4.5 stars

I thought this would be a gothic romance.lol.

How surprised I was when it turned out to be nothing like that. This book was full of wackos, so many wackos in one place. It was completely unhinged, and I loved every second of it.

There were so many moments that made me grimace and go, “eww,” and the detailing of the gory events? Eww, eww. Ultimate eww. The shock factor was top-notch, I never knew what would happen next.

And guys, the atmosphere? It was there. Eerie, dark, and mysterious, that really pulled you in. Loved, loved it.

Oh, and I have to share this wild historical fact I highlighted: Back in the 1800s, before they even knew about blood types, doctors would only transfuse blood from men because they believed—get this—

"Men are stronger, as is their blood."


Of course, men. Always so strong and superior, even down to their blood. 🙄

This book was a ride, disturbing, unpredictable, and absolutely gripping. If you love dark and twisted stories, this one’s for you.
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Johanna van Veen for this ARC.

4.5 Stars

The book did not go the direction I imagined… regardless I devoured this. There are so many layers! Van Veen gave a partial epistolary novel with the perfect mixture of sublime and grotesque to embody the Gothic genre. Meanwhile also providing eloquent social commentary of the late 18th/early 19th century. On top of that, this a story of sibling rivalry and love embodied in that eerie and mysterious atmosphere. Showing the true complexities of their relationship. I couldn’t ask for more!

The characters had so much depth to them. It was almost as if I felt I had them figured out then new information or mannerisms would sway me. The setting was well balanced between vivid and uncanny. There are even little bits of comedy sprinkled throughout which only added to the enjoyment. Overall this was a phenomenally written book that will throttle you to sink your teeth deeper into its pages.

I truly loved this book and can recommend for Gothic, horror, and supernatural lovers. Keep in mind this does get a bit gory.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Johanna van Veen and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was so beautifully written.

So eerie and creepy and also so engaging.

This was the perfect level of horror for me as I’m new to the genre and i absolutely loved the gothic vibes and atmosphere it brought.

Looking forward to reading more from this author, they’re brilliant.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really enjoy a gothic thriller and Johanna van Veen is really good at writing them. Having loved her previous book, My Darling Dreadful Thing, I was excited to get my hands on the ARC of this title from NetGalley. It's suspenseful, twisted, deliciously sapphic and fun. She goes through great lengths to describe the relationship of these twin women and who better could do so that someone that is a twin/triplet herself. The loyalty and disloyalty happening simultaneously is tragic and enthralling. Murder, mayhem, cannibalism, adultery, and more awaits!

Van Veen is a master at writing visceral body horror. Many times throughout this book I thought “oh yuck” to myself and was still delighted by it!

I wasn’t fully convinced by the third act folie a deux but even still Lucy and Sarah are such fascinating characters. I kept thinking about the commentary on sibling dynamics (or really any close relationship dynamic) changing when one changes and not the other. Really lovely character study in between fast paced action.

One thing I found interesting was the use of Dutch place names. Maybe it’s because I’m the child of a Dutch person and know a tiny bit of the language but the translations being so direct was quite funny to me. Lines like “he was taken to the local jail, Het Gevang.” Het Gevang just means the jail! It felt like a choice an editor would make to try and sell the cultural difference to an English speaking audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Blood on Her Tongue" was such a great reading experience. I loved the body horror and the gothic atmosphere. It was right up my alley. I also really liked the insertion of letters, fragments from journals or newspapers. In this sense, I appreciate the symmetry between the beginning and the end; the book starting with a letter from Sarah, the twin sister, and ending with an article from presumably a newspaper.

Overall, very disturbing and gory. It dealt with quite a few heavy themes, such as misogyny, child death and sexual assault. The imagery was utterly haunting. When I would not read from the book, I kept thinking about certain images or dynamics between the characters. Thus, I would say that the author did an amazing job of keeping me hooked.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this piece of literature!

This book was a wild ride- unhinged, twisty, and deeply macabre! Almost like stepping into one of those Victorian art pieces made up of a deceased loved one’s hair. I don’t typically read a lot of horror so this one will definitely stick in my brain for some time. It kept me guessing and the images conjured were visually arresting in the darkest way possible. The cover art was so beautiful I could not resist trying out this book! Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have no idea what I just read, in the BEST way. Gory and haunting with twists galore, this belongs on any horror fan's shelf.

Still debating between a 2,75/3 stars. The book started off strong and interesting. It had me spending a lot of time thinking about the book, and what was happening. You could say I had a short of hunger for it.
I found it good up until Lucy founds out what happened to Sarah, and how to deal with it. I hated how it seemed she did a complete 180. After that moment, the book just felt irritating. Lucy made me roll my eyes so much I considered almost taking out my eyes(joking!). The book has a pretty dissatisfying ending, and I feel like at one point the plot just stopped moving and got thrown away.

I do want to applaud Johanna Van Veen’s way with words. And the fact she seemed to have used words appropriate for the time this book took place. It is an effort you don’t see people take often and I can only imagine how much time went into researching that.

I found the start a bit slow, for me, but when you got to 'part 2', it definitely picked up to the point where I had a hard time putting it down.

The bond between the two sisters is amazingly written, and definitely makes you want to have sort of relationship with your own siblings.

While it was not normally my cup of tea for books, I know people that it is, and will definitely be buying them their own copy.

3.5 ⭐ rounded down for Netgalley and Goodreads.

This was weird and wonderful. It had an interesting take on vampirism (though I'm not really sure I would call it vampirism) and had several elements of body horror throughout. Beyond this, men are the true horror, which checks out especially in the period this is set.

I felt some of the writing was a bit odd, there were bits that had me going ??? (Lucy was thirsty, so Lucy thought of biting into a lemon, which made her salivate), but overall the prose was lovely.

I have a random and mildly irrational gripe with a very particular scene in which the Italian Greyhound is somehow able to run off so forcefully while Lucy has her fingers around their collar that it pulls Lucy to the ground, dislocates her shoulder and bruises her fingers. I just don't see this happening given these dogs weigh like 3kg and it's (as I said, irrationally) irking me.

By the end of the story I didn't really like any of the characters, and I felt a bit underwhelmed as some things were left unanswered (tell me Aunt Adelheid wasn't *afflicted* as Sarah was?!).

I had thought this was marketed as a sapphic vampires story, and while there was a sapphic romance, it did feel very underdeveloped and unfortunately more like a perfunctory add-on.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an unsettling and creepy standalone. Overall it was enjoyable!

Blood On Her Tongue is a beautiful, terrible, gothic slow burn horror novel that I absolutely could not put down.
A fresh take on a vampire tale, Johanna van Veen had me filled me with dread from the beginning until the very last page.
For a more indepth review check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-2Al_dd7s0

Okay, Blood on Her Tongue is one of those books that just lingers in your brain. Set in 1887 Netherlands, it’s dark, eerie, and impossible to put down. Think Nosferatu vibes meets twisted family drama. The story centers around Lucy and her twin sister Sarah. Sarah starts acting… off. Like, really off. She’s obsessed with some ancient corpse found on her husband’s estate, stops eating, mutters weird stuff, and then—wait for it—gets angry and hungry in ways that are downright terrifying. Is she possessed? Cursed? Or just losing her mind? Lucy’s determined to save her, but the deeper she digs, the more unsettling things get.
What I loved most was how Johanna van Veen keeps you guessing. The setting feels alive (or maybe haunted?), and the symbolism—hunger, duality, obsession—is layered in without being overdone. And the ending? Absolutely chilling. No spoilers, but WOW.

🌟 Why You’ll Love It:
Perfect for fans of gothic horror (Dracula, Nosferatu , Crimson Peak ).
Packed with creepy atmosphere and deeper meanings.
Slow-burn tension that’ll leave you breathless.
If you’re into dark, emotional stories with a supernatural twist, this is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be thinking about it long after you finish.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Blood on Her Tongue!

Lucy’s twin Sarah is ill. But as Lucy nurses her sister, she begins to suspect Sarah’s illness is not brain fever, but something all together different…

A wonderful, creepy take on a more classic vampire/possession tale. This book is really well-written; there’s nothing superfluous in the exposition, and the pacing is fantastic so it’s a quick read. In parts I was reminded of Mexican Gothic because of the setting of a big old house, but Blood on Her Tongue is also not quite like anything else I’ve read.

Some parts of this book are not for the squeamish; there are some quite visceral/gory moments, but I really think these add to the atmosphere of the book!

I almost wish this was longer, I would have liked to spend more time with Lucy and Sarah and Katje and Mrs Van Dijck.

Both this and van Veen's previous book are variations of 3, close to 4 stars. I preferred the other one as it was truly a gothic house book. This one less so. The author excels at atmosphere, but I struggled with the writing style at the beginning. It's weirdly stilted and could have done with some strong editing. The story itself is fine, but I ultimately hated every character by the end. Everyone sucks! Still, I would recommend the overall experience if you're looking for something gothic and haunting.

Thankyou NetGalley & poisoned press for this arc copy, this book gives a good description of the Victorian times when insanity was a taboo subject amongst other things, this book is a horror book with ebs and flows of gore as you read Lucy truth to figure out how to save her sister. I liked the written letters from Sarah’s pov as her obsession became it was good to get into the mind of both of the main characters

What a fun, creepy story. The setting was perfection and I loved the writing style. The entire book had me turning page after page, but the last 30% is absolutely nuts 🤪 and impossible to put down.

My only critique is that it felt like something was missing at the end. I wish the story was a little longer. Otherwise, I was completely obsessive with this Victorian gothic vampire novel.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy.

arc review | blood on her tongue
4 ⭐️
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"I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…"
— Johanna van Veen, Blood on Her Tongue
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The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behaviour takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. 
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read an eARC of Blood on Her Tongue!
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It was morbid. Grotesque. Twisted. And boy did I EAT IT UP. The writing was captivating. It lured me in from the very beginning, complimenting the gothic atmosphere and psychological horror. I LOVED the madness. As someone who studied bog bodies in school (and lowkey became obsessed), I loved the little snippets of history we encountered at the beginning. I expected the plot to go in one direction, and was pleasantly surprised when it went another route. The corruption arc was done really well, though I wish there had been bit more of a build up to the catalyst which I shall not spoil.
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The reason I did not give this book five stars comes down to more of a personal preference. I usually try to be objective but I could not help grow disconnected with the relationship between Lucy and Sarah. I’m uncomfortable with cheating, especially when it’s with a family member’s partner, and I KNOW that was the point, but I did find this distracting. Again, this is just a personal thing. I can deal with cannibalism but not affairs with a sibling’s spouse apparently.
~
Overall, though, I can confidently say this is a really good book for all you fans of gothic horror. Please be mindful to check the trigger warnings, as this isn’t a light-hearted book and there are some confronting moments, but other than that, I definitely recommend!

This wonderfully horrible story made of complicated human emotions and the fact that we all are mad to a certain degree or maybe completely, but we weren't pushed hard enough to finally snap and show it, is a perfect mixture of Stoker's Dracula, Shirley Jackson's horror of the mind, and the movie called The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

I am never afraid of monster jumping around or movies like Friday the 13th with maniacs on the loose. I am afraid of dark human emotions that are hidden and madness that taints the soul. And I absolutely in love in every dark, twisted, gothic, horror book that makes me afraid and uncomfortable in that way.

Zwartwater is a perfect setting for this kind of book, because all the torments of the mind and soul should be mirrored in water, mud, fog, bog and the illness of the land. When bad things are about to happen, nature should feel it - that is the reason I would always listen to Pasja and end the madness once and for all. But the philosophical question what makes a person (emotions and memories, or something else) got me so confused and once again very afraid.

Feeling sympathy for something that should be considered evil, unpure and unnatural is obviously a woman thing. No wonder! How many times the main character remembers what behaviour and feelings are unnatural for a woman, what feelings are wrong, what amount of food and laughter could condemn her to be seen as mad? I don't think some characters deserved what happened to them, but it is what it is.


A little spoiler ahead!
I wanted so badly that Sarah was actually insane and all Lucy did was for nothing. It happened just to remind her to stop being her sister's shadow. But I guess this way we got a happy ending (?) 😁

This one drew me in quickly. A most compelling and gory and exquisite, brooding horror.

One twin sister has come down with a sudden and vicious disease. The other is trying to figure out why, and draws a connection to a bog woman corpse sister and husband discovered and dissected.

There's a lot to love about this one. It's quick, there's a mystery, the details are excruciating ... in a good way. I couldn't help but think "Trills, if evil" as I read through. Still, the lustful relationship between one sister and one husband felt sudden and forced ... and the male characters felt a little bit too stereotyped. There's also periodic infodumps, for no good reason. The plot and reasons are spelt out over the course of a conversation between two characters ... this happens several times, and each time I felt, "ugh." Shame that an editorial hand didn't cut or refactor these parts.

The ending is rarer than most. I won't spoil it.