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Solace House
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26You are about to enter a place of strange genius, possible madness, and timeless love . . .
“The Secret History meets The Haunting of Hill House . . . rich, thoughtful, terrifying.”—Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution
An addictive and brilliant puzzle box of a novel following a group of university students who discover an astonishing secret while clearing out a neglected Victorian mansion
For Alex Lane’s wealthy university friends, the summer break stretches out before them, full of promise and fabulous plans. But for Alex, broke as usual, going home is not an option. So when the university offers him an unusual summer job clearing out a dilapidated Victorian mansion, Solace House, he jumps at the chance.
Alex joins an unlikely crew of students, from stoner Clive to uptight, short-tempered Helen, and the extremely peculiar Adam. Alex is particularly drawn to mercurial, red-headed Ella, and as the students begin sorting through piles of old newspapers and magazines, dusty antiques, and esoteric junk, Alex and Ella become enthralled by the elaborate and eerie journals of the house’s former owner, Edwin Flayne. In these diaries, Flayne details his obsession with his missing mother and his belief in a mysterious realm lying parallel to ours, along with coded instructions on how it might be reached.
As the students gradually uncover the house’s secrets, the rift between those who want to delve further and those who believe they’ve already gone too far grows ever wider.
“The Secret History meets The Haunting of Hill House . . . rich, thoughtful, terrifying.”—Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution
An addictive and brilliant puzzle box of a novel following a group of university students who discover an astonishing secret while clearing out a neglected Victorian mansion
For Alex Lane’s wealthy university friends, the summer break stretches out before them, full of promise and fabulous plans. But for Alex, broke as usual, going home is not an option. So when the university offers him an unusual summer job clearing out a dilapidated Victorian mansion, Solace House, he jumps at the chance.
Alex joins an unlikely crew of students, from stoner Clive to uptight, short-tempered Helen, and the extremely peculiar Adam. Alex is particularly drawn to mercurial, red-headed Ella, and as the students begin sorting through piles of old newspapers and magazines, dusty antiques, and esoteric junk, Alex and Ella become enthralled by the elaborate and eerie journals of the house’s former owner, Edwin Flayne. In these diaries, Flayne details his obsession with his missing mother and his belief in a mysterious realm lying parallel to ours, along with coded instructions on how it might be reached.
As the students gradually uncover the house’s secrets, the rift between those who want to delve further and those who believe they’ve already gone too far grows ever wider.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Are we dreaming this place, or is this place dreaming us?
This book hits that elusive sweet spot of being a compelling page-turner that is also literate and fluently written. It's one of those books where I can't say much about the plot for fear of spoilers. I will say, though, that the blurb comparison with The Secret History puzzled me. I could see the Piranesi connection though this does something quite different. For me, I was thinking mostly of The Haunting of Hill House, especially the idea of mutual agencies questioned in the quotation above, and the psychological interactions between the house and inhabitants. There's also an M.R. James vibe in the attention to archaeology and artefacts and a visionary quality of William Blake, name-checked in the text. But intertexts are more than the literary with a particular Queen song and painting that reverberate and echo throughout.
On the writing, it's only near to the end that we understand exactly how clever Maclean has been - Nevertheless, there are also places where the slow-burn pace of the storytelling started to drag a little for me: I got to about 50% and it felt like we were still in the set-up. Also not all the characters are particularly well-defined: Malcolm sort of fades away and Ruth has never had much of a role in the story. But the end is tense and intriguing and pulled off well - I love the way the book remains unresolved right to the end and we are left, as readers, to create our own meanings for what we have read - or, even, hold paradoxical and contradictory endings together in our head, which is where I ended up.
Perhaps one of the big clues to my own interpretation was dropped in too early:
Still, this was a book I could barely put down: intriguing, clever, twisting and dark with its esoteric and even philosophical qualities sitting completely comfortably alongside the 'popular' haunted house/supernatural horror elements. And that final section is an unexpected departure that I certainly didn't see coming - a fabulous piece of storytelling!
Many thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC via NetGalley
Want to read
February 11, 2026Drill a hole in my fucking skull, and force feed this book straight into my temporal lobe.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Absolutely stunning
A wild trip
I've never read anything like this before and I doubt I'll read anything like this again. I'm just sad that I won't be able to read it for the first time again. Or, maybe I can . . .
A wild trip
I've never read anything like this before and I doubt I'll read anything like this again. I'm just sad that I won't be able to read it for the first time again. Or, maybe I can . . .
Want to read
February 18, 2026im sorry but it's being compared to THE SECRET HISTORY????? THE SECRET HISTORY...... GOURLLLLLLLLL I've never seen a book being compared to the secret history before and now I have 6 star expectations
Currently reading
February 18, 2026No one loves a mysterious house full of secrets more than me
Currently reading
March 1, 2026The Secret History meets The Haunting of Hill House
OKAY DON'T THREATEN ME WITH A GOOD TIME !!!
Want to read
February 26, 2026Got the arc!! This sounds incredible, thank you netgalley 🙏🏻🙏🏻
February 26, 2026
Welcome to Solace House.
In this book you jump into the shoes of Alex Lane, a 19 year old boy who has experienced a mysterious loss from which he is running, and who, with the teenage ennui of someone clawing their way to the end of the school year, introduced as someone who is a bit of a loser - no money, his mate isn't really his mate, didn't get the girl.
He ends up finding housing by agreeing to spend the summer cleaning out an old hospital which is being acquired for school property, and eventually, the attached Victorian mansion, long abandoned and filled to the brim with chaotic amounts of clutter. He is joined by Clive (snarky stoner), Helen (a Christian of the homeschooled stick-in-the-mud variety), Leo (so patient and kind he embarrasses everyone who is mean to him, and we love him for this), Malcom (prettyboy partyboy), Ruth (goth girl mother hen combo), Adam (creepy translucent boy who is first introduced screaming at nothing), and Ella (manic pixie dream girl).
Character:
The characters are very well drawn and some of their banter made me smile in delight at my book. I found the character of Helen particularly endearingly done, because even as she is extremely annoying, and I was wary of her being a 'judgmental stick up the behind Christian', the others take to her with exasperated fondness and do in some regards try to protect her due to her naivete.
I did think some of the characters were slightly underused and could have been cut or brought in more throughout the story. Additionally, I was frustrated at
Structure:
The structure of the story is done with quite a lot of detail. It may be just that I love British writing and how it often meanders and adds excessive levels of detail (and smoking!), but this worked for me. Especially because one of the overarching themes of the story is that creepy Richard Dadd painting, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, and how it represents a horror of the absent, and a need for every space to be filled with incredible amounts of detail. Much of the prose I found to draw me fully into Solace House and ground me in a sense of the place. I only noticed a couple of times when an ill-placed or heavy-handed metaphor threw me out of the narrative.
I think the pacing could have been tightened up a little overall. Around halfway through I started to wonder how much more set-up we could possibly get, but then something else would draw me in. It wasn't enough to put me off, but occasionally I found myself speed-reading through paragraphs or scenes which were more transitional.
Most of the time, though, I was absolutely enchanted by the book. I wanted to know what in the world was going on. I attempted to decipher what was going on with the poetry before the big reveal (although I was wrong). I read through car rides and lunches and work.
The ending did somewhat disappoint me. The author leaves a lot up to interpretation as to what is going on, what is true. The very last few paragraphs confounded me and I was left to sit there thinking as to what Maclean could have meant by doing this.
The author does something right off the bat with that I caught right away; it seemed kind of heavy-handedly lobbed into the story as an obvious Chekhov's gun to look for later. I figured I would have an eyeroll later when the curtain was yanked away to reveal something I'd figured out 17% of the way through. But no! The heavy-handedness of the information we were given early on did not, in fact, give me a definitive answer. I kind of liked this, at the same time that it maddened me.
I wish I'd had a slightly more conclusive ending or at least more breadcrumbs left for us to understand what was going on. For that reason alone I deducted a star.
Conclusion:
I don't know if I agree with the comparisons to the Secret History, as the philosophical themes of the story seem to tend more towards the cosmic horror side of things rather than the intersection of beauty and terror. The premise, though -- an evil sentient house; cosmic existentialism; gnostic secret layers of knowledge attained only through enlightenment (does NOT represent my personal views on real life, but a favorite theme of mine); an alien, inhuman future -- were right up my alley.
Thank you also Mr. Maclean for being so staunchly anti-AI. It's the first thing I noticed in the early pages, and so I did kind of go into reading the book thinking it would be about an evil AI-run house. I was pleasantly surprised when it was not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
In this book you jump into the shoes of Alex Lane, a 19 year old boy who has experienced a mysterious loss from which he is running, and who, with the teenage ennui of someone clawing their way to the end of the school year, introduced as someone who is a bit of a loser - no money, his mate isn't really his mate, didn't get the girl.
He ends up finding housing by agreeing to spend the summer cleaning out an old hospital which is being acquired for school property, and eventually, the attached Victorian mansion, long abandoned and filled to the brim with chaotic amounts of clutter. He is joined by Clive (snarky stoner), Helen (a Christian of the homeschooled stick-in-the-mud variety), Leo (so patient and kind he embarrasses everyone who is mean to him, and we love him for this), Malcom (prettyboy partyboy), Ruth (goth girl mother hen combo), Adam (creepy translucent boy who is first introduced screaming at nothing), and Ella (manic pixie dream girl).
Character:
The characters are very well drawn and some of their banter made me smile in delight at my book. I found the character of Helen particularly endearingly done, because even as she is extremely annoying, and I was wary of her being a 'judgmental stick up the behind Christian', the others take to her with exasperated fondness and do in some regards try to protect her due to her naivete.
I did think some of the characters were slightly underused and could have been cut or brought in more throughout the story. Additionally, I was frustrated at
Structure:
The structure of the story is done with quite a lot of detail. It may be just that I love British writing and how it often meanders and adds excessive levels of detail (and smoking!), but this worked for me. Especially because one of the overarching themes of the story is that creepy Richard Dadd painting, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, and how it represents a horror of the absent, and a need for every space to be filled with incredible amounts of detail. Much of the prose I found to draw me fully into Solace House and ground me in a sense of the place. I only noticed a couple of times when an ill-placed or heavy-handed metaphor threw me out of the narrative.
I think the pacing could have been tightened up a little overall. Around halfway through I started to wonder how much more set-up we could possibly get, but then something else would draw me in. It wasn't enough to put me off, but occasionally I found myself speed-reading through paragraphs or scenes which were more transitional.
Most of the time, though, I was absolutely enchanted by the book. I wanted to know what in the world was going on. I attempted to decipher what was going on with the poetry before the big reveal (although I was wrong). I read through car rides and lunches and work.
The ending did somewhat disappoint me. The author leaves a lot up to interpretation as to what is going on, what is true. The very last few paragraphs confounded me and I was left to sit there thinking as to what Maclean could have meant by doing this.
The author does something right off the bat with that I caught right away; it seemed kind of heavy-handedly lobbed into the story as an obvious Chekhov's gun to look for later. I figured I would have an eyeroll later when the curtain was yanked away to reveal something I'd figured out 17% of the way through. But no! The heavy-handedness of the information we were given early on did not, in fact, give me a definitive answer. I kind of liked this, at the same time that it maddened me.
I wish I'd had a slightly more conclusive ending or at least more breadcrumbs left for us to understand what was going on. For that reason alone I deducted a star.
Conclusion:
I don't know if I agree with the comparisons to the Secret History, as the philosophical themes of the story seem to tend more towards the cosmic horror side of things rather than the intersection of beauty and terror. The premise, though -- an evil sentient house; cosmic existentialism; gnostic secret layers of knowledge attained only through enlightenment (does NOT represent my personal views on real life, but a favorite theme of mine); an alien, inhuman future -- were right up my alley.
Thank you also Mr. Maclean for being so staunchly anti-AI. It's the first thing I noticed in the early pages, and so I did kind of go into reading the book thinking it would be about an evil AI-run house. I was pleasantly surprised when it was not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐️3.5 Will Maclean, oh how you have split my brain and heart in two. While I can see how the ending of this book may be polarizing, I have formed two poles within myself after reading this.
All that was promised, I found the book delivered on. There's a richness and depth to the way the book and story are structured, a creeping unpacking and unraveling. Some may find it slow to start, but I found it put down the exact right amount of foundation for the story to build on and escalate. It reaches its pinnacle in a hellfeverdream of a scene involving psychedelics that gave me the same haunting thrill as an Ari Aster film, and concludes in a way that will send most readers back to page 1 to start all over again.
The themes spoke to me, of grief and sanity, grappling with the reality of our existence and our deaths, of matters beyond our comprehension and how all of those things come to meet each other. The book does an excellent job of playing with these themes in a compelling way; not in a singular, linear point it is trying to make, but in a journey it takes you on to places where you'll stop and reassess.
I know we generally describe works as either character driven or plot driven, but I find myself worrying that calling Solace House plot-driven gives the wrong impression, as if it were no more than a mystery being solved. When reading the book from that perspective, I can understand people's frustration with the ending. To me, it was perfect.
The chapter openings did little for me as I was reading the book, and I was unsurprised to learn their purpose (perhaps the Swiftie in me, drilled to decode such messages) but very pleased to learn everything they contained. By itself it may have been gimmicky, but that absolutely cannot be said of the way it is used as part of the story here. Thank you, Will Maclean, for respecting your readers enough to state that you did not use AI to construct the puzzle at the center of this novel. That effort is appreciated.
Now, the reason I started off this review with such dramatics... The prose style of this book was baffling to me. It feels like the author constantly moves clauses around, sandwiched in commas, add an em dash, replace a period with a semicolon, out of fear of producing simple sentences. Commas were used so excessively, at times it felt like the narrator was constantly gasping for air.
This is made even more interesting by the fact that the author seems to aggressively direct the tone and delivery of every word, every sentence, through a firm selection of punctuation and deployment of italics, to an exhausting degree. I have since learned the author is also a screenwriter and director, and that was an enlightening discovery. In my opinion, it definitely shows.
A novel does not require such precise direction of delivery, there are no actors, the multiple layers of capturing and portraying that are part of screen media are entirely missing from a book. And while I found the ending a powerful conclusion to the story, the scene where the narrator spills it all, out loud, to a random person, as if it were exposition dialogue on a network detective show even though they don't even need to say it out loud for us to read it, threatened to ruin it all for me. I am happy to report it didn't, but we're on thin ice here.
My instant love for the beautiful cover and intriguing premise made my frustration with the prose exceptionally devastating, but fortunately also drove me to push through to the end. I was not led astray, I ultimately got what I hoped for. You should read this book!
All that was promised, I found the book delivered on. There's a richness and depth to the way the book and story are structured, a creeping unpacking and unraveling. Some may find it slow to start, but I found it put down the exact right amount of foundation for the story to build on and escalate. It reaches its pinnacle in a hellfeverdream of a scene involving psychedelics that gave me the same haunting thrill as an Ari Aster film, and concludes in a way that will send most readers back to page 1 to start all over again.
The themes spoke to me, of grief and sanity, grappling with the reality of our existence and our deaths, of matters beyond our comprehension and how all of those things come to meet each other. The book does an excellent job of playing with these themes in a compelling way; not in a singular, linear point it is trying to make, but in a journey it takes you on to places where you'll stop and reassess.
I know we generally describe works as either character driven or plot driven, but I find myself worrying that calling Solace House plot-driven gives the wrong impression, as if it were no more than a mystery being solved. When reading the book from that perspective, I can understand people's frustration with the ending. To me, it was perfect.
The chapter openings did little for me as I was reading the book, and I was unsurprised to learn their purpose (perhaps the Swiftie in me, drilled to decode such messages) but very pleased to learn everything they contained. By itself it may have been gimmicky, but that absolutely cannot be said of the way it is used as part of the story here. Thank you, Will Maclean, for respecting your readers enough to state that you did not use AI to construct the puzzle at the center of this novel. That effort is appreciated.
Now, the reason I started off this review with such dramatics... The prose style of this book was baffling to me. It feels like the author constantly moves clauses around, sandwiched in commas, add an em dash, replace a period with a semicolon, out of fear of producing simple sentences. Commas were used so excessively, at times it felt like the narrator was constantly gasping for air.
This is made even more interesting by the fact that the author seems to aggressively direct the tone and delivery of every word, every sentence, through a firm selection of punctuation and deployment of italics, to an exhausting degree. I have since learned the author is also a screenwriter and director, and that was an enlightening discovery. In my opinion, it definitely shows.
A novel does not require such precise direction of delivery, there are no actors, the multiple layers of capturing and portraying that are part of screen media are entirely missing from a book. And while I found the ending a powerful conclusion to the story, the scene where the narrator spills it all, out loud, to a random person, as if it were exposition dialogue on a network detective show even though they don't even need to say it out loud for us to read it, threatened to ruin it all for me. I am happy to report it didn't, but we're on thin ice here.
My instant love for the beautiful cover and intriguing premise made my frustration with the prose exceptionally devastating, but fortunately also drove me to push through to the end. I was not led astray, I ultimately got what I hoped for. You should read this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was quite the cerebral read, and I love challenging my brain a bit. I'm a sucker for puzzles inside stories, and this one delivers.
SPOILERS ahead. If you choose to read the spoilers anyway, I still recommend reading this book.
Anyway, I would say there are a few things that could have been trimmed to keep the action crisper, but all in all, this was a very rich, solid read. It's always nice to see diverse vocabulary and sentence structure in a book. I know not a lot of people may appreciate that, but the descriptions were very well done, no matter how trippy the story got. I'll admit, I'm incredibly picky, and I'm giving this one 4.5/5, rounded up.
It took me a little longer to read this one because of how dense it is, but I think thar's a tell that we need to spend more time with the text rather than burning through it.
SPOILERS ahead. If you choose to read the spoilers anyway, I still recommend reading this book.
Anyway, I would say there are a few things that could have been trimmed to keep the action crisper, but all in all, this was a very rich, solid read. It's always nice to see diverse vocabulary and sentence structure in a book. I know not a lot of people may appreciate that, but the descriptions were very well done, no matter how trippy the story got. I'll admit, I'm incredibly picky, and I'm giving this one 4.5/5, rounded up.
It took me a little longer to read this one because of how dense it is, but I think thar's a tell that we need to spend more time with the text rather than burning through it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.2/5
Wow, this was unlike anything I’ve read before.
It’s unique, abstract, and ambitious. I can easily see this book sparking controversy among readers. The first thing I did after finishing it was take a cold shower because I needed time to digest and process what I had just read.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed books like “Piranesi”. Like “Piranesi”, this novel demands patience and persistence(and it’s a much longer book than Piranesi). The first 50% focuses largely on a group of college students “Marie Kondo-ing” a house filled with garbage and unsettling, creepy rooms. Then, in the remaining 50%, I found myself questioning my own sanity right alongside Alex and the other characters.
The plot is open to interpretation and layered with mysteries. The answers or explanations are neither obvious nor neatly handed to the reader. This is the kind of book that made me flip back and forth through earlier chapters, trying to piece together my own understanding of what was real and what wasn’t.
Beyond its unusual structure, the novel touches on important themes such as grief, loss, and insanity. I appreciated how Will Maclean blurs the line between truth and madness. Are they mutually exclusive? Can they coexist? Does being “insane” automatically make someone untrustworthy? These questions lingered with me long after I finished the book.
This story required a lot of brainpower, and I felt mentally drained afterward, but in a good way. I especially enjoyed the latter half. It was a wild, disorienting journey that had me questioning everything, and I loved that.
Overall, I really liked this book and still can’t get it out of my head. However, I do think it could have been shorter. It would have been a 5-star read for me if not for some boring chapters and minor characters who felt unnecessary. A few sections and characters came across as redundant and neither particularly interesting nor relevant to the core story. The pacing could have been much tighter without them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, this was unlike anything I’ve read before.
It’s unique, abstract, and ambitious. I can easily see this book sparking controversy among readers. The first thing I did after finishing it was take a cold shower because I needed time to digest and process what I had just read.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed books like “Piranesi”. Like “Piranesi”, this novel demands patience and persistence(and it’s a much longer book than Piranesi). The first 50% focuses largely on a group of college students “Marie Kondo-ing” a house filled with garbage and unsettling, creepy rooms. Then, in the remaining 50%, I found myself questioning my own sanity right alongside Alex and the other characters.
The plot is open to interpretation and layered with mysteries. The answers or explanations are neither obvious nor neatly handed to the reader. This is the kind of book that made me flip back and forth through earlier chapters, trying to piece together my own understanding of what was real and what wasn’t.
Beyond its unusual structure, the novel touches on important themes such as grief, loss, and insanity. I appreciated how Will Maclean blurs the line between truth and madness. Are they mutually exclusive? Can they coexist? Does being “insane” automatically make someone untrustworthy? These questions lingered with me long after I finished the book.
This story required a lot of brainpower, and I felt mentally drained afterward, but in a good way. I especially enjoyed the latter half. It was a wild, disorienting journey that had me questioning everything, and I loved that.
Overall, I really liked this book and still can’t get it out of my head. However, I do think it could have been shorter. It would have been a 5-star read for me if not for some boring chapters and minor characters who felt unnecessary. A few sections and characters came across as redundant and neither particularly interesting nor relevant to the core story. The pacing could have been much tighter without them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book will bring you anything but Solace. And it is fantastic. One of the most unique reads I’ve experienced in a long time. However, I feel it takes the right reader to appreciate it.
This book in one word, unsettling. This is the perfect mix of dark academia, fantasy and horror. A puzzle of a novel.
There were times when I was reading this that I was so engrossed in it, I could not put it down. Even though it was so intense at times, I desperately wanted to. This is a heavy read. It will mess with your head. It will blur lines between reality and different dimensions. It brought me to near panic attack on more than one occasion. Existential dread, parallel universes, infinite abysses…it’s all too much for me. But I couldn’t get enough.
Alex takes on a summer job with other students clearing out Solace House. Its previous owner, Edwin Flayne was an eccentric man hell bent on finding his missing mother and an alternate dimension. How they are connected is an elaborate mystery. The crew clears out the house and finds a myriad of peculiar things. This includes horrifying artwork and effigies constructed by Edwin. It also includes his cryptic journals and ledgers detailing his descent into madness to find this alternate dimension he is very obsessed with.
Naturally, there is disagreement among the students as to whether they should continue to investigate accessing this other dimension. This causes a significant problem between them and the story takes on its ultimate “f*ck around and find out” storyline.
The writing is descriptive and fantastic. It is a rather long novel, but the pacing is fast so you will not feel like it trudges on and on. There is the constant eerie feeling that something is not right, but you can’t put your finger on it. It is haunting and it will linger with me for a long time. I can’t recommend it enough.
This book will bring you anything but Solace. And it is fantastic. One of the most unique reads I’ve experienced in a long time. However, I feel it takes the right reader to appreciate it.
This book in one word, unsettling. This is the perfect mix of dark academia, fantasy and horror. A puzzle of a novel.
There were times when I was reading this that I was so engrossed in it, I could not put it down. Even though it was so intense at times, I desperately wanted to. This is a heavy read. It will mess with your head. It will blur lines between reality and different dimensions. It brought me to near panic attack on more than one occasion. Existential dread, parallel universes, infinite abysses…it’s all too much for me. But I couldn’t get enough.
Alex takes on a summer job with other students clearing out Solace House. Its previous owner, Edwin Flayne was an eccentric man hell bent on finding his missing mother and an alternate dimension. How they are connected is an elaborate mystery. The crew clears out the house and finds a myriad of peculiar things. This includes horrifying artwork and effigies constructed by Edwin. It also includes his cryptic journals and ledgers detailing his descent into madness to find this alternate dimension he is very obsessed with.
Naturally, there is disagreement among the students as to whether they should continue to investigate accessing this other dimension. This causes a significant problem between them and the story takes on its ultimate “f*ck around and find out” storyline.
The writing is descriptive and fantastic. It is a rather long novel, but the pacing is fast so you will not feel like it trudges on and on. There is the constant eerie feeling that something is not right, but you can’t put your finger on it. It is haunting and it will linger with me for a long time. I can’t recommend it enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one was a doozy. It took a few chapters to get comfortable with Alex's POV but the atmosphere really pulls you in once you get to where most of the story takes place. This one is definitely a slow burn; there were several moments where a had to evaluate how much plot had actually happened and how invested I was in finishing whatever chapter I was reading. The characters really save the pacing here though, and overall I think the balance of action and character development was really well done. I can see how people could have a hard time finishing this as it depends on getting invested in the group camaraderie that's developing while the unease very slowly amps up, but I think it's worth a bit of patience. The poetry at the beginning of every chapter, once you realize its significance, was a really cool touch and it's satisfying to see all the pieces fall into place once the action really gets going. This story goes to some wild places, and it's one you'll want to sit with for a while once you've finished it. I'm still not sure how to feel about the ending, but I don't think a story like this can really "end" in a traditional sense without failing its premise. I still had a great time with the journey, and I think that's more the point here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.
February 28, 2026
Solace House is like one big puzzle where every single room that gets uncovered reveals a small hidden puzzle piece that gets you just a little closer to seeing the full picture. The best part being that only on the last page you find the final piece that suddenly makes everything click.
I’ve never been this impressed by an author before. I want to tell everything that happens just so that anyone might be convinced to read this (and I promise you, if you know what I know you’d pick this book up in a heartbeat) but I can’t, because I’d spoiler the entire plot unfortunately. This is really a book where you need to go in blind to enjoy it to the fullest.
What I can say is that this book reminded me so much of some of my favorite books. The suspense was as masterfully written as Donna Tartt did in The Secret History, mixed with the mystery and complexity of Piranesi while the overall feeling of it really reminded me of If We Were Villains.
You can tell that the author put their all into this book and I’m impressed this only took 5 years to write, because this is insane! Truly a masterpiece.
It’s one of those book that you instantly want to reread once you reach the final sentence. And I know for a fact that reading it for the second time will be an ever better experience.
Anyone who’s interested in a book that includes mystery, cosmic horror, suspense, dark academia and at the end blows your mind… this is it!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc
I’ve never been this impressed by an author before. I want to tell everything that happens just so that anyone might be convinced to read this (and I promise you, if you know what I know you’d pick this book up in a heartbeat) but I can’t, because I’d spoiler the entire plot unfortunately. This is really a book where you need to go in blind to enjoy it to the fullest.
What I can say is that this book reminded me so much of some of my favorite books. The suspense was as masterfully written as Donna Tartt did in The Secret History, mixed with the mystery and complexity of Piranesi while the overall feeling of it really reminded me of If We Were Villains.
You can tell that the author put their all into this book and I’m impressed this only took 5 years to write, because this is insane! Truly a masterpiece.
It’s one of those book that you instantly want to reread once you reach the final sentence. And I know for a fact that reading it for the second time will be an ever better experience.
Anyone who’s interested in a book that includes mystery, cosmic horror, suspense, dark academia and at the end blows your mind… this is it!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Solace House" is a staggering achievement: a fiendishly clever puzzle of a novel that somehow manages to be both structurally dazzling and utterly gripping. The poetry and hidden codes are mind-bendingly intricate, yet never impenetrable, and nothing is sacrificed at the expense of atmosphere or character; Alex is drawn with such precision that every discovery feels personal. The Victorian hoarder's mansion setting is brilliantly inspired, and the horror unfolds through tiny, devastating clues hidden deep in the text. Immensely smart, immensely enjoyable, an absolute triumph I cannot recommend highly enough. Very glad to see lots of raves for this so far and hope it goes on to be a huge hit!
(I understand why the publisher has compared this to "Possession" and "The Secret History," two of my favorite books; "Solace House" has the invented poetry, tight-knit group of friends discovering knowledge, and drugs -- but labeling it as "dark academia" is far too reductive, and time to retire that silly term now anyway, now it's used to mean everything from actual campus novels to romantasy crap.)
(I understand why the publisher has compared this to "Possession" and "The Secret History," two of my favorite books; "Solace House" has the invented poetry, tight-knit group of friends discovering knowledge, and drugs -- but labeling it as "dark academia" is far too reductive, and time to retire that silly term now anyway, now it's used to mean everything from actual campus novels to romantasy crap.)
March 1, 2026
4.25 to be awkward.
About thirty pages in, this book wrapped its tendrils around me and did not let go. Told in first-person narrative, Solace House manages to tell a highly compelling, intelligently crafted tale that will be a treat for patient readers.
While some of the characters leaned towards archetype, the easy banter and flowing dialogue between them kept me completely invested. A couple did feel superfluous, serving more as padding than anything else, but it was a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.
Solace House is a slow but delightful journey that will misdirect, confuse and frustrate readers in the best possible way and the destination is a rewarding one, however it is chosen to be interpreted.
I understand that Maclean wrote the novel over five years. For the work that was put into it, five years feels like nothing at all. I suspect that when I look back on my favourite reads of 2026, Solace House will be firmly within the top five.
Highly recommended.
With thanks to Atlantic Books for the ARC.
About thirty pages in, this book wrapped its tendrils around me and did not let go. Told in first-person narrative, Solace House manages to tell a highly compelling, intelligently crafted tale that will be a treat for patient readers.
While some of the characters leaned towards archetype, the easy banter and flowing dialogue between them kept me completely invested. A couple did feel superfluous, serving more as padding than anything else, but it was a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.
Solace House is a slow but delightful journey that will misdirect, confuse and frustrate readers in the best possible way and the destination is a rewarding one, however it is chosen to be interpreted.
I understand that Maclean wrote the novel over five years. For the work that was put into it, five years feels like nothing at all. I suspect that when I look back on my favourite reads of 2026, Solace House will be firmly within the top five.
Highly recommended.
With thanks to Atlantic Books for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"Swift centuries elapse, now time unbound, repeats, inside everlasting summers..."
A kaleidoscopic labyrinthine glorious beast of novel which defies genres, warps time, distorts reality and leaves the reader slightly exhausted but richly rewards, brimming with thoughts, emotions and lingering questions. Utterly brilliant! I've seen it described as a mash-up of "Secret History" and "House of Leaves" and whilst that comparison is understandable, it ultimately sells the book short. This is a work entirely of its own making, singular, unsettling and unforgettable, and needs to be read to be believed.
A kaleidoscopic labyrinthine glorious beast of novel which defies genres, warps time, distorts reality and leaves the reader slightly exhausted but richly rewards, brimming with thoughts, emotions and lingering questions. Utterly brilliant! I've seen it described as a mash-up of "Secret History" and "House of Leaves" and whilst that comparison is understandable, it ultimately sells the book short. This is a work entirely of its own making, singular, unsettling and unforgettable, and needs to be read to be believed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Man. This was a wild ride. It was very profound, abstract, trippy, poetic, WEIRD. The author did a really good job of really making you feel those lazy summer vibes, it felt very nostalgic and cozy, despite knowing something was up with the house. There was a lot going on here, especially at the end of the book. Things are not laid out clearly for the reader, this is a book you’ll have to reread or go back to specific parts. This was so much fun to read, to try to figure out what was going on before it was revealed. What a wild trip this was. I will have to read this one again for sure. This is a read that will stay with me forever. Thank you, NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.
This book is both extremely strange and brilliant. We follow our main character Alex, who joins a group of students hired to declutter an old house over the summer. Whilst decluttering the house, the group stumbles across its secrets and the plot gets stranger and stranger from there. The book is fairly long, however this helps build the tension and unease, as well as setting up the character dynamics. The ending parts of the book are very much up to the reader's own interpretation which leaves you thinking about this book for a while. Overall, a great read!
This book is both extremely strange and brilliant. We follow our main character Alex, who joins a group of students hired to declutter an old house over the summer. Whilst decluttering the house, the group stumbles across its secrets and the plot gets stranger and stranger from there. The book is fairly long, however this helps build the tension and unease, as well as setting up the character dynamics. The ending parts of the book are very much up to the reader's own interpretation which leaves you thinking about this book for a while. Overall, a great read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC for this book from NetGalley for free.
This is one of those books that’s hard to describe without spoiling anything. I really enjoyed the build up of the story and how even when it seemed to be really mundane at times, there were always larger things happening in the background. The ending was really a mindfuck and will stay with me for a long time.
I was so absorbed in the writing that I struggle to come back to the real world as I’m writing this review. Will definitely be checking out all of the authors upcoming work as well.
This is one of those books that’s hard to describe without spoiling anything. I really enjoyed the build up of the story and how even when it seemed to be really mundane at times, there were always larger things happening in the background. The ending was really a mindfuck and will stay with me for a long time.
I was so absorbed in the writing that I struggle to come back to the real world as I’m writing this review. Will definitely be checking out all of the authors upcoming work as well.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This cover is what drew me to this book, I think it's just so cool and vibey.
This is definitely a slower-moving, vibey book. If you like that sort of slow-burn unraveling of a mystery, this is up your alley.
I did like how the mystery was sort of revealed piece by piece, but I did find the end to be a bit lackluster. And I could even see some readers maybe even finding it a little bit confusing. I just wanted more from that ending.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This is definitely a slower-moving, vibey book. If you like that sort of slow-burn unraveling of a mystery, this is up your alley.
I did like how the mystery was sort of revealed piece by piece, but I did find the end to be a bit lackluster. And I could even see some readers maybe even finding it a little bit confusing. I just wanted more from that ending.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There are labyrinths within labyrinths here.
This atmospheric novel begins with a 'Saltburn' vibe (university student wanting to fit in with a certain crowd), which ends up twisting in a different direction, which takes us to a red herring hospital and then inevitably to Solace House.
This book somehow reminds me of Vita Nostra, while having a horror-scifi-fantasy aura. As for horror, have no fear, its not scary scary. There is a mind-warp going on here. To experience it, you gotta read the book.
This atmospheric novel begins with a 'Saltburn' vibe (university student wanting to fit in with a certain crowd), which ends up twisting in a different direction, which takes us to a red herring hospital and then inevitably to Solace House.
This book somehow reminds me of Vita Nostra, while having a horror-scifi-fantasy aura. As for horror, have no fear, its not scary scary. There is a mind-warp going on here. To experience it, you gotta read the book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 rounded to 4. This book could have been 300 pages shorter. I can see this book being polarizing when it comes out in October. It's weird. The first half of the book is people clearing out junk from a house. The ending was pretty ambiguous. However, I find myself thinking about it which means good or bad the author has caused the book to sink into my head and contemplate the ending and the meaning of the book.
February 18, 2026
The Holdovers if it went really, really badly and also they did shrooms. The plot hooked me from the very beginning and never let me go. It’s hard to put into words the journey the book takes you on but it’s so worth it to hold on for the ride!
I would recommend this to people who like mind-benders like House of Leaves, Piranesi, We Used to Live Here, or Annihilation!
I would recommend this to people who like mind-benders like House of Leaves, Piranesi, We Used to Live Here, or Annihilation!
October 1, 2025
Intrigue géniale pendant la majeure partie du roman mais la fin m'a laissée perplexe et déçue.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Absolutely incredible. A monumental work. One of those novels that reminds me why I read fiction in the first place. If only every book could be this
February 25, 2026
I am at a loss for words. This book fucked my mind in the most profound way and I’m not sure I’ll ever fully recover.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I need a highlighter, sticky tabs and at least four other readers locked in a room to discuss this in detail.
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