This book had everything I want and love in modern gothic books — a balance of morbity and desire, gorgeously atmospheric writing, and a historical setting that feels fully realized. I wouldn’t necessarily describe the book as a whole as body horror, but it certainly had moments that were jarring enough that I found myself covering my mouth. And I say that fully as a compliment to the author’s abilities. This felt like a unique, sexy take on vampires and I found the bog woman as a central figure really fascinating.

I positively loved this book. I LOVED the newspaper articles and the letters, I thought that was such a cool nod to Bram Stoker. I am in awe. I get why this is considering to be one of the most anticipated Horror novels. I love me some flawed characters and this perfect hybrid of science and classic horror monsters. This will be a hard book to beat. Thank you so much Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the privilege of reading this amazing book.

This book was gross (in a good way). I went into this without knowing much about the plot, just that it was a vampire book, and I love vampires. I enjoyed the twist the author put on the creature, and I couldn't put this book down. I liked all the twists and turns and could never predict what would happen next. Without spoilers, I also really enjoyed the "good for her" ending. The body horror was VERY descriptive, though, and made me physically cringe while reading, so if that's not something you can handle, I might suggest skipping this one. If you have a strong stomach, read on!

I spent most of December in a reading slump, and this book pulled me right out of it. I was enthralled from the very beginning and ended up reading most of it in one sitting.

I'll preface this by saying this is NOT a book for the faint of heart. If you are particularly squeamish you may have a tough time. I am not a person who can handle a lot of body horror but I pushed through the few very descriptive scenes because I just had to know how the story would end.

Lucy-our main character- is a caring and loyal, but flawed individual. Her relationship with her sister, which we learn about through memories, letters, diary entries, and the present narrative, isn't perfect by any means. However, it is the most important part of her life and is the driving force of this story.

Johanna van Veen's writing is very solid. The characters are multifaceted and realistic despite the circumstances, especially given the period it is set in. But what I love most is the gothic horror elements. It's creepy and dark, and at times you will find yourself questioning what is real and what isn't. The third act brought it all together, and I was reacting out loud in my living room to my cats until the final page.

I haven't read the author's debut novel, but after I finished this one, I immediately added it to my TBR. Here's to starting 2025 off with a bang!

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in March. The gore ended up being too much for me to finish but I cannot express how well written it was regardless of that. If you are into deep intense gothic horror, you have to try this. It's really disturbing.

An atmospheric and gothic horror! Unsettling plot, feminine rage, vampiric hunger, twins lost in the madness, and sapphic themes? Yes please girl! Catch me never going near a bog though.

Thank you to Johanna van Veen, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC! Sink your teeth into this one on March 25 🩸

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks for this copy of "Blood on Her Tongue."

This gothic horror story asks the question: how far twin sisters will go to protect each other from a fearsome fate?

It's 1887 and we meet Sarah who appears to have some sudden onset abnormal fixation with the body recently found in a peat bog on her land.

Her twin sister Lucy arrives to help after receiving disturbing letters from Sarah.

I won't spoil any of it for you, but it was very twisty, dark, and exciting!

Johanna Van Veen
Blood On Her Tongue

4.5 / 5

Johanna Van Veen's Blood On Her Tongue is truly gothic horror at it's finest.

Taking place in the Netherlands, late in the 1800's, much of the story is told in an epistolary format, through letters. And while yes, Dracula is brought to mind, the story here is wholly different, with many moving pieces.

Great writing, great characterization, great plot.
This is just a great vampire tale.

This is the second book by Johanna Van Veen that I've read within the past few months ... And I am already eagerly awaiting their next. (Even though this one isn't officially out yet.)

I feel like I'll be thinking about this book for a long time yo come. This was filled with rich world building, incredible story telling, and I loved how strong our protagonist was! Excellent book!

Lucy is in a rush to return to her twin sister, Sarah’s side. She is mentally unwell, refusing to eat, and obsessed with a body groundsmen have pulled from the bog on her estate. It’s 1887, and any sort of untoward behavior from women has them seen to an asylum. Diagnosed with a brain fever, Lucy hopes to be able to nurse her back to health, but Sarah comes back strange and so very, very hungry. She must do her best to figure out what is plaguing her sister before she runs out of time.

This was a very interesting book. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, filled with gore and blood. Lovers of the horror genre will definitely enjoy this one. The story was entertaining and kept me seeking answers as I was reading. I did wish to have more information at some points which I won’t spoil, but that’s my brain wanting answers for everything.

There were a few cliche moments that had my eyeballs rolling, but it is, in its core, a historical fiction so I have to excuse intrepid men I suppose. Check the trigger warnings, this one has a fair few.

Final rating: 3.75 Stars

Recommended if you like: historical horror, body horror

Gothic, queer, vampire books might just be my new favorite. Johanna Van Veen exceeded all expectations with this book.

I usually don’t enjoy books without a strong romance plot line, but found myself thoroughly engrossed in Lucy and Sarah’s story from beginning to end.

This was a beautifully written, vivid tale of two sisters, that will have you gripping the edge of your seat with each page.

Blood on Her Tongue comes out March of 2025, and I will for sure be encouraging everyone I know to run and read it upon its release. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this title.

4.25 ⭐

This is a dark, gore-y, twisted read, definitely inspired by the stories of Carmilla and Dracula with Dracula quotes being used to mark the start of each new part of the book. Vampires in a new form.

A story set in the late 1800's where we follow the lives of Lucy and Sarah (twin sisters), Sarah is suffering from an unknown illness and so Lucy has returned to help care for her sister and find the cause. We discover a local bog woman was found and examined shortly before Sarah fell ill - could this be linked to her mysterious illness? With the 'aid' of Sarah's husband Michael and childhood friend turned doctor Arthur, Lucy works to unravel the mystery and fights to protect her sister / not-sister.

Expect lots of secrets, blood, gore, misogyny, and mystery. A really intriguing story that will draw you in, I just felt there was some cherry on the top missing that really pushed it to a full five stars. Overall a great read I would recommend to any readers who enjoy a darker, gothic story.

Wwwwwwtttttttffffffff (/pos)

06/01/25
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5 rounded to 5 stars.

When I saw that I'd been accepted for an ARC of Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen I almost screamt. I haven't yet read her other novel, but the premise of this one was deliciously intriguing.

Blood on Her Tongue follows Lucy's perspective as she goes to aid her sister, Sarah, who is suffering from a strange brain fever, one that makes her act strange, have knowledge she shouldn't, and worst of all crave blood.

I'm really not a fan of vampire stories, and this was a delightful take on that sort of trope. I won't spoil, but it is not just your classic vampire novel.
The writing is wonderful. The descriptive paragraphs are so vivid and detailed, and the author perfectly managed to balance descriptive with story-telling. There was never any forced information, although there were some knots left untied. (I quite like this, however. It leaves the book with the air of mystery is deserves)

The ending was perfect. One of my biggest pet peeves in books is endings that feel rushed or forced. I love the choice Johanna made with the ending, even if not everything was revealed.
Thank you so very much to the publishers and to the author for the free ARC of this book. I devoured it in less than a day.

I have been craving a good gothic horror for a while and this book has satiated that hunger. This story was beautifully dark and also surprising. I was expecting a dark vampire read and this was so much more.

Lucy's twin sister, Sarah, is bed bound after an encounter with a body preserved in the peat on her husband's property. While her husband, Michael, thinks it might just be a consequence seeing a corpse had on her delicate, feminine constitution, Lucy knows her scientifically minded sister better than that. Sarah has had some health scares before, and after their aunt died in an asylum, the prospect of losing her to the same cruel system is horrifying. Even their childhood friend and Sarah's current doctor, Arthur, is doubting Sarah's sanity, and her insistence that the bog woman is speaking to her inside of her mind isn't helping. The situation gets even stranger when Sarah dies... and sits back up in her coffin, as if nothing had happened.

'Blood on Her Tongue' is a delightfully disgusting gothic horror novel. Bog bodies are fascinating, and something I've never really seen explored in a horror setting before. Johanna van Veen takes a lot of inspiration from gothic horror, though the gore and language usage feels a bit extreme than what you'd find in a classic novel. If you're sensitive to violence, you might want to skip this book--I'm normally not squeamish, but the eye-horror had me feeling a bit queasy.

Lucy is an interesting protagonist, though not entirely likeable. I think she suits the narrative fine, being a quieter and more passive foil to Sarah, and she definitely grows into her own flavor of strange as the story continues. That said, she is the source of my biggest problem with the novel... I just don't get what she sees in Michael. He's unlikable within his first appearance, but it takes this woman who saves spiders so long to see the guy who throws his dog around for what he is. It does add to the gothic atmosphere of the book--this man who is awful to his wife has such a magnetic pull on her sister, but Lucy's angst towards her inability to be with Michael was the least enjoyable part of the book to me, since he really had nothing going for him.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with 'Blood on Her Tongue', and it felt like a great throwback to gothic classics like 'Dracula' and 'Wuthering Heights'. I definitely want to check out van Veen's previous novel, and I look forward to what she'll write in the future.

The first book completed of 2025 and what a read it was! Original. Inventive. Compelling. Unique. Scary. Gross. Full of twists. Memorable characters. Demented family dynamics. I could sing endless praise about this book. Has quickly become one of my favorite new horror writers.

Take three: Twins. Gothic setting. Hunger. This book has it all, in the most creepy and delicious way! Thanks heaps to @netgalley, @johannavanveen1997 and @poisonedpenpress for early access.

I don’t often read books with this setting - think old European manor houses with lords and ladies and whatever. Victorian era? I have never been interested enough to know. But this novel was different. I mean, besides the horror elements (which are awesome), the setting didn’t jar on my brain. Definitely going to grab My Darling, Dreadful Thing next month.

I just loved how over dramatic this was. It’s not funny, but it is fun. And you can imagine what the trio got up to after they left.

Book Review: Blood on Her Tongue

If you’re a fan of Gothic horror that truly embodies the essence of the genre, Blood on Her Tongue is an absolute must-read. This book was exceptional—every page dripping with an unsettling atmosphere that grips you from start to finish.

I devoured this in less than 48 hours, unable to put it down, and I’m already eager to explore more from this author. The writing is disturbingly vivid and masterfully crafted, creating a sense of dread that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page.

The author does an incredible job of staying true to the Gothic horror tradition, weaving together chilling imagery, haunting themes, and an oppressive atmosphere that is both mesmerizing and deeply unsettling. It’s rare to find a book that captures the dark beauty of this genre so effectively.

Blood on Her Tongue is everything I love about Gothic horror: dark, disturbing, and exceptionally well-written. This one will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars.
This is my first book by this author and it was a great read. The author excels at creating the cloying, creepy dark atmosphere. It was so vivid for me that I could feel and smell the scenes at times. The way the story unfolds including through letters and articles is very interesting. I found Lucy to be a very interesting main character- I wanted her to succeed, felt empathy for her feelings and yet she managed to infuriate me with her choices and actions. No other character had as much depth as her but it was interesting to see how other characters like Arthur and Michael perceived her. The casual misogyny through the male characters spoke volumes and the author uses that deftly while able to show how belittling it must for be for a woman to face that. And yet the same woman then demonstrates her elitist biases when it comes to a maid. This was well done and felt appropriate to the setting.
I loved the story, the atmosphere, the superstitions and complexities of relationships between sisters as well the blurred lines of love.
Thanks for the advanced copy.

A gorgeously twisted dive into gothic horror, Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen weaves a tale of love, rage and the bonds of sisterhood. Lucy is called to her twin sister's side after Sarah is diagnosed with temporary insanity and consumed by anger with an unnatural hunger. But Lucy has secrets of her own and must decide how far she will go to protect her sister or risk losing her forever.

Van Veen is a master of gothic ambiance and the macabre. The dark, visceral descriptions pull you into the heart of the story. Every shadow feels alive, every setting steeped in menace, and it's not just a sense of dread. This story is dripping in blood with moments so vivid they'll make you flinch.

All this creates an oppressive yet mesmerising backdrop for the exploration of societal expectations, mental health, and madness, as well as the bonds between women especially sisterhood. The relationship between Lucy and Sarah is at the heart of the novel, twin sisters whose bond is as fraught as it is unbreakable. Van Veen masterfully captures the complexities of sibling love and rivalry; the fight for your own identity within a relationship with someone who is as close to you as your own self while also asking how far you would go to protect them.

That said the story closely follows established gothic tropes. Those familiar with these story beats may be waiting for a twist that never comes. Some of Lucy's decisions, particularly regarding Sarah and the change she undergoes, felt hard to believe even though they fit the gothic style. While the journey remains engaging, and Lucy's climax in particular is deeply satisfying, the overall conclusion may feel a little lack lustre.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a DRC in return for an honest review via Netgalley.