***3 stars***

Overall,
To be honest I am not quite sure what I just read. It was wild. Did I enjoy it? I think so?
Things I liked: I liked the progression of the Narrators as we learned more about the Virus. I liked the weirdness of it all, I admit I have not read a ton of Horror in this specific genre, but I am interested in seeking more out now because this did intrigue a weird part of my brain.
Things I did not like: This may just be me, but I am not ready to read about references to the Coronavirus. I think that this book would have been absolutely fine with out mentioning it at all. Every time I read it, it took me out of the story. I think it is still way to close to home for some of us.

Cover,
This cover/title was honestly what drew me in to request this book here on Netgalley. I honestly think its super weird and intriguing.

Recommendation
This book is definitely not for everyone, Please check trigger warnings. It is a fast paced Science Fiction Horror based on virus. It is relatively short at less than 300 pages and is a pretty quick read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy this genre. 18+ for sure!

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, Tor Nightfire, in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early #SisterMaidenMonster #NetGalley ***

I don’t quite know how to describe this. It was like the author had 56 different ideas and decided to start them all in this book. There were so many ties, and rants, and heavy handed social commentary- but nothing to unify it or create a coherent plot. It missed the mark for me, though I did think it was interesting, it really fumbled the execution.

This book was wild start to finish and I loved every second. I didn’t really go in expecting BDSM but it was a welcome surprise and really added to the story

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Note: Blog post goes live on Feb 14th before book launch. Book was/is highlighted in my Story Highlights on Instagram.

**Plot:** All over the place
**Characters:** Women who all end up feeling very similar
**Setting**: Not important in the least
**Magic**: I mean, it's a eldritch horror apocalypse but as far as 'magic' goes it's vague and predictable in style.

**CW**s: Pretty much all of them - just be okay with that going in.

**Thoughts**:

Sister, Maiden, Monster is an apocalypse story told from three points of view - the three views changing between the three title Roles in different ways. Sister, maiden, and monster. Each woman gives us the next step in the apocalypse as it is brought about by a virus that spreads and transforms those it infects. This virus evolves the women, preparing them for each of their roles to the ultimate doom of the earth. Fantastic idea right?

The structure on this is fantastic. I loved how it was setup, I loved the pace of the book. The division between character viewpoints was well place and handled for me. This book, for the most part was paced fantastically. I gobbled it up over the course of a day and barely noticed the time I spent in it in fact. This was added by the atmosphere which felt appropriately heavy and dark. It was grim and tense but not in a strangling fashion that these stories often have. Some of the moments and ideas here were pure gold, and I loved those.

Rather unfortunately though those were few and far between. For the most part the characters felt a bit flat, only taking on their distinct shapes when outside the view point. Everyone's internal monologue felt very similar (as each view is first person). Added to this very same-ness of view point was the heavy handedness of the themes and messages here. While I definitely agree with so much the author was saying, there comes a point at which even I have to say 'calm down'. I can enjoy ice cream but when you shovel it at me non-stop I'm gonna not want to eat it. What should have been nuanced moments, things that the reader should have sat back and said 'wow' were instead big paragraphs of teaching moments as the character tells you *exactly* why what she did was impactful and why we should feel uncomfortable.

There were a couple of lines and moments referencing childbirth and birth control that from personal experience I know are very incorrect. This made those moments feel very off and honestly off-putting, and threw me out of the story. With the complete unraveling of the story by the end, and the reliance on the very predictable 'octopus/eldritch horror' path I didn't really enjoy my time with this one. Some readers are definitely going to get the bang for their buck but I definitely do not think this is for everyone. 2 disgruntled tentacles out of 5

As a note - there was a particular character, Gregory, that I felt was handled badly. I am still organizing my thoughts on that. But as someone who does relate to what Gregory seemed to be dealing with I feel… not upset but disappointed by their use in the story? It just felt like they were used as a checkbox and then disposed off. The longer it sits with me the more uncomfortable I am.

Wow, this was one creature horror book that messed me up. I wasn't expecting that ending... WOW OH WOW. Pick this up NOW.

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder is hands down a new favorite of mine!

The story and world building were dark, gritty and flowed nicely; the action was intense and the magic was rich. I was completely riveted to each page from start to finish.
This book is incredibly creative, action packed, and relentlessly paced the whole way through.
The world Lucy has created is an interesting one.
Our three characters Erin, Savannah and Mareva are truly engaging, fun and interesting.
I enjoyed this author's writing style. I thought she did a beautiful job at keeping this story flowing and holding my attention.

A remarkable story set after the planet has a disastrous virus tear across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.
Told by Erin, Savannah and Mareva who are trying to survive this new hell!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tor Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My actual rating of this book is 3.5 stars. It is definitely a weird and creepy book and while I did enjoy it, it was just lacking in a few areas for me. I think I would've liked for it to be a bit longer? With more time spent depicting the transformation of society at large rather than the narrow focus on the three main characters. Or maybe I just wanted the transformations to be more drawn out or something. Either way, it needed something just a little MORE.

this was a really well done horror novel, it does what I wanted from the description. It had a great plot and I enjoyed the way it was told by three different women. It was a well thought out story and had a great horror element, it was a interesting concept and I think Lucy A. Snyder has a great writing style. I am excited to read Magdala Amygdala another story by the author and any future books.

"When we were little kids, we were as close as any two people have ever been. Before we learned to speak, we shared our own secret language. We ate together, laughed together, cried together. I think we shared our dreams. But my fear, my sickness, drove us apart and disrupted that precious bond. I have spent most of my adult life regretting pushing her away."