Oubliette

by L V Russell

Rue knows only bloodshed, longing, and isolation. Born into ancient wealth on the Cornish coast, Rue grows up in the crumbling Folkehaven Manor, steeped in rot and haunted by the dead. Twisted specters trail through the halls, the lords and ladies of high society that Rue dutifully delivers to her mother. For her mother is hungry for attention...and for flesh. During one blood-soaked feast, Rue is drawn to Oren Pengelly, a quiet gentleman whose sister's betrothed is consumed. Oren sees past Rue's sins, beyond all the horrors, and sees someone deserving of love. But Rue struggles to leave her mother, for who will keep her fed? With blood beneath her nails, and a soul darkening by the day, Rue wonders if there might be something more than violence and decay. Something more than hunger... Or if perhaps hunger is all she was ever made for.

214 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 23, 2026

Reviews

[Lexi Reads]

Oubliette is the kind of gothic horror that feels less like a story unfolding and more like being slowly swallowed by a house that has something deeply wrong inside it. Folkehaven is wonderfully oppressive, and the strange blend of bloodshed, folklore, ghosts, and unsettling body horror gives the novel a beautifully rotten atmosphere. What really stayed with me, though, was Rue’s bond with Sylvatica. Their relationship is painful, suffocating, and strangely tender at times, showing how love can become tangled with fear, obligation, and control. Rue’s desire to build a life beyond her mother’s shadow gives the horror an emotional core that makes the ugliness hit harder.

The book isn’t afraid to get weird or uncomfortable, and some of its most memorable moments come from the way it turns family wounds into literal monstrosity. Sylvatica’s history adds another layer to the story, making her more than simply a creature to fear, while Rue’s journey gradually becomes one of breaking away from a legacy she never chose. The romance and some of the character development could have used more room to breathe, but the eerie setting, lyrical prose, and unapologetically gruesome imagery kept me invested. Dark, strange, bloody, and emotionally unsettling, Oubliette feels like a gothic nightmare with something surprisingly human beating underneath it.

[Emily | emilyisbookedup]

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for this early copy.

Rue is constantly battling between her love and attachment to her mother and the need to break free from her and everything that haunts Folkehaven Manor. Oubliette is an atmospheric, gothic, bloody story of a complicated mother-daughter relationship. Once you peel back the layers, it’s also a story of forbidden romance, of freedom from toxic relationships, of found family, and of feminine rage and revenge. I devoured this one in a day, but maybe don’t read this while you’re eating.

When it comes to writing gothic horror, I’m not sure it gets much better than this. Russell nails the atmosphere, the terror, and the gory details in this book. I’m not a fan of romance, but I’ll make an exception for Isabel Cañas and L.V. Russell. Rue and Oren’s love felt very reminiscent of the classics to me and so it seemed very appropriate for the time period.

Russell also wrote an excellent monstrous mother. While I don’t think the word vampire is ever used, it’s clear by the bloody mess what we’re dealing with here. I felt like I was right in the middle of the terror at the Manor. Every haunting detail will stick with me, including poor Hope in the corner.

[Jess Stadler]

Thank you LV Russel and Quill & Crow Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC 🖤

WOW, this was deliciously Gothic, gory, disturbing, and beautifully rotten- yes, ROT!! It truly is a gothic story at its core — not because of the atmosphere and the horror elements. It’s got an element of fear and deep sadness, this knowing that a dark and gruesome end is around the corner. The existential dread. The decaying house felt real.

It’s beautifully written, and the gore and body horror are written so vividly I could see it in my head — it was terrifying to think the FMC was living in a home with such horrors. I simply wouldn’t survive!! It’s a story about a mother and daughter relationship. It’s a painful relationship and suffocating as hell. I feel bad for Rue. But Rue’s character isn’t rotten. She’s longing for more. She’s sympathetic and a loving human. Love beyond our realm and after our loved ones have passed.

When I think about gothic literature and gothic horror, this is exactly what I am looking for! It really gets you thinking on a deeper level about the emotional pieces, bringing an array of emotions.

I look forward to reading more from this author. Not a lot of authors can check ALL the boxes when it comes to gothic writing, and for me, this did!

[KazReads]

4.25 Stars

This was a gothic horror treat; gory, nasty, beautiful, and lovely.

The main relationship is between mother and daughter, Sylvatica and Rue. It’s deeply reminiscent of the complicated relationships that many of us have with our own mothers, and I think the gore and severity of it brings out the things that are easy to look over in real life.

I think having Sylvatica’s story told through her own POV in the past gave her relationship with Rue depth that couldn’t have existed without it. Seeing how she became what she is made her somewhat more sympathetic, digging deeper layers into their relationship.

It was so easy to feel Rue’s loneliness and longing for more, and it made the ending all the more impactful. I enjoyed watching her find friends outside her home, and felt for her deeply as the consequences made their way to her. She’s a deeply sympathetic character, easy to see pieces of yourself in.

This book will certainly not be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of body horror, gothic literature, depth, and you’re not squeamish, I recommend you check this out.