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Reliquary
In this deliciously atmospheric horror debut from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten, a grieving woman is lured to her late fiancé's remote island estate - only to uncover eerie family secrets, a haunting past, and a monstrous hunger stirring beneath the sea.
When Claire's fiancé Elias mysteriously dies of an unknown neurological illness, his estranged family invites her to a three-day wake at Harrow Point, their family home on a remote private island. Claire feels like she's being given the chance to find family again, to belong.
But something isn't right - their home stirs strange memories of the accident that killed Claire's parents, and Elias's brother seems insistent that she leave as soon as possible. As she dives deeper into the world of Harrow Point, she discover that there's something swimming in the bowels of Harrow Point, and it is hungry. But as Claire's window for escape rapidly closes, she starts to wonder, does she even want to?
When Claire's fiancé Elias mysteriously dies of an unknown neurological illness, his estranged family invites her to a three-day wake at Harrow Point, their family home on a remote private island. Claire feels like she's being given the chance to find family again, to belong.
But something isn't right - their home stirs strange memories of the accident that killed Claire's parents, and Elias's brother seems insistent that she leave as soon as possible. As she dives deeper into the world of Harrow Point, she discover that there's something swimming in the bowels of Harrow Point, and it is hungry. But as Claire's window for escape rapidly closes, she starts to wonder, does she even want to?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,132 reviews
August 14, 2026
To all the weird stuff in the ocean that is none of my business. I feel this dedication in my soul and maybe that's why this book worked perfectly for me. If all of humanity just collectively stayed away from the depths of the ocean, life would be better. At least that's true for the characters in this book. Claire Sutherland would never have ended up on the private island of her dead fiancée's super rich family. It may sound really fancy, but things are just too strange around there. The family home is built into a mountain and lies half underground; they have a barn but no farm animals to speak of and everyone is just really into freaky ocean stuff. But Claire is happy to be welcomed warmly as she really doesn't know how to deal with anything after the unexpected death of her fiancée Elias. She's full of grief and full of questions, and what the hell is she supposed to do with Elias' gross tentacle-fish pet? So even if the family is strangely cult-like, she is looking forward to connecting with them. Until they want to connect a bit too much, of course. The story reminded me a bit of the Ready Or Not movies, but with tentacles and less action. It's actually quite slow-moving and I understand everyone who was bored while reading, but I liked the claustrophobic atmosphere that was created through it. There were red flags everywhere, but I never had the feeling that Claire could just leave and I was so intrigued to see where the story was going. Claire might not be the most interesting character to follow as she is a very distant person with little personality and emotions, but she still worked very well as a protagonist for me. I gasped when her hollowness was actually addressed in the story later on and her whole characterization made so much sense to me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was always happy to pick it back up. It also helped that I'm terrified of the ocean but also slightly curious and I just needed to find out what marine abominations were waiting for me here. I was not disappointed in that regard and I absolutely loved the last 20% of the book. I had quite mixed experiences with the author before, but I think that horror might really be her thing. I'm excited to see what's coming next from her.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Run For It for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Run For It for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2025
Propulsive and completely impossible to put down, RELIQUARY seized me with uneasy dread and will make me think twice before tiptoeing into any ocean. Hannah Whitten is my new favorite voice in horror.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a huge fan of the Wilderwood and Nightshade Crown series, I was already beyond excited to dive into a standalone gothic horror by Hannah Whitten—and let me tell you, it absolutely delivers! If you love gothic thrillers, bizarre family dynamics packed with dark secrets, and psychological tension rooted in a heroine’s past, this book is calling your name.
The premise is instantly eerie. Claire’s world shatters when her fiancé, Elias, dies suddenly from an aneurysm. Their relationship wasn’t exactly perfect—Claire is still deeply grieving the tragic loss of her parents, while Elias had severed ties with his own family, wanting nothing to do with them. There were also unsettling hints that he controlled far too much of Claire’s life—emotionally and financially. So when he dies, what she feels isn’t just grief—it’s emptiness, abandonment, and a disorienting sense of being unmoored.
Then comes the unexpected invitation.
Audrey Ashbury, Elias’s estranged mother, reaches out and warmly invites Claire to attend a three-day wake at the family estate, Harrow Point. With no clear direction and nowhere else to turn, Claire accepts. Soon, she’s flown out on the Ashburys’ private plane to a remote, opulent estate that radiates both extreme wealth and something far more unsettling—an eerie, almost religious intensity woven into its walls.
From the moment she arrives, things feel… off.
The estate is claustrophobic and labyrinthine, made even worse by Claire’s severe fear of enclosed spaces—especially when she’s assigned to basement rooms accessible only by elevator. But that’s just the beginning. Elias had claimed he cut all ties with his family—so why do they seem to know so much about Claire? Why don’t they behave like a grieving family? Why are they showering her with attention, even celebrating her birthday with extravagant gifts?
And then there’s Ash—Elias’s stepbrother and apparent enemy—who watches Claire closely, questioning her every move. Their interactions are tense, charged, almost volatile, awakening a fierce anger in Claire she didn’t even know she was capable of.
Secrets seem to lurk in every corner of Harrow Point. The atmosphere grows heavier, more suffocating. Claire’s instincts scream at her to run—but the warnings don’t stop there. Her dead fiancé begins appearing in her dreams… urging her to leave.
Or is she even dreaming at all?
Yes, my friends—this book delivers everything: a bizarre and unsettling family reunion, a locked-room mystery, a deeply claustrophobic gothic setting, and a picture-perfect family that feels dangerously too good to be true. Add in disturbing, sensational twists and a creeping sense of dread, and you’ve got a horror-thriller that practically demands you grab your popcorn, sink into your coziest spot, and maybe—just maybe—lock your doors twice before you start reading.
If you’re already a fan of the author, or if you love gothic horror with sharp twists and psychological depth, I highly recommend going in blind. This one is seriously good.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a digital review copy of this eerie, unputdownable thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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The premise is instantly eerie. Claire’s world shatters when her fiancé, Elias, dies suddenly from an aneurysm. Their relationship wasn’t exactly perfect—Claire is still deeply grieving the tragic loss of her parents, while Elias had severed ties with his own family, wanting nothing to do with them. There were also unsettling hints that he controlled far too much of Claire’s life—emotionally and financially. So when he dies, what she feels isn’t just grief—it’s emptiness, abandonment, and a disorienting sense of being unmoored.
Then comes the unexpected invitation.
Audrey Ashbury, Elias’s estranged mother, reaches out and warmly invites Claire to attend a three-day wake at the family estate, Harrow Point. With no clear direction and nowhere else to turn, Claire accepts. Soon, she’s flown out on the Ashburys’ private plane to a remote, opulent estate that radiates both extreme wealth and something far more unsettling—an eerie, almost religious intensity woven into its walls.
From the moment she arrives, things feel… off.
The estate is claustrophobic and labyrinthine, made even worse by Claire’s severe fear of enclosed spaces—especially when she’s assigned to basement rooms accessible only by elevator. But that’s just the beginning. Elias had claimed he cut all ties with his family—so why do they seem to know so much about Claire? Why don’t they behave like a grieving family? Why are they showering her with attention, even celebrating her birthday with extravagant gifts?
And then there’s Ash—Elias’s stepbrother and apparent enemy—who watches Claire closely, questioning her every move. Their interactions are tense, charged, almost volatile, awakening a fierce anger in Claire she didn’t even know she was capable of.
Secrets seem to lurk in every corner of Harrow Point. The atmosphere grows heavier, more suffocating. Claire’s instincts scream at her to run—but the warnings don’t stop there. Her dead fiancé begins appearing in her dreams… urging her to leave.
Or is she even dreaming at all?
Yes, my friends—this book delivers everything: a bizarre and unsettling family reunion, a locked-room mystery, a deeply claustrophobic gothic setting, and a picture-perfect family that feels dangerously too good to be true. Add in disturbing, sensational twists and a creeping sense of dread, and you’ve got a horror-thriller that practically demands you grab your popcorn, sink into your coziest spot, and maybe—just maybe—lock your doors twice before you start reading.
If you’re already a fan of the author, or if you love gothic horror with sharp twists and psychological depth, I highly recommend going in blind. This one is seriously good.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a digital review copy of this eerie, unputdownable thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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May 15, 2026
The vibes are immaculate! Reliquary executes modern gothic horror to perfection! You can trace its structure right back to Jane Erye, which I’ve always preferred to Wuthering Heights. We’ve got a classic creepy house situation, an island with no way off, bizarre staff that don’t speak, and a protagonist (primed from previous childhood trauma) who’s such a bottomless pit of need & anxiety, she can’t refuse the increasingly awful things asked of her.
We open with Claire just having heard her fiancé, Elias, is dead. She’s an old hand at stuffing grief down after her entire family died at sea when she was a child. Unfortunately it’s proving more difficult this time. When Elias’s estranged family reaches out, inviting her to their private island, Claire jumps at the chance to have “family” in her life. When she arrives she’s constantly gaslit, ignored, overruled and forced to push her boundaries. All it takes is a little love bombing and she becomes too eager to please to say no.
I was prepped to be annoyed by Claire. Her character is so passive I was screaming “Get out you fool! Don’t go down that dark staircase. Don’t eat anything they serve you!” I was presently surprised by how I continued to like her more & more. Her barely treated PTSD wasn’t just a vehicle for poor decisions, it also served to create real emotional depth & growth by the end.
Strongly recommend if you enjoy this genre!
We open with Claire just having heard her fiancé, Elias, is dead. She’s an old hand at stuffing grief down after her entire family died at sea when she was a child. Unfortunately it’s proving more difficult this time. When Elias’s estranged family reaches out, inviting her to their private island, Claire jumps at the chance to have “family” in her life. When she arrives she’s constantly gaslit, ignored, overruled and forced to push her boundaries. All it takes is a little love bombing and she becomes too eager to please to say no.
I was prepped to be annoyed by Claire. Her character is so passive I was screaming “Get out you fool! Don’t go down that dark staircase. Don’t eat anything they serve you!” I was presently surprised by how I continued to like her more & more. Her barely treated PTSD wasn’t just a vehicle for poor decisions, it also served to create real emotional depth & growth by the end.
Strongly recommend if you enjoy this genre!
September 20, 2026
Second time was the charm because the first time I picked this up, I wasn't quite in the mood yet for a broody, slow-paced gothic. And RELIQUARY is a broody, slow-paced gothic, with themes of trauma, grief, and eat the rich, all woven in with chilling eldritch horrors and a decent handful of thalassophobia.
When Claire's fiance dies of an abrupt and unexpected aneurysm, she's heartbroken. Their courtship was a whirlwind slow-burn and she only just felt like she was finally getting to know and love him, despite their respective traumas that made bridging the gap hard. When his family reaches out to her and invites her to the funeral and the wake, over a three day celebration of life party, she is touched. Her own dark past meant that she didn't really have a family, and here is the chance to reconnect with the one that could have been hers.
But despite the warm welcome she receives, something isn't quite right about the Ashburys. They're curiously reluctant to talk about their dead son and his black sheep older brother, Ash, doesn't seem to like her much at all. He keeps warning her off, while the rest of the family tries to chastise him and rope him in, and something about him makes the ice surrounding Claire slough off. She comes to life around Ash in a way that she hasn't for a long time.
And in a place surrounded by water and death, that might be dangerous.
I went into this book thinking I knew what was going to happen and in some ways I was right, but in more ways, I was gloriously, gloriously wrong. I keep getting people arguing with me about how fucked up gothic novels are allowed to be. More and more, I'm seeing people who want the trimmings of gothic without actually having the author "go there." And while I think there's room for cozy everything in any genre, it's wrong to penalize people for wanting to go darker, when the whole point of a gothic is to explore death anxiety, relationship taboos, primal fears, and what really makes us human.
RELIQUARY is gothic perfection because it explores all of these themes and more, and I love to see a traumatized girlie getting in a few "good for her" moments while being validated on page. If you loved this book like I did and are looking for more fucked up family gothic books in this vein, I highly recommend NOW YOU'RE ONE OF US by Asa Nonami and MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
For my part, I'll be checking out more of Hannah Whitten's books.
5 stars
When Claire's fiance dies of an abrupt and unexpected aneurysm, she's heartbroken. Their courtship was a whirlwind slow-burn and she only just felt like she was finally getting to know and love him, despite their respective traumas that made bridging the gap hard. When his family reaches out to her and invites her to the funeral and the wake, over a three day celebration of life party, she is touched. Her own dark past meant that she didn't really have a family, and here is the chance to reconnect with the one that could have been hers.
But despite the warm welcome she receives, something isn't quite right about the Ashburys. They're curiously reluctant to talk about their dead son and his black sheep older brother, Ash, doesn't seem to like her much at all. He keeps warning her off, while the rest of the family tries to chastise him and rope him in, and something about him makes the ice surrounding Claire slough off. She comes to life around Ash in a way that she hasn't for a long time.
And in a place surrounded by water and death, that might be dangerous.
I went into this book thinking I knew what was going to happen and in some ways I was right, but in more ways, I was gloriously, gloriously wrong. I keep getting people arguing with me about how fucked up gothic novels are allowed to be. More and more, I'm seeing people who want the trimmings of gothic without actually having the author "go there." And while I think there's room for cozy everything in any genre, it's wrong to penalize people for wanting to go darker, when the whole point of a gothic is to explore death anxiety, relationship taboos, primal fears, and what really makes us human.
RELIQUARY is gothic perfection because it explores all of these themes and more, and I love to see a traumatized girlie getting in a few "good for her" moments while being validated on page. If you loved this book like I did and are looking for more fucked up family gothic books in this vein, I highly recommend NOW YOU'RE ONE OF US by Asa Nonami and MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
For my part, I'll be checking out more of Hannah Whitten's books.
5 stars
September 3, 2026
Eat the billionaires
February 10, 2026
First DNF of the year…
Incredibly 2D writing and characters; so flat in fact they could be used as bookmarks. Characters as emotional as a user manual, padded out by redundant phrases that refuse to die. Only 300 pages, yet somehow felt infinite. DNFed for self-preservation.
Incredibly 2D writing and characters; so flat in fact they could be used as bookmarks. Characters as emotional as a user manual, padded out by redundant phrases that refuse to die. Only 300 pages, yet somehow felt infinite. DNFed for self-preservation.
December 5, 2025
I’m so serious, I read this in maybe three hours bc I could not possibly put it down. I know it doesn’t come out till next summer, but I need a production team to jump on this STAT and get to making a full feature film. IM OBSESSED
August 1, 2026
Don’t worry if you’re squeamish about gore. There’s barely any. Just enough sentient jelly, mystery sludge, and assorted gelatinous horrors to make me question if I ever want to eat jello again.
September 22, 2026
2.5 ⭐
Maybe I should’ve taken a few days off reading — I could feel myself needing a break — but even so, this one just didn’t fully land for me. I do love that cover, though!
Claire is blindsided when she learns of her fiancé’s sudden death, and with no friends or family of her own, she happily accepts an unexpected invitation to spend time with his estranged family on their private island. Once she arrives, it’s obvious something isn’t quite right, but Claire is so desperate to belong that she ignores every red flag — and there are enough red flags to knit a full‑size caution banner. When she finally realizes she needs to get away, is it already too late?
I’m really torn on this one. On one hand it kept me curious enough to keep reading and I really wanted to know what the family was hiding, but I also found myself constantly zoning out as I tried to get through each chapter. Claire was a tough character to root for — she comes across as oddly detached, and for someone who lost her entire family, we never really see much emotion from her. Even after she learns her fiancé is dead, she doesn’t tell her therapist, which just made her reactions feel strangely flat.
The isolated private island and creepy, gothic mansion built into the cliff with lower levels that sit beneath the sea are a great backdrop, but I really struggled to picture it — especially once they were inside the submerged lower levels. By the mid‑point, the story finally picks up, and when it does, it shifts into something so wildly over the top that it almost felt disconnected from the rest of the book.
In the end, I’m always up for a slow burn mystery with a creature‑feature element, but this one didn't quite work for me. Honestly, though, take it with a grain of salt — I’m obviously book‑hungover.
Maybe I should’ve taken a few days off reading — I could feel myself needing a break — but even so, this one just didn’t fully land for me. I do love that cover, though!
Claire is blindsided when she learns of her fiancé’s sudden death, and with no friends or family of her own, she happily accepts an unexpected invitation to spend time with his estranged family on their private island. Once she arrives, it’s obvious something isn’t quite right, but Claire is so desperate to belong that she ignores every red flag — and there are enough red flags to knit a full‑size caution banner. When she finally realizes she needs to get away, is it already too late?
I’m really torn on this one. On one hand it kept me curious enough to keep reading and I really wanted to know what the family was hiding, but I also found myself constantly zoning out as I tried to get through each chapter. Claire was a tough character to root for — she comes across as oddly detached, and for someone who lost her entire family, we never really see much emotion from her. Even after she learns her fiancé is dead, she doesn’t tell her therapist, which just made her reactions feel strangely flat.
The isolated private island and creepy, gothic mansion built into the cliff with lower levels that sit beneath the sea are a great backdrop, but I really struggled to picture it — especially once they were inside the submerged lower levels. By the mid‑point, the story finally picks up, and when it does, it shifts into something so wildly over the top that it almost felt disconnected from the rest of the book.
In the end, I’m always up for a slow burn mystery with a creature‑feature element, but this one didn't quite work for me. Honestly, though, take it with a grain of salt — I’m obviously book‑hungover.
September 3, 2026
This is the exact amount of batshit crazy that I love! I had no idea what to expect, but I'm so glad her horror worked better for me than For the Wolf did. It felt like a 5 star for the middle 150ish pages of the book, but the ending felt a little flat for me, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the FMC's weaknesses. I'm the queen of self-deprecation, but I think that's why it frustrates me so much because I've been there before and trained myself out of those negative thoughts, so when she kept thinking of herself as unworthy of anything better than the situation she was in, it triggered me and it made her sound a little pathetic. There's something missing about the character development for me overall too; I just don't know how to articulate how I feel about it. Regardless, this book absolutely surprised me in so many ways, and it's definitely a horror book that will remain a standout for me this year.
September 25, 2026
Hannah Whitten has a talent for horror—unsurprising given her rich, dark atmospheres in her fantasy work—and I desperately need her to write more like this. HIGHLY recommend the audiobook in particular. There are just the right amount of extra effects to add to the creepy atmosphere without being a distraction.
My one complaint is that the ending confrontation felt a little bit too easy. But it’s a small blip in an overall incredible experience. I love a creepy, aquatic setting.
My one complaint is that the ending confrontation felt a little bit too easy. But it’s a small blip in an overall incredible experience. I love a creepy, aquatic setting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Contemporary gothic with a dash of cosmic horror ✨
I really enjoyed the characterization of Claire. She appears to be bland and too trusting at first, but as we get to know her we can see exactly how her past trauma molded her personality and led her exactly to where she is.
The writing is atmospheric and vivid. I loved the strange architecture of Harrow Point (home of the Ashbury family), I could really picture how bizarre the underground (and underwater) house looked and how oppressive it felt to Claire since she’s claustrophobic.
The eldritch horror aspect of the book is fun and entertaining, the mix of Lovecraftian and gothic works really well here.
Sometimes gothic horror endings disappoint me but this is not the case, I really enjoyed the conclusion and many of the things that happen at the end caught me by surprise.
I think gothic horror lovers will find this is almost a comfort read 😆 It’s not groundbreaking but all the elements work really well together. I truly enjoyed this book and I'm intrigued to read more from this author!
Thanks to Run For It via NetGalley for providing an eARC
I really enjoyed the characterization of Claire. She appears to be bland and too trusting at first, but as we get to know her we can see exactly how her past trauma molded her personality and led her exactly to where she is.
The writing is atmospheric and vivid. I loved the strange architecture of Harrow Point (home of the Ashbury family), I could really picture how bizarre the underground (and underwater) house looked and how oppressive it felt to Claire since she’s claustrophobic.
The eldritch horror aspect of the book is fun and entertaining, the mix of Lovecraftian and gothic works really well here.
Sometimes gothic horror endings disappoint me but this is not the case, I really enjoyed the conclusion and many of the things that happen at the end caught me by surprise.
I think gothic horror lovers will find this is almost a comfort read 😆 It’s not groundbreaking but all the elements work really well together. I truly enjoyed this book and I'm intrigued to read more from this author!
Thanks to Run For It via NetGalley for providing an eARC
July 28, 2026
Guys, GUYS. I found the perfect Summerweek book. It’s this one. You know how people say that we know far more about space than we do about the depths of the sea? Yeah, this is why. THIS IS WHY. Holy tides, this is so unnerving and horrifying that I honestly do not know what to do with myself now.
You know how some horror novels are the kind that make your heart race and your pulse thrum in your ears? And how others can make your stomach sink down to your ankles, like a weighted stone? Yeah, it’s the second one.
My god, I will never, ever look at the sea the same. Nope. Not getting in it. Not getting near it. I will admire that shit from afar. VERY afar.
I don’t know what they’re putting in the water (hehe, pun INTENDED) at the Orbit / Run For It offices, but water horror is IT. I already told you about The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager, which you absolutely need to read. And this one, Reliquary by Hannah Whitten takes sea horror to a new, unsettling level.
I will be skipping the aquariums and any sushi for like, EVER.
Reliquary hits shelves August 11, and you absolutely need to get yourself a copy. Then never, ever visit the sea again.
This one gets 6 creepy ocean dwellers from me.
Thank you (I think?) to Orbit Books, Run For It, and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
You know how some horror novels are the kind that make your heart race and your pulse thrum in your ears? And how others can make your stomach sink down to your ankles, like a weighted stone? Yeah, it’s the second one.
My god, I will never, ever look at the sea the same. Nope. Not getting in it. Not getting near it. I will admire that shit from afar. VERY afar.
I don’t know what they’re putting in the water (hehe, pun INTENDED) at the Orbit / Run For It offices, but water horror is IT. I already told you about The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager, which you absolutely need to read. And this one, Reliquary by Hannah Whitten takes sea horror to a new, unsettling level.
I will be skipping the aquariums and any sushi for like, EVER.
Reliquary hits shelves August 11, and you absolutely need to get yourself a copy. Then never, ever visit the sea again.
This one gets 6 creepy ocean dwellers from me.
Thank you (I think?) to Orbit Books, Run For It, and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
August 2, 2026
Okayyy immaculate setting!! So wet and watery and I loved the descriptions of the house our main character was staying at. It really stood out to me and I wasn’t surprised to learn this author typically writes fantasy. The first half of this was chefs kiss. Books often lose me once things start getting action packed, and this unfortunately happened to me here too. Also the characters felt flat but I could get past that since this was reading more like a thriller. Overall, I had a fun time with this and am always down for a watery read.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
September 15, 2026
3.5★
I'm really impressed by this author's transition from fantasy to horrow writing.
I actually really enjoyed the Foxglove King series by Hannah Whitten and think it may have slipped under people's radar but I have always appreciated her skill in creating intrigue and atmosphere.
Off the bat, this book accomplished that - the tense salt air felt ever present in each scene and it was a feeling which lingered on me, adding to the tension.
I think readers who enjoyed Our Wives Under the Sea would enjoy the parallels between the themes in this book - the depth and strangeness of the ocean alongside mystical transformation.
Unfortunately, however, as someone who consumes a lot of horror media, I think this felt short of ever evoking genuine fear and shock, as I have come to expect from such novels. The book was primarily carried by intrigue and morbid fascination.
I do think that Whitten has a very promising future in this genre though and look forward to her exploration of it. She is a gifted writer and clearly has ample unique ideas to pursue!
I'm really impressed by this author's transition from fantasy to horrow writing.
I actually really enjoyed the Foxglove King series by Hannah Whitten and think it may have slipped under people's radar but I have always appreciated her skill in creating intrigue and atmosphere.
Off the bat, this book accomplished that - the tense salt air felt ever present in each scene and it was a feeling which lingered on me, adding to the tension.
I think readers who enjoyed Our Wives Under the Sea would enjoy the parallels between the themes in this book - the depth and strangeness of the ocean alongside mystical transformation.
Unfortunately, however, as someone who consumes a lot of horror media, I think this felt short of ever evoking genuine fear and shock, as I have come to expect from such novels. The book was primarily carried by intrigue and morbid fascination.
I do think that Whitten has a very promising future in this genre though and look forward to her exploration of it. She is a gifted writer and clearly has ample unique ideas to pursue!
August 1, 2026
Hang onto your hats folks, it’s about to get weird. Hannah Whitten does a great job of setting a creepy tone and allowing the reader to dive into a fantastical world of horror. This was my first read from her and I somewhat enjoyed the weirdness. But it’s out there. You don’t find out what’s going on until about the 60% mark, and then it gets real weird, real fast. It definitely grossed me out at times (don’t read this whilst eating) and gave me detailed creepy visuals. Didn’t have a lot of empathy for any of the characters, and hope to God I would have more insight than Claire when it comes to red flags. I mean, yikes. I hated Audrey and generally disliked Ash, though his character perhaps had the largest arc. The pacing of this book was ok, but slow at times for me. This won’t be a book that I personally revisit, but I feel that more die hard horror lovers will probably enjoy this one.
August 12, 2026
I don’t want to say too much about the plot of Reliquary, because this is a book that really rewards readers who go in without knowing much about it. All you need to know is that the protagonist, Claire, is mourning the sudden loss of her fiancé Elias when she receives a message from his estranged family, inviting her to their private island off the coast of Maine. When Claire arrives at Harrow Point, it soon becomes apparent that the family is harboring secrets – and that Claire may be more important to Elias’s family than she ever could have imagined.
Reliquary is a wholly original blend of horror subgenres – grief, aquatic, cosmic, body, gothic – and it’s so insidious and sinister. Set mostly in a mansion that is literally built half underwater into an oceanside cliff, the atmosphere is oppressive and claustrophobic which, combined with characters who behave in ways that are decidedly strange, only adds to the ominous feel of the book. I felt unsettled and tense the entire time.
There’s a psychological element too as Hannah F. Whitten explores Claire’s childhood trauma and the ways it manifests in her adult life: a persistent need for connection and belonging, a tendency to overlook bad vibes in the name of being included. Claire is so clearly vulnerable, so deeply damaged, that it’s hard not to sympathize with her. As readers, it’s easy to see the warning signs even though Claire doesn’t, and that could have been frustrating; but instead, it just felt so deeply tragic. It’s no small thing to make readers feel protective of your protagonist, and I have to applaud Whitten for evoking that feeling in me.
I’m not entirely sure Whitten stuck the landing with the conclusion – there was a deus ex machina element to it, and a few more things I would’ve liked explained – but overall, Reliquary is a moody, gripping horror novel that will have me giving the side-eye to the ocean for a long time. Thank you to Orbit Books for the early reading opportunity.
Reliquary is a wholly original blend of horror subgenres – grief, aquatic, cosmic, body, gothic – and it’s so insidious and sinister. Set mostly in a mansion that is literally built half underwater into an oceanside cliff, the atmosphere is oppressive and claustrophobic which, combined with characters who behave in ways that are decidedly strange, only adds to the ominous feel of the book. I felt unsettled and tense the entire time.
There’s a psychological element too as Hannah F. Whitten explores Claire’s childhood trauma and the ways it manifests in her adult life: a persistent need for connection and belonging, a tendency to overlook bad vibes in the name of being included. Claire is so clearly vulnerable, so deeply damaged, that it’s hard not to sympathize with her. As readers, it’s easy to see the warning signs even though Claire doesn’t, and that could have been frustrating; but instead, it just felt so deeply tragic. It’s no small thing to make readers feel protective of your protagonist, and I have to applaud Whitten for evoking that feeling in me.
I’m not entirely sure Whitten stuck the landing with the conclusion – there was a deus ex machina element to it, and a few more things I would’ve liked explained – but overall, Reliquary is a moody, gripping horror novel that will have me giving the side-eye to the ocean for a long time. Thank you to Orbit Books for the early reading opportunity.
September 3, 2026
But his eyes were on her, and bright. Maybe he could see her spark of a plan, the nascent breath of an escape. Maybe he could see the way she was coming back into herself, filling the gaps, becoming something without a hollow space.
Don’t fall for this book’s enticing blurb. It’s bad.
Or should I say: don’t let the book reel you in by its blurb. It’s as becoming as washed-up fish guts. See what I did there? It’s water references! Because it’s a book about the ocean! And you’d better be prepared for many more to come throughout the book.
Also be prepared for a doe-eyed lamb of a protagonist, with less personality than my iPhone case, who gleefully ignores the most heinous red flags imaginable. Only for the book to tell you that’s a feature, not a bug. Which doesn’t change the fact that it makes for an awful reading experience.
But it’s not like anything else makes any sense at all in this story.
Perhaps there was a cool story somewhere deep, deep, deeeep in there, but certainly not when I get “Hey, babe”-ed by a Leviathan.
August 25, 2026
Some thoughts are just meant to remain thoughts. This book is one of these things
October 13, 2026
Angsty, atmospheric, a little gross. This was Our Wives Under the Sea x Ready or Not and I absolutely ate it up.
This book combined two of my favorite things: aquatic horror and bodily autonomy horror. I haven’t found a lot of books that tap successfully into the second kind, but it is the most effective and scariest thing in the world to me: the gradual erosion of the main character’s control, the dawning inevitability of losing possession of their own body, the veneer of civility around the whole thing. Asunder and The Possession of Alba Diaz also did this well. Sickening. Excellent.
Also this is almost a horrormance, if you squint, which surprised and delighted me.
This book combined two of my favorite things: aquatic horror and bodily autonomy horror. I haven’t found a lot of books that tap successfully into the second kind, but it is the most effective and scariest thing in the world to me: the gradual erosion of the main character’s control, the dawning inevitability of losing possession of their own body, the veneer of civility around the whole thing. Asunder and The Possession of Alba Diaz also did this well. Sickening. Excellent.
Also this is almost a horrormance, if you squint, which surprised and delighted me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the June 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/06... [link live on 6/4]
Three Words The Describe This Book: Sea Soaked Horror, Gothic, Intense Unease
Also-- horror about the uber wealthy, rich families with a monster secret to their success, an unreliable narrator who knows they are unreliable because of past trauma, trauma, Lovecraftian, disorientation-- the entire house is build down, into the water. That was cool and makes everything about this Gothic mansion on the seaside feel even more unsettling. Readers and Claire are disoriented from the start.
Solid pacing– details revealed slowly but steadily and in a realistic way.
Title is good (a container for holy relics- to secure them from public viewing) because it hits on a few levels within the story Whitten is telling.
Whitten is a Best Selling author for her fantasy books. This is a Horror title that will definitely appeal to dark fantasy readers, but it is Horror so that needs to be made clear to readers.
I am writing my LJ Horror Genre Preview right now, and "seas soaked horror" is one of my trends. As I went through the books coming out over the next few months, there are a lot. I am excited because the books are literally dripping with dread and fear and it is GREAT.
Claire is a damaged and unreliable narrator from the start. We know she lived through an accident as a teen-- on a boat-- that killed her whole family. We know that she lives her life purposely pushing her feelings down and not revealing the truth even to herself let alone her therapist. This she tells us. That means as readers we are already uncomfortable and know we cannot trust her but Claire is also very sympathetic because our distrust is not based on her nefarious behavior. We trust she will share her truth as the story goes on.
We only have Claire's perspective on all of this. We know as much as her, but we don;t know what she is hiding from herself.
And the sharing is well done here. The details we are given, all begin to matter and as Claire admits to herself her connection to the sea the other parts of the story start to fall into place.
Her fiancé dies and she is called to meet his parents-- uber wealthy for generations. They have a submarine company. It is well known. She has not met them, but they want her to come to have a funeral for Elias. He dies mysteriously, just dropped dead, and his brain was full of holes the doctors said. Also his strange large sea creature in their giant aquarium died as well.
When she gets there things are strange. She is led into a castle built on an island (where the road to get their retracts when not needed). It is perched on the end of the sea but the house is built down....so all of the living spaces are under the waterline.
The staff are odd, they have strange scars and injuries, and they are rarely seen.
Everyone is being very nice, but also strange. Elias' brother-- who shirked his responsibilities to the family and made Elias take his place, and the spaces of the other siblings all are trying to get her to leave of her own volition. But she is happy to be accepted, even if they are weird, and wants to belong.
The scene is set perfectly to go from uneasy and disorienting to all out terror and a desperate attempt for her to save herself.
The monster, its hold on the family, and the resolution are all satisfying. The terror is mixed with some sweetness and Claire's background and issues from thought out her life all play a part in the conclusion which I appreciated.
Whitten's story is solid and it will bring a lot of her fans to Horror. That makes me excited.
For readers who love sea monster stories in the vein of the EXCELLENT upcoming A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young (my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
But also the confusion and disorientation of a family that clearly has a monstrous secret and they want the MC to pay a physical price for them like in Midnight Rooms by Coles or even Now You're One of Us by Nonami. And finally, I could not stop thinking about Alma Katsu's Fiend and the demon behind the immense wealth and success of the family featured there.
Three Words The Describe This Book: Sea Soaked Horror, Gothic, Intense Unease
Also-- horror about the uber wealthy, rich families with a monster secret to their success, an unreliable narrator who knows they are unreliable because of past trauma, trauma, Lovecraftian, disorientation-- the entire house is build down, into the water. That was cool and makes everything about this Gothic mansion on the seaside feel even more unsettling. Readers and Claire are disoriented from the start.
Solid pacing– details revealed slowly but steadily and in a realistic way.
Title is good (a container for holy relics- to secure them from public viewing) because it hits on a few levels within the story Whitten is telling.
Whitten is a Best Selling author for her fantasy books. This is a Horror title that will definitely appeal to dark fantasy readers, but it is Horror so that needs to be made clear to readers.
I am writing my LJ Horror Genre Preview right now, and "seas soaked horror" is one of my trends. As I went through the books coming out over the next few months, there are a lot. I am excited because the books are literally dripping with dread and fear and it is GREAT.
Claire is a damaged and unreliable narrator from the start. We know she lived through an accident as a teen-- on a boat-- that killed her whole family. We know that she lives her life purposely pushing her feelings down and not revealing the truth even to herself let alone her therapist. This she tells us. That means as readers we are already uncomfortable and know we cannot trust her but Claire is also very sympathetic because our distrust is not based on her nefarious behavior. We trust she will share her truth as the story goes on.
We only have Claire's perspective on all of this. We know as much as her, but we don;t know what she is hiding from herself.
And the sharing is well done here. The details we are given, all begin to matter and as Claire admits to herself her connection to the sea the other parts of the story start to fall into place.
Her fiancé dies and she is called to meet his parents-- uber wealthy for generations. They have a submarine company. It is well known. She has not met them, but they want her to come to have a funeral for Elias. He dies mysteriously, just dropped dead, and his brain was full of holes the doctors said. Also his strange large sea creature in their giant aquarium died as well.
When she gets there things are strange. She is led into a castle built on an island (where the road to get their retracts when not needed). It is perched on the end of the sea but the house is built down....so all of the living spaces are under the waterline.
The staff are odd, they have strange scars and injuries, and they are rarely seen.
Everyone is being very nice, but also strange. Elias' brother-- who shirked his responsibilities to the family and made Elias take his place, and the spaces of the other siblings all are trying to get her to leave of her own volition. But she is happy to be accepted, even if they are weird, and wants to belong.
The scene is set perfectly to go from uneasy and disorienting to all out terror and a desperate attempt for her to save herself.
The monster, its hold on the family, and the resolution are all satisfying. The terror is mixed with some sweetness and Claire's background and issues from thought out her life all play a part in the conclusion which I appreciated.
Whitten's story is solid and it will bring a lot of her fans to Horror. That makes me excited.
For readers who love sea monster stories in the vein of the EXCELLENT upcoming A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young (my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
But also the confusion and disorientation of a family that clearly has a monstrous secret and they want the MC to pay a physical price for them like in Midnight Rooms by Coles or even Now You're One of Us by Nonami. And finally, I could not stop thinking about Alma Katsu's Fiend and the demon behind the immense wealth and success of the family featured there.
June 18, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the pre-release copy of Reliquary by Hannah Whitten. Below is my honest review.
What happens when you take a character desperate for a place in the world and adrift, a rich family with everything to lose, and smush the two together in a Lovecraftian isolated oceanside castle? You get this book, and I. WAS. HERE. FOR. IT.
No matter how many warning signs we see or the creeping sense of dread, it's impossible to put this one down. The saltwater tale seeps into your skin, into your organs, into your soul, and you just have to keep going to see what's going to happen next.
Absolute gem of a book. Five stars. Highly recommended for fans of horror, Lovecraft, isolated settings, creepy cultish vibes.
What happens when you take a character desperate for a place in the world and adrift, a rich family with everything to lose, and smush the two together in a Lovecraftian isolated oceanside castle? You get this book, and I. WAS. HERE. FOR. IT.
No matter how many warning signs we see or the creeping sense of dread, it's impossible to put this one down. The saltwater tale seeps into your skin, into your organs, into your soul, and you just have to keep going to see what's going to happen next.
Absolute gem of a book. Five stars. Highly recommended for fans of horror, Lovecraft, isolated settings, creepy cultish vibes.
October 14, 2026
this book is a cautionary tale for women who are spineless and too desperate to have common sense. STAND UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25/5 stars.
This was enjoyable. I have a soft spot for oceanic horror, so I immediately knew that I wanted to read this book. The atmosphere and the setting were pretty intriguing. Specifically once Claire reaches the isolated family home. I loved the descriptions of the house and the concept of the "ocean listening."
I wouldn't say that any of these characters were likable, but they certainly felt real. Their flaws made them feel realistic and relatable to me. If you're someone that looks for likable characters, then you will likely struggle with this. Not even the main character was likable, but she was interesting. I was curious about her backstory and her trauma. I appreciated seeing a main character openly discussing her mental health.
We learn about Elias through Claire's past experiences with him as he has already died by the start of the book. Honestly, not much to be desired with this guy. We learn about Elias's faults and his "good" moments. We also see Claire's obvious bias with Elias. There is a bit of a battle between Elias's good deeds versus his obvious faults within their relationship and it all felt very authentic. Elias's family also added a strange dynamic to this story. It reminded me a bit of the film Ready or Not.
I was a bit disappointed about the submarine and I felt as though this was an opportunity wasted. I really was hoping that the sub would play a larger role in this book. The concept of a tiny submarine in a large, open ocean makes me deeply uncomfortable, so naturally I was wishing for something to happen here.
I liked the gore, reveal, and how this book ended.
This was a solid read and I will likely purchase this book for my shelf once pub day hits. And I'm obsessed with this cover.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
CW: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
This was enjoyable. I have a soft spot for oceanic horror, so I immediately knew that I wanted to read this book. The atmosphere and the setting were pretty intriguing. Specifically once Claire reaches the isolated family home. I loved the descriptions of the house and the concept of the "ocean listening."
I wouldn't say that any of these characters were likable, but they certainly felt real. Their flaws made them feel realistic and relatable to me. If you're someone that looks for likable characters, then you will likely struggle with this. Not even the main character was likable, but she was interesting. I was curious about her backstory and her trauma. I appreciated seeing a main character openly discussing her mental health.
We learn about Elias through Claire's past experiences with him as he has already died by the start of the book. Honestly, not much to be desired with this guy. We learn about Elias's faults and his "good" moments. We also see Claire's obvious bias with Elias. There is a bit of a battle between Elias's good deeds versus his obvious faults within their relationship and it all felt very authentic. Elias's family also added a strange dynamic to this story. It reminded me a bit of the film Ready or Not.
I was a bit disappointed about the submarine and I felt as though this was an opportunity wasted. I really was hoping that the sub would play a larger role in this book. The concept of a tiny submarine in a large, open ocean makes me deeply uncomfortable, so naturally I was wishing for something to happen here.
I liked the gore, reveal, and how this book ended.
This was a solid read and I will likely purchase this book for my shelf once pub day hits. And I'm obsessed with this cover.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
CW: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
August 12, 2026
This book does not have a single redeeming quality. It takes the price of the most boring and unsatisfying read of the year. After 66% I speeded up the audio, skipped through a few chapters and the ending was as anti-climactic as the rest of it. For a horror book to work, you need to care about the characters. These were cardboard and unfeeling.
Claire's fiancé has died and she is invited to the family's underwater mansion. The set-up seems strange and her fiancé's body is nowhere to be seen and questions aren't asked. Claire is fairly oblivious to all the red flags, think the people trying to warn her are the enemies and walk willfully into a rather obvious trap.
I didn't care about Claire because she was so bland and unfeeling. None of the other characters were developed at all. This is defined as "horror" but the only horror is how boring the plot and characters are. A complete and utter waste of time and money, NOT recommended.
Claire's fiancé has died and she is invited to the family's underwater mansion. The set-up seems strange and her fiancé's body is nowhere to be seen and questions aren't asked. Claire is fairly oblivious to all the red flags, think the people trying to warn her are the enemies and walk willfully into a rather obvious trap.
I didn't care about Claire because she was so bland and unfeeling. None of the other characters were developed at all. This is defined as "horror" but the only horror is how boring the plot and characters are. A complete and utter waste of time and money, NOT recommended.
June 10, 2026
A gothic horror, saltwater-drenched version of Ready or Not.
Thank you to Orbit for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Orbit for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 16, 2026
I see that this is getting mixed reviews, and I understand why. It does move a little slowly, but give Whitten some time to work her magic. I’ve been aware of Ms. Whitten’s work since “For the Wolf” came out in 2021, but I’ve hesitated reading it because usually my cutoff rating is 3.7, and it has remained steady at about 3.58 despite 68k reviews as of this writing. The summary of “Reliquary” intrigued me enough to try it out, however, and it happens to be the author’s first horror novel.
In my mind, this is a 3.75 star read, rounded up to 4. As I mentioned above, it takes a while to get to the meat of the story (IYKYK), and some characters are pretty one-dimensional. However, I still remained invested, and I did like Claire as the main character. She seems rather passive at first, but she experienced real growth throughout the novel, and it was pleasing to see.
This is “squishy horror”, a term I made up just now, so if you are squeamish about squishy, sticky, icky things, this is not the book for you. If you like sea horror, this will absolutely capture your attention. Whitten leaves space for a possible sequel at the end, but it’s not a total cliffhanger, which I very much appreciated. I’m excited to see if she decides to continue with this world.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advance copy. I am writing this review voluntarily.
In my mind, this is a 3.75 star read, rounded up to 4. As I mentioned above, it takes a while to get to the meat of the story (IYKYK), and some characters are pretty one-dimensional. However, I still remained invested, and I did like Claire as the main character. She seems rather passive at first, but she experienced real growth throughout the novel, and it was pleasing to see.
This is “squishy horror”, a term I made up just now, so if you are squeamish about squishy, sticky, icky things, this is not the book for you. If you like sea horror, this will absolutely capture your attention. Whitten leaves space for a possible sequel at the end, but it’s not a total cliffhanger, which I very much appreciated. I’m excited to see if she decides to continue with this world.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advance copy. I am writing this review voluntarily.
August 16, 2026
nothing happens the first 60% then it’s just info dump, antics, it all felt really cheesy
September 29, 2026
This was Ready or Not but make it aquatic. An outsider being welcomed by their partner's filthy rich family only to be subjected to such horrifying traditions that may or may not be the cause of their wealth. If you like the atmosphere of the deep sea and Mollusca horror, then you will be delighted to read this. It drags a bit at the start, but I found it breezier after the halfway mark. This had some hints of romance rather than full-on horror but I did not mind it all.
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