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The Museum of Cursed Artifacts
Not yet published
Expected 2 Mar 27An epic haunted house tale that combines the classic supernatural terrors of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House with the fantastical adventure and eclectic ensemble of Night at the Museum.
Reclusive billionaire William Buren spent his life collecting the world’s most cursed artifacts and housing them in his expansive upstate New York mansion. After Buren’s death, his dismayed heirs discover the estate is bankrupt. They have only one path to profit: transform the mansion into the world’s greatest haunted attraction, a Disneyland of horrors, the Louvre of haunted houses.
To give their project credibility, they assemble a team of renowned experts in their respective fields: a cancelled celebrity ghost hunter, a traumatized psychic, a defrocked exorcist, a terminally ill archaeologist, and a controversial physicist. All of them have one thing in common: they want the pot of gold promised to them at the end of this dark and twisted rainbow.
The assignment is simple. Spend a weekend in the mansion, confirm the authenticity of the artifacts, verify any phenomena, and endorse the museum. In return, a hefty sum for each of them. But the entities contained in these artifacts possess a will, an intelligence, and an agenda of their own. Our protagonists discover they have been chosen by this place, at this time, for a diabolical purpose.
Reclusive billionaire William Buren spent his life collecting the world’s most cursed artifacts and housing them in his expansive upstate New York mansion. After Buren’s death, his dismayed heirs discover the estate is bankrupt. They have only one path to profit: transform the mansion into the world’s greatest haunted attraction, a Disneyland of horrors, the Louvre of haunted houses.
To give their project credibility, they assemble a team of renowned experts in their respective fields: a cancelled celebrity ghost hunter, a traumatized psychic, a defrocked exorcist, a terminally ill archaeologist, and a controversial physicist. All of them have one thing in common: they want the pot of gold promised to them at the end of this dark and twisted rainbow.
The assignment is simple. Spend a weekend in the mansion, confirm the authenticity of the artifacts, verify any phenomena, and endorse the museum. In return, a hefty sum for each of them. But the entities contained in these artifacts possess a will, an intelligence, and an agenda of their own. Our protagonists discover they have been chosen by this place, at this time, for a diabolical purpose.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 2, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
The premise of a good horror book: A group of experts are spending the night in a museum of cursed objects, turns out wasted because all of the characters are forgettable. I really wanted to like this one.
The premise of a good horror book: A group of experts are spending the night in a museum of cursed objects, turns out wasted because all of the characters are forgettable. I really wanted to like this one.
Want to Read
October 29, 2026ARC received. Thank you, Atria! I think this sounds so unique. I'll be checking this out sooner rather than later!
August 10, 2026
~ thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review~
I wanted to love this and I went into it liking it but the more I read, it was just so confusing. There were too many characters for my brain to handle 😩 it was creepy at times for sure but the confusion really got me
I wanted to love this and I went into it liking it but the more I read, it was just so confusing. There were too many characters for my brain to handle 😩 it was creepy at times for sure but the confusion really got me
Did Not Finish
June 22, 2026DNF at 20%. The premise of an eclectic group of random people navigating the horrors of a dead wealthy owner’s artifacts initially sounded interesting to me. I thought it was giving Knives Out vibes by the description.
Unfortunately, I found the constant shifting perspectives of characters and time frames very confusing to navigate. I expected the horror aspect of this book to shine through immediately and that was not the case. There was way too much backstory for me to follow along. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Unfortunately, I found the constant shifting perspectives of characters and time frames very confusing to navigate. I expected the horror aspect of this book to shine through immediately and that was not the case. There was way too much backstory for me to follow along. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A haunted estate with strange objects is left to a team with peculiar skill sets and backgrounds--the premise was so intriguing. Unfortunately, the execution had me frustrated: The pacing was all wrong for the subject of the scenes throughout, organization was poor, characterization was severely lacking in many ways, and the POV was horrendously written.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow!! This was NOT what I was expecting, but I am SO here for it!
When I was sent a complimentary widget for the eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley, I wanted to read it immediately, but I decided to save it for my spooky season reading in October, and I’m so glad I did!
This book is absolutely off the chain with its different horror elements. The author went ALL IN, and I may never want to go to another museum again. 😂
Religion, mythology, and history are all combined to create a series of unexpected horrors that are just thrown together in the best (and most chaotic) way. And then there’s the writing style! Jin, Xavier, and the other characters’ chapters are written in third person, but Max’s chapters are written in second person. You don’t see many books written in second person, and even here, it’s used in a more unique way. Typically, second person uses “you” to draw the reader directly into the action (think cookbooks or choose-your-own-adventure books, where the “you” is literally you, the reader). Here, though, Max is talking about himself. I’ll leave it at that so I don’t get into spoilers, but it’s definitely an interesting choice!
This book is JAM-PACKED with so much going on that you really have to pay attention. This is not a breezy, easy horror read. The prose is a bit more cerebral, and I can see it not working for everyone, but I think it’s going to be a fantastic read for plenty of horror fans who enjoy something a little different.
My only complaint? I wish this were coming out in time for spooky season because it would be PERFECT for fall reading! But hey, spring needs horror, too, and this one sounds like it’s going to bring plenty of nightmares no matter when you read it!
When I was sent a complimentary widget for the eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley, I wanted to read it immediately, but I decided to save it for my spooky season reading in October, and I’m so glad I did!
This book is absolutely off the chain with its different horror elements. The author went ALL IN, and I may never want to go to another museum again. 😂
Religion, mythology, and history are all combined to create a series of unexpected horrors that are just thrown together in the best (and most chaotic) way. And then there’s the writing style! Jin, Xavier, and the other characters’ chapters are written in third person, but Max’s chapters are written in second person. You don’t see many books written in second person, and even here, it’s used in a more unique way. Typically, second person uses “you” to draw the reader directly into the action (think cookbooks or choose-your-own-adventure books, where the “you” is literally you, the reader). Here, though, Max is talking about himself. I’ll leave it at that so I don’t get into spoilers, but it’s definitely an interesting choice!
This book is JAM-PACKED with so much going on that you really have to pay attention. This is not a breezy, easy horror read. The prose is a bit more cerebral, and I can see it not working for everyone, but I think it’s going to be a fantastic read for plenty of horror fans who enjoy something a little different.
My only complaint? I wish this were coming out in time for spooky season because it would be PERFECT for fall reading! But hey, spring needs horror, too, and this one sounds like it’s going to bring plenty of nightmares no matter when you read it!
June 28, 2026
This book was terrifying lol. The evil written on these pages are some of the most horrific I’ve ever read in a horror novel. This was actually insane and I was not expecting this 😳
Fans of the conjuring movies A house filled with a bunch of cursed artifacts, spanning centuries and multiple continents, all with a blood soaked history, gathered into one secluded billionaire’s home. A staff who leave before evening falls each day because no amount of money would be enough to entice any to stay for the evening. I get having eccentric hobbies but spending four decades collecting the entire world’s most cursed artifacts (literally hundreds) and compiling them under one singular roof is certainly a choice!
The victims who get roped in are as follows:
Jin: an ex paranormal cleanser clairvoryant
Xavier: the creator of Soul Search, a show investigating the afterlife (also a jerk and sex offender tbh)
Max: an exorcist disgraced after a case ends in death
Stephen: professor heading the Alithea Research Program in Human Consciousness who investigates the paranormal and believes that all souls move on, and any apparitions are all memories
Anahit: cursed woman who participated in an archaeological dig where afterwards, everyone who entered the Egyptian tomb, starts to die one by one in bizarre ways
They’re gathered here solely because the heirs of Buren want to turn Wildthorn into the Louvre of haunted houses, essentially a haunted house attraction. But to make it into the huge eventual franchise they hope for it to be, they need paranormal experts to verify Wildthorn’s artifacts. Of the over 800 objects collected, 8 of the most haunted were selected. You get to hear the backstories of some of these objects and it’s horrific. I mean, beyond horrifying and it gets worse and worse. The amount of creativity of this author to come up with backstories like this. I literally could not tear my eyes off the page because the stories behind some of these objects was just insanity.
This was a fast read. There was no filler, no wasted pages, and no slow start. The first 20% serves as an intro explaining the backstories of the characters but tbh it wasn’t boring, nor did it feel unnecessary. It was easy to speed through this and this was paced really well.
I will say though that this was one of the most insane horror novels I’ve ever read and it was pretty intense, and genuinely a terrifying concept. Geez. It’s a stark reminder, through a fiction novel, that there is a lot of real evil in this world and it’s important to stay prayed up. And don’t mess with things that you shouldn’t!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Fans of the conjuring movies A house filled with a bunch of cursed artifacts, spanning centuries and multiple continents, all with a blood soaked history, gathered into one secluded billionaire’s home. A staff who leave before evening falls each day because no amount of money would be enough to entice any to stay for the evening. I get having eccentric hobbies but spending four decades collecting the entire world’s most cursed artifacts (literally hundreds) and compiling them under one singular roof is certainly a choice!
The victims who get roped in are as follows:
Jin: an ex paranormal cleanser clairvoryant
Xavier: the creator of Soul Search, a show investigating the afterlife (also a jerk and sex offender tbh)
Max: an exorcist disgraced after a case ends in death
Stephen: professor heading the Alithea Research Program in Human Consciousness who investigates the paranormal and believes that all souls move on, and any apparitions are all memories
Anahit: cursed woman who participated in an archaeological dig where afterwards, everyone who entered the Egyptian tomb, starts to die one by one in bizarre ways
They’re gathered here solely because the heirs of Buren want to turn Wildthorn into the Louvre of haunted houses, essentially a haunted house attraction. But to make it into the huge eventual franchise they hope for it to be, they need paranormal experts to verify Wildthorn’s artifacts. Of the over 800 objects collected, 8 of the most haunted were selected. You get to hear the backstories of some of these objects and it’s horrific. I mean, beyond horrifying and it gets worse and worse. The amount of creativity of this author to come up with backstories like this. I literally could not tear my eyes off the page because the stories behind some of these objects was just insanity.
This was a fast read. There was no filler, no wasted pages, and no slow start. The first 20% serves as an intro explaining the backstories of the characters but tbh it wasn’t boring, nor did it feel unnecessary. It was easy to speed through this and this was paced really well.
I will say though that this was one of the most insane horror novels I’ve ever read and it was pretty intense, and genuinely a terrifying concept. Geez. It’s a stark reminder, through a fiction novel, that there is a lot of real evil in this world and it’s important to stay prayed up. And don’t mess with things that you shouldn’t!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another arc from NetGalley! This one was a fun read for sure! I was worried it would be too scary, and it wasn’t at all! There is a lot of action, a lot of characters, and a good bit going on at times! I think this one would be perfect for a spooky season TBR, even though its release date isn’t until March! Get it on those spooky season TBRs for next year! It was slightly confusing at times with the amount of characters, the amount of information you learn about each, and all the specializations they each have, which is why I went a little lower on my rating here! I did enjoy it, I do think others would as well!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A horror version of Night at the Museum? Um, yes please! This book started out a little shaky (and I'm still unsure why only one character's chapters were written in second person while the rest was third person), but it did really hook me and it was REALLY good. The character development was great, the mythology and religion elements were intriguing and explained well enough for those not familiar with all of them. If you like horror and supernatural elements, I'd recommend this book!
Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I feel as if it fell at a 3.5 stars for me, however I rounded up to 3.75 to give it a bit more benefit. I don't want someone who would love this story to miss out because it didn't click with me.
I did enjoy the concept---the idea of a collection being curated full of haunted items; the lore of money driving the characters; the interesting historical facts I learned along the way (did not know about Howard Hughes his OCD).
The overall story however did not capture me as I had hoped it would. It took me a several attempts to pick the book back up and continue with the characters. Overall, the characters were not my favorite, even though I think that was the primary point of their dislikability. Their motivations fell flat for me, and as well as their individual stories.
To be fair, the set up does allow for eerie moments throughout, and do unsettle the reader with various different scenes/events. There was, however, no grand piano drop moment for me. I wish there had been a jaw drop moment.
Still, I do not dissuade or discourage people from picking this one up! It very well was a mismatch between me and the story. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read, and give back an honest opinion on this story.
I did enjoy the concept---the idea of a collection being curated full of haunted items; the lore of money driving the characters; the interesting historical facts I learned along the way (did not know about Howard Hughes his OCD).
The overall story however did not capture me as I had hoped it would. It took me a several attempts to pick the book back up and continue with the characters. Overall, the characters were not my favorite, even though I think that was the primary point of their dislikability. Their motivations fell flat for me, and as well as their individual stories.
To be fair, the set up does allow for eerie moments throughout, and do unsettle the reader with various different scenes/events. There was, however, no grand piano drop moment for me. I wish there had been a jaw drop moment.
Still, I do not dissuade or discourage people from picking this one up! It very well was a mismatch between me and the story. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read, and give back an honest opinion on this story.
November 5, 2026
4.5/5 ⭐
I absolutely ATE this story up! The premise alone was enough to grab my attention: five world-renowned experts brought together in a mansion to determine the validity of cursed artifacts following the death of their billionaire owner? Sign me UP.
Not only was the concept incredibly intriguing, but every character’s backstory was exceptional. I found myself invested in each of them, sometimes yelling at them one minute and sympathizing with them the next.
And the artifacts… DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ARTIFACTS! I genuinely could have read an entire book dedicated to the hundreds of mysterious and cursed objects collected in this mansion. The history, the possibilities, the sheer amount of supernatural intrigue? I wanted MORE.
The pacing was another huge highlight for me. The author did an excellent job setting the stage, building the atmosphere, and allowing the story to unfold without ever making it feel dragged out.
Overall, this was such an entertaining read, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal fiction, horror, and thrillers. If creepy artifacts, fascinating backstories, and a mansion full of supernatural mysteries sound like your kind of thing, add this one to your TBR!
I absolutely ATE this story up! The premise alone was enough to grab my attention: five world-renowned experts brought together in a mansion to determine the validity of cursed artifacts following the death of their billionaire owner? Sign me UP.
Not only was the concept incredibly intriguing, but every character’s backstory was exceptional. I found myself invested in each of them, sometimes yelling at them one minute and sympathizing with them the next.
And the artifacts… DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ARTIFACTS! I genuinely could have read an entire book dedicated to the hundreds of mysterious and cursed objects collected in this mansion. The history, the possibilities, the sheer amount of supernatural intrigue? I wanted MORE.
The pacing was another huge highlight for me. The author did an excellent job setting the stage, building the atmosphere, and allowing the story to unfold without ever making it feel dragged out.
Overall, this was such an entertaining read, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal fiction, horror, and thrillers. If creepy artifacts, fascinating backstories, and a mansion full of supernatural mysteries sound like your kind of thing, add this one to your TBR!
August 22, 2026
A house filled with hundreds of cursed artifacts. 5 oddballs dabbling in various levels of paranormal and religious work. 1 money hungry influencer. A portal to hell.
I would solidly rate this a 2.5 to 3 because of the following reasons:
This is such a strong concept and I loved a lot of the story. I enjoyed the characters and backgrounds created for each of them. I really enjoyed how this ended up being more of a religious horror than a strictly paranormal one. It added a bit of flare to the whole thing.
With that said, it tended to drag on at times. Even times where it felt like it should have been super engaging felt tough to get through. Word choices were repetitive seeing the same descriptive words used over and over. The switch between 3rd and 2nd person felt random and unnecessary.
Still a good read but feels like it just needs a final bit of tweaking with the actual writing to bring it up a few levels.
I would solidly rate this a 2.5 to 3 because of the following reasons:
This is such a strong concept and I loved a lot of the story. I enjoyed the characters and backgrounds created for each of them. I really enjoyed how this ended up being more of a religious horror than a strictly paranormal one. It added a bit of flare to the whole thing.
With that said, it tended to drag on at times. Even times where it felt like it should have been super engaging felt tough to get through. Word choices were repetitive seeing the same descriptive words used over and over. The switch between 3rd and 2nd person felt random and unnecessary.
Still a good read but feels like it just needs a final bit of tweaking with the actual writing to bring it up a few levels.
September 20, 2026
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book and it was definitely the perfect book to start off the spooky season. It was super eerie and atmospheric and created a great backdrop of this unhinged story to take place.
It truly felt like there was never a dull moment while reading this book. The characters were diverse and the cursed artifacts were fascinating. I appreciated all of the backstories that were provided for each artifact, as disturbing as they could be.
I also loved how the house itself felt like a character and how some of the nods to the classic,The Haunting of Hill House, were sprinkled in.
If you are looking for a unique and moody horror, add this one to your spooky tbr right away.
Read this if you like:
→ Multiple POVs
→ Fast paced
→ Creepy artifacts
→ Spooky atmosphere
Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy of the book.
It truly felt like there was never a dull moment while reading this book. The characters were diverse and the cursed artifacts were fascinating. I appreciated all of the backstories that were provided for each artifact, as disturbing as they could be.
I also loved how the house itself felt like a character and how some of the nods to the classic,The Haunting of Hill House, were sprinkled in.
If you are looking for a unique and moody horror, add this one to your spooky tbr right away.
Read this if you like:
→ Multiple POVs
→ Fast paced
→ Creepy artifacts
→ Spooky atmosphere
Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy of the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
REVIEW OF ADVANCED READER COPY FROM NETGALLEY
While I appreciate the ARC, I had high hopes for this one, but it didn’t pan out the way I expected. It took me quite a long time to get through it. It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t my favorite. There are so many characters and it jumps around timelines. I kept getting lost. The story could have been fantastic with the house of cursed artifacts, like Rose Red meets Knives Out, but it fell short. I’m still glad I read it though.
While I appreciate the ARC, I had high hopes for this one, but it didn’t pan out the way I expected. It took me quite a long time to get through it. It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t my favorite. There are so many characters and it jumps around timelines. I kept getting lost. The story could have been fantastic with the house of cursed artifacts, like Rose Red meets Knives Out, but it fell short. I’m still glad I read it though.
November 1, 2026
{Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!}
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were all very fun and unique and I enjoyed the setting. I always wish for something more creative than just "demons and hell" for this sort of thing, but I still had fun! I found myself very invested in the characters and was devastated at many of their fates. Overall, this was a great concept, good execution, and fun read for spooky season.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were all very fun and unique and I enjoyed the setting. I always wish for something more creative than just "demons and hell" for this sort of thing, but I still had fun! I found myself very invested in the characters and was devastated at many of their fates. Overall, this was a great concept, good execution, and fun read for spooky season.
June 28, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this novel!
"When the crypt doors creak
And the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake"
The Museum of Cursed objects is if Disney's Haunted Mansion and The Night at the Museum had an evil step sibling. When I read the description I was immediately intrigued. The eeriness of the book crept along my skin and bones and whispered in my ears like a leech. It was fast paced and kept me intrigued the whole time.
"When the crypt doors creak
And the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake"
The Museum of Cursed objects is if Disney's Haunted Mansion and The Night at the Museum had an evil step sibling. When I read the description I was immediately intrigued. The eeriness of the book crept along my skin and bones and whispered in my ears like a leech. It was fast paced and kept me intrigued the whole time.
July 2, 2026
This was complete insanity. For some reason, it definitely DEFINITELY gave me Thirteen Ghosts vibes on a whole other level. It’s a little hard to get into with the multiple perspectives but once you understand the characters a little more it’s a whole lot easier. The story was great and the house was crazy. I definitely recommend this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Enjoyed the journey this book took me on; a variety of characters coming at the same goal from their own perspectives, as you are immersed in the world contained in the house in question.
Had some legitimately scary ideas and moments, stuck with me well after I put it down.
Had some legitimately scary ideas and moments, stuck with me well after I put it down.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I tried so hard to love this book but I could barely make it past the first few chapters. I think the plot of the book was great but the execution was done poorly. The first chapter was okay and it went downhill from there. In the end the book ( at least as far as I got ) was really dry and the characters were dull. I think if it was in first person it might have been better but I don’t think that would completely fix it. After this experience I don’t plan on reading a book from this author again.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
10 stars no notes
ARC gifted in exchange for review
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, gore, horrific acts of violence, murder, SA. Please take care in reading this book, and do your research before picking this up if any of these themes may be triggering to you.
If you loved Travel Channel's the Haunted Museum or Urban Legends with Eli Roth, you will eat this up.
This is hands down the best, most compelling, engaging, all consuming horror novel I have read in a while, and I am very picky when it comes to my horror. This checked all the boxes for me: paranormal, unexplained phenomena, sceptics, experts, twisted mysteries, cursed objects. As someone who grew up obsessed with Travel Channel, Discovery and Destination America paranormal tv shows, this scratched such a specific itch for me. The concept of cursed objects has always been interesting to me, not that I would ever seek them out myself.
The concept of a reclusive billionaire gathering 886 of the most cursed objects in history in a single place with an unknown nefarious purpose, and then dying by his own hand once the collection was complete made me sit up immediately. After Mr. Burren's death, a famous social media influencer works with the law firm representing his estate to gather five experts in the infamous house for three days with the aim of validating that the items are indeed cursed so that they can then turn the home into the next cursed museum. What ensues is madness, plain and simple. It is terrifying, haunting, gory and so good that it made it difficult to put down the book once it got dark because I was a little too scared to keep reading at night. Each of the experts have their own experience with death, the paranormal and the unexplained and are some kind of subject matter expert. Jin the reclusive psychic, Max the excommunicated vatican exorcist, Stephen the paranormal research scientist, Xavier the TV star and Anahit the renowned archaeologist. Each was lowered into Wildthorn's trap by a mixture of curiosity, and the $500,000.00 pay out at the end of the weekend. An overwhelming theme here is that "all that glitters is not gold" as Shakespear said, for the deal really is just too good to be true.
Everything about this story was so gripping, terrifying and interesting all at once. The imagery was perfect, and it was easy to see that the author spent a lot of time doing research in order to include as accurately as possible some of the most infamous purportedly cursed objects in history like the head of the black pope and the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas when he betrayed Jesus. The story sucks you in from page one and grips you so tightly that even when you finish it, it doesn't leave your mind for a while. It was so good that I immediately had to google the author and I cannot wait to read the sequel when it is released.
This is definitely now one of my favorite horror novels ever and one of my favorite books of 2026. I will be making my friends read this so we can be scared together!
ARC gifted in exchange for review
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, gore, horrific acts of violence, murder, SA. Please take care in reading this book, and do your research before picking this up if any of these themes may be triggering to you.
If you loved Travel Channel's the Haunted Museum or Urban Legends with Eli Roth, you will eat this up.
This is hands down the best, most compelling, engaging, all consuming horror novel I have read in a while, and I am very picky when it comes to my horror. This checked all the boxes for me: paranormal, unexplained phenomena, sceptics, experts, twisted mysteries, cursed objects. As someone who grew up obsessed with Travel Channel, Discovery and Destination America paranormal tv shows, this scratched such a specific itch for me. The concept of cursed objects has always been interesting to me, not that I would ever seek them out myself.
The concept of a reclusive billionaire gathering 886 of the most cursed objects in history in a single place with an unknown nefarious purpose, and then dying by his own hand once the collection was complete made me sit up immediately. After Mr. Burren's death, a famous social media influencer works with the law firm representing his estate to gather five experts in the infamous house for three days with the aim of validating that the items are indeed cursed so that they can then turn the home into the next cursed museum. What ensues is madness, plain and simple. It is terrifying, haunting, gory and so good that it made it difficult to put down the book once it got dark because I was a little too scared to keep reading at night. Each of the experts have their own experience with death, the paranormal and the unexplained and are some kind of subject matter expert. Jin the reclusive psychic, Max the excommunicated vatican exorcist, Stephen the paranormal research scientist, Xavier the TV star and Anahit the renowned archaeologist. Each was lowered into Wildthorn's trap by a mixture of curiosity, and the $500,000.00 pay out at the end of the weekend. An overwhelming theme here is that "all that glitters is not gold" as Shakespear said, for the deal really is just too good to be true.
Everything about this story was so gripping, terrifying and interesting all at once. The imagery was perfect, and it was easy to see that the author spent a lot of time doing research in order to include as accurately as possible some of the most infamous purportedly cursed objects in history like the head of the black pope and the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas when he betrayed Jesus. The story sucks you in from page one and grips you so tightly that even when you finish it, it doesn't leave your mind for a while. It was so good that I immediately had to google the author and I cannot wait to read the sequel when it is released.
This is definitely now one of my favorite horror novels ever and one of my favorite books of 2026. I will be making my friends read this so we can be scared together!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” by Evan Spiliotopoulos is basically Night at the Museum if the museum was actually trying to kill you. And honestly, I was here for it. I absolutely loved the unique plot of this book.
William Buren spent decades collecting some of the most cursed and horrifying artifacts from around the world and keeping them all in his giant mansion, Wildthorn. After his death, his heirs realize they're basically broke, so naturally their brilliant business idea is: let’s turn Dad’s nightmare mansion into the world's greatest haunted attraction.
But first they need some experts to verify that all this supernatural stuff is actually legit.
Enter our wonderfully dysfunctional group: a former paranormal cleanser with clairvoyant abilities, a disgraced exorcist, a controversial scientist, a paranormal TV personality who is very easy to dislike, and an archaeologist who comes with a particularly nasty curse of her own.
They’re supposed to spend the weekend investigating eight of the mansion's most haunted objects.
What could go wrong? Absolutely everything.
The artifacts were easily my favorite part. Some of the backstories are absolutely horrifying, and the author gets very creative with just how terrible these objects can be. Every time I thought, “Okay, that has to be the worst one,” the book would introduce another artifact and somehow make things even more disturbing.
And then there’s the house itself. I loved the idea that Wildthorn feels like more than just a setting; it has its own presence and agenda. I could practically picture this thing as a horror movie while reading it.
The religious and mythology elements were also really interesting. This isn't just straightforward “ghosts are spooky” horror. There’s a much bigger supernatural/religious horror element happening, and I thought that made the story even creepier.
The pacing was another big win for me. Once the setup was out of the way, this book moved fast. There was very little sitting around twiddling thumbs, and I flew through it because I constantly needed to know what horrifying thing was going to happen next.
That said, I did have a few issues. The story gets very ambitious in the second half, and sometimes it felt like it was introducing new ideas faster than it could actually explain the ones it had already introduced. A few character connections and plot threads seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Overall, “The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” is creepy, fast-paced, wildly imaginative, and absolutely packed with cursed objects that I would like to stay approximately 1,000 miles away from.
If you like haunted houses, supernatural horror, cursed objects, this one is definitely worth checking out.
“The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” by Evan Spiliotopoulos is basically Night at the Museum if the museum was actually trying to kill you. And honestly, I was here for it. I absolutely loved the unique plot of this book.
William Buren spent decades collecting some of the most cursed and horrifying artifacts from around the world and keeping them all in his giant mansion, Wildthorn. After his death, his heirs realize they're basically broke, so naturally their brilliant business idea is: let’s turn Dad’s nightmare mansion into the world's greatest haunted attraction.
But first they need some experts to verify that all this supernatural stuff is actually legit.
Enter our wonderfully dysfunctional group: a former paranormal cleanser with clairvoyant abilities, a disgraced exorcist, a controversial scientist, a paranormal TV personality who is very easy to dislike, and an archaeologist who comes with a particularly nasty curse of her own.
They’re supposed to spend the weekend investigating eight of the mansion's most haunted objects.
What could go wrong? Absolutely everything.
The artifacts were easily my favorite part. Some of the backstories are absolutely horrifying, and the author gets very creative with just how terrible these objects can be. Every time I thought, “Okay, that has to be the worst one,” the book would introduce another artifact and somehow make things even more disturbing.
And then there’s the house itself. I loved the idea that Wildthorn feels like more than just a setting; it has its own presence and agenda. I could practically picture this thing as a horror movie while reading it.
The religious and mythology elements were also really interesting. This isn't just straightforward “ghosts are spooky” horror. There’s a much bigger supernatural/religious horror element happening, and I thought that made the story even creepier.
The pacing was another big win for me. Once the setup was out of the way, this book moved fast. There was very little sitting around twiddling thumbs, and I flew through it because I constantly needed to know what horrifying thing was going to happen next.
That said, I did have a few issues. The story gets very ambitious in the second half, and sometimes it felt like it was introducing new ideas faster than it could actually explain the ones it had already introduced. A few character connections and plot threads seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Overall, “The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” is creepy, fast-paced, wildly imaginative, and absolutely packed with cursed objects that I would like to stay approximately 1,000 miles away from.
If you like haunted houses, supernatural horror, cursed objects, this one is definitely worth checking out.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A big thank you to Atria and Netgalley for an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
I loved absolutely every second of this one. Is it ridiculous and over the top? Certainly. Did that make me enjoy it any less? Hell no.
I picked this one up mostly because of the Thirteen Ghosts vibe it gave off; it’s my favorite horror movie, so I just can’t not. I mean, c’mon, even the house on the cover resembles the glass house from the 2001 film. Now that I’ve finished it, I would argue that it still more closely resembles Thirteen Ghosts than it does Night at the Museum.
An extraordinarily wealthy man spends the last years of his life curating a collection of the world’s most cursed artifacts. For what reason? Nobody knows, but now that he’s dead – a victim of his own hands – his relatives want to squeeze as much money out of his state-of-the-art mansion sideshow as much as they can. In enters Avery Sutton, gathering five experts in different areas of science and supernatural to authenticate the artifacts left behind in Wildthorn. Only, the house may have a mind of its own, and it longs for the taste of blood.
This was a quick read with short, explosive chapters. With six primary characters, not to mention the house itself, the perspective shifts each chapter, but that gives the narrative far wider breadth. Given that each of the characters have their own hidden talents, the alternating perspectives really gives a depth to the house, the artifacts, and the storyline that a single narrator wouldn’t be able to accomplish. The short chapters add to the rhythm of the piece; everyone is frantic and anxious, even me as the reader.
Usually, I really get stuck on characterization as the thing that will make or break whether I like a book or not. In this case, my enjoyment hinged on the details and history surrounding the artifacts, and this book did not disappoint. If you’re the odd duck like me, and your favorite part of any paranormal reality show is the opener with the history of the location, then you’ll have struck gold with this novel. You’ll definitely get all the paranormal action and the horror and the gore, but if you like a good, dark history, the first half of the book won’t do you wrong.
That’s not to say that the characters aren’t well written or interesting, they were just secondary in my enjoyment this time around. This book is horror, through and through, but it’s also about being courageous, accepting who you are, and comradery in dire situations. It’s over the top and outlandish, but it also has a lot to say about religion and belief and redemption.
I’d read this over and over for the first time if I could.
I loved absolutely every second of this one. Is it ridiculous and over the top? Certainly. Did that make me enjoy it any less? Hell no.
I picked this one up mostly because of the Thirteen Ghosts vibe it gave off; it’s my favorite horror movie, so I just can’t not. I mean, c’mon, even the house on the cover resembles the glass house from the 2001 film. Now that I’ve finished it, I would argue that it still more closely resembles Thirteen Ghosts than it does Night at the Museum.
An extraordinarily wealthy man spends the last years of his life curating a collection of the world’s most cursed artifacts. For what reason? Nobody knows, but now that he’s dead – a victim of his own hands – his relatives want to squeeze as much money out of his state-of-the-art mansion sideshow as much as they can. In enters Avery Sutton, gathering five experts in different areas of science and supernatural to authenticate the artifacts left behind in Wildthorn. Only, the house may have a mind of its own, and it longs for the taste of blood.
This was a quick read with short, explosive chapters. With six primary characters, not to mention the house itself, the perspective shifts each chapter, but that gives the narrative far wider breadth. Given that each of the characters have their own hidden talents, the alternating perspectives really gives a depth to the house, the artifacts, and the storyline that a single narrator wouldn’t be able to accomplish. The short chapters add to the rhythm of the piece; everyone is frantic and anxious, even me as the reader.
Usually, I really get stuck on characterization as the thing that will make or break whether I like a book or not. In this case, my enjoyment hinged on the details and history surrounding the artifacts, and this book did not disappoint. If you’re the odd duck like me, and your favorite part of any paranormal reality show is the opener with the history of the location, then you’ll have struck gold with this novel. You’ll definitely get all the paranormal action and the horror and the gore, but if you like a good, dark history, the first half of the book won’t do you wrong.
That’s not to say that the characters aren’t well written or interesting, they were just secondary in my enjoyment this time around. This book is horror, through and through, but it’s also about being courageous, accepting who you are, and comradery in dire situations. It’s over the top and outlandish, but it also has a lot to say about religion and belief and redemption.
I’d read this over and over for the first time if I could.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There’s something inherently creepy about a mansion filled with cursed artifacts, especially when each object has its own disturbing history.
The creepiest thing about The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is the constant feeling that the characters are never truly safe. The mansion is filled with objects that should be fascinating historical curiosities, but instead feel like traps waiting to be opened. As the histories behind the artifacts begin to emerge, the supernatural becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss, leading to some genuinely eerie and disturbing moments.
The horror was definitely my favorite part of the book. There’s an unsettling sense that something sinister is always lurking just beneath the surface, and the cursed artifacts each bring their own particular brand of dread. The isolated setting only adds to the tension, creating the feeling that there’s nowhere safe to escape. Some of the scenes are genuinely creepy, and I liked the constant anticipation of wondering what would happen next.
I also liked the unusual combination of characters the story brings together a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist. Each approaches the supernatural from a completely different perspective, which makes for an interesting clash of ideas. At times, though, the story becomes a little complicated, with so many characters, backstories, supernatural elements, and twists competing for attention. Some of the developments felt more complicated than they needed to be, which occasionally took away from the tension.
Still, the story kept me invested. The creepy artifacts, disturbing encounters, and increasingly sinister atmosphere made this an entertaining supernatural horror read. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but when it leans into the darkness, it can be genuinely unsettling.
Overall, The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is an entertaining supernatural horror novel with a creepy premise, genuinely disturbing moments, and an intriguing cast of characters. The combination of a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist gives the story an interesting dynamic, even if the plot occasionally becomes more complicated than necessary. For me, the strongest parts were the cursed artifacts and the moments when the horror took center stage.
The creepiest thing about The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is the constant feeling that the characters are never truly safe. The mansion is filled with objects that should be fascinating historical curiosities, but instead feel like traps waiting to be opened. As the histories behind the artifacts begin to emerge, the supernatural becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss, leading to some genuinely eerie and disturbing moments.
The horror was definitely my favorite part of the book. There’s an unsettling sense that something sinister is always lurking just beneath the surface, and the cursed artifacts each bring their own particular brand of dread. The isolated setting only adds to the tension, creating the feeling that there’s nowhere safe to escape. Some of the scenes are genuinely creepy, and I liked the constant anticipation of wondering what would happen next.
I also liked the unusual combination of characters the story brings together a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist. Each approaches the supernatural from a completely different perspective, which makes for an interesting clash of ideas. At times, though, the story becomes a little complicated, with so many characters, backstories, supernatural elements, and twists competing for attention. Some of the developments felt more complicated than they needed to be, which occasionally took away from the tension.
Still, the story kept me invested. The creepy artifacts, disturbing encounters, and increasingly sinister atmosphere made this an entertaining supernatural horror read. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but when it leans into the darkness, it can be genuinely unsettling.
Overall, The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is an entertaining supernatural horror novel with a creepy premise, genuinely disturbing moments, and an intriguing cast of characters. The combination of a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist gives the story an interesting dynamic, even if the plot occasionally becomes more complicated than necessary. For me, the strongest parts were the cursed artifacts and the moments when the horror took center stage.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was so looking forward to reading this. I really enjoy paranormal and especially haunted house stories. The title alone had me prepared for all kinds of shenanigans - a whole museum of cursed artifacts? Yes please! I even enjoyed the multiple POVs from our characters. I thought that the varying chapter lengths, ways of speaking (second person came out of nowhere, but made sense for the priest who was a bit emotionally detached) and types of people all added to the storyline.
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts started out so strong. The house is there, the experts are assembled, and the artifacts are waiting. Encapsulating all of this is the house itself. It's one of our POVs (albeit used sparingly) so we get a feel of its own motivations. I like that the activities had a clear timeline as well. The variety of artifacts was a delight - though they were very heavily western-leaning.
However, about halfway through, the book suffered from massive scope creep. There were several clues, or moments that were dropped that had no resolution. Hopefully not too spoilery - an artifact was introduced (eight were focused on for the experts to validate) with backstory with one of our protagonists. Later, that same artifact chased down and subsumed a different protagonist. Why? Why the change in fixation? Why introduce a thread with no corresponding knot at the end? This theme of "here is an idea or a thing" and "let's end it with a different thing entirely" kept playing out in the latter 50% which was jarring for me to keep track of. Characters suddenly had knowledge that came out of nowhere. Deep ties were said to have existed out of nowhere.
I wish there had been more depth to some of the connections made, or explanations given. The ideas were there! But they escalated so quickly, and the seeds to the fruition weren't laid as neatly as I would have liked to get me to the payoff.
However, the vibes, artifacts, and each of the characters were very interesting to me. For a first novel, this is very well done. I will be adding the author to my "to watch" list to see where their next idea takes them!
Big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts started out so strong. The house is there, the experts are assembled, and the artifacts are waiting. Encapsulating all of this is the house itself. It's one of our POVs (albeit used sparingly) so we get a feel of its own motivations. I like that the activities had a clear timeline as well. The variety of artifacts was a delight - though they were very heavily western-leaning.
However, about halfway through, the book suffered from massive scope creep. There were several clues, or moments that were dropped that had no resolution. Hopefully not too spoilery - an artifact was introduced (eight were focused on for the experts to validate) with backstory with one of our protagonists. Later, that same artifact chased down and subsumed a different protagonist. Why? Why the change in fixation? Why introduce a thread with no corresponding knot at the end? This theme of "here is an idea or a thing" and "let's end it with a different thing entirely" kept playing out in the latter 50% which was jarring for me to keep track of. Characters suddenly had knowledge that came out of nowhere. Deep ties were said to have existed out of nowhere.
I wish there had been more depth to some of the connections made, or explanations given. The ideas were there! But they escalated so quickly, and the seeds to the fruition weren't laid as neatly as I would have liked to get me to the payoff.
However, the vibes, artifacts, and each of the characters were very interesting to me. For a first novel, this is very well done. I will be adding the author to my "to watch" list to see where their next idea takes them!
Big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I liked this more than I thought I would. The overall concept was good: half a million dollars each to stay in a curated personal collection of haunted items and investigate eight of the artifacts for authenticity. After a power outage, it turns into Night at the Museum... of Cursed Artifacts.
I didn’t really connect with the characters, but all of them were interesting or annoying in their own ways. The multiple POVs were cool (although they weren’t all written in the same narrative style, and I hope that’s fixed before the final version comes out). I really enjoyed how the connection between the characters happened in the middle of the story. It was a really interesting way to create that bond.
The artifacts coming to “life” were fun, sadistic, and scary in their own ways. The overall religious nature of the story is where it lost me—not completely, as I was still intrigued—but I wanted something more straightforwardly supernatural than spiritual. I should have guessed from the artifacts; however, I was not expecting THAT.
Some of the words used were ones I had to look up. That’s not always a bad thing, but the words seemed unnecessary. The concepts seemed to be described in the preceding sentences, only for an uncommon word to be used afterward. For example, a person was described as “a wizened stamp collector,” then the next paragraph started with “In addition to philately...” (“the collection and study of postage stamps,” in case you’re also unfamiliar with the word). Even my phone thinks I spelled it wrong! It didn’t add anything to the story and seemed a little pretentious. This happened several times throughout the book. Luckily, I was reading an ebook and could just click on the word to get its meaning. I have a bachelor’s degree in English, and I was stumped multiple times.
But I would definitely recommend this! And one final thought on this book: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE QUIET ONE!!
I liked this more than I thought I would. The overall concept was good: half a million dollars each to stay in a curated personal collection of haunted items and investigate eight of the artifacts for authenticity. After a power outage, it turns into Night at the Museum... of Cursed Artifacts.
I didn’t really connect with the characters, but all of them were interesting or annoying in their own ways. The multiple POVs were cool (although they weren’t all written in the same narrative style, and I hope that’s fixed before the final version comes out). I really enjoyed how the connection between the characters happened in the middle of the story. It was a really interesting way to create that bond.
The artifacts coming to “life” were fun, sadistic, and scary in their own ways. The overall religious nature of the story is where it lost me—not completely, as I was still intrigued—but I wanted something more straightforwardly supernatural than spiritual. I should have guessed from the artifacts; however, I was not expecting THAT.
Some of the words used were ones I had to look up. That’s not always a bad thing, but the words seemed unnecessary. The concepts seemed to be described in the preceding sentences, only for an uncommon word to be used afterward. For example, a person was described as “a wizened stamp collector,” then the next paragraph started with “In addition to philately...” (“the collection and study of postage stamps,” in case you’re also unfamiliar with the word). Even my phone thinks I spelled it wrong! It didn’t add anything to the story and seemed a little pretentious. This happened several times throughout the book. Luckily, I was reading an ebook and could just click on the word to get its meaning. I have a bachelor’s degree in English, and I was stumped multiple times.
But I would definitely recommend this! And one final thought on this book: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE QUIET ONE!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Start with one eccentric billionaire, one very meticulously architected mansion, and hundreds of cursed artifacts. This is the recipe for the wildest spooky book I’ve read this year by far. When the billionaire dies a gruesome death after having spent his fortune on cursed artifacts from around the globe, his family waits greedily at his estate’s will and testament reading. Instead of dividing what’s left of his scant holdings and assets to his family, Avery Sutton pitches a “Museum of Cursed Artifacts” that promises to rake in even more earnings than the paltry sum that was left after Buren died.
But first, the artifacts must be verified for their authenticity, to ensure that they indeed are haunted. This is where the team comes in. Avery builds a team of experts consisting of one priest, one troubled girl with clairvoyance, one grifter TV personality, and two scientists.
Shifting through multiple perspectives every chapter, the group will reside at William Buren’s mansion in order to validate the authenticity of the cursed items. Meanwhile, the staff always leaves hurriedly before sundown nightly. Because this is when the fun begins. The team has to learn to work together, confront the ghosts and trauma of their own pasts, and be braver than they ever thought, if they want to survive the weekend at this haunted mansion.
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is a roller coaster thrill ride that kept me reading late into the night, and thus spooking myself when I got up to go to the bathroom. I absolutely loved it, and kept imagining who I would cast as the different characters for the movie that I hope one day gets made from this book! The writing and story is fast-paced, and reminded me of some of my favorite horror authors such as Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and Shirley Jackson. Thank you to Evan Spiliotopoulos and Atria Books for this fantastic advanced reader’s copy.
But first, the artifacts must be verified for their authenticity, to ensure that they indeed are haunted. This is where the team comes in. Avery builds a team of experts consisting of one priest, one troubled girl with clairvoyance, one grifter TV personality, and two scientists.
Shifting through multiple perspectives every chapter, the group will reside at William Buren’s mansion in order to validate the authenticity of the cursed items. Meanwhile, the staff always leaves hurriedly before sundown nightly. Because this is when the fun begins. The team has to learn to work together, confront the ghosts and trauma of their own pasts, and be braver than they ever thought, if they want to survive the weekend at this haunted mansion.
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is a roller coaster thrill ride that kept me reading late into the night, and thus spooking myself when I got up to go to the bathroom. I absolutely loved it, and kept imagining who I would cast as the different characters for the movie that I hope one day gets made from this book! The writing and story is fast-paced, and reminded me of some of my favorite horror authors such as Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and Shirley Jackson. Thank you to Evan Spiliotopoulos and Atria Books for this fantastic advanced reader’s copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
👻 BOOK REVIEW: The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulos 🏛️✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
If you took the haunted, psychological dread of Shirley Jackson’s "The Haunting of Hill House" and smashed it together with the chaotic energy and wild ensemble cast of "Night at the Museum," you’d get this absolute masterpiece of a horror debut. 🤯
Here’s the setup: A reclusive billionaire spends his life and fortune collecting the world's most terrifyingly cursed items. When he dies bankrupt, his desperate heirs decide there’s only one way to make a profit—turn his sprawling upstate New York mansion into the ultimate haunted attraction. The Louvre of horror houses.
But first, they need authenticity. Enter an incredibly messy, dysfunctional dream team of experts hired to spend the weekend and verify the phenomena:
🚫 A canceled celebrity ghost hunter
🔮 A traumatized psychic
✝️ A defrocked exorcist
🩺 A terminally ill archaeologist
⚛️ A highly controversial physicist
They’re all trapped in a grand mansion for a massive payday, but the entities locked inside these exhibits have their own terrifying agenda.
Thoughts:
Oh my goodness, I ate this book up! The pacing is lightning-fast, and the entire story feels intensely cinematic (which makes sense, given the author’s blockbuster screenwriting background!). Spiliotopoulos does an amazing job building a suffocating atmosphere where you feel like the characters are never truly safe.
Each artifact brings its own unique brand of dread, and the tension just keeps ratcheting up until all hell literally breaks loose. I loved the clashing dynamics of the experts—science vs. faith, ambition vs. grief. It’s funny, deeply unsettling, and features some real skin-crawling scares that will stay with you long after you close the cover.
Do not sleep on this one, horror fam! It is easily going to be one of the most memorable thrillers of the year. 🕸️
Thank you to Atria Books for the early review copy! 🖤
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
If you took the haunted, psychological dread of Shirley Jackson’s "The Haunting of Hill House" and smashed it together with the chaotic energy and wild ensemble cast of "Night at the Museum," you’d get this absolute masterpiece of a horror debut. 🤯
Here’s the setup: A reclusive billionaire spends his life and fortune collecting the world's most terrifyingly cursed items. When he dies bankrupt, his desperate heirs decide there’s only one way to make a profit—turn his sprawling upstate New York mansion into the ultimate haunted attraction. The Louvre of horror houses.
But first, they need authenticity. Enter an incredibly messy, dysfunctional dream team of experts hired to spend the weekend and verify the phenomena:
🚫 A canceled celebrity ghost hunter
🔮 A traumatized psychic
✝️ A defrocked exorcist
🩺 A terminally ill archaeologist
⚛️ A highly controversial physicist
They’re all trapped in a grand mansion for a massive payday, but the entities locked inside these exhibits have their own terrifying agenda.
Thoughts:
Oh my goodness, I ate this book up! The pacing is lightning-fast, and the entire story feels intensely cinematic (which makes sense, given the author’s blockbuster screenwriting background!). Spiliotopoulos does an amazing job building a suffocating atmosphere where you feel like the characters are never truly safe.
Each artifact brings its own unique brand of dread, and the tension just keeps ratcheting up until all hell literally breaks loose. I loved the clashing dynamics of the experts—science vs. faith, ambition vs. grief. It’s funny, deeply unsettling, and features some real skin-crawling scares that will stay with you long after you close the cover.
Do not sleep on this one, horror fam! It is easily going to be one of the most memorable thrillers of the year. 🕸️
Thank you to Atria Books for the early review copy! 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Summary: A wealthy man with a correction of cursed items dies, some paranormally inclined people are offered money to confirm that his collection is legitimate, haunted hijinks ensue.
I did not like this book. I wanted to, I really did, but it just wasn't for me.
My first issue is the writing. The author has previously worked in film, and it really shows in the way that he writes. Absolutely everything is told to the reader, there is zero shown, and it's all written very factually. There's a lot of "Jin walked up the stairs. She looked left. She saw Xavier walking down the hallway. She followed him." That's not an exact quote from the book, but it's exactly what the writing style is like, just statement after statement.
My second issue is the fact that Father Max's chapters are written in second person, while all the others are in third person. Apart from "choose your own adventure" books I have never read anything written in second person, so that was a strange choice, but the fact that everyone else's chapters are in third person makes the choice even more confusing.
My third issue is Jin. Why does she grunt so much? And how can the other people, who have only met her today, tell her grunts apart? What's a doubtful grunt, and how does it differ from a confused grunt?
My final issue is that the book was far too religious for me. Its blurb describes it as a haunted house book, which is what I was expecting. I wish it had mentioned how religious it was as I wouldn't have read it.
The first half of the story was somewhat interesting, in a silly early 2000's horror movie kind of way, but the bad writing and religious focus (especially in the second half) just kept me from enjoying it.
I did not like this book. I wanted to, I really did, but it just wasn't for me.
My first issue is the writing. The author has previously worked in film, and it really shows in the way that he writes. Absolutely everything is told to the reader, there is zero shown, and it's all written very factually. There's a lot of "Jin walked up the stairs. She looked left. She saw Xavier walking down the hallway. She followed him." That's not an exact quote from the book, but it's exactly what the writing style is like, just statement after statement.
My second issue is the fact that Father Max's chapters are written in second person, while all the others are in third person. Apart from "choose your own adventure" books I have never read anything written in second person, so that was a strange choice, but the fact that everyone else's chapters are in third person makes the choice even more confusing.
My third issue is Jin. Why does she grunt so much? And how can the other people, who have only met her today, tell her grunts apart? What's a doubtful grunt, and how does it differ from a confused grunt?
My final issue is that the book was far too religious for me. Its blurb describes it as a haunted house book, which is what I was expecting. I wish it had mentioned how religious it was as I wouldn't have read it.
The first half of the story was somewhat interesting, in a silly early 2000's horror movie kind of way, but the bad writing and religious focus (especially in the second half) just kept me from enjoying it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you first to NetGalley for allowing me the chance of an advance read in exchange for my unbiased review.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Knew I was going to enjoy this novel from page one. How could you not when five odd characters are paid to spend three days inside an actually haunted mansion to review supposedly the worst or the worst haunted artifacts. I enjoyed the detailed backstory the author started with instead of just throwing us straight into the horror. It helped build the anticipation of what was to come. Each chapter is a different POV (even the mansion gets one too!) It was well written and decently paced.
That being said, I do have some slight draw backs.
- The horror/creepy themes/artifacts are amazing leaving me wanting more mayhem and carnage, which unfortunately they don't fully deliver in the end in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, yes there is death in the book but some just don't shine as bright as others. I didn't set out to read all out gore but I wanted something a little more disturbing when it came to a characters end.
- The last 10% of the book (towards and during the final climax) was the toughest part as it didn't flow with the rest of the novel.
- Some characters/ideas were introduced but then fell to the wayside unfortunately or were just completely forgotten by the end.
In the end it's an enjoyable read and would be interested to see if a sequel or prequel are written given the amount of artifacts/ideas the author provided.
Overall, if you enjoy the horror/thriller genre this book is for you and would recommend it to anyone who asks.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Knew I was going to enjoy this novel from page one. How could you not when five odd characters are paid to spend three days inside an actually haunted mansion to review supposedly the worst or the worst haunted artifacts. I enjoyed the detailed backstory the author started with instead of just throwing us straight into the horror. It helped build the anticipation of what was to come. Each chapter is a different POV (even the mansion gets one too!) It was well written and decently paced.
That being said, I do have some slight draw backs.
- The horror/creepy themes/artifacts are amazing leaving me wanting more mayhem and carnage, which unfortunately they don't fully deliver in the end in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, yes there is death in the book but some just don't shine as bright as others. I didn't set out to read all out gore but I wanted something a little more disturbing when it came to a characters end.
- The last 10% of the book (towards and during the final climax) was the toughest part as it didn't flow with the rest of the novel.
- Some characters/ideas were introduced but then fell to the wayside unfortunately or were just completely forgotten by the end.
In the end it's an enjoyable read and would be interested to see if a sequel or prequel are written given the amount of artifacts/ideas the author provided.
Overall, if you enjoy the horror/thriller genre this book is for you and would recommend it to anyone who asks.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulos sounded like exactly the kind of horror I love, and I went into this one incredibly excited. A mansion filled with cursed artifacts, an eclectic cast of characters, and supernatural horrors had me completely sold. While the story itself was compelling, the overall reading experience left me wanting more.
I enjoyed the initial character development and backstories, but once the group arrived at the mansion, I found myself wishing for a stronger sense of atmosphere and immersion. Despite the fascinating premise, I never quite felt transported into the setting or fully connected to the events unfolding around the characters. The shifting memories and timelines also made portions of the story feel disjointed, and some of the narrative elements left me confused rather than adding to my understanding of the story.
I also found this leaned more heavily into religious horror than the supernatural horror I had anticipated. While I appreciated the underlying story, the writing didn't always bring its various elements together as cohesively as I had hoped. I found myself getting distracted more easily than usual, making it difficult to maintain the investment I wanted to have in the characters and their journey.
Ultimately, this was a case of loving the premise more than the reading experience. There was an intriguing story here, but the execution didn't quite deliver the atmosphere, clarity, or engagement I was looking for. I was genuinely excited to learn this would be a series, but after this first installment, I'm uncertain whether I'll continue.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC.
I enjoyed the initial character development and backstories, but once the group arrived at the mansion, I found myself wishing for a stronger sense of atmosphere and immersion. Despite the fascinating premise, I never quite felt transported into the setting or fully connected to the events unfolding around the characters. The shifting memories and timelines also made portions of the story feel disjointed, and some of the narrative elements left me confused rather than adding to my understanding of the story.
I also found this leaned more heavily into religious horror than the supernatural horror I had anticipated. While I appreciated the underlying story, the writing didn't always bring its various elements together as cohesively as I had hoped. I found myself getting distracted more easily than usual, making it difficult to maintain the investment I wanted to have in the characters and their journey.
Ultimately, this was a case of loving the premise more than the reading experience. There was an intriguing story here, but the execution didn't quite deliver the atmosphere, clarity, or engagement I was looking for. I was genuinely excited to learn this would be a series, but after this first installment, I'm uncertain whether I'll continue.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC.
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