This is the first book I have read by this new to me author, and I will definitely be looking for more of her works. There were so many twist and turns and edge of your seat reading, I couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough. It is dark and goth, but it is very intense reading.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Catriona Ward is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine after loving her last two and now loving this. Little Eve has the best setting of almost anything I've read this year. I was on the edge of my seat this entire atmospheric read and Ward surprises me every. single. time.

I'll just go ahead and say it - I'm going to read anything Catriona Ward puts out into the world. After reading The Last House on Needless Street and loving every creepy minute of it, I was thrilled to see Little Eve become available on NetGalley. I understand it's a rerelease, and I completely understand why. I will say that Little Even deserves every moment in the spotlight that it can have!

It's a dark and broody gothic thriller, with just the right amount of gore and shock value. I was immediately drawn into the story of a found family that wasn't a family anyone should hope to find. The cult and their devotion were chilling. The writing of the children's attachment to the man who essentially was their captor was chilling. I was along for every moment of the ride! I hope Catriona Ward keeps writing because I'd love to keep reading her work.

4 Stars!

When I picked up The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, I did not know what to expect. I found a strange and compelling tale that was a fresh voice from an unexpected source. I was happy to see that Ward had a new novel coming out, Little Eve, and looked forward to seeing if this novel could be even better.



The small island of Altnaharra, just off the coast of Scotland, was the only world Eve had ever known. She was pulled from the sea by her “uncle” and raised with her siblings, none of whom were blood related, they waited on the wind-battered isle for the Adder to come. When the Adder arrived, it would bring about the end of the world and the beginning of a new one. It was a harsh life but Eve knew nothing different. That all changed when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a murder.



With the arrival of Chief Inspector Black, everything Eve had believed is thrown into question. She had been isolated, deliberately, on the isle by her uncle and never questioned the world around her. She was firmly in the grips the the cult of the Adder and knew no other way. Black brings in a glimpse of the wider world and suddenly a life full of intrigue and deception comes to light. Her uncle changed from her guardian to her captor and her siblings seemed full of dark motives to further their standing in the cult. Eve begins to wonder if everything she thought was true was actually a part of a grand illusion built to serve her uncle’s desires. Even more pressing, though, is whether or not Eve will be able to find the answers she seeks in time to survive the darkness that the Adder represents.



I anticipated a strange and dreamlike story when I started Little Eve and I was not disappointed. Much like The Last House on Needless Street, Ward keeps the reader on edge and makes it difficult to sort out the real from imagined. The story takes place both inside and outside the mind of the characters and it can be difficult to determine what is real and what is a product of imagination (or paranoia?). With shifter perspectives and times, there is no time for the reader to get a firm footing. In fact, the characters seem to be as confused as the reader as to what is real and what is illusion. All perspectives in the story are biased. It is this changing of perspectives, and the questioning of truth that comes with it, that makes the story work so well. The reader is never sure what is really happening. Ward shows the reader what is right in front, the pulls back the curtain for a quick peek, and always leaves the question of whether the wizard is a man behind the curtain running the machine or the machine that makes all the characters run in circles.



Little Eve was not as good as The Last House on Needless Street but that does not mean it was not a good novel. Far from it, in fact. While it is not a true horror novel, it is dark enough to keep even the most jaded fan of the genre on the edge of his seat and wondering what will happen next. Much like life, Little Eve works outside the world of black and white in realm in which everything is a shade of grey. No one is completely evil. No one is truly good. It is, instead, the motives that change the perception of right and wrong so that even the purest deed can lead to disaster and the darkest of acts can bring about redemption. It is difficult to force the novel into a specific category and even more difficult to discern the true meaning of the story. The reader is sure to finish the novel with more questions in mind than at the beginning. But even if it is difficult to figure out the truth and meaning behind the story, it is even more difficult to forget.



I would like to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this review copy. Little Eve is available now.

A fantastic cult novel.

An unrealiable narrator,The End Times and a gloomy seculusion make this gothic historical a fast pace read.This a vivid novel that sucked me in from the beginning.I highly recommend it.

The cover and the brief synopsis captured my interest for this read. From the gory opening scene to the ending plot twist I never felt truly engaged with this one. It was a fairly intriguing plot. Eve tells the reader how she lived on the island of Altnaharra with Uncle and several others as they prepared and awaited for the coming of the Adder. The secluded island provided everything a reader might wish for: a small tight knit clan community with limited interaction with others, a suppressive and abusive leader, creepy rituals, and secrets galore. The unravelling of the story was sluggish at times. Many of the plot twists could be deciphered early on. Some of the story didn't really seem to be necessary and in my opinion only added confusion. Overall the book felt unfinished, so while there is a seemingly satisfying conclusion it didn't provide comprehensive closure.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

This one was surprising in such a good way. I had no idea of the twist until it was revealed and it got me.

Things I love: Cult stories
Authors I love: Catriona Ward
Mix them together and you get one fantastic, creepy read!

Little Eve is the story of a Scottish isle that is home to a downright creepy cult that has “found children from the sea”. It was clear from the start that this book was going to have some unsettling moments and it certainly delivered on those. While I was creeped out by several character’s actions, it was the claustrophobic and isolated vibe of the isle that really made this book a winner for me. Ward does such a fantastic job of making Altnaharra come to life that I could feel myself there. The pacing for Little Eve is a bit slower than I’ve come to expect from Ward’s previous books, but it didn’t stop me from being invested in what was happening. 

One thing that I think could potentially bother readers after having chatted about this story with a fellow bookstagrammer is the non-linear timeline. The story alternates between narrators, but with each new section, the reader finds themselves in a different year, sometimes with a substantial time jump. I found myself flipping back to the start of a few chapters to confirm I knew where in the progression of the story I was. 

Overall, this is another solid story from Catriona Ward and while it didn’t take over Sundial’s spot at number one for her books for me, it is definitely one I will remember for quite a while. Needless to say, I’m not going to look at honey the same for a bit (IYKYK).

A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire for my gifted copy!

I absolutely love Catroina Ward. Everything I’ve read from her so far has been riveting. It was so atmospheric and left me guessing and wondering about the next steps. Highly, highly recommend.

The #Spooktober reading this year has made me feel quite gruntled. That said, however, I'm glad I read Sundial first among Author Catriona's work...the domestic-horror vibe, added to the all human all the time cast of horror-bringers, made me feel comfortable with her voice. I had no additional hill to climb to get past the cosmic-horror tropes I wouldn't necessarily choose to read.

But psych the cosmic-horror tropes I was expecting, given that this is a story about a cult whose organizing principle is the end of the world, "cleansed" by sea-serpent, were absent. Instead this was an historical fiction with seriously gothic overtones, set at the end of World War One and containing the usual gothic elements. It wasn't a *bad* surprise. It was, however, definitely a surprise.

Author Catriona received the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel in 2018 for this story. I think that's one helluva great accolade to get for one's second published novel. That we in the US are getting it only now suggests someone fell asleep at the switch back in 2018. I can't say I felt this was a perfect novel, it relied a wee bit too heavily on ghastly punishments for its unsettling-bordering-on-scary stuff and its cult aspects felt worn out pretty quickly. What I found to enjoy was Author Catriona's word-sorcery:
<blockquote>My heart is a dark passage, lined with ranks of gleaming jars. In each one something floats. The past, preserved as if in spirit. Here is the scent of grass and the sea, here the creak of wheels on a rough path, here a bright yellow gull’s beak. The sensation of blood drying on my cheek in the wind. Abel crying for his mother, Uncle’s hand on me. Silver on a white collarbone. The knowledge of loss, which comes like a blow to the heart or the stomach. It does not reach your mind until later.</blockquote>
The opening of the book...we know the Dark Sorceress Catriona has rattled her bone-bag of words and will be casting irresistible spells soon. And she does.

Just not the ones I expected.

The manner of unfolding the story was intriguing. The setting was wonderfully gothic. The characters weren't as fully realized as the ones in <I>Sundial</i> were, but that is entirely understandable and was not unexpected...a second book isn't going to have the same polish as a fourth one does. At least, if the writer is developing authorial chops, it won't; and she most definitely is a writer developing fast and well. What that meant to me, as I read along, was that I could see details that were not the ones I think Author Catriona would emphasize now (eg, some of Delilah's behaviors, and Uncle's almost mustachio-twirling one-note-ness). I will say that this is why I landed on the four-star key instead of a fraction higher. The four stars are, however, fully merited based solely on the plot's cohesiveness and its appropriately increasing pace. A headlong rush would not have served this story the way it did Rob's story in <I>Sundial</i>.

While the ending is, I've tried to think of a different word but no other one fits, condign, it isn't necessarily the one you-the-horror-reader are thinking it will be. That, above all things, was the reason I recommend this story to my horror-reading friends: It's good not to know.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Hot off the success of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, Catriona Ward's 2018-novel, Little Eve was rereleased earlier this month. I was super impressed with Ward's most recent releases, so was very excited to check this one out as well. The synopsis sounded just as WTF as I would expect and the story itself didn't disappoint in that regard.

This novel starts out with a bang, as the brutalized bodies of a family are discovered off the coast of Scotland, on the remote island of Altnaharra. The scene appears be ritualistic in nature. The rest of the story fills in the pieces of the events that preceded that horrific event.

The narrative follows a few different perspectives and jumps around in the timeline as well. You mainly follow Eve and Dinah, who are two of the girls living on Altnaharra with the mysterious 'Uncle'. Through their words you begin to understand what their life was like on the island.

There's also the perspective of Chief Inspector Black, who becomes involved in Eve's life. His view, from an outsider's eyes, really helps to highlight the horrors of Altnaharra.

For the first quarter of this, I was well and truly confused. It is revealed later in the story why that might have been and I did come to understand why Ward would have written it that way. It made sense if you were seeing the world through the mind of these characters.

The tension and pace picks up at the story goes on. I had no idea who I could trust. I was loving so many of the reveals as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. Towards the end, it started to get a bit chaotic again and I was finding it a bit more difficult to track what was going on. In fact, I listened to a couple of the last chapters at least three times, trying to capture it all.

That is another thing, I did listen to the audiobook and I'm not sure, that could have added a bit to my confusion. The accent was a little tough for me, with my dumb foreign ears, so some names and words were hard to differentiate. I think if I would have read a hard copy, maybe I would have had a slightly easier time keeping track of everything.

With this being said, the story itself was absolutely captivating. The atmosphere was rich and creepy as heck. I enjoyed the mystery of it all and finding out the truth. While the ending wasn't perfect for me, this was definitely a memorable one. Ward is unique and we love that. Each novel I have read from her is totally different from each other and also like nothing else I have read. That's a gift.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I enjoyed this one. It's dark content and stunningly-cold atmosphere is perfect for the Spooky Season. I cannot wait to see what Ward comes up with next!!!

I loved The Last House of Needless Street and Sundial by this author, but Little Eve just wasn't for me. It almost seemed as if it was written by another author, but I understand she wrote this several years ago before the other novels. Parts of it confused me, and I wasn't sure exactly what was happening. I also have a fear of snakes, so I admit to skimming through those parts.

Thanks for approving me for this title. Although this one wasn't for me, it certainly won't prevent me from reading future titles by this author.

Another great title from Catriona Ward. It is much different than her other books. It s dark and twisted and in some spots difficult to read due to the content. Catriona Ward is the best current horror writer out there. She is the queen of gothic horror. Definitely read this!

I was excited to be able to read an ARC of "Little Eve" by Catriona Ward. I had enjoyed "The House on Needless Street" and "The Sundial" by this author as well.

Each of these books is quite different from the others, although they all share supernatural and creepy factors.

Little Eve lives in a cult led by a sexual predator, a man known as The Adder. Eve and the other young people-- all female except for one young boy-- are starved, overworked, and punished horrifically by him. They think about escaping and sometimes try. Most of these attempts are solitary because these victims cannot trust one another. The Adder has taught them to report any irregularities to him.

All of this must erupt one day and that is where the story leads us. "Little Eve" is scary and revolting in turns. The characters are well-drawn. The story moves quickly and gradually answers questions about how this dreadful cult developed.

I recommend this book and the two mentioned above. Creepy/scary is a niche where Catriona Ward excels.

Little Eve, originally released in the UK in 2018 but being rereleased now, is a gothic horror book.

I keep reading books from this author just waiting to be wowed like I was with The Last House On Needless Street. Unfortunately, this one just did not do it for me. The writing is beautiful and very atmospheric. But there’s just something about cults that instantly has my mind wandering. It just doesn’t hold my interest.

The narration of the audio was fabulous though! I could feel the emotion of the characters and could vivdly picture the creepy setting of the story. It’s just a shame that the story itself was a bit too slow for me and the first 25% actually had me a bit confused.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Tor/Forge, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read "The Last House on Needless Street" I was excited to give this re-released book a go, having an idea of an uneasy atmosphere that Ward should provide, and provide she did! Little Eve was a very uncomfortable book, but in a good way! I love books surrounding cults and I find there's so much to go wrong within them. I find the structures of the cult in Little Eve to be fascinating and really enjoyed the tension that was thick throughout. I did get a bit muddled on the small time jumps, so that kept it from being a full 5 stars for me. Just when I thought the reveals were at a peak, here comes another gruesome detail, ready to shock and turn my stomach.

I would recommend this for those that like dark, gothic tales with shocking events. It's quite a ride!

So, unfortunately, I think maybe Catriona Ward's books just aren't for me. I have no idea what I just read. I normally like creepy books. Especially if the setting is Scotland and bonus points if there’s a cult. This sounded really good. All the boxes checked. But, I’m just confused. I was confused from the very beginning and never really got straightened out. It was very atmospheric and the descriptive setting was amazing. But the characters? I don’t even know for sure which character was actually which character - they seemed to just swap names randomly. Or were they actually always just one person? I don’t even know. I felt similarly confused when reading The Last House on Needless Street, but everyone else loved both books, so…here I am, just lost. I think if you like her other books you’ll probably like this one? It’s getting tons of rave reviews, so I think I’m just an outlier. I did alternate between the e-book and the audiobook and often found myself re-reading / re-listening to different chapters to try to make sense of things, but it just didn't work for me. The narrator of the audiobook was great, I thought, and I did have some favorite characters. I also think Ward is very imaginative and creative. 3 stars - for imagination, atmosphere, descriptions of setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Favorite of the year for sure. Catriona Ward does it again and I need to get my hands on Rawblood so that I can claim to have read all her currently published works. She has quickly become an autobuy author for me and this book made that even more clear. The atmosphere in this story is an element in this story that is heightened to a spectacular level. Again her characters are ones that are fascinatingly flawed. The twists towards the end of this one made it come together phenomenally. I think on a reread this would be an even better novel since I would be able to pick up on even more details and foreshadowing. The story being told from both past and present was also utilized as a writing tool to keep the reader in suspense and reveal things at the most exciting moments. Can’t wait to for this author to write more in the future because I am clearly here for it.

Another amazing Catriona Ward book! I have read Sundial and Last House on Needless Street, and I have to say, this is definitely a departure in story-telling from those modern takes, and I loved it. The Scottish cult angle gave me chills, and I was able to perfectly picture the island and the small details of their colony. Eve and Dinah were great characters I could empathize with. The scenes with the snakes and talking about "the Adder" were ominous and always left me feeling uneasy. The cover of the book was perfect (as all Catronia Ward books are). All in all, loved this one, can't wait to read more.

LITTLE EVE
Catriona Ward

I really struggled initially to get into LITTLE EVE. I tried reading an ebook copy but I could not get into a reading rhythm and kept picking it up and putting it back down.

So I requested an audiobook copy to see if that format would help me get into the story.

It did not.

The entirety of my reading experience felt trying. I recommend you look up content warnings if that’s something you do or even if you normally don’t. There is a lot that happens to the characters in the book that may be triggering to readers.

That was not the problem though.

The very first problem I came across was the way this book is written. Ward highlights a lot of people, places, and things and it’s difficult to tell what is important and what can be filtered out. There is an excess of pointed information.

Or at least that’s what it feels like. And it feels like that because a lot of what’s written is indecipherable.

There are descriptions that are metaphors. Turns of phrases, creatures, and places I’m unfamiliar with. No sentence is clear and says what it means. Everything has a few meanings and I got stuck repeatedly in that muddy water.

It felt like work!

If we look at the characters they are constructed haphazardly in fragments. It is entirely up to you how the picture of your character comes out all Ward is doing is giving you the paint.

And for almost every reason I've stated as making it difficult is exactly why I liked it.

There are more than a few things that I liked in fact.

There are little Easter Eggs embedded within the text. Little treats to consume that help to keep your attention. It's structured like a sequence of parables and the text feels otherworldly. Almost written in a different language.

If you've never read Ward I don't suggest you start here. This book is not for everyone but if you are already a fan of Ward and her creativity, you will enjoy this book and these exploits.

Overall, I liked LITTLE EVE but did not love it. It felt arduous at times, and a little rough around the edges.

LITTLE EVE...⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for the advanced copies!

Little Eve is out now!