Absolutely adored this book and am going to make it my new pick in store! The quiet, unsettling, ambient horror in Leech is so excellently done that it leaves your skin crawling in the best way. Not for the squeamish to be sure, but certainly worth a read if you're wanting Victorian gothic vibes with body horror worms. Spectacular.

Leech is an excellent gothic sci-fi/horror novel that slowly draws you into its dystopian world. If you like world-building that is a slow-build, seamlessly integrated into the plot, and isolated settings with old crumbling estates, Leech might be for you.

A doctor has mysteriously died and their replacement must investigate what happened. But in this world, all doctors are part of an interconnected organism that takes over the minds of young children eligible to be integrated and become doctors. We are in this replacement doctor's head for much of the book.

I don't want to spoil things, but this was wonderfully creepy, disorienting, and ended up being (in part) a subtle and thoughtful way to talk about trauma responses and grooming. (content warning for sex abuse late in the book) Also note that this contains a lot of body horror, which may not be for everyone. But I ended up really loving this book. It's smart, nuanced, and takes a very cool approach to world-building. Definitely worth a read! There's more I could say about the way this handles gender, dissociation, body dysmorphia etc. but just know that this is what I love about good horror- how it can be used to unpack real issues while also telling a great story that stands on its own. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

An eerie and unsettling riff on the Gothic, on hive-minds, on science fiction and also fantasy. I've never read anything quite like this book, although it has obvious antecedents whose inspirations it wears proudly. Come for the mystery, stay for the other mystery, and be prepared to be surprised.

Creepy, brutal, and gross, Leech is a great read for those with a stronger stomach and less sensitive heart than mine. A doctor arrive in a remote Northern settlement to care for the local Baron and his seriously demented family. The doctor is part of The Institute, a hivemind-like being that controls many bodies, and begins to investigate the fate of the previous doctor of the settlement. An organism that breaks the Institute's control is loose, and the doctor begins to claim her own identity. I'm not going to list all the trigger warnings - just be aware there are many. Beautifully written and yet hard to read.

3.75/5 -- (rounded up to 4 stars) After sitting with this book for a little I've decided that I thoroughly enjoyed it but wow, what a weird and unique experience it was. A genre-bending mix between gothic horror and sci-fi, almost with a dash of fantasy (due to the world building) Leech is book that will give you creepy crawly feelings and propose some very thought provoking questions at the same time.

Set in a bleak dystopian future (think steampunk vibes), in a cold, northern region, the death of the Baron's doctor raises suspicions within The Institute, the establishment where all physicians in this world are trained. When the replacement doctor arrives to the manor, there is an apparent darkness surrounding this strange household and the town in which it is located. Nothing is what it seems as each layer of the mystery is unveiled. The less you know about this book the better; trust that the author knows what he is doing and just enjoy the journey.

What I disliked:
The prose is VERY dense. It reads very gothic and is heavily filled with unusual or made up words. Using context clues, I was able to understand most of what I read, but it did slow me down. The fist half of the book is one of the slowest burns I've experienced and I do think it's because the story takes place in a half-built world. At times it was hard to imagine it.

What I liked:
The second half, however, saved it for me. Once the plot begins to pick up and more of the horror aspects are introduced, the prose read a lot easier and smoother for me and although abrupt, the story ends very well in my opinion. I also loved the atmosphere of the book. Once I could grasp the "world" and envision a setting, things began to click into place. Aside from the vibes, this story had me questioning the definition of the word “leech” and how it applies to the medical industry, to positions of power, to abusive relationships and ways in which we as humans are "used" without our knowledge.

Overall, if you like horror/sci fi or dystopian stories, give it a try! It's really impressive for a debut novel.

This book turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more. More than just body horror or an "invasion of the body snatchers-" type of story, this book had me questioning what makes me human, hell, what makes me ME, and how far I would be willing to go for survival. And I still don't know which parasite I want to win T_T

My favorite part was slowly learning about the world in which The Institute has managed to gain a foothold in what's left of humanity. It was a bit frustrating at times, but once it was well worth it once it all came together.

I have to acknowledge that there are some unexpected and possibly triggering scenes near later part of the book for those sensitive to sexual assault/rape./grooming. It was very jarring for me, and I would have appreciated a trigger warning. I still very much enjoyed the book despite that. I'll have to figure out how to give that warning without spoiling the story as I hand sell the book.

I am so mad I forgot to review this, because this was GREAT.

So, take a standard scifi trope: body-snatching. But what if...two different, COMPETING body-snatcher species. And one of them is our protagonist?

The whole thing just REEKS of decay and creeping horror, finely gothic and insidiously medical. In fact, thank goodness for my e-reader's dictionary, because the medical vocabulary of this book is pretty extensive! I was not at ALL surprised to find that Ennes is a medical student. They know the body, and they know just how to ruin it in the most grotesque, fascinating ways.

The cold of this book is all-encompassing, and while normally I'd say something like "cuddle up in a blanket," this time, you need to FEEL that cold desperation. This is the prefect horror book for a traditional scary Christmas Eve. If you can wait that long!

Advanced copy provided by the publisher.

This was a fantastic read. There's really not much I can say about it without giving away spoilers, except that I loved it. The post apocalyptic world was very well thought out and incredibly interesting. There was one loose end that I was tiny bit curious about, and the ending was a tad abrupt, but I'm definitely going to buy a hard copy of this. The characters and character development was excellent.

3.5/5 - This was a really unique and creepy horror with a slow and steady build. I really enjoyed the otherworldly-ness of this place - it felt like 1800s Britain until we slowly get hints that this world is not our own, but a place with other creatures, weather, and even resources. Wheatrock is an especially valuable resource that is mined and serves as heat and energy source, food delicacy, and other uses, and it stinks? And The Institute is fascinating. The Duke is barely a living human, more machinery than anything. And poor Emile. What happens when one parasite discovers another parasite? How will it survive, or should it? These are a few of the questions addressed.

Very creepy, with twists and turns, Victorian-inspired but always framed, never hampered! This book *did what it wanted*. If you like Gothic horror but want

-more body horror
-more moments of wtf-ery
-genre-mashing in the best way

then this is your book.

A hivemind has replaced all physicians in the known world, fashioning itself into an organization known as the Institute and tending to humans across the land. Long considering itself at the top of the evolutionary hierarchy, in the dark, terrifying halls of a corrupt baron’s castle, the Institute meets its match in a parasite even it can’t heal.

Hiron Ennes’ Leech perfectly captures the mood of 19th-century gothic horror while adding sci-fi twists and disgusting delights all its own. Leech asks patience of its reader; layer by layer, Ennes constructs a horrifying tale, revealing details and surprises at precisely the right moments. Body horror plays a central role in ways both supernatural and mundane; questions of bodily autonomy and survival permeate the text.

Overall, this novel is weird and otherworldly and frigidly dark. The worldbuilding is no less disturbing and developed for all its subtlety, and the perspective of a parasitic hivemind was incredibly well portrayed. While a little slow at points, the payoff is definitely worth the journey. This is a worthy pickup for horror fans.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

4 stars!
This is unlike any book I've ever read. The creativity alone...incredible. Because so many reviews seem to spoil the story, I want to be careful about what I write here. In fact, if you're interested in reading this, go in totally blind. Don't even read the summary blurb! It may take you a few chapters to understand what's happening, but it's worth it. With creepy, gothic descriptions (à la <i>Wuthering Heights</i>), well-developed characters, and notes of skin-crawling elements (no, seriously, my skin would itch at certain moments), <i>Leech</i> will be unlikely to leave my brain for quite a while (UGHHHHHASDFASDFASDF I'M STILL ITCHING).

Thank you thank you thank you Netgalley and Tor for this ARC. I will be buying a print copy soon for my personal collection.

◇You might enjoy this if you like
-Mysterious settings that slowly unravel
-Medicine
-Slow burns

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis from Goodreads: For hundreds of years, the Medical Institute has taken over young minds and shaped them into doctors, replacing human practitioners of medicine. The institute is here to protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed. However, one of the institute’s bodies discovers a new parasite spreading, and its competing with the institute for the top of the evolutionary ladder.

This book is weird, and I loved it. Honestly for the first portion of the book, there’s a lot of head scratching and just going ‘huh’? But as the plot slowly unravels and the reader learns more about the Medical Institute and the post-apocalyptic world that they inhabit, it becomes very fascinating. This read likely won’t be for everyone. This is definitely a slow burn that makes you think. The writing is fascinatingly well done, and small details add up to important events in the end. What happens when two intelligent parasitic infections compete for human hosts?

Thank you macmillanusa Tor/Forge and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Leech by Hiron Ennes follows a symbiotic parasite as they try to investigate how one of their previous bodies died at a baron’s isolated chateau. However, they soon discover that a new species of more destructive parasite may be the cause, and they must find out who else has become infected before it spreads even further.

The nameless narrator is a part of the Institute—a hive mind of parasites who have formed a mutual bond with humanity. They provide medical care to humans in exchange for having bodies donated to them. I also found in interesting that, as the plot progresses, our narrator slowly begins to question the ethics of using human bodies and taking over their minds.

Honestly, this book was so up my alley and everything I wish What Moves the Dead could have been. It’s a wildly inventive gothic mystery with convincing sci-fi elements, and I think that’s thanks to the author’s background. They are a medical student who specializes in pathology and infectious diseases, so their knowledge really played well into the story and added a layer of believability.

Also, I just want to mention that there is some fantastically disgusting medical horror in the book that made me squirm in my seat in the best possible way.

Overall, Leech is an atmospheric and intriguing read that completely blew away my expectations, and I’m really excited to what other writing Ennes puts out in the future.

Many thanks to Tor.com for the review copy of this book. Leech was such a unique read; perfect to get me in the mood for a spooky reading season. I've never read something like Leech and was hooked by the gothic setting and small (and at the same time vast) cast. The mystery element, coupled with layer after layer of intrigue and suspense had me racing toward the end. This was not a simple read and will likely feel better with each re-read. Read this if you want a unique narrator with a healthy dose of horror and oddity.

In the frozen north of Vedira lies an isolated chateau, where the baron's doctor has died. Ordinarily, the doctor's death in such a remote place where the baron requires such close care would pose a problem.

Thanks to the Interprovincial Medical Institute, however, the chateau in Vedira has an endless supply of doctors at the ready--doctors who, despite their different bodies, all share one consciousness that is, in fact, the Institute itself...

"Leech" is a claustrophobic gothic horror unlike anything I have ever read. Simply put (and that's hard, for a book this complex, layered, & downright perplexing at times), it's the unsettling story of a conscious parasite discovering a new parasite lurking within an unsuspecting human host with the intention of spreading and taking hold over the Institute as the dominant consciousness in humanity.

Even simply put, it's not that simple, right?

Nonetheless, "Leech" is a masterful feat for anyone looking for a challenging yet rewarding gothic read for the onset of spooky season. Its prose is gorgeously-written but dense and complex; perhaps the hardest piece to grasp here is the narration of the Institute's consciousness, and how our narrator--the nameless doctor--is an individual body but a collective mind. So, for readers undeterred by my review so far, open this book beside a crackling fireplace on a cold, stormy night. But know that "Leech" is as gory as it is conceptually complex; this is a horror in every sense of the word, and it might just leave you wanting to check your reflection in the mirror one more time before bed.

I’ll start out by saying that Leech is not going to be for everyone. It’s complex and dense and takes its time. I read a few chapters here and there between other books until I hit the midway point and finished it in a day. I absolutely think the pace is worth it as the world Leech is building is fucking wild.

Get ready for a book full of the uncanny. We’re talking squirmy eyeball parasites, loaded familial drama and strife, spooky twins(!!!), human hybrids, and a neural network of doctors who all share the same consciousness. And do not forget about a good ole batch of body horror, because y’all love it.

I can’t remember the last book that challenged me like this, and knowing what I know now, I’m absolutely going to reread it to find the filaments of clues that were clearly woven throughout.

Thank you to @netgalley and @tordotcompub for a galley of this title. Leech comes out September 27th.

Readers who enjoy layered mysteries, unreliable narrators, and dark moody books will enjoy this gothic story with a touch of steampunk and the fantastical. The narrator, a doctor from a powerful collective, has gone by train to a remote village to care for the ailing baron in his crumbling manor. Upon arrival, the doctor finds the previous one dead as if by his own hand. Investigation leads the doctor to discover a growing, sentient creature in the mines that are the source of the town's wealth. One can’t be sure how much of the creature's invasiveness is in the doctor’s own head and how much it really is prowling and invading the bodies of others. The narration continues to unravel the previous doctor’s demise, providing evidence connecting it to the new doctor and revealing increasingly unsettling information about the new doctor. Atmospheric and unsettling. The growing winter storm traps the community and prevents any outsiders from providing aid. The narration experiments with identity, fluidly traveling between character pronouns bringing further complexity to the storyline. The vocabulary and complexity of the story line make this an adult read, one that requires focus and attention to keep the storyline straight. An atmospheric, creepy read for #SpookyReadingSeason Out 9/27/22. Thanks to #Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title.

An old parasite has created a niche for itself amongst humanity. After taking over numerous hosts, it has developed in an intelligent, sentient community that has developed The Institute where members are medically-trained and dispersed around the land to take over as the main doctor in every region. Through its study of humans in this way, it has developed a remarkable library of knowledge and developed a medical procedure for spreading itself to knew hosts. For half a millennia, it has steadily grown and ruled the medical community. However, through hive mind communication, the newest doctor for a local baron has discovered and alerted the Institute and all its members of a competitor on the loose in and around the baron’s château infecting hosts and fighting for its own foothold in humanity. What transpires is a battle for dominance with humankind in the crosshairs.

This is a debut novel by this author and it is amazingly and impeccably written. I am always drawn in by science and there is plenty of scientific discourse in this book. The vocabulary enriches the story and brings depth to the plot. I was completely enthralled from beginning to end by the menagerie of characters and the care given to creating multi-dimensional personalities that the reader feels intense emotions about. This is a highly recommended read!

A glacially paced but incredibly unique book. The prose is very dense, with quite a bit of fake French, but I did enjoy it as it contributed to the claustrophobic, gothic feel.

The reading experience is purposefully disjointed and confusing, with not everything being explained. I ended up appreciating the book for what it is, but I can see how it may be a frustrating read for some.people.