3.75/5

Gothic, sapphic vampire story plus a family drama situation? Sign me up!

A body is recovered from a bog and strange things begin to happen to Sarah. Her twin sister Lucy is summoned to help tend to her. It becomes apparent that this is no ordinary illness, Sarah knows things she shouldn't and has an insatiable hunger that cannot be quelched with regular food or drink. Terrified of being placed in an asylum and suffering a similar fate as their beloved aunt, Lucy and Sarah race to find a solution that will allow them to stay together.

In theory, this book should be a straight home run for me. Vampires? Sisterhood? Unfortunately, I had some issues with pacing that made my brain wander for a bit. However, the moments that were good, were pretty freaking good. There were some gag-tastic gore filled moments, some strong female rage, and ultimately the strongest theme throughout, was the bond of sisterhood. What lengths would someone be willing to go to for their siblings, especially when that sibling is someone you no longer recognize?

Overall it was enjoyable experience that I think some people will really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review this book!

This was a true gothic horror.
I did find myself not being interested in the beginning due to the letters but I picked up.

3.5 for the total.

This started off so strong. I loved the first half. It was creepy and gross and super atmospheric and the epitome of gothic literature. However, once the midpoint twist happened, the tone and vibe totally changed. It became clinical and detached and had almost not personality anymore. And then all of the action of the second half of the book happens in the last 10%. The balance and pacing were off for my tastes. I didn't Hate the second half, but it did not hold my attention nearly as much as the first. I ripped through the beginning, and then had to push myself to continue after the twist reveal. Would recommend if you're wanting to try gothic and are a little weary since this gives respite from the claustrophobic nature of that after a point. Also, if you're into vampire and undead stories, this was a different take which was fun and interesting. I'm always down for a unique monster.

Also, there were some errors in the dates of letters and articles vs the events of the book. I hope they fix that in the pub'd version over the ARC I read.

𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖔𝖓 𝕳𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖚𝖊 by Johanna Van Veen
🩸🩸🩸🩸

Thank you, Johanna, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

This book took me a little while to get into, but every time I picked it up, I was drawn into the creepy, eerie gothic story.
This tale is set in the Netherlands in 1887, marking a significant time jump from everything else I’ve been reading and the roles of the characters. Lucy visits her twin, Sarah, who is unwell and obsessed with a bog body that she and her husband discovered on their estate. The family has faced difficulties in the past, which greatly influences how everyone treats Sarah during her illness this time around.
I loved how parts of the story are conveyed through letters and news articles.
The entire narrative keeps you guessing about what is truly going on, and when it is explained, it paints a beautiful picture of loyalty.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Blood on Her Tongue in exchange for review.

4.25 stars

I ate this up (haha get it?). I read the first half of the book in one night instead of sleeping because I just couldn’t stop. The mystery of it all was so intense and intriguing. I had to know what happened next.

This book is quite visual with its horrors… but not in an off putting way by any means. I loved it. Around 75% in I had the thought “how is there only 25% left I feel like we’re just getting started?”
The ending took me hugely by surprise and it felt very quick, though everything that happened totally made sense for the story I suppose I just didn’t want it to end, I wanted to know more.

If you like strong sibling bonds, mystery, semi possession(?), mild sapphic romance, gothic horror manor settings, sassy lady-maids, or if you’ve ever questioned if someone is actually truly dead…. This book is for you! In 2025 we set aside trauma and choose love I guess.

This book was great, thank you again for letting me read it early!

I couldn't put this down! Captivating and creepy, with some female rage and body horror. (Sometimes vividly described... Heads up if you're squeamish!) A dark tale about monsters, and the monstrous things people will do for those they love.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this eARC! This is an honest review.

I couldn't believe it when I got this ARC, as it was one of my most anticipated releases for the year, and it did not disappoint!

The atmosphere the author puts into her writing is just so lush and provocative. You have a secluded gothic house, two sisters on the edge of madness, descriptive body horror that gets under your skin, and bog bodies with crumbling historical documents to unravel. I loved how flawed both sisters were in a lot of ways and the drama that caused between them--I never found them unlikeable because of it, they were just really messy but interesting characters to follow. And all the Victorian science tidbits (a man's blood is "stronger" than female blood, etc.) was fascinating.

And the way vampirism was done here was just so cool. I highly recommend if you liked Nosferatu this past year. The vibes and gore are just on point! I'll still be ordering one of the gorgeous physical copies because I loved it so much.

Yet again, Johanna van Veen does not disappoint. The characters, the story, the pacing, the writing--I have nothing to complain about or offer critique of. This story is magnificent, horrifying and delightful. I devoured it in one sitting. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands and look forward to future works by this author, who is now an 'auto buy' author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-copy. The opinion is my own.

Well this was fun in a way I had not expected. A tale of one's sister's increasing desperate attempts at not letting her twin sister die or worse, go to the asylum; gothic horror with some body horror and a perhaps unsurprising amount of blood. Sort of I got a bit surprised at times. It's written in third person POV of Lucy, interspaced with either diary entries or newspaper clips. It starts slow as a mystery to be solved and getting the answer does not end the story.

It plays upon the jealously and possessivenes between twins and plays the misogyny of the time for advantage in the story, peppering how women and madness and feeble minds were all in the same package. And by this latter one I meant you will probably want to whack people in the head.

Also a twinge of sapphic love over here - and no it is not between the twin sisters. The incestuous gothic trope at any level does not touch this book.

Finally, this book managed to make me gag. One description (two actually) managed to get a physical reaction out of me, in public transit. A sign of good description really.

All in all, if you want a gothic like read about two sisters, some philosophical considerations about what makes a person and with a helping of blood and gore, this book does have it covered.

It was kind of short and sweet (not literally this book was far from sweet). I loved the exploration of this era, the plot and the characters (a bit of a love hate relationship). This book kind of has a creeping sense of horror and dread with it becoming more explosive towards the end (not for those who are squeamish as this is quite gory). I liked that it mostly focused on the relationship between two sisters. However, there were things I didn’t really like. That mostly being Sarah (I really don’t think we are meant to like her). I found her quite a hard character to sympathise with. I also found that the first part dragged a bit but overall I did enjoy this book and ended up giving it 3.5 ⭐️

A gothic horror about twin sisters. When one of them falls into a mysterious "madness" after discovering a bog body and developing an obsession with the story around it, the other comes home to nurse her back to health.

The following story is full of suspense, gore and dark undertones of female rage and societal misogyny. The "mad" woman at its finest. It's beautiful written and grips you from the first page. Loved every dark, disgusting bit of it. Will be reading more form this author.

Will love if you're a fan of Nosferatu and Dracula. 🧛‍♂️

3,5 stars. This is a second book from this author that I had a pleasure to read. and although it doesn't deliver quite a punch like the last one, it is still enjoyable and quick read.
The story revolves around twin sisters and as it is with such stories one twin - Sarah is a shining, bright creature and the other - Lucy, is considered a dull copy. We follow Lucy as she makes her way to her sister's estate. Sarah fell mysteriously ill after a discovery of a bog body, that quickly turned her obsessed with fear. The first part of the book is atmospheric and wonderfully creepy with the author making you feel the dread. the author has amazing capability to describe bodies and earth in such a way that you can smell damp soil and rot from the pages. And in this, building sense of unknown dread, the story is the strongest, unfortunately once the story unspools it looses lots of it charm.
At one point you may wonder whether this story is something that you already read, whether it will follow a common pattern and the moment you think that this is exactly what is happening, you get a trope subversion and the story "properly" starts. Big kudos for that choice as I was really surprised but I feel that we rush too much to the next and next action point. This leaves very little space for the reader to feel encompassed by the story rather than just following the plot. What doesn't help, is that there isn't a single person that you could be symphatetic to, the whole cast is pretty despicable with men of this book being over-the-top cruel to the point where it feels laughable rather than menancing. Pasja, the dog is the only one I was cheering for and let me tell you there were at least a dozen moments when I was scared for her!
The book shines most in it's quiet moments and I wish we've spent more time in heavy atmosphere.
I'm looking forward to authors future work.

3.5*

Ok, I support women's rights. But more importantly I support women's WRONGS. And this book was full of women's wrongs. And I say, good for her.

This book is eerie and also kind of f*cked up. Or actually, really f*cked up, but in a good way. There were times that I held my kindle away from my face saying "ew" audibly because of what was happening. There is definitely some body horror in this, so trigger warning if that bothers you.
I really enjoyed (enjoyed is not quite the right word for this experience though...) my time reading this, and I read the last 30 percent in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. However, I can't give it a full 4 stars because it did really lag for me in the middle and I just wasn't feeling a pull to pick it up. It was definitely intriguing the whole time, just the middle was a lot of the same thing repeating.

Overall, I think this is a great gothic book that has some good messages about feminism and the idea of "mad women" during this time period and what would happen to those women deemed "mad".

Dark, visceral storytelling with a unique take on gothic horror, I really loved this one: great premise, delivered with atmospheric storytelling and rich character development.

Johanna Van Veen does it again!! An absolutely blood-thirsty gothic tale! 🙌

I loved the Lucy and Sarah (and Not-Sarah) characters!! Definitely a lot of bloodshed in this one (and some very much deserved)! 🩸

Highly recommend to horror lovers, especially fans of gothic and sapphic horror! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Johanna Van Veen for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Looking forward to reading more from you as always!! ❤️

I'm going to call this a 3.75. Overall, this was a very intriguing book, and every time I picked it up, I didn’t want to stop reading. That said, I found the journey more enjoyable than the destination. Some books get better once you sit with them, but unfortunately, this was the opposite... the more I 'digest' it, the more certain issues start to surface. Still, I really enjoyed the experience, so I’m settling on a 4-star rating, even if I might feel differently a few months from now.

What I liked... The sister relationship was incredibly engaging. Sarah and Lucy were each a bit weird and interesting on their own, but together, they were a whole different kind of weird and interesting. I found Lucy’s need to re-evaluate their relationship after everything that happened to Sarah especially thought-provoking. I also appreciated the fierce loyalty between them - it was a ride-or-die, "I'll do messed-up things for you," all-consuming kind of bond. It was way too messy to be healthy, and I just loved it.

I also thought the plot was compelling. There was just enough mystery to keep me hooked. While it wasn’t anything extreme, the author did a great job sprinkling in unknowns and little puzzles that made the story feel engaging the whole way through.

My issues... I wasn’t a fan of how things played out with Michael and Arthur.

(Warning: slight spoiler ahead)

Michael being "a bad guy" wasn’t surprising, but Arthur’s turn disappointed me. I’m not a fan of the "all men are bad" trope, and this book leaned into that a bit at the end. Arthur could have been morally grey but ultimately redeemed himself - realizing he was being unfair to Sarah maybe. Honestly, he could have died scuffling with Michael, and it would have accomplished the same thing. He didn’t need to be as crappy as he was.

I also found Mrs. Van—whatever—kind of unnecessary. She didn’t ruin anything, and her presence added some intrigue, but by the end, she just felt a little... random. Maybe a different wrap-up to her involvement would have worked better. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it stood out enough.

Anyway... I don't think my issues are major flaws. I think this is more a case of it not being my typical read. I rarely pick up horror, so the fact that I enjoyed this at all says something about the author’s skill. I’m sure plenty of people would love this, and I’d be comfortable recommending it to others!

Johanna van Veen's "Blood on Her Tongue" is a compelling gothic horror novel that masterfully intertwines themes of sisterhood, madness, and the supernatural. Set in the atmospheric backdrop of 1887 Netherlands, the story follows Lucy as she endeavors to save her twin sister, Sarah, from a mysterious affliction linked to an ancient bog corpse. Van Veen's evocative prose immerses readers in a world brimming with eerie tension and vivid imagery, making the novel both unsettling and captivating. While some readers might find the detailed body horror elements intense, they serve to enhance the narrative's chilling impact. Overall, "Blood on Her Tongue" is a dark, visceral, and deliciously disturbing tale that feels like a brand new 19th-century classic, bristling with gothic horror and mounting dread.

Blood on her Tongue is the second novel from up and coming gothic horror enthusiast Johanna van Veen and to say that I’m enamored with her would be an understatement. With the rise of gothic horror in popular media we will be seeing more authours delving into the pits of horror, but not everyone truly understands the assignment. I’m glad to report that Veen does indeed.

There is so much that goes into writing a lyrically stunning gothic horror book, from intention to pacing and not everyone succeeds at that. There were a couple issues that I did have with the pacing in the front half of the book but my few problems were quickly rectified in the latter half. The push and pull was well done but there were many times in the first half that I wanted to get closer to the horror and drama. If you stick with it, the give is worth it but the drag earlier on did have me questioning a couple of times.

A longing and yearning tale between two twins was the heart of this horror ridden story and I will root for them beyond the grave. The gothic aspects were incredibly well done and as an immense gothic lover, I’m incredibly hard to please. While the balance eventually works itself out, all the other pieces were there. From a unique plot, to the imagery and lyrical writing, and tropes that I expect to partake in when reading a book like this. Blood on Her Tongue is a sickly feminist tale that will have you quavering until the last bloody page.

Now THIS is the perfect example of a gothic horror romance. This book was atmospheric, beautiful, Sapphic and bloody in all the right places.
I know a lot of you may argue that this isn't a gothic romance, but let me be the first to tell you that it most definitely is just maybe not in the way you think or were hoping. There isn't much "spice" or even kissing, but the devotion, the want, the longing that Lucy portrays in her love for Sarah is definitely there and present on these pages. The Lucy from the very beginning of this story and the Lucy at the end of this story are two totally different people, driven mad and willing to do unspeakable things driven by the love that she has for her sister and if that isn't a gothic romance than I don't know what is. The story line of these unhinged women kept me seated until I was completed and I really did enjoy almost every second of these two sisters relationship. From the ambiance of the story itself to the gothic imagery and of course the gore, Veen out did herself with the writing.
The only real issue I had with this story was the pacing. At times the book itself was slow and drawn out in finding out just what ailed Sarah, and then at the next turn of page it was like a whiplash were everything was happening all at once. The ending was really the biggest issue of this for me, it just felt very rushed. I was hoping we'd maybe get a little more of where Sarah & Lucy went and we were just kind of left with them vanishing. We didn't even get a small excerpt from Mrs. Van Dijk in the newspapers small article about the family, which I was certain there would be. I was also hoping their aunts story may have made more of an impact for the girls, just besides telling the reader why they are so terrified of asylums. Overall the ending rushed and incomplete.
While the ending may have felt rushed, overall the story didn't. Veen did a great job with the imagery in her scenes, and most of them played out like a movie in my head. The gothic atmosphere was alive and well throughout the entire story, complete with the tell tale gothic house, the fog and rainy weather. The gore was perfect and creepy, and the added sensory effects to most scenes really helped tie in with the horror. I highly enjoyed this new vampire life creature. The word vampire is never directly used, and I really enjoyed that because vampire isn't really the correct word for what Not-Sarah is. The gothic vampiric undertones are still very frequent and present but this new creature was like a breath of fresh air because who doesn't love a new monster? I really can't wait to see what monster comes out of Veen next.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Would you still love me if I was a worm” takes on a new and absolutely horrifying meaning in “Blood on Her Tongue”

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy for an honest review!

This was an absolutely grotesque, surreal, unsettling experience of a read and I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything like it. That said, I enjoyed this.

The story was initially appealing to me from the description, and I was drawn in by the premise of a bog body being found and then things getting insane (to say the least). The plot was thrilling and I never quite knew where it was going. I had just so happened to recently read “Dracula,” so I loved that “Blood on Her Tongue” has a similar format which I felt added to Sarah’s story. Lucy’s devotion to her sister (like I said, would you still love me if I was a worm) was quite gripping and I loved seeing the mental turmoil and great lengths Lucy went to to protect her sister.

One downfall to the book is that with the setting being 1887 and with frequent references to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I did find that the language/voice was not always consistent. At times, it had that gothic, old English feel, but it often felt as if that veil slipped and I felt myself pulled from the atmosphere due to certain phrases that did not seem to fit in. I wish this element was a little more refined as it did end up being a bit of an issue for me while reading.

That said, I give “Blood on Her Tongue” a solid 4 stars!