Dead Weight

by Hildur Knútsdóttir, Mary Robinette Kowal (Translator)

An Icelandic night may hide secrets and affairs – or even bodies – in this gruesomely cathartic horror thriller from the author of The Night Guest.

Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door.

When she tracks down the cat’s wayward owner, she finds a young woman just as lost and in need of help. Like a gust of cold air in a Reykjavík night, Ásta and her pet slip into Unnur’s life.

It’s unexpected, but welcome. Unnur likes the company, and she begins to rely on Ásta in turn. But like a black cat, trouble has been tailing her new friend, and Unnur is the only one there for Ásta when things take a violent turn.

The two women quickly nothing tests a friendship like blood on your hands.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Novella, Adult, Mystery

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2025

About the author

Hildur Knútsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. She writes fiction for both adults and teenagers, as well as plays, screenplays and short fiction. Hildur is known for her evocative fantastical fiction and spine-chilling horror.

Her horror novella The Night Guest was chosen one of the best thrillers of 2024 by The New York Times. Her work has been nominated for The Locus Awards, World Fantasy Awards, The Dublin Literary Award and The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, and has been awarded The Icelandic Women’s Literary Prize, The Icelandic Literature Prize, The Reykjavík Children’s Literature Prize for best original work and The Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize.

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was such an addicting read! Even though this was short, it was very impactful and fun! This is a horror, suspense thriller that kept me on my toes. The setting is in beautiful Iceland. It is about a woman named Unnur, who is very lonely and introverted. A black cat ends up showing up at her door. She finds the owner of the cat, named Asta and returns it to her. They start becoming friends and that’s when things start to become dark and messy.

This book is fast paced, filled with short chapters and a lot of visualizations. It’s about female rage that becomes unsettling, yet satisfying. While reading this, you are inside Unnur’s head, which made this book even more immersive. Her thoughts are unhinged. It is well written, easy to read, came with atmospheric settings and an animal symbolism. It is very memorable and came with great themes. This novel gave me the book, “The Eyes Are The Best Part” by author Monika Kim vibes! Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Hildur Knútsdóttir and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for this incredible eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on May 26, 2026!

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars - a slim novel, well written and set in Iceland where the author's from. I appreciated the cats 🐈‍⬛😻 in this one and how they were what brings the female lead characters together before their rage takes hold. A bit of gore but manageable (and quite deserved). Quick & easy to read

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unhinged women are my bread and butter. Especially when they are made that way by abusive men. Black pill men should be lonelier.

Cats are the crux of the story. Unnur answered the door one day and a black cat showed up. She tries to reconnect the pet with its owner, a woman named Ásta. Ásta's man is the aforementioned black pill man.

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

[Brandon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for them ☺️

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
I really enjoyed this tiny little horror book. I previously read The Night Guest by this author and was eager to read more. This story has a similar tone and style so if you lover her previous work, I would highly recommend this one.

Like her last novella, this one is quiet and subtle. This will not appeal to readers looking for an action packed thrashing. Instead this one appeals to has an unsettling undertone that left me uneasy. The writing (or at the least the translated writing) was also very well constructed.

I would recommend this horror novella to readers who enjoy a short literary horror where the horror elements are hidden.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[inciminci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really short little book about two unlikely friends and a smart cat, I enjoyed this.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published May 26, 2026.

3 stars

Unnur is living a lonely life in Reykjavik. She is having a long distance affair with a married man, doesn’t seem to have many (any?) friends and is hopeful for a promotion in her semi-miserable workplace. One day she comes home from work to find a cat sitting in her living room. Make it a dog and this has happened to me. Finding the cat leads Unnur to Asta which leads to darkness.

This short book is billed as horror but I would probably classify it as a thriller. I’m a sucker for books set in Iceland. I’ve also read THE NIGHT GUEST by this author and I gave it three stars too.

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to the advanced copy of the audiobook.

I enjoyed The Night Guest enough that I decided to check this novella out as well. Though I rated them both 4 stars, I think I like this one more, but it's not quite a five star read for me.

Once again we have cats, lol, but the horror in this one is different, in fact I think this is more a domestic thriller than horror but it was still really good. I think the author did well with the subject content and especially with the differences in how men and women perceive things (I really liked the interactions with the two cops for example).

The narrator of the audiobook is also the translator, which is awesome. She does a great job in both regards, and I think perhaps it all hits a bit harder with her narration. The tension ramping up was palpable to the climax and while I'm sure it's beautiful in Icelandic, the translator did well bringing that into English, I think.

I'm glad the cats get a happy ending lol

[Katie Colson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this main character. Doesn't give a 🤬 about you or your cat.
But if she DOES like you, that's bestie for the restie.

I would put a trigger warning for domestic abuse because it is the driving force of the plot and described in length.

Spoiler. But, by the summary, it could easily be implied...

This is the kind of friend Unnur is

[Chantaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Weight features a two characters who are drawn together by a cat, and the fragile companionship that ensues. Spoiler alert: there's no animal abuse or death here. There's one scene where a character makes threats upon an animal, but no kitties are actually harmed. The harm is focused on the women and the different ways the men in their lives enact their wills upon them. It ends up being a story about the lengths women will take to be there for one another, and to carry each other when they need it the most.

Have you ever seen those TikToks that are all about Girlhood? Girlcore? Girl Hope? This is that, but with a ton more blood involved.

Hildur Knútsdóttir writes very quiet, introspective literary horror. I don't think it's everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely is mine. With The Night Guest and now Dead Weight, I'm enjoying her voice as translated by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Content warnings: domestic abuse, infidelity, depression, mentions of suicidal ideation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and TorDotCom for this eARC.

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

Book Stats:
📖: 160 pages
Genre: horror
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: eARC
Series: STANDALONE

General Thoughts:
This was an OK read for me. Nothing really made it stand out as overly impressive, but it wasn't completely lackluster either. I think this would be a good one for people who are just diving into the horror genre or looking for something to pad the reading goal. It was a quick and interesting read, but nothing that will last with me long-term.

While the story and premise were interesting, I feel like the execution fell a little flat. I didn't feel overly connected to any of the characters or overly concerned for any of the tribulations. I also felt like the book was extremely predictable and everything played out exactly the way I figured it would. But I do enjoy this author's prose and the way that they overall write their work so I will continue to read from the author.

I did enjoy the overarching theme of dropping dead weight from your life and things that no longer serve you. But I do feel like they could've played up the female empowerment a little heavier than they did. That being said, I did enjoy the way our main character did not waiver in their decision to cut dead weight from their life. I like that they made the decision and stuck with it no matter how hard it was.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a physical ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Stephanie (Books in the Freezer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

i couldn't put this down!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two women bonded by a cat and murder? Yes please. Unnur is the embodiment of a "girls girl".

Are our two FMCs a little bit unhinged? I mean I guess...but really he had it coming and you can't change my mind..

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Elísa Rún · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kom mér skemmtilega á óvart hversu gory þessi bók er! Gat ekki lagt hana frá mér og las hana í raun í einum rykk, mæli með!

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes it’s good to let go of the dead weight holding us back, break everything, and start over.

Outside of its setting and some of the specifics of its plot, Dead Weight is a novel I feel like I’ve read before.

The protagonist is Unnur, a lonely woman living a dull life in Reykjavik. Other than trying for a promotion at work and having an affair with a married man, she doesn’t have a lot to occupy her time. But then she comes home one day to find a cat sitting in her living room. When she meets the cat’s owner, Ásta, Unnur suddenly find herself with a new purpose – because Ásta desperately needs her help.

I really enjoyed Hildur Knútsdóttir’s first English translation, The Night Guest, for some of the same reasons I didn’t enjoy Dead Weight as much. Whereas the spareness of the prose really worked in The Night Guest’s favor, I needed a bit more depth from Dead Weight. There’s a lot about Unnur’s character that is merely hinted at, and I wanted some things more fully spelled out, especially since Ásta’s character is so well developed. You get the sense that our Unnur is a bit unhinged, and I just wanted to know why. One thing I did appreciate about this book more than The Night Guest is that the cats fare much better!

Knútsdóttir’s discussion of domestic abuse is handled sensitively and impactfully, and I enjoyed her take on the female rage trope; it’s subtle here, but it builds and builds and culminates satisfyingly. I kept waiting for the book to surprise me, though, and it never really did. Things played out exactly the way I expected. There’s a direction Knútsdóttir could have taken that would’ve made this book even darker and more depraved, and I think that would’ve had more of a lasting impact on me. As it is, I don’t know how much of this book will stick with me, but I’ll still pick up Knútsdóttir’s future novels.

The audiobook is read by the translator, Mary Robinette Kowal, a perfect choice for the material. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary listening opportunity.

[Wesley Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tor Nightfire, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for copies of Dead Weight. Here are my thoughts!

Unnur lives an isolated life, when one night a little black cat arrives on her doorstep. She finds the owner of the cat and meets Asta who seems a little off. She needs help and Unnur offers assistance by taking car of the cat and their friendship begins to build. But soon what Asta is running from appears and things turn violent.

There was something about this book that made me not want to step away from it. At a first glance it’s such a straightforward and simple story that we’ve all heard before. But the way it is told felt almost enchanting. I both listened to and read this book and both were equally mesmerizing.

It is not a long book but it packs a big punch. There are so many themes that are intricately woven throughout and tie back in seamlessly. Sometimes when an author does this, I have no recollection, but due to the writing style I was fully immersed in the story and invested in the outcome. There were true moments of suspense and tension that were hard to read and other moments of clarity. Asta and Unnur both felt like real women just trying to figure out life, who made some mistakes along the way.

Mary Robinette Kowal did a wonderful job translating and narrating. I feel like everything that Hildur was displaying was presented clearly in English. And her narration was stunning. I loved the variation between voices and the way she was able to create suspense with pacing and volume.

I think this was my favourite read of June, and it took me by surprise. I was expecting to enjoy it but not as much as I did! I immediately added The Night Guest to my TBR because I can’t wait to read more from Hildur!

[Leandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5

This book may have just solidified Hildur Knútsdóttir as an auto-buy author for me at this point! I hope that Mary Robinette Kowal never stops translating Knútsdóttir's books from Icelandic to English.

My first experience with this author was The Night Guest, a horror following a protagonist who believes she is being possessed by her dead sister. And now, with Deadweight, we have a suspense/thriller about an unlikely friendship between two women, Unnur and Ásta, forged by their mutual love of a black cat. There is a darkness in Ásta's life, however, and Unnur finds herself in too deep to abandon her new friend now.

I read this book in ONE DAY. I could not put it down. Granted, it's a short novella, but I borrowed the copy at my library while on shift and proceeded to read it from the time I got home until the last page. Please be sure to look into the CWs. I will provide a list myself, and I'll be disclosing the cat's fate as well for those who need to know before picking up this book.

Content Warnings: domestic violence, home invasion, body horror and gore, blood, physical threats toward/rough handling of a pet

Does the cat live? Yes, the cat lives!

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cat, a love affair, a friend in trouble, a murder.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: ANIMAL CRUELTY + DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

I’m very thankful to NetGalley, the author, and Tor Nightfire for granting me access to this title before this one hits shelves on March 26, 2026.

Unnur lives a quaint life, seeking a Marketing Manager promotion, jetting away with her secret lover from time to time, and sanctity within her home. That is, until one day, a stray cat (Io) keeps showing up on her porch, breaking in and cozying up in her bed.

Upon locating her owner, Unnur is introduced to Ásta, a broken woman whose baggage haunts her around the clock. It’s soon unveiled that Io and Ásta, both, or running from abuse at home, seeking refuge they both didn’t know they need in the arms of Unnur.

But it’s not long before that oppression comes knocking down the door of Unnur’s condo, but this unlikely friendship binds together to put a stop to the hurt, by taking some bone breaking measures.

Perhaps don’t read when you’re eating lunch. lol

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again written by Hildur Knútsdóttir, translated and narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, this was a tense, chilling little book set in Iceland, and I loved every minute of it. There's no supernatural element here, which makes it all the more terrifying.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

That you tor Nightfire for the early ebook! Obsessed with this one

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrUYY8VB/

[Marguerite Turley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is it there’s always a man at the root of a woman’s problems? Once again, @hildurknutsdottir had me mesmerized in this fantastic little book. And let me just say, the narrator @maryrobinettekowal is my new favorite!! I love the sarcasm in her voice, it fits perfectly. The amount of dread and the buildup to the climax made this impossible to stop listening. I loved these two women, and Hildur writes female relationships so well, she really brought Unnur and Asta to life. A twisted tale of cats, awful men, and friendship created through trauma. I loved the ending too, so satisfying! I have become quite a big fan of Hildur’s, another auto buy author for me! Thank you to @tornightfire and @librofm for the early audiobook.

[Shae Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

extremely pointless

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unlikely friendship blooms into a deadly encounter.

When a cat shows up at her door, the last thing Unnur expected was for it to lead her to a friend. Unnur doesn’t have friends. She focuses on her work and her relationship (albeit a bit one-sided). But the more she interacts with the woman, the more she finds herself growing to like her. But Unnur is not a fan of Ásta’s husband. He’s controlling and possessive.

Another fast paced read that can easily be read in one sitting. It’s short and guaranteed to hook you from the first page! If you like unhinged women, you’ll loved this book. As a huge fan of The Night Guest, I was so happy to get approved for this arc.

Special thanks to @tornightfire for the arc! Catch this book when it releases on May 26th!

[Fauwxx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although short, this novella will definitely keep you on your toes. The MC is intriguing from the first paragraph. The story feels cold and atmospheric, with psychological horror elements sprinkled throughout. I highly recommend giving this one a read!

Thank you to Tor Nightfire/NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Dead Weight in exchange for my honest review. Expected Pub Date: May 26, 2026

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy read but nothing special. I had a feeling of where the story was going and it did go there so it wasn't anything shocking that happened. I did like the female friendship but the ending annoyed me a little bit.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing access to this audiobook and to Tor Nightfire and Goodreads for this gifted ARC. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

From the very first sentence regarding the disposal of a body, Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir captured my attention. This Icelandic horror novella is a slow-burn female rage story with an innocuous beginning and an atmosphere of growing dread that leaves you thrumming with tension.

There are also cats.

I enjoyed the author’s previous novella The Night Guest and was pleased to learn that narrator and translator Mary Robinette Kowal would be returning for this new audiobook. Her narration is engaging: portraying the two female characters Unnur and Ásta with distinct intonations and inflections.

As the cast of characters within Dead Weight is very small, the story is mostly carried by her portrayal of career-driven Unnur as her life undergoes various changes.

Dead Weight is a story of an unconventional friendship that develops due to the unexpected presence of a lost cat and grows amidst toxic romantic relationships.

Unnur’s quiet and detached life becomes slightly more vulnerable due to Ásta’s presence, as her other personal relationships have her kept at a distance and Ásta’s isolated existence gains a friend with conflicting viewpoints who is also willing to do whatever is necessary to try and protect her.

The backstories for both women are realistic and illustrate how aspects of a person’s history plays a strong role in their development, with Unnur seeking for validation through her career and with an emotionally unavailable and manipulative married-man and Ásta’s history of childhood neglect leaving her bound by trauma to the controlling older man who would come to abuse her.

When the situation finally comes to a head, the consequences are certainly understandable.

I felt that the conclusion of the Dead Weight resolved things a little too neatly, but then again, I also preferred to not have the characters suffer any further. I'm truly looking forward to the author's future work.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

“Sometimes it’s good to let go of the dead weight holding us back, break everything and start over.”

This is a quick little read about a woman, a cat who finds her way into the woman’s apartment, and the cat’s owner. The men in their lives are trash, and yet they just can’t seem to let go of them.

What starts as a missing cat being found turns into a fast, if not flawed, friendship. As they learn more about each other and start to ask the hard questions, they are more entrenched in each other’s lives and all that comes with that.

There are some moments that feel truly harrowing (check the content warnings) and others that feel deeply satisfying! While this didn’t quite have the psychological element that The Night Guest did, I appreciated the growing friendship and the literal interpretation of a widely-used phrase that many besties use these days. Plus, who doesn’t love a discerning feline sidekick who detests the same character the reader does?

All in all, this was a quick and fun little book!

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to audibly read and review Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir on NetGalley.

Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal

Published: 05/26/26

Stars: 3.5 (Vulgar language)

One word, out of no where took this amazing story from 5 to 3.5 stars. There was no reason for the vulgar name calling.

The author wrote an intriguing story. I was engaged from the first word. Once I started I couldn't stop.

Sadly I won't gift or recommend. I don't know anyone who speaks in this fashion. I have never read a book and wanted a refund because there wasnt any swearing. Shame on the author. Who profited?