White Horse is a delightfully spooky and riveting tale of 35 year old Kari James as she learns of the existence of a bracelet that was her mother's... and that appears to be haunted by her mother as well.

I was fully immersed in this book from page one due to the strong combination of compelling plot, great writing, and well-developed characters. Kari spends her time keeping her life on track and caring for her disabled father, and I appreciated how true to herself she was throughout the entire book. Kari, overall, knows who she is and what she wants (and doesn't want) and isn't afraid to stay true to that and tell others how she feels–in a good way. It was fascinating to see her delve into discovering more about this haunted bracelet and more of the history and focus on Indigenous culture and issues. I think the author did a fantastic job crafting this story and making it both entertaining and a highly valuable read. There were also plenty of very spooky and haunting elements that makes this a perfect fall read.

Absolutely loved this book. It was incredibly dark and heavy at times, but the author used such powerful metaphors to show generational trauma in a new way that tied heavy metal and horror references into it. I'm not even doing a very good job reviewing this because I feel like that's how difficult it is to describe what was done well here, which sometimes is what makes a good book; an indescribable feeling you connected to. Highly recommend, with some warnings for a lot of darkness.

Such a fantastic read! I flew through the audiobook.

After Kari receives an old family bracelet, she starts seeing ghostly visions that push her forward to find out what happened to her mother, who disappeared 35 years ago. Kari is an Urban Native, and the story pulls in Chickasaw and Apache history and folklore as she follows clues and her visions.

White Horse is classified as horror, which I guess it is with the paranormal storyline. (I do love that Kari is such a Stephen King fan!) However, I really felt like this was more of a noir read - it's gritty and dark as she pursues the cold case of her missing mother. The ghostly elements add to the dark vibe for sure.

Loved the Colorado setting, it was fun for me to read about familiar places in Denver, Idaho Springs, and the Stanley Hotel. The characters and especially the White Horse bar felt so real. Kari's journey is a personal one that pulled me in from the first chapter.

Narrator Tonantzin Carmelo is the perfect voice for this book. She does a great job capturing Kari's spirit and moods throughout the book. Really enjoyed listening to this one.

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth is an unearthly, family drama that has been masterfully intertwined with paranormal horror and indigenous folklore.

Kari James is a 35 year old sardonic indigenous woman that feels stuck in her life, trapped by her own unresolved, traumatic past. Kari begins to have haunting visions after her cousin, Debby gives her a bracelet that once belonged to her mother, who mysteriously disappeared two days after her birth. She is drawn by the visions of her mother, leading her to the gritty truth of her disappearance.

I enjoyed the narration by Tonantzin Carmelo as she made it easy to differentiate between character and was able to maintain the pacing of the book to keep the listener engaged. The general mood of the story was dreary and unsettling, which lent well to the horror vibes. This book would be good for anyone who likes the eerie, dark feelings of a horror story without the blood and guts that often follow along. This was my first time reading any of Wurth's work, but I very much enjoyed her ability to infuse this story with snippets of Chickasaw folklore and bits of history along the way.

A fantastically spooky and poignant read! Kari is a Native woman recovering from grief, trauma, and addiction while caring for her father. Alongside her live as a different woman, she's also a metalhead with a love for King novels and whiskey. Kari's a sharp character with plenty of bite and I really enjoyed being in her head, especially and her world starts to warp and unwind, and I loved the tenderness revealed through her care for her friends.

Kari's struggle to uncover the story of what happened to her mother intertwines with Indigenous lore in a terrifyingly real manner. I was so enthralled by the folklore in this story and how it related to real-life connections of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. While the story leans more thriller than horror, the creepy and paranormal elements included made this a wild and haunting ride. Definitely a great read for fall!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc.

Blurbed by Grady Hendrix, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Stephen Graham Jones. What else could I ask for?

Oh, this book! It really got me. This is one of those books I will keep thinking about for a long, long time. This novel takes place in Colorado and follows a Native American woman of Chickasaw and Apache descent named Kari, who loves cats, heavy metal, and Stephen King novels. But Kari has her life changed when her cousin Debby gives her a bracelet that belonged to her deceased mother. Kari then becomes haunted by her mother’s ghost.

Forced to face her past and her most traumatic memories, she starts on a journey to uncover the truth about her family and about herself. Kari and all the other characters of this story are very real, vulnerable, and flawed. Throughout the story the reader gets to see the crumbling of the protagonist’s mental health as she keeps being tormented by the ghosts of her past but also watches the power of the Indigenous heritage strengthening and guiding the protagonist.

White Horse depicts friendship, love, family, a quest to find ourselves, and offers a fierce portray of the female Native American in modern America. The audiobook is incredibly narrated by Tonantzin Carmelo who beautifully captured the main character’s pursuit for the truth and her feelings. Top-notch performance, excellent pacing. I had a great time listening to this audiobook.

I loved everything about this book and can’t wait for what Erika T. Wurth will write next.

I really enjoyed this one. Erika T. Wurth is a gorgeous writer and she seems to do literary horror perfectly. There were some genuinely spooky scenes throughout, and I particularly enjoyed the Indigenous horror aspects of the book. Overall, it felt like the book was trying to do too many things at once. The focus of the story kept switching around right when I would get invested in a particular plot line and I found a lot of the talk about head banging and listening to metal music kind of cringey, but that’s just a personal thing that I know won’t bother all readers. I think this will be a hit for anyone looking to read some beautifully written and diverse horror.

This book was fine but not particularly memorable or unique. I felt like it was trying to ride off the recent success of Stephen Graham Jones without really adding anything new to what Jones has done with Indigenous horror.

I listened to the Audiobook from Macmillan Audio narrated by Tonantzin Carmelo. First of all I have to say that the narration was absolutely incredible. I am not sure if I would have been sucked into the story as deeply if it wasn't for the voice that breathed life into the characters. For sure one of the best narrations I have listened to.

I really do think that Erika T. Wurth has a very unique and important voice. The story is so raw and rough but feels so real and authentic. The spooky factor is there for sure and I loved how everything was woven with history and the past.

I would for sure suggest this book if you're looking for a diverse and different story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I read a physical galley of this and wanted to test out the audio. If you like gothic horror/mystery/thrillers, especially with diverse cultures, this one is not one to miss. And the narration is supreme.

4 stars

This is my first Erika T. Wurth book, and I'm already excited for the next.

Kari, the m.c., is a compelling character who can't seem to escape a traumatic past. That endeavor becomes even more challenging when she starts being haunted by her deceased mother (through a bracelet)! Kari and readers alike jointly wonder what her mom wants from beyond, and the answer is some clarity on who's actually responsible for her death (and why). For obvious reasons, this is a surprising and emotional journey toward hopeful closure and some kind of justice, but it's really Kari's growth that is most interesting to observe.

This is dark, subtle, and nicely paced, and the narrator of the audiobook is fantastic. I absolutely recommend this version to anyone who can access it. Readers who are down with a drinking game may find themselves unable to maneuver safely about their own homes if they play in conjunctions with mentions of the titular White Horse (and especially whether it should have new ownership). You have been warned.

I enjoyed this one overall and will be back for more from this author AND narrator.

Thank you for the ARC.

I know I am biased as a "Debbie" myself (siblings and cousins who are native) but I truly feel that Native American people dominate American Horror. They nail it every time.
This was no exception. I was creeped out, sad, worried, scared, and sad again. I felt the bonds between all the different characters and the love our protagonist felt for all of them.
She didn't hide or sugar coat a single issue. This was incredibly real and that made it scarier. Everyone and everything was flawed and yet still lovely.
The narrator had the voices down exactly. I talk just like Debbie, holy crap, and my step grandmother talks exactly like Nellie. Her ability to mimic people is uncanny.
I will read/listen to everything the author and the narrator put out. I am basically addicted now.

What a perfect fall read.

Audibook
A Denver noir and dark ghost story !
Kari is a gritty and dark urban heroine. She spends her days at the White Horse bar in Denver, dimming her feelings. Kari was abandoned by her mother as a child, lost her best friend to a overdose and has a father who suffers from a traumatic brain injury following a car accident. Life is not easy for her, and she attempts to smoke and drink away her fears.

She might still be there if her cousin Debby hadn't gifted her a special bracelet that immediately triggered visions. Dark Indian lore and maybe the ghost of her mother appears. Kari is immediately immersed in a mystery and is forced to confront the feelings and secrets that she has been avoiding in her comfortable dive bar.

The writing is magical, you will immediately be transported to your favorite dive bar, remember your favorite childhood author (mine is King as well) and be ready to follow Kari as she searches for the answers to why her mother left. If you love a dive bar, an urban Indian mystery, or just want to try a new an upcoming author, White Horse is for you!

Tonantzin Carmelo is a talented reader and well known actress! She will slowly hypnotize you and lead you into this atmospheric mystery.
#MacmilanAudio