I’ve never read anything by Johanna van Veen, but when I noticed the cover of her new book on NetGalley’s shelves, and after reading its plot, I decided to give it a chance.

I’m truly glad I did.

“Blood On Her Tongue” is a macabre, unsettling, and extremely easy-to-read story. I started and finished the book in just a couple of days because I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Johanna van Veen’s writing style isn’t too complex, but it is exquisitely visual. I was able to visualize every scene described in the book, especially the most macabre ones (I’m not sure how much of a positive side that is. For sure, I’ll have to sleep with one eye open for the next few days, and definitely make sure that there are no bog women around).

Lucy is a very unique protagonist—so realistic and raw in her emotions that at times it felt like I was dealing with a real person. Overall, it’s an original and enjoyable story. I recommend it.

This book was everything I would want from a gothic horror. From gore, to yearning, to ancient mysteries in a bleak rainy landscape, this book had it all. I very much enjoyed the story, and the characters were interesting and complex. I am hoping to see more from this author in the future as this is now one of my top reads of the year.

I went through a short vampire fiction phase in my younger years, and I’m guessing that there is at least one person reading this who did too. There’s something about them that appeals to readers, since we’ve remained fascinated by them for centuries, from Dracula to modern day.

The summary sounded quite intriguing, and for some of the book, it was. But I didn’t realize that the summary would basically be a synopsis of the book itself, leaving very little left to surprise the reader. Additionally, I was clearly confused by the summary, because for some reason, I thought this was going to be about the Lucy involved with the OG Dracula, but I’m not sure what would have made me think it other than the name Lucy.

I went into this unfamiliar with van Veen’s writing, and was quickly slapped in the face with her writing style. She has a tendency towards the gross part of gory, and it happens several times throughout the book. I don’t mind a little gore, but this felt like it was a bit excessive, and I don’t know if all of it was really necessary to further the plot. In addition, there was a lot happening, yet the reading felt like it was so slow-paced. Maybe it was just that I was less and less motivated to pick it up the more I read.

Something that I really struggled with was the wide range of unlikable characters in the story. Lucy and her sister have such an unhealthy, codependent, and toxic relationship. Lucy is the quiet twin who is satisfied with letting her twin have all the time to shine, yet it comes to light that both of them have kept really harmful secrets from each other. Since this is the late 1800s, the men in the story all demonstrate differing levels of toxic masculinity … or maybe they all have equal levels of it, but some are better at hiding it than others.

The story is told through the eyes of Lucy, as well as some journal entries of Sarah’s, and it never really felt high-stakes until the very end of the book. Like, the last three chapters. But the rest of the book felt as though it was just a meandering stroll through the dysfunctional interactions between Lucy and Sarah, as well as everyone else that they come into contact with. Saddest of all was the character of Katje, who just feels like she’s present in the story just so certain events occur, yet we never really get to know Katje on her own, as a unique character. There are hints towards her background, but her character never felt as though it was fully developed.

Overall, this historical horror had great gothic vibes, and I loved the way it was set outside of the usual places, landing it in the Netherlands. The social norms of the times also played a role in this story, leading our female characters towards becoming morally gray because that was the only way for them to be who they are. However, I can’t say that I found this to be an enjoyable read, yet there are many who are raving about it. So take my opinion with a grain of salt, but go into this reading prepared for some eyeballs exploding.

Having previously enjoyed another work by this author, I approached this second offering with eager anticipation. While it didn't quite possess the same captivating force as its predecessor, it nonetheless proved to be an engaging and swiftly consumed narrative.

The central thread of the story weaves around twin sisters, a familiar archetype where one – Sarah – radiates brilliance, while the other, Lucy, is perceived as a muted reflection. The narrative lens focuses on Lucy's journey to her sister's residence. Sarah's sudden and inexplicable illness follows her discovery of a bog body, an event that ignites a consuming fear within her.

The initial portion of the book excels in crafting a palpable atmosphere of unease, the author skillfully evoking a sense of creeping dread. Their descriptive prowess is particularly striking when depicting both human remains and the natural world, allowing the reader to almost tangibly experience the scent of damp earth and decay. This masterful build-up of ominous anticipation marks the story's zenith; regrettably, much of this initial enchantment dissipates as the narrative unfolds.

A sense of déjà vu might briefly settle upon the reader, prompting the question of whether the story will adhere to a predictable path. However, just as this thought solidifies, the narrative executes a clever subversion of expectations, propelling the story onto a more distinctive trajectory. This unexpected turn was a genuinely delightful surprise. Nevertheless, the subsequent pacing feels accelerated, moving rapidly from one plot point to the next. This briskness leaves limited opportunity for the reader to become truly immersed in the story, feeling more like a detached observer of events. Contributing to this sense of detachment is a cast of characters largely devoid of sympathetic qualities. The male figures, in particular, lean towards an exaggerated cruelty that borders on the absurd rather than genuinely menacing. In stark contrast, the canine character, Pasja, became the sole recipient of my emotional investment, and I confess to experiencing genuine concern for her well-being on numerous occasions.

The book's true brilliance lies in its quieter, more introspective moments, and I found myself wishing for a greater exploration of this heavy, atmospheric tension.

Blood on Her Tongue follows a woman called to the bedside of her sick sister who begins to notice strange goings on at the estate. The novel is thick on gothic atmosphere and classic horror lit references, which readers may like, however, for all the buildup (at times on serious topics) the resolution felt rushed and unfinished particularly in response to heavy topics and themes.

After Sarah discovers the remains of a woman in her backyard things take a dark turn and she is given the diagnosis temporary insanity. Her twin sister travels to see her in an effort to find out what has happen with her dearest twin.

I´ll start with what I loved, the gothic and unsettling ambiance was truly amazing. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery of the bog-woman.

However, that was pretty much all I enjoyed, I couldn't´t care less about the characters, the romance or what was happening to her sister.

With that being said though, I definitely think I´m part of a minority and that most of gothic lovers will love this story, so you should certainly give this a go despite my feelings!

Big Thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author Johanna Van Veen for allowing me to read an e-arc of this novel.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
#thirtysecondbookof2025 #arc #bloodonhertongue

CW: death, adultery, bog people, cannibalism, lots of eye assault and damage, so much blood and gore, body horror

From Netgalley: 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 again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too. Then, the worst happens. Sarah’s behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.

My thoughts: This was a wild ride. It’s slow to start but then takes off and doesn’t stop. There’s a lot of violence, blood, and gore, and I loved it more than I expected to. It’s dark and gothic and queer and weird. It’s not for the faint of heart, with quite a lot of body horror so keep that in mind. But I really enjoyed the story of a sister who, once discovering the truth behind her twin’s illness, will stop at nothing to save her. The characters of the sisters are flawed but it’s so easy to see their true nature and goodness and, most importantly, their love for each other. Love this book and I plan to seek out van Veen’s previous novel.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 3/25/25)

“It’s not an easy thing, having a mind that can’t always be trusted.”

I’m creeped out, horrified and in love with this dark, gothic story. The writing in this was fantastic in this in that I physically recoiled reading some parts. I don't usually read books that have gore, so the beginning threw me in for a loop as I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into. I audibly said "EW" at some of the scenes described, which I believe shows the talent of Johanna van Veen. I don't usually react to stories out loud.

The sisters' relationship in the story was very fascinating to explore and unravel. What a strange and compelling dynamic between the two that became even more strange and fierce as the story unravelled. I'm a twin myself, so I connected with Lucy and Sarah's fierce protection and love for each other.

This story was, in short, utter insanity and an unsettling horror that will be in my mind for a while. This was a great introduction into gothic horror for me! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The author describes this book as "this dark, twisted, obsessive little novel", and I think that that's a very valid description. I enjoyed the concept behind Blood on Her Tongue - a novel described as being about a young woman in the Netherlands in the late 1880s who suddenly changes after the discovery of a corpse in the bog on her husband's property, told by her twin sister, who rushes to her side when she becomes ill - and it is that. However, gothic horror is not my usual genre, and while well done, this novel doesn't particularly appeal to me; those who enjoy the genre will quite likely enjoy it, as it does have a certain "I have to find out what happened next" quality to it. Recommended for adults due to violence and cannibalism (of a sort).

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Johanna van Veen, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Blood on her Tongue is a gothic tale about twin sisters Lucy and Sarah and their bond. Sarah gets terribly sick and Lucy, dedicated sister that she is, will stop at nothing to see her sister better.

I liked it; I don’t have any strong feelings towards this one, as I didn’t have for My Dreadful Darling Thing, Johannna’s debut novel, but I can see how people would go feral for this one. This book is creepy, yucky, sensual and dark; the vibes are immaculate.

Johanna van Veen’s Blood on Her Tongue is a slow-burning gothic novel that expertly blends psychological tension with folkloric unease. Set in the chilling, fog-draped landscape of 1887 Netherlands, the story follows Lucy, a young woman summoned to her twin sister Sarah’s side after Sarah becomes dangerously fixated on a bog body unearthed near her rural estate. What begins as concern for her sister’s strange behaviour quickly evolves into a spiralling journey through madness, obsession, and ancient forces that may never have truly died.

From the start, van Veen’s writing is lush, immersive, and tinged with the macabre. Her descriptions of the bog and its preserved corpse set the tone for a novel that thrives on discomfort. The atmosphere is dense, leaving every page heavy with dread, not from jump scares or gore, but from the creeping sense that something is deeply, terribly wrong—and no one is willing to name it.

At its core, this is a novel about women: their rage, their repression, their devotion to one another, and their monstrous potential. Lucy and Sarah’s relationship is intense, messy, and at times disturbingly intimate. The way Lucy struggles to reconcile the sister she once knew with the increasingly violent, otherworldly creature Sarah is becoming, drives much of the book’s emotional power. Van Veen explores codependency and self-erasure with a deft hand, turning Lucy’s quest to “save” her sister into a tragic mirror of her own unraveling.

Where Blood on Her Tongue truly shines is in how it uses horror to interrogate societal expectations. The supernatural elements—the bog body, the whispers in the dark, the sense of something ancient rising—are all tied thematically to the ways women are silenced, consumed, and buried by those around them. It’s horror as a metaphor, and van Veen leans into it fully.

That said, the novel may not be for everyone. Its pacing is deliberate, sometimes bordering on sluggish in the middle chapters, and those expecting a more action-driven narrative might find themselves impatient. But for readers willing to sink into the mood and let the story simmer, the payoff is ultimately worth it.

In my opinion, Blood on Her Tongue is a standout in the gothic horror genre—equal parts beautifully written and deeply unsettling. It’s a story of sisterhood and trauma, of feminine fury and ancient hunger, all wrapped in a decaying, dread-soaked setting. I am eager to read more from this author in the future!

Another gothic horror masterpiece from Johanna Van Veen!!! I truly wasn’t sure Blood on Her Tongue would top My Darling Dreadful Thing but my goodness did it ever. I couldn’t put it down, and at the same time I didn’t want it to end.

I absolutely adore the dynamic of the sisterly relationship that Lucy and Sarah. Complete opposites in every way, yet still loyal to a fault. The bog bodies were absolutely fascinating, and the use of medical knowledge at the time was so historically accurate. I felt like I had leaned into the book and fallen in! My favorite part has to be the epic female rage and power though. It was just so, so satisfying.

Easily my top horror read of 2025!!

This book was not what i expected. Book includes alot of horror and gothic themes. Book was interesting to read :)

"If this is what death tastes like and death is as it tastes, then it is a dull thing indeed."

As a lifelong horror fan, I've watched many gruesome, gory movies, and mostly remain unfazed by them. But the way Johanna van Veen crafted words to describe such macabre scenes had me feeling absolutely horrified, a good way.

Masterfully told, this story tackles the complexities of sibling bonds, mental illness, grief, female rage, and more. Such a fantastic take on vampirism, wrapped in a dark, eerie setting.

I don't always have a lot of time to read and often don't finish books as quickly as I'd like, but I found myself absolutely devouring this one—pun intended. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I was expecting this to be a gothic romance so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a borderline horror. The gore was great, I found myself physically grimacing at times. The atmosphere was a perfect blend of eerie and mysterious. I really enjoyed this

This is a fabulous reimagining of vampire mythology, though (as with van Veen's first novel) I did hate the penultimate plot beats. The initial buildup and conclusion, though, were absolutely excellent, and I can't wait to own my own copy. It seems like Johanna van Veen is an auto-buy author now!

Blood on Her Tongue is my favorite of Johanna van Veen yet! Like My Darling Dreadful Thing, this is dark, morbid, dreary, sapphic, tense and so haunting you can’t pull yourself away from it. I love the Victorian era, gothic atmospheres and possessions of any kind, so these were all aspects I was incredibly excited for and I think they delivered well. I loved the turn this one took with the possession, and the bond between twin sisters Sarah and Lucy. The ending was so satisfying and so disturbing - I loved it! Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC!

First off—what a ride. Blood on Her Tongue is sharp, atmospheric, and absolutely dripping with gothic vibes. I went in expecting a dark mystery and got so much more: witchy secrets, a slow-burning tension that never lets up, and prose that’s equal parts lyrical and chilling.

The story follows [insert main character’s name if known – I can fill this in if you have it!], who returns to her hometown only to uncover a web of occult history and buried truths. There’s something deliciously unsettling about the way van Veen writes—she doesn’t just tell you something’s wrong, she makes you feel it crawling under your skin.

Also, huge shoutout to the way van Veen writes female rage. It’s raw, it’s earned, and it doesn't apologize. The themes around power, silence, and reclaiming your voice are threaded in so seamlessly that they stay with you even after the final page.

If you love moody forests, haunted legacies, and heroines who bite back (sometimes literally?), this book belongs on your TBR. I couldn’t put it down, and honestly—I didn’t want to.

🩸 Feminine Rage
👁 Gothic Horror
🩸 Eyeball Jelly
👁 Classic Vibes
🩸 Unputdownable

This was such a captivating, creepy, and immersive read.

Lucy is summoned to help her ailing twin sister, Sarah, who has taken a sudden turn for the worst and been diagnosed with temporary insanity. Lucy is alarmed to find that her sister has become... bloodthirsty... and has quickly deteriorated in health.

This is such a difficult book to explain, and there is such a unique mix of horror elements intertwined to create this story. It's definitely not what I was expecting. The gothic horror vibes were immaculate.

I loved the unique spin of bog preservation that was built into the plot. The vivid descriptions are amazing; the family drama layered in with sisterly rivalry, the haunted setting, and overall, just really great symbolism.

My only setbacks are that I didn't feel as attached to the characters and their stories as I would've liked. There is some great feminine rage, but I feel like it could've been more developed. There is a supernatural element as well, but it didn't quite work for me.

However, the story is beautifully written. I loved the vibe, and it felt very unpredictable. I had a hard time putting it down and found that I was continuously hungering for more.

~

Why had the phrase to break a heart ever become popular? It likened this onslaught of pain to the clean break of a China cup when, in reality, it was much closer to being mauled.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓟𝓸𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓟𝓮𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴. 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷.

Johanna van Veen has done it again! A beautiful story mixed with all the gore, lust, love, & distaste I could have ever wanted. I really enjoyed the connecting themes between this novel and her debut, but both are their own unique story. I only wished for maybe a brief epilogue of where the sisters end up, but other than that a wonderful story! Thank you for letting me review this ARC!