feminist fairy tale. Think less jump scare, more creeping dread in the woods. It is atmospheric, misty, a little cult adjacent without ever fully committing to being a cult story. The magic itself feels intentionally slippery. Is it supernatural? Is it psychological? Is it both? The ambiguity is a strength thematically, even if it left me occasionally wanting a few more concrete breadcrumbs.
What really lingered for me is the rage. Not explosive, scream into the void rage. The quieter, marrow deep kind. The kind that builds in women who are told to endure. Hex House offers an answer to that rage, and the book never fully decides whether that answer is salvation or corruption. That moral grayness is compelling. It just does not always hit as hard as it could, especially in the final stretch where I wanted either more devastation or more catharsis.
By the end, I was unsettled, thoughtful, and slightly emotionally bruised, which is honestly the goal with something like this. Did I love every choice? No. Did I want tighter pacing and a bit more clarity about Haina and the origins of this vengeance factory in the woods? Absolutely. But did it give me haunted forest feminism, messy women, and morally complicated magic? Yes, and I will always show up for that.
Three and a half stars. Moody, witchy, imperfect, and interesting in all the right ways
Huge thank you to Titan Books, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. You handed me a haunted house in the woods and said, good luck, and honestly? I respect that.
Then the house appears.
Hex House does not creep into the story, it materializes like a morally ambiguous fairy godmother with a side hustle in vengeance. It only reveals itself to women who truly need it, which is either the most comforting thing ever or the beginning of every cult documentary I have ever watched. The woman who beckons Elly inside, Haina, radiates that serene, ancient energy that says, I have seen some things and I am not explaining them to you. I was obsessed with her and also side eyeing her the entire time.
What Stewart does really well is lean into the idea of sanctuary as something sharp. This is not a cozy witch cottage where you bake bread and process your feelings. Hex House offers power. Real, transformative, slightly terrifying power. And the revenge element? Delicious in theory. A refuge that turns survivors into vessels of something darker, something avenging. It scratches that primal part of your brain that wants every abuser to step on a cosmic Lego.
But then we get Siobhan, four years later, and this is where things get messy in the best and worst ways. Siobhan was once a promising filmmaker who came to Hex House with her brother Theo to document it. Now she is spiraling, drinking too much, sabotaging her own life, and engaging in some deeply questionable dynamics with an older man that made me want to gently shake her and also hand her a glass of water. She carries a scar on her stomach that never fully heals, which is both literal and the least subtle metaphor in the world, and yet it works because her entire life feels like an open wound.
Here is the thing. Siobhan is not likable in a traditional way. She is sharp, self destructive, sometimes cruel. If she were a man, half of Goodreads would be calling her irredeemable. But I kind of loved that about her. Not in a girlboss way, more in a, this woman is deeply unwell and I respect the commitment to the bit. Watching her try to outrun what happened at Hex House, while clearly being magnetically pulled back to it, is like watching someone keep texting their toxic ex and being shocked every time it goes badly.
The dual timeline structure mostly works. Elly’s story is immediate and desperate, all raw survival and creeping enchantment. Siobhan’s is slower, soaked in regret and self loathing. Sometimes the back and forth made me feel like I was emotionally resetting every few chapters, just as I got settled into one thread. The pacing drags in places, especially when you want answers about Haina or the true nature of the house and the book just stares at you mysteriously instead. There are questions that remain very much unanswered, and your tolerance for that will absolutely determine your final rating.
Tonally, it sits in that murky space between folk horror and dark feminist fairy tale. Think less jump scare, more creeping dread in the woods. It is atmospheric, misty, a little cult adjacent without ever fully committing to being a cult story. The magic itself feels intentionally slippery. Is it supernatural? Is it psychological? Is it both? The ambiguity is a strength thematically, even if it left me occasionally wanting a few more concrete breadcrumbs.
What really lingered for me is the rage. Not explosive, scream into the void rage. The quieter, marrow deep kind. The kind that builds in women who are told to endure. Hex House offers an answer to that rage, and the book never fully decides whether that answer is salvation or corruption. That moral grayness is compelling. It just does not always hit as hard as it could, especially in the final stretch where I wanted either more devastation or more catharsis.
By the end, I was unsettled, thoughtful, and slightly emotionally bruised, which is honestly the goal with something like this. Did I love every choice? No. Did I want tighter pacing and a bit more clarity about Haina and the origins of this vengeance factory in the woods? Absolutely. But did it give me haunted forest feminism, messy women, and morally complicated magic? Yes, and I will always show up for that.
Three and a half stars. Moody, witchy, imperfect, and interesting in all the right ways
Huge thank you to Titan Books, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. You handed me a haunted house in the woods and said, good luck, and honestly? I respect that.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have seen this book pop up frequently with my amazing BookSky friends. I read the blurb about it and I added it to my TBR. I was absolutely intrigued. Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, the audio version of this came up for an ARC. I jumped at the chance and thankfully was approved prior to release on April 28, 2026. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this for a review.
I realize this will sound cliche and possibly condesending with the recent “Not all men are scum” Tic Tok thing. I do not agree with that movement at all and thought this was absolutely the best time to read and review this book. I will never lie to you, Men are scum, I am constantly sorry for my gender and the constant scum that is revealed daily. I am ashamed for my gender for the exact reasons Elly left her husband. My job as a husband is to uplift and support my wife, not force her into complacency and do as she is told. We are a team and that gave me a strong opinion when reading this book. Here is the blurb for this book.
A feverishly told, dark and unsettling Scotland-set fairy-tale about a safe haven for women which transforms them into vessels of revenge, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, A. G Slatter and Julia Armfield
I got very lucky. I was approved for this book right before I was going to have to drive 7 hours for my daughter’s Regional gymnastics completion. I asked my amazing wife if this was something she would be interested in, and she said sure. we are both big readers but seldom do our tastes overlap so I was excited. We listened to this on the way home. We made our daughter listen to the last Harry Potter book with us on the way there since we started the series before wefoudn out J K Rowling is a horrible piece of garbage human. We listened the whole way home and then finished this book the next day, the fastest I have finished a book this year.
This book went off the rails!!! Before I get into anything, may I warn that there might be “SPOILERS” ahead! Stop now if you have any inkling you might read this book at some point… Skip to the rating if you want to know my thoughts but not spoil the story.
OK, now that you are still here, what do you think of when you read the phrase “ Vessels of revenge”? I was completely prepared to see women get their full vengeance on men who did them wrong. I was not expecting…. (Last Chance)… I WARNED YOU!!!
I was not expecting physical transformation into women sized birds of prey who ripped and stripped flesh from bones to feed the house that protects them. I LOVED THIS TWIST!!! I was 100% here for the vicious gory revenge that was sent through this book.
This book follows 2 main characters, Elly, who has been abused by her husband and realizes early to flee on her wedding night to protect her and her unbound child. The second character we follow is Siobhan (pronounced shi-VAWN). Siobhan is a documentary filmmaker with a tragic violent past who might need Hex house as much as she needs to make this documentary.
OK, so time for the meat of the review. I did listen to this with my wife. She could not stop thinking about this the next day and both of us were itching to finish this with an hour ish or so left to finish. Normally that would bode well, but my wife just really didn’t like Siobhan as a character. Not in the good way like, “she loved to hate her”, but in the way that towards the end any chapter of Siobhan was just one to get through. I will agree, Siobhan was really hard to like; or sympathies with. My wife gave this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because she enjoyed the book but just hated Siobhan so much as a character.
I have thought about this and taken my wife’s thoughts into consideration. I give this book a solid 🥃🥃🥃1/2 which will round up to 🥃🥃🥃🥃 until Goodreads decides to do half stars. I enjoyed this book and it really brought an emotional response from both me and my wife so I feel it is worth the 4 shots.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to read this for a review and I do recommend it for the good revenge story. I love seeing a toxic man get what is coming to them,
This book will be released April 28, 2026. Pre-orders are still live at your favorite book retailers. You can always support my favorite Indy Bookstore here: Main Street Books. This is Amy Jane Stewart’s Debut novel and I will admit, I’m here for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this even if I gave it 4 stars and I look forward to what she puts out next.
This was a solid Debut and I will be anxiously waiting for what comes next. I absolutely followed her on Goodreads and I hope after reading this you will too.
I realize this will sound cliche and possibly condesending with the recent “Not all men are scum” Tic Tok thing. I do not agree with that movement at all and thought this was absolutely the best time to read and review this book. I will never lie to you, Men are scum, I am constantly sorry for my gender and the constant scum that is revealed daily. I am ashamed for my gender for the exact reasons Elly left her husband. My job as a husband is to uplift and support my wife, not force her into complacency and do as she is told. We are a team and that gave me a strong opinion when reading this book. Here is the blurb for this book.
A feverishly told, dark and unsettling Scotland-set fairy-tale about a safe haven for women which transforms them into vessels of revenge, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, A. G Slatter and Julia Armfield
I got very lucky. I was approved for this book right before I was going to have to drive 7 hours for my daughter’s Regional gymnastics completion. I asked my amazing wife if this was something she would be interested in, and she said sure. we are both big readers but seldom do our tastes overlap so I was excited. We listened to this on the way home. We made our daughter listen to the last Harry Potter book with us on the way there since we started the series before wefoudn out J K Rowling is a horrible piece of garbage human. We listened the whole way home and then finished this book the next day, the fastest I have finished a book this year.
This book went off the rails!!! Before I get into anything, may I warn that there might be “SPOILERS” ahead! Stop now if you have any inkling you might read this book at some point… Skip to the rating if you want to know my thoughts but not spoil the story.
OK, now that you are still here, what do you think of when you read the phrase “ Vessels of revenge”? I was completely prepared to see women get their full vengeance on men who did them wrong. I was not expecting…. (Last Chance)… I WARNED YOU!!!
I was not expecting physical transformation into women sized birds of prey who ripped and stripped flesh from bones to feed the house that protects them. I LOVED THIS TWIST!!! I was 100% here for the vicious gory revenge that was sent through this book.
This book follows 2 main characters, Elly, who has been abused by her husband and realizes early to flee on her wedding night to protect her and her unbound child. The second character we follow is Siobhan (pronounced shi-VAWN). Siobhan is a documentary filmmaker with a tragic violent past who might need Hex house as much as she needs to make this documentary.
OK, so time for the meat of the review. I did listen to this with my wife. She could not stop thinking about this the next day and both of us were itching to finish this with an hour ish or so left to finish. Normally that would bode well, but my wife just really didn’t like Siobhan as a character. Not in the good way like, “she loved to hate her”, but in the way that towards the end any chapter of Siobhan was just one to get through. I will agree, Siobhan was really hard to like; or sympathies with. My wife gave this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because she enjoyed the book but just hated Siobhan so much as a character.
I have thought about this and taken my wife’s thoughts into consideration. I give this book a solid 🥃🥃🥃1/2 which will round up to 🥃🥃🥃🥃 until Goodreads decides to do half stars. I enjoyed this book and it really brought an emotional response from both me and my wife so I feel it is worth the 4 shots.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to read this for a review and I do recommend it for the good revenge story. I love seeing a toxic man get what is coming to them,
This book will be released April 28, 2026. Pre-orders are still live at your favorite book retailers. You can always support my favorite Indy Bookstore here: Main Street Books. This is Amy Jane Stewart’s Debut novel and I will admit, I’m here for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this even if I gave it 4 stars and I look forward to what she puts out next.
This was a solid Debut and I will be anxiously waiting for what comes next. I absolutely followed her on Goodreads and I hope after reading this you will too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Hex House - Amy Jane Stewart (ARC review)
Hex House: folklore, myth, sanctuary, reality. A house for the lost and wayward. When Elly finds herself running through the woods to escape her newly wed husband, she finds a house in the woods offering refuge. After some time, Siobhan and Theo arrive to make a documentary about this infamous house and how it transforms its occupants, but four years later Siobhan is still grappling with everything that unfolded. The burning question is, can you ever really leave Hex House behind?
This horror-witch-lit-cautionary-fairytale novel is everything that I hoped it would be and is a brilliant debut to say the least. I’ve always been a lover of folkloric and witchy stories and this ticked every single box for me. It’s beautifully grim with a prose that wraps you tightly between its pages. Amy has a real talent for creating such a vivid image in your mind that you can’t help but feel like you are right in the house with the characters. The Scottish backdrop only adds to the atmosphere along with the wonderfully gritty use of the natural earthly elements both when painting the landscape of this book and how it intertwined with the house and its women.
The characters within this story have a real nuance to them which I loved. Siobhan makes many questionable choices and she often isn’t the nicest of people, her rage is ugly and palpable which is something I really enjoyed to read. As women, we all know how often we are told we must be gentle and delicate and Siobhan is anything but this. As much as I didn’t always like or agree with her, I really felt hooked by her anger and it’s something that stuck with me. Elly was almost the opposite to Siobhan but was strong in her own way. I loved to see her transformation within this book and felt so tender towards her. This book explores trauma and feminine rage in such a unique way. The setting of this being very much centred around a ‘women’s circle’ held this fantastic juxtaposition as we often view these types of communities as some kind of safe haven, so watching this story unfold in this setting really adds to the horror of the overarching themes.
The colour orange felt really symbolic to me within this book. Haina, the ‘leader’ of this sanctuary is often described as wearing orange which I found such an interesting tool in telling the story. Orange is often associated with high energy and is seen as this warming and comforting colour, which as this story leads on we find that Haina has such a ferocity to her which really opposes this often gentle colour. The duality of it almost shows how she is this great imposing character who is all consuming.
The dual narrative within this book really keeps you on your toes. The story is told from two perspectives: the first being Elly and her story set in the ‘then’, and the second being Siobhan and her story being set in the ‘now’. Each chapter switches between the two and both narratives were highly enjoyable and at no point do you feel like this story takes a dip. It was really interesting to see how these two women’s lives began to mingle with one another and it really kept the story pushing forward.
I really do feel like I could sit here all day and talk about this book. It has some gorgeously grim body horror, it’s packed full of femininity and rage, its full of heart and emotion, it’s steeped with elements of folklore and witch magic, and it’s everything a debut novel should strive to be. Hex House publishes on the 28th of April through Titan Books, and it’s definitely one you should be looking out for. Welcome to Hex House.
Hex House: folklore, myth, sanctuary, reality. A house for the lost and wayward. When Elly finds herself running through the woods to escape her newly wed husband, she finds a house in the woods offering refuge. After some time, Siobhan and Theo arrive to make a documentary about this infamous house and how it transforms its occupants, but four years later Siobhan is still grappling with everything that unfolded. The burning question is, can you ever really leave Hex House behind?
This horror-witch-lit-cautionary-fairytale novel is everything that I hoped it would be and is a brilliant debut to say the least. I’ve always been a lover of folkloric and witchy stories and this ticked every single box for me. It’s beautifully grim with a prose that wraps you tightly between its pages. Amy has a real talent for creating such a vivid image in your mind that you can’t help but feel like you are right in the house with the characters. The Scottish backdrop only adds to the atmosphere along with the wonderfully gritty use of the natural earthly elements both when painting the landscape of this book and how it intertwined with the house and its women.
The characters within this story have a real nuance to them which I loved. Siobhan makes many questionable choices and she often isn’t the nicest of people, her rage is ugly and palpable which is something I really enjoyed to read. As women, we all know how often we are told we must be gentle and delicate and Siobhan is anything but this. As much as I didn’t always like or agree with her, I really felt hooked by her anger and it’s something that stuck with me. Elly was almost the opposite to Siobhan but was strong in her own way. I loved to see her transformation within this book and felt so tender towards her. This book explores trauma and feminine rage in such a unique way. The setting of this being very much centred around a ‘women’s circle’ held this fantastic juxtaposition as we often view these types of communities as some kind of safe haven, so watching this story unfold in this setting really adds to the horror of the overarching themes.
The colour orange felt really symbolic to me within this book. Haina, the ‘leader’ of this sanctuary is often described as wearing orange which I found such an interesting tool in telling the story. Orange is often associated with high energy and is seen as this warming and comforting colour, which as this story leads on we find that Haina has such a ferocity to her which really opposes this often gentle colour. The duality of it almost shows how she is this great imposing character who is all consuming.
The dual narrative within this book really keeps you on your toes. The story is told from two perspectives: the first being Elly and her story set in the ‘then’, and the second being Siobhan and her story being set in the ‘now’. Each chapter switches between the two and both narratives were highly enjoyable and at no point do you feel like this story takes a dip. It was really interesting to see how these two women’s lives began to mingle with one another and it really kept the story pushing forward.
I really do feel like I could sit here all day and talk about this book. It has some gorgeously grim body horror, it’s packed full of femininity and rage, its full of heart and emotion, it’s steeped with elements of folklore and witch magic, and it’s everything a debut novel should strive to be. Hex House publishes on the 28th of April through Titan Books, and it’s definitely one you should be looking out for. Welcome to Hex House.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hex House was such an unsettling, thought-provoking read, and I ended up enjoying it far more than I expected.
What drew me in immediately was the concept: a secret house hidden in the woods, offering refuge to women in need. It felt mysterious, magical, and deeply compelling right from the start. The idea of a hidden sanctuary where women could heal, reclaim themselves, and return to the world stronger was incredibly appealing and made me want to keep reading.
At first, the shifting timeline between past and present threw me off a little. It felt slightly jarring in the beginning, but it quickly became clear why that structure was necessary, and once the story settled into itself, it worked really well.
I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. It was clear, accessible, and quietly addictive—simple in the best way, with a constant undercurrent of tension that kept me wanting more. The story creates this fascinating balance: on one hand, Hex House feels like a place of empowerment, healing, and justice for women. On the other, there’s an unsettling sense that something is deeply wrong beneath the surface—both with the house itself and with its owner. That tension made it impossible to fully trust what this place represented, and I loved never quite knowing where to draw the line between sanctuary and something more sinister.
That moral ambiguity was one of the strongest parts of the book. Nothing here is clean or simple, and no one is entirely easy to categorize. The story constantly pushes you to question what makes someone good, what makes someone dangerous, and whether anyone is ever entirely one or the other.
Siobhan, in particular, was a character who made me feel so much. I honestly disliked her at first—especially the way she kept inserting herself into uncomfortable, increasingly cringeworthy situations with a man who had once been her university professor. I found myself repeatedly wondering what on earth she was doing and feeling almost embarrassed on her behalf. But that discomfort is exactly what made the eventual reveal so effective. What initially seemed awkward and inappropriate takes on a much darker meaning when it becomes clear that he had abused his position and preyed on younger women. That shift was incredibly well done and completely reframed my feelings.
This book made me uncomfortable in the best possible way. It constantly unsettled me, kept me questioning everyone’s motives, and never allowed for easy answers. It explores difficult, delicate issues with nuance and reminds us that people are rarely entirely good or entirely bad.
I also loved the Scottish setting, which gave the story an even stronger sense of atmosphere and quiet magic. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic—the Scottish accent added so much to the experience and made the setting feel even more immersive.
Overall, Hex House is eerie, layered, and deeply compelling. It’s the kind of book that keeps you uneasy from beginning to end, while still giving you plenty to think about afterward. I’d absolutely read more from this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
What drew me in immediately was the concept: a secret house hidden in the woods, offering refuge to women in need. It felt mysterious, magical, and deeply compelling right from the start. The idea of a hidden sanctuary where women could heal, reclaim themselves, and return to the world stronger was incredibly appealing and made me want to keep reading.
At first, the shifting timeline between past and present threw me off a little. It felt slightly jarring in the beginning, but it quickly became clear why that structure was necessary, and once the story settled into itself, it worked really well.
I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. It was clear, accessible, and quietly addictive—simple in the best way, with a constant undercurrent of tension that kept me wanting more. The story creates this fascinating balance: on one hand, Hex House feels like a place of empowerment, healing, and justice for women. On the other, there’s an unsettling sense that something is deeply wrong beneath the surface—both with the house itself and with its owner. That tension made it impossible to fully trust what this place represented, and I loved never quite knowing where to draw the line between sanctuary and something more sinister.
That moral ambiguity was one of the strongest parts of the book. Nothing here is clean or simple, and no one is entirely easy to categorize. The story constantly pushes you to question what makes someone good, what makes someone dangerous, and whether anyone is ever entirely one or the other.
Siobhan, in particular, was a character who made me feel so much. I honestly disliked her at first—especially the way she kept inserting herself into uncomfortable, increasingly cringeworthy situations with a man who had once been her university professor. I found myself repeatedly wondering what on earth she was doing and feeling almost embarrassed on her behalf. But that discomfort is exactly what made the eventual reveal so effective. What initially seemed awkward and inappropriate takes on a much darker meaning when it becomes clear that he had abused his position and preyed on younger women. That shift was incredibly well done and completely reframed my feelings.
This book made me uncomfortable in the best possible way. It constantly unsettled me, kept me questioning everyone’s motives, and never allowed for easy answers. It explores difficult, delicate issues with nuance and reminds us that people are rarely entirely good or entirely bad.
I also loved the Scottish setting, which gave the story an even stronger sense of atmosphere and quiet magic. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic—the Scottish accent added so much to the experience and made the setting feel even more immersive.
Overall, Hex House is eerie, layered, and deeply compelling. It’s the kind of book that keeps you uneasy from beginning to end, while still giving you plenty to think about afterward. I’d absolutely read more from this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2026
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Titan, as well as the author and the narrator for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #TitanBooks #Hexhouse #audiobooks #Reading #Listening #Fiction #Fantasy #Horror #BookReviews
Title: Hex House
Author: Amy Jane Stewart
Narrator: Lianne Walker
Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Dreamscape Media with Titan Books
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Rating: 3 Stars
Themes: Dark fairytale, magic, paranormal, feminism, gothic
Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, pregnancy, magic, magical realism, transformations, witches, gore, morally grey characters
Hex House is always there for those who need it. Elly, pregnant and terrified of her new husband, runs away on her wedding night and finds Hex House. Can she leave it? Siobhan meets Elly and the other occupants of Hex House, four years later, and her life is in ruins as a result. Guests of Hex House, she and her brother are making a documentary about Hex House, which has long been a source of mysteries and rumors. What they see there ruins their careers as filmmakers and their personal relationship. When Siobhan is contacted by another filmmaker with the same goals that Siobhan once had, Siobhan learns something that changes her mind about ever seeing Hex House again.
This was a beautifully written novel. There’s no doubt about that. The lovely prose, coupled with the narrator’s lilt, made this a nice novel to listen to. The story takes on heavy topics with grace and an unflinching look into the ugly details. The author asks the reader to spend time with these uncomfortable subjects by taking her time with the story and looking them in the eye. This was both the book's greatest strength and weakness. The pacing was uncomfortable and accomplished what it set out to, but, for me, it was just too slow. I really had trouble hitting play on this book after a while, even though I was interested in knowing what happened. I wanted less. I wanted to care more about the characters. I liked how the author merged the fantasy with reality, but the pacing and repetition made it hard to really get into it. I wanted more horror and I wanted to engage with the characters more.
This author is very talented, and this book will find a big audience, even though it wasn’t my favorite. I do recommend this as an audiobook, as the narrator does a nice job with the different characters as well as having a pleasant-sounding voice. If a reader is a fantasy fan with patience for the very plot-driven story, he or she will find a lot to like here.
#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #TitanBooks #Hexhouse #audiobooks #Reading #Listening #Fiction #Fantasy #Horror #BookReviews
Title: Hex House
Author: Amy Jane Stewart
Narrator: Lianne Walker
Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Dreamscape Media with Titan Books
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Rating: 3 Stars
Themes: Dark fairytale, magic, paranormal, feminism, gothic
Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, pregnancy, magic, magical realism, transformations, witches, gore, morally grey characters
Hex House is always there for those who need it. Elly, pregnant and terrified of her new husband, runs away on her wedding night and finds Hex House. Can she leave it? Siobhan meets Elly and the other occupants of Hex House, four years later, and her life is in ruins as a result. Guests of Hex House, she and her brother are making a documentary about Hex House, which has long been a source of mysteries and rumors. What they see there ruins their careers as filmmakers and their personal relationship. When Siobhan is contacted by another filmmaker with the same goals that Siobhan once had, Siobhan learns something that changes her mind about ever seeing Hex House again.
This was a beautifully written novel. There’s no doubt about that. The lovely prose, coupled with the narrator’s lilt, made this a nice novel to listen to. The story takes on heavy topics with grace and an unflinching look into the ugly details. The author asks the reader to spend time with these uncomfortable subjects by taking her time with the story and looking them in the eye. This was both the book's greatest strength and weakness. The pacing was uncomfortable and accomplished what it set out to, but, for me, it was just too slow. I really had trouble hitting play on this book after a while, even though I was interested in knowing what happened. I wanted less. I wanted to care more about the characters. I liked how the author merged the fantasy with reality, but the pacing and repetition made it hard to really get into it. I wanted more horror and I wanted to engage with the characters more.
This author is very talented, and this book will find a big audience, even though it wasn’t my favorite. I do recommend this as an audiobook, as the narrator does a nice job with the different characters as well as having a pleasant-sounding voice. If a reader is a fantasy fan with patience for the very plot-driven story, he or she will find a lot to like here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Hex House" by Amy Jane Stewart is a cleverly woven dual-timeline horror that blends feminist themes with an atmospheric Scottish setting. It is truly a strong debut, even if it didn't land perfectly.
One of the standout elements of this book is the structure. Stewart handles multiple timelines and points of view masterfully; slowly feeding the reader pieces of the story until everything clicks into place. The narrative feels intentional and controlled, and I appreciated how the threads eventually wove together into one congestive tapestry. The tone also lands well, matching the dark, disturbed energy of the setting and giving the story a strong sense of place.
This debut was incredibly ambitious, but the author put in the work and it shows. There is a great balance of heart and bite here, and the feminist undercurrents run throughout the novel in a way that feels purposeful rather than heavy-handed. The friendships between the women of Hex House were one of the highlights for me. Watching those bonds form and strengthen provided a meaningful contrast to the horrors unfolding around them.
The magical realism elements are beautifully handled. Even though it is not a style I typically gravitate toward in my horror, Stewart uses it to deepen the atmosphere and blur the line between reality and the uncanny in a way that feels immersive and intentional. It adds a dreamlike, unsettling quality to the story that enhances its emotional and thematic weight. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but when those magical elements truly hit for the first time, I was both surprised and rather delighted!
The pacing felt a bit uneven at times. It leans slow overall, but rather than steadily building dread, it occasionally smothered it. I found myself wanting more tension in those quieter stretches. My biggest disconnect came with Siobhan. I had difficulty connecting with her as a character and struggled to find her particularly relatable or engaging. In contrast, the rest of the cast, especially Elly, felt much more compelling and emotionally grounded.
I give "Hex House" 3.5 stars (rounded to 4 for Goodreads). I recommend it to readers who enjoy atmospheric horror, dual timelines, and fantastical elements paired with psychological darkness. I would not recommend it to readers who prefer straightforward horror or faster, tension-driven pacing. This is a strong debut with a lot to admire, and I am very interested to see what Stewart does next.
One of the standout elements of this book is the structure. Stewart handles multiple timelines and points of view masterfully; slowly feeding the reader pieces of the story until everything clicks into place. The narrative feels intentional and controlled, and I appreciated how the threads eventually wove together into one congestive tapestry. The tone also lands well, matching the dark, disturbed energy of the setting and giving the story a strong sense of place.
This debut was incredibly ambitious, but the author put in the work and it shows. There is a great balance of heart and bite here, and the feminist undercurrents run throughout the novel in a way that feels purposeful rather than heavy-handed. The friendships between the women of Hex House were one of the highlights for me. Watching those bonds form and strengthen provided a meaningful contrast to the horrors unfolding around them.
The magical realism elements are beautifully handled. Even though it is not a style I typically gravitate toward in my horror, Stewart uses it to deepen the atmosphere and blur the line between reality and the uncanny in a way that feels immersive and intentional. It adds a dreamlike, unsettling quality to the story that enhances its emotional and thematic weight. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but when those magical elements truly hit for the first time, I was both surprised and rather delighted!
The pacing felt a bit uneven at times. It leans slow overall, but rather than steadily building dread, it occasionally smothered it. I found myself wanting more tension in those quieter stretches. My biggest disconnect came with Siobhan. I had difficulty connecting with her as a character and struggled to find her particularly relatable or engaging. In contrast, the rest of the cast, especially Elly, felt much more compelling and emotionally grounded.
I give "Hex House" 3.5 stars (rounded to 4 for Goodreads). I recommend it to readers who enjoy atmospheric horror, dual timelines, and fantastical elements paired with psychological darkness. I would not recommend it to readers who prefer straightforward horror or faster, tension-driven pacing. This is a strong debut with a lot to admire, and I am very interested to see what Stewart does next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and The author for my advanced copies of Hex House.
This book has left me unsettled, with a strong sense of grief and unease for characters I have never met.
From the first page I was engrossed in the authors atmospheric writing. There is an immediate sense of foreboding, and personally I have a weakness for a tale that I anticipate will not end with a happily ever after.
This is evident when we meet Elly on her wedding day. Unfortunately this isn't the happiest day of her life and she ends up fleeing and stumbling across Hex House, until now a myth told through Scottish lore. Once Elly enters this sanctuary that offers refuge to women in need, we too enter a warm, glowing cacoon of support and wonder. However it is not long before Elly realises not all is well and in fact the cacoon is festering and putrid.
Elly's story is entwined with Siobhans, who we follow through two POVs, four years apart. Weaved seamlessly together, we learn Siohan and her brother Theo have escaped Hex House and four years later Siobhan is merely existing with the consequences of her visit... "If Siobhan had to describe the feeling that had eaten away at her for the last four years, rotting her brain chemistry and gnawing at her nerves, she wouldn’t have been able to put it better than that. ' I 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴'
This story is told so well, I could see and smell the stale air infecting Siobhans broken psyche. The kitchen in which Elly held onto her sanity. Theo's anger and yearning.
The authors writing is consuming, the story well paced. There is not action packed, fast paced feminine rage and triumph, this book manifests darkly and slowly, just the way Hex House reveals itself to Elly and Siobhan. Calculated with twists and turns that unsettled me.
I could feel Siobhans self hatred manifesting into self sabotage , deep down into my bones. I could also feel Ellys brain chemistry change with her, and her resilience blossom. "Something has already changed, Elly can tell. Some delicate balance is being recalibrated with every second that passes."
The ending was satisfying for me, not in a happy way but with a heavy inevitability that is realistic to both women. I cannot wait to read more from this author. What a debut!
This book has left me unsettled, with a strong sense of grief and unease for characters I have never met.
From the first page I was engrossed in the authors atmospheric writing. There is an immediate sense of foreboding, and personally I have a weakness for a tale that I anticipate will not end with a happily ever after.
This is evident when we meet Elly on her wedding day. Unfortunately this isn't the happiest day of her life and she ends up fleeing and stumbling across Hex House, until now a myth told through Scottish lore. Once Elly enters this sanctuary that offers refuge to women in need, we too enter a warm, glowing cacoon of support and wonder. However it is not long before Elly realises not all is well and in fact the cacoon is festering and putrid.
Elly's story is entwined with Siobhans, who we follow through two POVs, four years apart. Weaved seamlessly together, we learn Siohan and her brother Theo have escaped Hex House and four years later Siobhan is merely existing with the consequences of her visit... "If Siobhan had to describe the feeling that had eaten away at her for the last four years, rotting her brain chemistry and gnawing at her nerves, she wouldn’t have been able to put it better than that. ' I 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴'
This story is told so well, I could see and smell the stale air infecting Siobhans broken psyche. The kitchen in which Elly held onto her sanity. Theo's anger and yearning.
The authors writing is consuming, the story well paced. There is not action packed, fast paced feminine rage and triumph, this book manifests darkly and slowly, just the way Hex House reveals itself to Elly and Siobhan. Calculated with twists and turns that unsettled me.
I could feel Siobhans self hatred manifesting into self sabotage , deep down into my bones. I could also feel Ellys brain chemistry change with her, and her resilience blossom. "Something has already changed, Elly can tell. Some delicate balance is being recalibrated with every second that passes."
The ending was satisfying for me, not in a happy way but with a heavy inevitability that is realistic to both women. I cannot wait to read more from this author. What a debut!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was hooked from the beginning!
Hex House is not a polite book. It's a jagged, blood-flecked tale for the disenfranchised, reimagining the "haunted house" as an engine of transformation rather than a place of victimhood. By weaving together the timelines of Elly and Siobhan, Stewart creates a haunting dialogue between the act of enduring abuse and the cost of surviving it.
From the horror novels I've read, a woman’s rage is usually portrayed as a symptom of madness or possession. In Hex House, however, feminine rage is the house’s foundation, with the Hex being a form of protection.
The house only reveals itself to those at their lowest point, which really stuck with me. For Elly, fleeing a husband who viewed her as property, the house offers a terrifying bargain: it will provide safety, but it requires her to leave her life behind, to stop suppressing her anger and to start using it as a shield.
Stewart moves past the trope of the woman who barely survives. Her characters are taught to stop running and instead look their monsters in the eye. The "rage" depicted here felt truly cathartic, yet equally terrifying. How many of us women have felt terrified of finally letting our anger slip?
While Elly represents the immediate fire of rebellion, Siobhan represents the long, cold winter of "after." Stewart’s depiction of trauma is masterful because it acknowledges that getting away is only the beginning.
Siobhan’s literal scar serves as a brilliant metaphor for PTSD. It is a "living" injury that reacts to her environment, illustrating how trauma is a physical presence that dictates how one moves through the world.
The novel suggests that true healing requires more than just forgetting; it requires being seen, shadows and all. The intersection of the two women's stories highlights that we heal through community and the shared acknowledgment of what was stolen from us.
Overall Verdict:
Hex House is a dark fairytale in the truest sense! The kind where the forest is dangerous, but the things chasing you from the city are worse. It is a brutal, necessary read for anyone who has ever felt that their anger was something suppress and to be ashamed of. Stewart argues that for survivors of abuse, rage is not the poison; it is the antidote. I have to say I agree (processed in a healthy way of course).
10/10 would recommend!
Hex House is not a polite book. It's a jagged, blood-flecked tale for the disenfranchised, reimagining the "haunted house" as an engine of transformation rather than a place of victimhood. By weaving together the timelines of Elly and Siobhan, Stewart creates a haunting dialogue between the act of enduring abuse and the cost of surviving it.
From the horror novels I've read, a woman’s rage is usually portrayed as a symptom of madness or possession. In Hex House, however, feminine rage is the house’s foundation, with the Hex being a form of protection.
The house only reveals itself to those at their lowest point, which really stuck with me. For Elly, fleeing a husband who viewed her as property, the house offers a terrifying bargain: it will provide safety, but it requires her to leave her life behind, to stop suppressing her anger and to start using it as a shield.
Stewart moves past the trope of the woman who barely survives. Her characters are taught to stop running and instead look their monsters in the eye. The "rage" depicted here felt truly cathartic, yet equally terrifying. How many of us women have felt terrified of finally letting our anger slip?
While Elly represents the immediate fire of rebellion, Siobhan represents the long, cold winter of "after." Stewart’s depiction of trauma is masterful because it acknowledges that getting away is only the beginning.
Siobhan’s literal scar serves as a brilliant metaphor for PTSD. It is a "living" injury that reacts to her environment, illustrating how trauma is a physical presence that dictates how one moves through the world.
The novel suggests that true healing requires more than just forgetting; it requires being seen, shadows and all. The intersection of the two women's stories highlights that we heal through community and the shared acknowledgment of what was stolen from us.
Overall Verdict:
Hex House is a dark fairytale in the truest sense! The kind where the forest is dangerous, but the things chasing you from the city are worse. It is a brutal, necessary read for anyone who has ever felt that their anger was something suppress and to be ashamed of. Stewart argues that for survivors of abuse, rage is not the poison; it is the antidote. I have to say I agree (processed in a healthy way of course).
10/10 would recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I found the premise of this to be very interesting and something unique, new at least to me. It did lose me a little at times, but overall this was a strong story. It’s a debut novel too, which surprises me because of how well written it actually was.
The beginning is insane. We start off strong with Elly, a newly wedded pregnant woman who runs off in her wedding dress from the cabin her husband booked for their wedding night. In the middle of the woods, in the dead of night she’s scared and all alone. Or so she thinks. But out of nowhere a beautiful house and a woman appear, where she is promised refuge at last. We’re also following Siobhan in a different timeline, she and her brother Theo are at Hex House to film a documentary about it and the house’s residents.
As I mentioned, the thing about the house itself is very cool. It’s a place that gives particularly women refuge when it would otherwise be denied. It’s a house of protection. Elly herself had this house appear to her because of her unsafe situation with her husband. She had a feeling that even though things aren’t all that horrible now, they could very well become horrible. That’s just something that you feel deep down is true, like Elly did.
Very cool idea. However, it lost me a bit as we were getting used to it. I have different opinions on the FMCs. While I liked Elly pretty much the entire time, I didn’t have the same experience with Siobhan. She got on my nerves at times. I did like that we had both the women’s POVs, that’s always nice. I could’ve done without it this time though. I’m not even opposed to third person narration. Honestly, I don’t even really notice if it’s first person, third person. I don’t feel a difference.
I also loved that this was infused in Scottish folklore. I wish I knew more about it, I feel like I would’ve picked up more things along the way. It’s a grimmer version of a fairytale, like the blurb says.
Overall I would recommend this book (and audiobook both) to almost everybody. It’s not quite the scary type of horror, it’s more like a female rage focused kind of horror. I would still check trigger warnings for it, but I went in blind and it worked out pretty well for me. It’s a solid 4 star. Maybe a 4.25/5⭐️ because it’s a debut novel and I’m impressed.
Audiobook notes: I love the narrator’s accent, it was pleasant to the ear. I do wish we had a double narrator though, one for each woman. It’s not really a problem though because she did the job nicely.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning is insane. We start off strong with Elly, a newly wedded pregnant woman who runs off in her wedding dress from the cabin her husband booked for their wedding night. In the middle of the woods, in the dead of night she’s scared and all alone. Or so she thinks. But out of nowhere a beautiful house and a woman appear, where she is promised refuge at last. We’re also following Siobhan in a different timeline, she and her brother Theo are at Hex House to film a documentary about it and the house’s residents.
As I mentioned, the thing about the house itself is very cool. It’s a place that gives particularly women refuge when it would otherwise be denied. It’s a house of protection. Elly herself had this house appear to her because of her unsafe situation with her husband. She had a feeling that even though things aren’t all that horrible now, they could very well become horrible. That’s just something that you feel deep down is true, like Elly did.
Very cool idea. However, it lost me a bit as we were getting used to it. I have different opinions on the FMCs. While I liked Elly pretty much the entire time, I didn’t have the same experience with Siobhan. She got on my nerves at times. I did like that we had both the women’s POVs, that’s always nice. I could’ve done without it this time though. I’m not even opposed to third person narration. Honestly, I don’t even really notice if it’s first person, third person. I don’t feel a difference.
I also loved that this was infused in Scottish folklore. I wish I knew more about it, I feel like I would’ve picked up more things along the way. It’s a grimmer version of a fairytale, like the blurb says.
Overall I would recommend this book (and audiobook both) to almost everybody. It’s not quite the scary type of horror, it’s more like a female rage focused kind of horror. I would still check trigger warnings for it, but I went in blind and it worked out pretty well for me. It’s a solid 4 star. Maybe a 4.25/5⭐️ because it’s a debut novel and I’m impressed.
Audiobook notes: I love the narrator’s accent, it was pleasant to the ear. I do wish we had a double narrator though, one for each woman. It’s not really a problem though because she did the job nicely.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, publishers, and author for approving my request for an ALC (advanced listening copy) of Hex House.
I gave this book 3.5-4 stars.
This book is split into two POVs (Elly and Siobhan) and two separate timelines. The Hex House is known to everyone in this town through what is essentially an urban legend. Story has it that when a woman is in need of a place to escape to she will be accepted into the Hex House and hidden there. There are different versions of the story where some speculate that there are nefarious things that happen while the women are there.
We meet Elly on the day of her wedding where she is approached by an unknown woman that lets her know that she has been watching her and believes she may need help. The woman explains to Elly that if she finds herself in need then she should go out to the woods and will find her way to those that can help her. At first Elly writes this off but by the end of the night she finds herself out in the woods pregnant and alone in her wedding dress searching. It is then that she finds and is accepted into The Hex House. Many women have come to The Hex House over the years when needing a place to get away from abuse and the like and Elly has become their newest member.
Siobhan and her brother Theo are making a documentary about The Hex House to settle the debate once and for all if it is real. They receive an invitation by the leader of the house under the guise that they are ready to share their story with the world. Both Siobhan and Theo spend a lot of time at The Hex House learning more about the women there and how everyone helps each other. One night they are invited to a ritual that is done amongst the members of The Hex House and this radically changes everything. Theo begins to feel as if he cannot continue their time here and eventually both he and Siobhan part ways from the house. We fast forward to present time where Siobhan is now being asked to revisit The Hex House and finish the documentary.
It is hard to explain much more about the book without giving anything away. This book is definitely a slower burn in the beginning but it is definitely worth holding out as the second half is where we lift off so to speak... (iykyk). I'd recommend this book to others.
I gave this book 3.5-4 stars.
This book is split into two POVs (Elly and Siobhan) and two separate timelines. The Hex House is known to everyone in this town through what is essentially an urban legend. Story has it that when a woman is in need of a place to escape to she will be accepted into the Hex House and hidden there. There are different versions of the story where some speculate that there are nefarious things that happen while the women are there.
We meet Elly on the day of her wedding where she is approached by an unknown woman that lets her know that she has been watching her and believes she may need help. The woman explains to Elly that if she finds herself in need then she should go out to the woods and will find her way to those that can help her. At first Elly writes this off but by the end of the night she finds herself out in the woods pregnant and alone in her wedding dress searching. It is then that she finds and is accepted into The Hex House. Many women have come to The Hex House over the years when needing a place to get away from abuse and the like and Elly has become their newest member.
Siobhan and her brother Theo are making a documentary about The Hex House to settle the debate once and for all if it is real. They receive an invitation by the leader of the house under the guise that they are ready to share their story with the world. Both Siobhan and Theo spend a lot of time at The Hex House learning more about the women there and how everyone helps each other. One night they are invited to a ritual that is done amongst the members of The Hex House and this radically changes everything. Theo begins to feel as if he cannot continue their time here and eventually both he and Siobhan part ways from the house. We fast forward to present time where Siobhan is now being asked to revisit The Hex House and finish the documentary.
It is hard to explain much more about the book without giving anything away. This book is definitely a slower burn in the beginning but it is definitely worth holding out as the second half is where we lift off so to speak... (iykyk). I'd recommend this book to others.
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