Preaching to the Choir

Terrible Worlds: Transformations

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Elena Mendes thought she understood what “old money” was.

She knew her boyfriend Ross Enderbough was rich. Like, “old money” rich. She knew he was the scion of some eccentric British line that predates the whole United States. She knew he didn’t really get on with his family, and that he fled to America to study free of their influence.

Ross has been summoned to Enderby, the family mansion built as a monastery centuries ago, for an exclusive, mysterious family gathering that happens only once a generation. Spouses and partners aren’t invited, but Ross has asked Elena to come anyway for moral support.

But there are secrets in the mouldering old pile, and terrors in the unkempt woods on the estate. And Elena slowly comes to realise that “old money” means so much more than she’d ever imagined…

Genres: Horror, Novella, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Gothic

176 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2026

About the author

ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

Reviews

[Christine Garrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can immediately picture Preaching to the Choir being adapted into a horror film. It begins with a familiar genre setup: Elena Mendes accompanies her boyfriend, Ross Enderbough, to a gathering at his family’s ancient English estate. Ross comes from the kind of old money that predates the United States, but his relationship with his family is so stifling that he fled to America, where he met Elena.

To no one’s surprise, things feel wrong from the start. Elena and Ross arrive after dark at Enderby, a centuries-old monastery turned family mansion surrounded by neglected woods and creepy statues. Adrian Tchaikovsky’s descriptive writing makes the entire estate feel steeped in history, isolation, and something far more sinister. The atmosphere alone is enough to unnerve Elena and the reader…even before the true horror begins.

Elena does not receive a warm welcome. Ross’s relatives quickly remind him that this once-in-a-generation gathering is strictly for family. That reception alone would have sent me packing, but Elena persists. During her first night at Enderby, she witnesses evidence that something disturbing is happening within the family, only to find herself mysteriously forgetting what she has seen. By the time she realizes she needs to leave, the situation has become genuinely threatening.

The elder Enderboughs are an eccentric, entitled, and deeply distrustful group who do not take kindly to outsiders like Elena. They also keep secrets from the younger members of their own family, leaving Elena and Ross to uncover traditions far older and stranger than either of them understands. This once-in-a-generation meeting proves to be far more sinister than auspicious. It is certainly not your typical family reunion.

What begins as a gothic family mystery gradually becomes a tense survival story as Elena and others attempt to escape a bizarre, heavily wooded estate steeped in dangerous lore. Tchaikovsky reveals just enough at a time to maintain the mystery while steadily intensifying the danger. As usual, he chooses exactly the right words (some less commonly used than others) to make readers feel as if they are trapped inside this increasingly desperate situation.

Although Tchaikovsky is best known for science fiction and fantasy, Preaching to the Choir leans more explicitly into gothic horror. He is one of my favorite writers precisely because he can move between genres without losing the intelligence, imagination, and command of language that make his work so distinctive. Some authors really can write anything successfully.

Give this novella a try if you enjoy atmospheric horror filled with mystery, tension, sinister family traditions, and the growing certainty that everyone should have left the estate long ago.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Ian Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and dark story of a once-in-a-generation family get-together in the ranging old mansion of a long-standing wealthy and powerful English family. Elena, the American girlfriend of one of the family members is unwittingly and mistakenly brought along to this family gathering, much to the displeasure of the elders.

The atmosphere is deliciously creepy and foreboding, as some of the younger members of the family are increasingly concerned about what is going on, and what the purpose of the gathering is. The story has a gothic and claustrophobic feel, with an unsettling sense of what might be around the next corner. Any more detail than this would run the risk of being spoilers. And while the final conclusion was somewhat inevitable, the journey to get there was excellent.

I have enjoyed all of Tchaikovsky’s “Terrible Worlds” novellas, and this is up there with the best of them.

Thank you #NetGalley and Solaris for the free review copy of #PreachingtotheChoir without obligation. All opinions are my own.

(I also enjoyed the oblique reference to The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏚️🩸 Preaching to the Choir 🔪🕯️

I went into this novella completely blind, and I am SO glad I did because this book was wild. 🤣

I don't even know how to review it without giving anything away! This was a short, quick read, but it seriously packed a punch. The less you know going in, the better. 👀

I also really liked the ending! I thought I knew exactly where things were headed, but I was pleasantly surprised when the story went in a different direction.

I will definitely be listening to the audiobook as soon as it releases! 🎧

What to Expect
🕯️ Horror Novella
🏚️ Gothic Mansion
💰 Old Money
🤫 Family Secrets
🔪 Survival Horror
🖤 Isolated Estate
👀 Outsider FMC
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: August 11, 2026
Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Zaynab]

what?

[Alex Sarll]

Tchaikovsky's fourth book of the year* begins as pastiche gothic, a lad from a rich old English family bringing his American girlfriend to meet the family, who turn out to be a sprawling clan of grotesques assembled in an even more sprawling and grotesque ancestral home, which is of course positively stuffed with sinister secrets. The narration is beautifully pitched, so that Elena is clearly bright and engaging (I loved the description of a rhino's head on the wall: "Its expression suggested it knew exactly what percentage of its species it had represented when some pith-helmeted Enderbough scion had shot it"), but still thoroughly out of her element ("there was a wall of swords and breastplates and the long things that start off as spears but then decide they're going to be axes at the business end"), which in turn makes it more plausible that she's slow to fully twig that the Enderboughs are weird even beyond the weirdness to be expected of rich old English families. That, plus not wanting to give the more unwelcoming older relations the satisfaction, explaining why she sticks around despite the obligatory torrent of red flags. Which double as breadcrumbs, though when I thought I'd worked out what was afoot, I was entirely wrong. The real answer is ingenious, if not entirely convincing; it's a tempting metaphor for the perpetuation of power and privilege, but rooted so firmly in that self-assurance some of the rich and powerful display that it rather ignores how many others seem so desperately, embarrassingly insecure. Still, it's not as if a short chiller can be expected to fully anatomise a problem that has beset humanity for millennia.

*Not counting the graphic novel.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Jay Brantner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick novella featuring the American lead making an ill-advised visit to her boyfriend’s ancestral home for their once-a-generation get-together. It immediately put me in the mind of something like Get Out, but for class instead of race. And the book doesn’t really make much secret about what it will be. It’s genre-aware, and while the details are saved for a later reveal, the horrifying basics come through pretty early. Everyone knows it’s dangerous, the question is whether they can escape.

I worried that the genre-awareness might make the story as a whole seem very matter of course, and while I do think the cost of the earlier reveals is a little bit of tension lost, but there’s enough kept back to make for an interesting finish. And not just interesting, it’s a finish that genuinely did not feel predictable, that was sufficiently horrifying and also did a good job diving into the themes.

This is the fourth I’ve read of Tchaikovsky’s Terrible Worlds novellas (IIRC he has nine, all standalones), and while this one doesn’t hit quite the heights of Ogres, it’s easily my second-favorite of the four.

First impression: 17/20

[Beas Chattaraj · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Enderbough family is filthy rich, and like all these kind of ‘old money’ families, the Enderboughs had dark secrets. So when Elena Mendes, a normal girl from the States went with her British boyfriend Ross Enderbough to visit his estranged family, she was up against something she wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams. Because the woods are soaked in the blood of innocents and there’s a deal with the devil. As she, Ross and some other cousins try to escape from the hellish mansion, Elena realises that the Enderboughs have been hiding something truly dark within their lands. And it may be too late for her and Ross.
Creepy, gothic, action-packed novella with a weird ending. I have mixed feelings about that. The pace picked up from the first page itself and I was hooked. It was an interesting read. Recommend for horror enthusiasts.
I thank Netgalley and Solaris for the e-ARC.

[Lizardley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Another great novella from Tchaikovsky. The setting is appropriately creepy, the pacing is good, and Tchaikovsky writes Elena as a convincing American (aside from the use of the word "motorway"). I questioned why images were necessary to tell this story, but they do genuinely add something, as it's a bit challenging to envision what Tchaikovsky is putting down. The slow reveal of what is actually going on is very well done; it leaves you think that you should have been able to spot it all along, but it still comes across as a surprise.

A very fun spooky story; I wish I had been able to read it in autumn while out in the English countryside!

[Jamedi]

Rtc

[Skirmantė · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book and it did not disappoint at all.

The eerie, dark atmosphere hooked me right away. The pacing was consistent too. Nothing dragged or felt like it fell out of the story while I was reading.

The plot itself was pretty predictable, but honestly that didn't bother me much. I still had a great time with it overall. The cast of characters really carried things for me, they felt dynamic and distinct.

Elena stood out especially. She's the sole American surrounded by this rich old British family, and that contrast was written really well. You could feel her as the outsider in a way that added a lot to her character.

The one thing I'm still not sure about is the illustrations. I don't know if they actually added anything to the story for me, but they were interesting enough to look at, so I don't hold it against the book.

Overall a solid introduction to this author for me, and I'm curious to check out more of his work now.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Saif Shaikh | Distorted Visions · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ARC review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.

Score: 👴🐜💀

Extending his Terrible Worlds: Transformations novella series, the mad genius Adrian Tchikovsky offers up Preaching to the Choir. A quick gothic horror laced fantasy tale with a charmingly creepy British mansion, less charming but still creepy rich stuffy aristocrats, wrapped up with some good ol’ fashioned body horror!

I make no reservations about being a Tchaikovsky fanatic. I boldly proclaimed that I will pick up anything with his name on it, and a new review copy with his label gives me enough serotonin to last the week! Still, this is the THIRD Tchaikovsky novel I have reviewed in the first half of 2026, and there is at least one more to go. This seriously calls into question the man’s inhuman levels of productivity!

Stepping away from his long-form fantasy and sci-fi series, Preaching to the Choir is the second offering of the Transformations subsection of his Terrible Worlds anthology extravaganza. Admittedly, this anthology was set up before my deepdive into his catalog so I was mostly unaware of the previous entries, but the novella format makes it easier to jump right in.

With Preaching to the Choir that means jumping into an eerie mansion filled with uniquely off-putting characters. When the scion of the Enderbough family, Ross Enderbough invites his girlfriend Elena Mendes to his family estate for a long overdue reunion, he sees it as an opportunity to introduce his American girlfriend to his stiff-upper-lip, British family. However, Elena is thrust right into an uncanny display of wealth and power with horrific consequences.

Preaching to the Choir hits all the right notes in the gothic horror fantasy trope-list, creepy mansions, off-putting characters, bodies turning up where they shouldn’t and other accoutrements to raise the readers’ hackles. Seen through the eyes of a regular middle-class American woman, Elena’s perspective of the Enderbough family, across the several generations in attendance covers the whole gamut of British aristocratic stereotypes. The entitlement, arrogance, and disdain for her middle-class stock is on full display as she is sneered at by cousin, parents, looming uncles and leering aunts alike. Tchaikovsky’s own British stylings make the setting particularly familiar. The initial set up gave me a rather Wodehouseian vibe, albeit with enough trimmings of terror to set my teeth on edge.

Obviously, things at the Enderbough manor are not what they seem, and Elena is pulled into a horror mystery with inclusions of creature features and body horror, both expert pulls from the Tchaikovsky bag of tricks!

Sadly, beyond the on-the-nose commentary on the evils of oligarchic supremacy with very real-world parallels, Preaching to the Choir follows an altogether predictable plot with expected story checkpoints and staple tropes. Given a larger wordcount of a full-length novel, I am sure that the author would have deepened the lore and character arcs further, but was hamstrung by the shorter novella format. What we get instead is a truncated and shallow expose of familiar gothic horror.

This may have been a rare miss for me in Tchaikovsky’s extensive catalog, but does very little to dampen my spirits for future releases. Yet, those who are gothic horror fantasy nerds will still find plenty of insectile goodness from Preaching to the Choir and should jump head first into his Terrible Worlds!

Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Solaris Books and NetGalley.

Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions

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[Joe Karpierz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who reads my reviews, or talks to me about genre writers, or who has to listen to me blather on about which writers they should read, knows that I've become quite the Adrian
Tchaikovsky fan. He is a prolific author who writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, and I haven't read a book of his that I haven't liked. Imagine, then, my delight when I received an email from NetGalley informing me that Solaris had approved my request for an advance reader copy. Honestly, I'd forgotten that I'd requested it, so it was a pleasant surprise when it showed up in my inbox a couple of weeks ago.

"Preaching to the Choir" is the second of Tchaikovsky's Terrible Worlds: Transformations novellas. In it, Ross Enderbough invites his girlfriend Elena Mendes on a trip to England to introduce her to his very rich, very upper crust, and very eccentric family during one of their once in a generation family gatherings. Ross left England for the United States to get away from the family, as he doesn't get along with them. However, attendance at the family gathering is mandatory, so he doesn't have much choice as to whether he should attend. The problem is that outsiders - meaning spouses and girlfriends - are not invited or allowed at the gathering. Elena is not welcome, and although the older family members try to get her to leave and stay somewhere off the grounds, they eventually relent. There is an undercurrent of tension, however, between the family and Elena.

The gathering is held on the grounds of a family mansion built hundreds of years ago. The story takes place almost exclusively within the mansion, with some forays out to the overgrown and unkempt grounds. The mansion is creepy, labyrinthine, and as you might guess, holds many secrets. The family itself is no better when it comes to being creepy and holding secrets. As the story advances weird things happen, and the younger members of the family begin to question what's going on and why they are here at all. This ends up being a good thing for Elena, for as an outsider she feels much the same way. The elder members of the family keep telling them that they will learn what is happening soon, but once Elena spots a dead body being carted out of the mansion, "soon" isn't soon enough.

I wasn't aware that Tchaikovsky wrote horror stories, although novellas like "Walking to Aldebaran" and "Hungry Gods" should have been a clue. "Preaching to the Choir" is a creepy
gothic horror novel, complete with the creepy architecture of the mansion with scary things lurking around every corner in the dark, frightening things lurking on the mansion grounds, and the monstrous creatures that are at the heart of the story. The family secret - because every story like this involves a family secret - is not only frightening from a body horror standpoint but is frightening from the implications of what is revealed about the family.

"Preaching to the Choir" is another fine work from Tchaikovsky. Sure, we've seen the "let's take the girlfriend to meet the weird family" any number of times, and scary gothic mansions that contain odd and frightening things in the dark are not unusual either, but this story works because the characters are believable, the plot is well handled, and the story is written with Tchaikovsky's usual skill. The story is a slow burn, but once it picks up it gets moving and before you know it, it's over. I do recommend this for all fans of Tchaikovsky, as well as fans of well written horror.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It happens often that we hear about an author and are interested in their books but for one reason or another, we never actually pick them up. That happened to me with this author. I heard about “Children of time” and while the concept sounded very cool, I feared it was too hard sci-fi for me. I'm still a beginner when it comes to that genre. Then I found out he wrote fantasy too and I love fantasy but still, I never picked up those books. So when I saw this novella, I realised this was the perfect book for me to finally give this author a chance and I think the rating spoils that it was a good choice. So for anyone in a similar situation, I would definitely recommend this book to see if you vibe with the author’s writing.

I only needed to see the book being compared to two movies I love (Knives Out and Ready or Not) to know I wanted to read it. I do have to say it's a lot more Ready or Not in my opinion but that's never a bad thing. I do love that movie. I just knew I was going to have a good time reading the book but I actually had an ever better time than expected.
I was curious to learn what this family's secret was, since that's a common thing in both movies referenced. And it was so interesting and fun to put the pieces together. From the very beginning, we get clues of something very wrong happening and that makes the book so intriguing. It being a novella also makes it perfect to binge read. Obviously, given the premise, it can be a fun Halloween read. But why not a beach read too? It's fast paced and perfect for a summer day out too. Beach reads don't all have to be cutesy romances. Some of us enjoy reading about weird families while sunbathing.

As I said, the pace is fantastic. And the length of the book is too. Everything is explained but not over explained. There are no boring moments and the tension is there on every page. While it wasn't the craziest revelation I've read in a book, it was really cool. Well done and the way the story ended actually made a lot of sense. When I first finished the book I was a bit surprised. But thinking back to the rest of the story and how some characters behaved…yes, it makes sense. Maybe I expected it to be a bit more explosive, given the Ready or Not comparison (yes, pun intended) but this story is its own thing.

If I were to add a little complaint to the review, it'd be the relationship between Elena and Ross. When we first met them, I liked their dynamic. And I can understand Ross changed the way he behaved due to being back with his family. Also, I never knew if I could trust him (or anyone in his family) so I get that could be a choice made by the author but…these two are supposed to be dating and sometimes they felt like just acquaintances. Again, some of it I get but it did make me frown a few times. Still, not enough to prevent me from really enjoying the book.

Reading this novella has really made me want to prioritise all the other books written by this author. And I hope there are more stories in this little series because they're really fun.

Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kerena · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 3.5 stars rounded up **

This was my first experience reading Adrian Tchaikovsky, and while I can definitely see why he's so highly regarded, Preaching to the Choir didn't quite win me over.

The novella takes the classic gothic cliché (a sprawling country estate, old money, an unsettling family gathering, and long-buried secrets) and develops it in unexpected and imaginative ways. Elena joins her boyfriend Ross for a weekend with his wealthy family, only to discover that their traditions hide something far stranger than the usual family skeletons.

The atmosphere is easily the book's greatest strength. Tchaikovsky creates a wonderfully eerie setting, with the manor and its grounds dripping with gothic charm and a constant sense of dread. I enjoyed gradually uncovering the family's secrets, and the central concept is both original and thought-provoking, raising interesting questions about inheritance, identity, and morality without overexplaining everything. The photographs and illustrations of artefacts scattered throughout the novella were a nice touch and really helped bring the story to life. I do think I would have liked a little more insight into how the central mystery actually worked. While the ambiguity wasn't a flaw, I found myself wanting just a bit more explanation.

Where the novella ultimately fell short for me was in its characters. Elena is a competent and likeable protagonist, but neither she nor Ross ever feel fully developed beyond what the plot requires. As a result, I never became especially invested in their relationship or their fate. The novella's length also works against it here, as I was left wishing there had been more room to flesh out both the characters and their relationships.

Even so, Tchaikovsky's writing is often rich and haunting, with several passages that linger long after you've finished reading. However, he occasionally reaches for unusual turns of phrase that interrupted the flow for me, pulling me out of the story as I reread sentences to make sure I'd understood them.

While Preaching to the Choir didn't completely click with me, its lean but effective worldbuilding and imaginative central concept elevate what could have been a fairly conventional gothic horror story. As a first introduction to Adrian Tchaikovsky's work, it didn't quite convince me this is one of his best, but it definitely left me curious to explore more of his writing.

Massive thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elli (Kindig Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Sci-Fi books – two of his titles; Alien Clay and Service Model were my Kindig Gems of 2024. When I heard he has recently started a horror novella series I could not wait to request Preaching to the Choir and jump in!

When Elena Mendes is invited to an event at her very rich British boyfriend’s family estate, she is excited to get a peek into the world of old money. However, when they are told the invitation is only extended to blood relatives and she is not welcome, she starts to wonder what secrets are hiding in the crumbling manor house with its creepy stone figures.

Preaching to the Choir feels very much like a traditional horror story. Although it is a novella it is well-written by assured storyteller Adrian Tchaikovsky who puts us at (un)ease right away. We are instantly sympathetic to Elena and her boyfriend Ross, who doesn’t get on with his family. We are introduced to a large cast of characters in the wider family, but nothing gets confusing. The horror elements begin right away, with creepy gargoyles and carvings and secret meetings in the middle of the night. The book also contains some photographs of the carvings which really helped me to picture what I was reading about – I’m not quite sure where these pictures came from, but I enjoyed the creepy vibe of them.

I think the story itself is nothing particularly revelatory, I had guessed what was happening early on, and it felt very much like a story that I’ve read before – albeit a well-told one. I was still hooked but I don’t think there’s anything particularly new in the plot. I really enjoyed the twist ending, which is something you come to expect from Tchaikovsky’s work. As a Brit, I was a little confused at the repeated use of the phrase ‘the family pile’ to describe the mansion and land. Although the slang is technically correct, it’s not really a phrase that is used much in British culture and should have been swapped out for ‘Estate’ in my opinion (unless of course, it’s something used more commonly in the upper echelons of society that I’m unaware of!). I’m also a little confused by the title of the book, which doesn’t seem to fit with the plot.

Overall, Preaching to the Choir is a fun horror read that is well-told by a master author - it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, but it was a fun read nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley & Solaris for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For more of my reviews check out Kindig Blog

[Michael MRBookReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thought after reading Preaching to the Choir is: I need to read more from Tchaikovsky! This novella was excellent. I loved the setting: a gothic, old-money, sprawling mansion estate with endless rooms and hallways. I also loved the mix of European old-money fuddy-duddies from a variety of generations, along with the FMC, Elena, the lone American who is joining her boyfriend at his family get-together in said mansion.

Tchaikovsky is wonderful at setting the scene, not just physically but situationally. How he described the family members’ immediate dislike and disapproval that Elena, the outsider, has tagged along on this important family gathering was one of my favorite parts of the story. I really enjoyed how the displeasure of the characters was described while also describing the characters themselves.

Uncle Jas was a barrel on legs, aquiline nose, greying. His mouth didn’t seem to have the muscles to smile. It only curved downwards. Small dark eyes flicked to Elena. “Who in buggery’s this?”

Being an American reading this, the insults and sarcasm were top-notch.

“Gil!” he barked, without taking his coal-chip eyes off her. “Someone’s brought some baggage back from the Colonies.”

Gilchrist’s eyes consented to the fact of her.

After the family moves on from trying to ship Elena away from the mansion, the true story begins about why this once-in-a-generation event is happening and more of the backstory of this ancient, wealthy, powerful family and its origins begins to unravel. The younger generation of the family uncover mysteries of their family and soon realizes the benefits they were born with and into don’t come free.

you never actually stepped far enough away to find out where the bars were. Doesn’t mean you weren’t in a cage.

Overall, this was truly an excellent spooky, gothic novella, and I highly recommend it. I already knew that Tchaikovsky was a world-renowned author famous for his prolific writing, but this has strongly piqued my interest in exploring more of his work.

Thank you, Solaris, for providing me with this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5 / 5

Format: eARC via NetGalley

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preaching to the Choir was a departure from the typical thing I read from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Rather than science fiction or fantasy, this is a full-blown gothic horror complete with a spooky mansion, generational secrets and plenty of monsters!
From the comp titles, I was expecting something very fast paced and ‘eat the rich’, and there definitely was some commentary but the story as a whole was quite slow paced and much more focussed on building up tension throughout. Elena is visiting her boyfriend’s ultra-wealthy (and ultra-mysterious) family for the first time, and it’s clear from the moment she steps through the door that she isn’t welcome. Though she initially puts it down to simple prejudice, her experiences point towards something much stranger. What is the strange music coming from the woods each night? Why are the staff apparently replaced each day? And what is the great secret her boyfriend is apparently to be brought into that is so important?

Tchaikovsky did an excellent job at building up a slow, creeping dread and sense of mystery around the secret at the heart of the novella. As ever, his writing is sharp and effective and I found it particularly rich in this book, full of passages I’ll definitely be coming back to. The images and pictures of artefacts we were shown throughout was a really nice addition and added to the atmosphere. The plot, while initially somewhat cliche, turned out to be nicely unique. I found it was a satisfying read overall, brilliantly creepy and an original take on the haunted house/generational secret horror, with some really interesting moral questions left for the reader to mull over at the end (and a few sci-fi elements thrown in of course, this is an Adrian Tchaikovsky book after all).

While I did have a fine time, I did find myself wanting a bit more from the book after having enjoyed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s other horror-tinged novellas Walking to Aldebaran and And Put Away the Childish Things so much. I didn’t find Elena to be a particularly engaging protagonist, there simply wasn’t much to her other than ‘American’ and I would have liked to find out a bit more about her life and personality in order to make her decision at the end of the book more effective. I also found the plot just a little bit predictable - despite the originality in the concept the direction it was pointing to was very obvious once everything was established. And, despite it being a short book, I do think some of the beginning could have been edited out and it would have been perhaps more effective. There was a lot of meandering and the characters going back-and-forth which wasn’t really necessary.

But overall, even though this was a bit weaker in terms of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s standards, it was still a good read and it’ll be great for anyone looking for a quick but delightfully creepy gothic horror.

[Sieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bookreview - Preaching to the Choir by Adrian Tchaikovsky published by @solarisbooks
4/5 🌟

Elena joins her British boyfriend Ross on a trip to his ancestral pile for a family get together. When they arrive at the Victorian mansion Elena is not welcomed with open arms. The gathering should have been family only. The longer Elena stays the weirder things become. What is the secret these ancient aristocrats are keeping?

I am a self professed Adrian Tchaikovsky fan, but I know Adrian mainly for his work in scifi. I have tried his fantasy as well, but have never tried amy of his horror books. So when I got this offered on @netgalley by Solaris I was in.

Adrian's novellas are usually excellent. He runs with an idea and takes it too its weird extremes. He can do so in a very limited amount of pages. This is part of his loosely theme based Terrible Worlds: Transformations. It was my first book in this series, but after reading this I will hunt down the rest.

The story of Elena uses the well worn trope of being brought to a weird family gathering. Think of for instance the magnificent Get Out. It mixes in the creepy British mansion trope, creature feature and some other stuff I can't mention without spoilers. It is a very classic type of horror that gets subverted a bit towards the end but not enough to really offer something truly new.

What is left is a very competent horror. Elena is a good main character, with the classic American view on British customs. Ross and his family secret are intriguing and you are driven to find out what is true and what isn't. Ofcourse my guess of what was going on was totally wrong and I loved it.

The novella format was perfect for this read. Just long enough for a good mystery to be unravelled and short enough to not bore. The writing was also very accessible, almost so much that it felt unlike Adrian.

All in all this book was a good pulpy horror read. I would recommend this to Grady Hendrix fans or lovers of books like My Heart is A Chainsaw. As said I will definitely pick up more books in the Terrible Worlds series.

Big thanks to Solaris for the e-Galley

[Book Club of One · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preaching to the Choir is Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest entry to his Terrible Worlds series. This series uses novella length stories grouped around shared themes, for this subset the stories will be centered on transformations. And through the gothic inspired journey of Elena, we learn of the very wealthy and connected Enderbough family as she joins her boyfriend Ross for a once in a generation reunion at their sprawling and forest surrounded family estate.

As in the Gothic haunted mansion tradition, from their arrival, Elena is filled with a deep sense of foreboding, especially after glimpsing the creepy angel statue at the entry. And the family is far from welcoming, from the opening of the estate door, there has clearly been a miscommunication, Ross was not supposed to bring anyone. The family does little to ease the tension, continually talking about internal matters and icing out Elena. Only among the cousins does there seem to be feelings of rapport and friendliness.

As Ross and Elena spend more time at the estate, the sinister becomes much more clear. The mansion is hard to navigate, having been added to and renovating many times over the centuries. It is surrounded by a heavy and dark forest. Ross, Elena and two of the cousins attempt to explore the forest by path, but when two of them are injured and the family closes ranks to emphasize a specific version of events, the hostilities go from hinted to outright. Will Elena and Ross make it out? And what is it the family is so set on keeping secret?

Tchaikovsky, quite prolific, offers a science fiction fueled tale of gothic horror. The mansion and the woods provide excellent atmosphere, and Elena, who sees too much too soon reacts with realistic fright and panic, but still retains sanity and curiosity.

Recommended to readers of gothic horror, conspiracies of the wealthy or monstrous transformation.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Holly Taggart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who have followed my reading escapades know that I am a little lukewarm on Adrian Tchaikovsky. As a writer, he's a master. It's just that sometimes even though his Sci-Fi is masterful, and very well put together, I just, kind of don't love it.

So, I can not really explain why I decided I needed to read Preaching to Choir, but... if you take a gander at the stunning cover, you might understand. The Cover was done by the amazing Gemma Sheldrake (also known as petitecreme), Without this cover, I likely would have avoided it.

So glad I spent the time to delve into this novella. It was so very different when compared to Shroud, or Alien Clay. I LOVED it. and psst- there are some amazing illustrations/photos in the novella as well.

Coming in at a cool 176 pages this is a perfect read for "Summerween" It gives off the most delicious creepy gothic vibes, and I had a great time reading this.

Without any Spoilers- Readers meet an international couple, Elena And Ross. Ross is British and well heeled, Elena's had to work hard to get where she is- which is attending a prestigious American med school. Elena and Ross are headed to his old family estate for some sort of once in a lifetime family gathering. As they approach the house, things get creepy- but Elena's sure she's just imagining things. She breathes a sigh of relief when the doors swing open- only to get the most unwelcoming welcome ever. Elena, being tough, decides to stick around, until it becomes apparent she's Hotel California'd herself and well... can she leave? Should she leave? Reader's will want to pick up this slim volume to find out.
Readers can expect signature Tchaikovsky Macabre moments, as well as incisive commentary on power, influence and money as well as the lengths people will go to obtain said things.

This reader wants more of this from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Thanks to Solaris, a division of Simon and Schuster for the advanced reading copy.

[Vivek Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a hit or miss compared to Tchaikovsky's other works. Tchaikovsky returns with another entry in his Terrible Worlds: Transformations novellas, this time with the creepy old English aristocracy!

Preaching to the Choir follows Elena Mendes, who accompanies her boyfriend Ross Enderbough to his family's gathering at Enderby, the crumbling ancestral mansion his eccentric old-money family calls home. What starts as an awkward meet-the-family trip quickly turns into something far darker, as the cracks in the Enderbough legacy start showing.

There's a lot to like here. The gothic atmosphere is genuinely well done - a creepy mansion, a cast of off-putting aristocrats, and enough body horror to keep you unsettled throughout. The elements of power and corruption are sharp and relevant to the current world we live in, classic Tchaikovsky. The premise pulls you in early too, with Elena's outsider perspective on old money giving the story a strong hook.

However, the book lost its steam somewhere in the middle, which felt fairly predictable and stuck close to the familiar gothic horror script rather than doing anything unexpected with it. While Tchaikovsky's novellas are typically fast paced, here I think a longer format might've given the plot and characters more room to breathe. I also never fully connected with the characters the way I wanted to, particularly Elena, which made some of the later moments land softer than they should have. Neither issue derails the book, but together they kept it from being a full page-turner.

Still an interesting read with real ideas in it. I'm generally a fan of Tchaikovsky's other work, so this wasn't quite his strongest for me. But it hasn't put me off picking up more from him, and I'd still recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic horror with a bit of bite.

Thanks Netgalley and Solaris for sending an advance reader's copy.

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

TW/CW Body Horror | Corpses | Death | Murder| Gun Violence | Captivity | Coercion

If there is an Adrian Tchaikovsky novella, I will want to read it. I've said this before but this author can be so hit and miss for me. But his novella's tend to be great for me. As is this one. I've now read at least one novella in each Terrible Worlds collection and so now I must go and see if I can complete a few.

Elena met her boyfriend Ross during her study. He comes from 'old' money in England though. When he is being summoned back to the family mansion for a once every 40 year family gathering, he stubbornly takes Elena with her. This is a big no-no as these family gatherings slowly share the secrets and horrors this family harbors.

Going in to this story, you know there is going to be something creepy. In the family, or in the mansion or in the forest surrounding the mansion, or maybe just in all. It's not that this has anything truly surprising for this kind of story. Get the girlfriend to meet the weirdo family and find out some family secrets as they go. But I did enjoy it.

Elena on her own isn't a very compelling character but she is the 'normal' one and that easily sets her apart from everyone else. I enjoyed that she didn't have to figure out this secret on her own but that Ross and those around their age also have no idea. I especially enjoyed Ross female cousin who very clearly was done with it all. She created a great dynamic in the interactions.

I would have liked to have gotten more on the 'creatures' and the background but since this is a novella that can be forgiven.

While the ending was perhaps not that surprising, it was fitting for the book and the characters.

[Rebecca (Medusa's Rock Garden) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an arc from Netgalley.

Preaching to the Choir honestly reminded me a lot of a mix between the movie Ready or Not and The Fall of the House of Usher tv show. Both of which I am a big fan of, so this is not a bad comparison at all. The biggest difference is that this is not funny like Ready or Not, and probably a bit less gory than House of Usher. There is a little bit of gore, to be fair, but it is not super detailed or protracted so in comparison, it's not a super gory book at all.

This is fairly atmospheric, which is what you usually want from a gothic story. Vibes were on point, you felt that discomfort, that something uncanny, and that slight disorientation, from pretty much the very start. You weren't completely sure who to trust in the story and the ending went in the direction that I personally wanted it to. That doesn't happen all that often in stories like this, so I am very happy about that. The reveal about what was happening shouldn't have surprised me, but it kind of actually did.

This was read as an arc, so I assume that some changes are still to be made... I say this because there was one or two things that stood out that need editing. Namely, near the start, there are a couple things that the characters talk about and then a few pages or a chapter later they discuss the thing again as though it's never been discussed before. Total revelation, even though they already know all of it. Also when the MC realises what is happening she describes the thing, but she doesn't actually name it for several pages and that was odd. Like most people will get it from her description, but not everyone. It was just an odd thing to not say the word as soon as she had the revelation. But yeah, hopefully that's all arc stuff and will be fixed before final release. It's not enough to make the book bad though.

Adrian Tchaikovsky continues to be one of my favourite authors, and I am always looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next and discovering if it's going to be one I love or one of those few that just do not work for me at all.

[Alyssa (HeartwyldsLibrary) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was an interesting read but then again it is Tchaikovsky, so if you go into this thinking it's going to be normal that's on you.

Overall I found the story engaging if not a bit confusing at times. Tchaikovsky has a way of telling his stories where one minute I'm following along just fine and the next I'm lost, and I do feel a lot of that is due to the vocabulary he uses and how he uses it. This isn't a bad thing, it keeps me on my toes and introduces me to new words and I like that, but I will not lie it does make it a struggle sometimes.

We follow a decent sized cast of characters who all distinctly have their own voice, though at times I did get confused as to who was talking but that's due to how the scenes were written and not because I was mixing them up. Elena was a great character to follow, although sometimes I couldn't tell if what she was going through was purposely meant to come across as confusing because she was confused or if I was just struggling to follow the writing. The story is creepy, dark and unsettling. I really enjoyed the horror side of this tale, it kept my curiosity piqued.

The only real frustration I have with this tale is understanding the connection between what is revealed about the family and how it helped them become so filthy rich and have so much influence. I understand parts of it but the grand scheme of it leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed with the outcome. I didn't find the ending to be that strong. I also found the reveal of what the horror was to be kind of lackluster, though I give points for originality (unless this exists in some culture I am unaware of it).

Overall its another interesting novella and one that will either bit a hit or miss for people.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how to review this novella without spoilers, but it was good — really good. I haven't read a ton of Tchaikovsky, but I've started slowly working my way through his Terrible Worlds stories and was surprised to find that this one is more old-fashioned horror-y than the others I've read. There are some sci-fi and fantasy elements, sure, but there's no wardrobe to a Narnia-esque land or aliens or anything of the sort. This story is full of monsters and terror and rich British people behaving very badly, and I loved every minute of it.

Perhaps the ending isn't the most unpredictable ending in literary history — I saw it coming from fairly early on — but it's a wild ride getting there and it really is the perfect conclusion to … everything. If there's one thing I've learned from horror novels, it's that nothing good can come from being summoned back to a centuries-old family estate for a once-a-generation reunion with your awful relatives. And being an outsider who just happens tag along for this bizarro gathering? Far, far worse. This novella is full of foreboding and horror and creepiness, and it's one story I certainly wouldn't want to be the main character in. I think. But also kind of maybe?

So, yeah — no spoilers. Just go into this one blind because it's a lot of fun in a horrifying sort of way. I can't believe I waited so long to start reading Tchaikovsky, because he's quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors.

4.35 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is August 11, 2026.

[donutdot · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

my first adrian tchaikovky book and will certainly not be the last!!! i have not watched knives out, but the comparison to ready or not is truly apt. i always like me a rich people do wrong things kind of story and this is one of them.

for a novella, preaching to the choir does a lot. not only does it poke at a lot of real world situations where the rich and privileged have a lot more sway than they should, spheres of influence so far reaching and far back, i was actually so engaged by our fmc elena's pov.

the way she describes people and situations is always so entertaining because of how self aware she is of everything, or at least she thought she was. she thought she understood her boyfriend ross' rich family that he doesn't get along with but oh boy that is such an understatement.

it is like watching a car accident in slow motion where you see elena, thinking she's going to take down the enderboughs with whatever dark secret she, will (for half the story), melissa and ross find out, and to see her descent in what i can only describe is full lucidity because you also understand and would make the same choices as her. that ending shocked me, but strangely, like elena, i see the appeal and choice in neera's words.

spoilers ahead, blood sucking cicadas that keep you alive for 83 years and give you a supernaturally influencial voice is insane. i nearly screamed on public transport when elena took the deal and joined the family. her surety that she's ross' anchor, and now that she's on the family's side he will eventually fully be too is so scary but so real.

100% going to read more of tchaikovsky soon.

[aria ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

── 5.0✦

(thank you solaris publishers through netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review)

Fidelitatis Et Perseverantiae

Kings, queens, politicians, religious leaders, business moguls; these are powerful people in the history of the world and in the background, hovering over their left shoulders in the shadows, are the Enderboughs. A family that can trace its lineage to the earliest of humanity, whose traditions are older than some countries’ independence and who every 40 years hosts a family reunion. Strictly family is invited to this reunion—no partners who married in and definitely no dating prospects—but Ross Enderbough who fled to America to live away from his family’s influence, forced to make the trip, brings his girlfriend Elena. Elena, who knows that her boyfriend comes from ‘old money’ but has no idea that everything she believed about that term will be changed once she steps into the family mansion, Enderby.

There’s always that one novella that completely captures me. In Terrible Worlds: Revolutions, it was Ogres and depending on the third novella Tchaikovsky releases in this Terrible Worlds: Transformations series, ‘Preaching To The Choir’ might be that one novella for me. While ‘Saturation Point’ reminded me of Annihilation, this reminds me of ‘‘Ready or Not’ and I was completely entranced. I read this in one sitting. Adrian Tchaikovsky did it again.

Also referring to an American as “baggage back from the Colonies.” had no right to make me laugh as hard as it did.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this creepy, monster-themed horror novella, Elena travels to England with her boyfriend Ross when he is summoned to the family estate for a mysterious gathering. It all gets out of hand quickly when she witnesses a deformed body leaving the mansion. What lurks in the woods, and worse yet, within the family? Will she survive the terror?

As a horror novella, it's dark and atmospheric in a modern-gothic sort of way, with a creepy "monster" and a surprise twist. I didn't mind the story, but the execution fell short for me. First, I generally find the author's writing style a bit wordy (much like Sanderson's novels), and here he tried to throw in all the American and British slang, which annoyed me (though I'm Canadian, I can easily understand American terms, plus I lived in England for a while, so I get that vocabulary also - this is probably the source of the disconnect). I also didn't completely buy the "male author writing a female main character" for reasons related to vocabulary. And my other complaint was the narrator, who was overall excellent, but her American accent was not great, and the switching between one character's American accent, the family's various English accents, and the narrator's own English accent for the general narration was very jarring.

To sum up, this is an interesting and creepy novella, and though I liked the premise more than the actual execution, I would recommend it for those who enjoy the author's writing or appreciate the genre.

Thank you to Libro.fm and Tantor Media for the Audiobook Listening Copy.

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short quick and creepy novella. I enjoyed that it threw the reader right into the action and didn't waste any time on unnecessary backstory, you got everything as you went along. A classic outsider at the creepy rich family gathering tale, comparison to Ready or Not is apt. I would also compare it to another ARC I read this year. Reliquary by Hannah Whitten, which is being published the same day.

Elena Mendes thought she knew what she was getting into with her boyfriend Ross Enderbough's old money family. She knew he was rich, that his British family was a bit eccentric, predated the United States as a country, and that he had gone to America to study to get away from them. So, when Ross asks Elena to join her on a trip to Enderby, the family mansion that was originally a monastery, she feels she has an idea of what awaits her. But upon arrival, she learns she is not a welcome guest, Enderby is meant to be blood family only, spouses and partners are not welcome. Elena is allowed to stay the night, as Ross threatens to leave if they make her go. But when she sees something off while searching for the bathroom at night, she begins to realize there is more to the family than meets the eye, and that she may be in danger. With help from Ross and his cousins, Elena begins investigating what is actually happening here and hoping she can figure it out before it is too late.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

It's a "that was okay, I guess" for me on this one. The atmosphere was good, and Tchaikovsky's writing, descriptions, and turns of phrase were excellent as always. The book was good fun to read for that reason. I also really liked the inventiveness of the mystery and how the characters peeled back the mystery of it piece by piece. Unlike some other reviewers, I absolutely loved the pictures and thought they added a lot to my enjoyment and understanding of the book. The mediaeval manuscript picture in particular was so creepy!

What puzzled me a bit was that, while I got a very clear idea of who Ross and Melissa were, despite being the main character, Elena still felt like a bit of a mystery to me even by the end of the novel. We didn't get enough about her backstory and particular character to make her feel more than an averagely generic heroine. This was a real problem given her decision at the end of the novel, a switch of opinion that seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere - definitely the weakest part of the book for me.

Another weakness of the novella was that it was very rote and predictable in following the Gothic Horror Script. That can sometimes be fun, but I felt there wasn't enough life and pizzazz injected into this one to really make it stand out from the crowd. It left this novella at "reasonably fun read" rather than an absolute "must recommend."