Haunting and gruesome descent into madness for an ordinary woman. While our MC navigates the mental health care system and HR at her work, she spends her nights prowling the streets as a somnambulant predator. This darkly funny novella is an entertaining horror bite that is perfect for fans of witty social-commentary and a bit of gore.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Iǒunn knows something is wrong with her — she’s extremely fatigued and sore every time she wakes up in the morning. All of her blood tests are normal and doctors are trying to convince her that there’s nothing wrong. One night she leaves her watch on and wakes up realizing she has been sleepwalking or going out at night and not remembering anything.

The beginning started out strong and I didn’t want to put it down. However, the last quarter (maybe) was really bizarre, and I didn’t like reading about the cats. That being said…this book is creepy, bizarre, and can easily be read in one sitting. I had it on audio (thanks Macmillan), and the audio version was great. It was narrated by the translator of the book, and she did a fantastic job.

This was a fast and easy read for me. The atmosphere was on point, perfectly creepy and dark and with a touch of impending doom.

The open ended ending was the down fall of this book but I’d say if you’re okay with that check out this book.

The narrator did a fantastic job keeping it creepy.

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Hildur Knútsdóttir for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this one! Thank you netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy. I will be telling my friends!

*The Night Guest* centers on a woman who wakes up with mysterious bruises and marks on her body, feeling unrested and increasingly unsettled. As the novel progresses, she becomes more paranoid and unhinged, realizing she may be doing something strange in her sleep, but has no control over it. The tension builds as she spirals deeper into her own mind, struggling to understand what’s happening.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t pull me in. While the premise was intriguing, it failed to deliver on the suspense and psychological tension it promised. The inclusion of dead cats was an absolute dealbreaker for me, and overall, the book just didn’t hold my attention. Despite it being a quick read, it took me over two weeks to finish because I had no desire to return to it once I stopped. Ultimately, it felt like a missed opportunity for a more engaging, gripping experience.

This was an intriguing title that left me wanting more, all I could want was more info about the sister and what was happening.

This one had so much promise, but kind of drifted off and lost me at the end ( much like the MC’s sanity). Overall an interesting quick read with a thrilling premise, if you like a Scandi styled thriller/horror this is a good pick for you.

The narrator was great, very engaging.

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

Iðunn feels exhausted and sometimes battered, every morning and has been to a few medical specialists to determine what is going on. She wonders if there is some underlying neurological issue or something worse. Bloodwork rules out medical issues, mental health questionnaire suggests depression. She is given a recommendation to exercise (and buys a watch that allows her to track steps) and for a psychotherapist (which she ignores). One morning, finding blood on her jaw, having walked over 4 times the usual number of steps AFTER midnight (when the watch steps reset) and noticing that once friendly neighborhood cats now hiss at her, she wonders if she is sleepwalking. She wants/needs to know - what is going on?

I had trouble putting the audiobook aside as I also wanted to know just what is going on – so this was a quick listen. The short chapters led to a brisk pace which kept me interested. Kowal is a captivating narrator – she is both expressive and brings different voices to the characters adding . Her storytelling is perfectly paced for the suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hildur Knútsdóttir, McMillan Audio, and Mary Robinette Kowal, both translator and narrator for the advanced copy.

Review posted in Goodreads and posted in Amazon (9/16/24), username Springfever.

This is a short novella, and I went in knowing absolutely nothing other than it was translated from Icelandic and it was horror and honestly I think that's the way to go so I won't say much.

On the surface, this is a simple sleepwalker story but Knútsdóttir (and Kowal as the translator) utilize fairly simple prose and incredibly short chapters to create a tense and unsettling story. The way the story builds a sense of dread and confusion is top tier.

I will say that if you don't like open ended or ambiguous endings, maybe give this one a pass. Although I don't love an open ending and I still had a great time on the journey of this one.

I think this is the first of Knútsdóttir's works to be translated into English but I will absolutely be looking out for more of her work as well as for more of Kowal's translations.

💊 The Night Guest💊 by Hildur Knútsdóttir
Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal


Pages: 208 🎧
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Goal 2024: 90/100

Thanks to NetGalley and @macmillionaudio for this advanced audio copy of the night guest.

The Night Guest is about our main character who keeps going to new doctors to discover why she is so fatigued. No one ever believes her complaints and often shrugs off listening to her. There are often suggestions of quick fixes or blame in her diet, lack of exercise, etc. (Which is really relatable.)

Finally after one night, our main character realizes that she had been walking all night long when she thought she had been sleeping safely in her home. She has no memories of where she was walking to, what she was doing or even leaving her place. As She kept waking to find bruises and unexplained injuries, my curiosity peaked.

She continued to go throughout the book representing many of todays struggles like abusive ex boyfriends, unrealistic familial expectations, and demanding work environments. All touchy topics wrapped into a quick horror themed escape.

This book was a quick listen and enjoyable. I was curious to learn what the main character was going through and was surprised to find out. If you’re looking for a fast paced, and easily digestible horror then you can easily listen to or read this in one sitting.

This quick read will be enjoyed by those who enjoy horror books. Iounn is always exhausted, and visits doctor after doctor to learn why, with no success. She's tried changing her diet, exercising, vitamins, and all the other suggestions made by family and friends. On impulse, one day she purchases a smart watch and wears it to bed. When she wakes up, she is astounded to discover it has tracked her as having walked 40,000 steps.

She sets up a camera to see if she really is wandering at night. When she discovers she is, she attempts to lock herself in. Her parents, still mourning the loss of her sister, don't want to discuss it. Iounn's whole life seems off kilter. Even the neighborhood cats, which she enjoys from a distance due to her allergies, run from her.

She meets a man who knew her sister. Iounn also mourns her sister and the two of them get along well, at first. Then things change. Iounn finally discovers the secret to her exhaustion.

In The Night Guest, written by Hildur Knútsdóttir, Iðunn is a young woman who knows something isn’t right. She doesn’t feel well, and it seems that she is always waking up tired. And she even sometimes has bruises or marks that she didn’t remember getting. When her doctor isn’t able to find anything wrong Iðunn tries to make some lifestyle changes, and buys a smartwatch. But there must be something wrong with it, because some of the numbers are way too high! She doesn’t remember walking miles during the night…
This book is a great spooky mystery. I felt like the reader could tell there was more than what meets the eye with the characters, and the storyline shows this. I enjoyed the mysterious family dynamics, and the little hints given through Iðunn’s friendships as well. I definitely recommend this book, especially as we come into fall and spooky season! Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, publisher, translator, and narrator for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Guest- Hildur Knútsdóttir
Translated and narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

I don’t even know where to begin. This book was everything and not enough at the same time. I wanted so much more but the fact that there isn’t more and it leaves you to your imagination gives it the exact creep factor I believe the author is striving for.

The narration was fantastic. I’ve never heard this narrator before but I enjoyed listening to her translation and narration.

What a fun creepy short story! At no point while reading this did I have any idea where the story was going—and I loved it! Finished this eerie horror story in one sitting. Would definitely recommend it for Halloween!

(Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC.

This book was short and quick. But very bizarre and honestly I am not sure how I feel. It was intriguing but also gruesome.

TW: harm to animals.

Idunn wakes every morning with unexplained bruises and extreme fatigue. In an attempt to find answers, Idunn sees a new doctor but doesn’t get a diagnosis. She buys a smart watch that tracks her steps and falls asleep with it one night. In the morning, she discovers she has taken over 40k steps!

Is Idunn sleep-walking? What’s with all of her bruises? Why does she wake covered in blood one morning? What is going on?

☁️☁️☁️ɱყ ɬɧơųɠɧɬʂ☁️☁️☁️

Very fast, page-turning, HORRORIFIC short story! I LOVED this nightmarish read and the audiobook was perfect! I was pretty SHOCKED with the ending, was not expecting that at all! If you love Rachel Harrison or Darcy Coates, you will love this short read!

Iðunn has gone to yet another doctor in Reykjavik, just to be told once again that there is nothing wrong with her. It’s a good thing, obviously, that there is nothing wrong with her. But it doesn’t explain why she is so tired all the time. So, so tired. It doesn’t explain how she wakes up with bruises.

She gets asked the same questions everywhere she goes. Everyone has the same unhelpful advice. Is work stressing you out? Is your boyfriend hitting you? Are you depressed? Have you tried exercising? Maybe you should eat some meat (she’s vegetarian).

Since no one else seems able to help her, Iðunn decides to help herself. She buys a high end pedometer to track her steps. She turns off the GPS, because she doesn’t want anyone else to hack in and find out where she is. But she wants to keep track of her steps, see if getting in more steps will help her sleep.

She does fall asleep, but when she wakes up the next morning, she is exhausted again. And she’s logged over 40,000 steps. So that explains why she’s so tired, but it also explains nothing. She tries setting up a camera to watch herself sleep. It doesn’t record anything helpful. She turns the GPS on through her pedometer to try to figure out where she’s going. She tries sleeping pills. She locks herself in her apartment to try to stop whatever is happening to her. She tries to stay awake.

Nothing works.

And when Iðunn finally figures out what it is that’s happening to her, it’s far scarier than anything she could have imagined.

The Night Guest is a novella from Icelandic fantasy and horror author Hildur Knútsdóttir. This is the first of her works that is available here in America. It’s a short book, but beautifully written, eerie and atmospheric. And the mystery of what’s happening to Iðunn just gets odder as she tries to stop it, ramping up the tension and making this a true nail-biter.

The Night Guest was translated by Mary Robinette Kowal, who also narrates the audio book. She does a beautiful job, transporting listeners to nights of terror and mornings of confusion and pain. However, this is not a book for cat lovers. The neighborhood cats start to go missing, and it is most distressing to find out what happens to them. But other than that, I thought this was a good short creepy story, and I do hope that more of Knútsdóttir’s novels make it to the States.

Egalleys for The Night Guest were provided by Tor Nightfire and a copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Creepy story! Creative concept of a woman trying to uncover what she does when she's sleeping. The ending was a bit ambiguous but perhaps that's because I like directly stated things. Overall, a good creepy read.

4/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

CW: animal death

What a wild story! For such a short novella, this sure was gripping. Novellas are tricky for me, because it's hard to pack a punch in such a short time, but this one was great for it's length. Nordic noir is a genre I didn't know I needed -- but I enjoyed it a lot. I was desperate to know what was going on and to get to the end for answers. The end was super unexpected and, while I didn't love the way things played out, it was definitely shocking and entertaining. I'd read more books like this, that's for sure!

SYNOPSIS -- Iðunn has been desperately searching for the cause of her constant fatigue, with no results. Her doctors, friends and family have a ton of suggestions, none of which makes any bit of difference. She starts counting her steps as the newest unhelpful suggestion and, when she falls asleep with her smart watch on, she finds she has walked 40,000 steps in one night. Suddenly, her fatigue is starting to look a lot more sinister, especially as she continues to wake up with more and more blood on her hands...

Rating: 2/5 🌙's

Overview: our main character struggles with being exhausted no matter how much sleep and rest she seems to get. She's been to so many doctors and no one truly takes the way she feels seriously.
Then she decides she wants to track her sleep which also tracks her steps. Soon she find out why she's so tired.

Thoughts: This book was actually quite good up until 3/4 into the book. Then the plot was lost. Please be aware of spoilers in the below thought portions.


**spoilers**

Okay, now that you chose to read on let's get into it. First of all this book has no resolve. I don't understand the ending. Maybe it's because I'm not a gentleman and a scholar. I just know that I was left more confused than when the story began and the mystery was originally introduced. There was a trigger : animal death

This books narrorator wasn't too bad I enjoyed listening to this book. I just didn't like the way the plot unfolded.