Wow! A debut! I wouldn’t have guessed!! A sapphic monster romance, say less! The way I devoured this novella was unmatched! Creative!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was... a very interesting novel. I wasn't sure if Dália would end up with Lionel or with Anatema. It seemed like it would go in either direction but the story was described as being sapphic so the outcome was obvious in the end. I really liked the idea of Archaic One's and this house where nobody can enter the top floor unless invited. I felt really sad for Matilde and what happened to her granddaughter. Finding out that it was Matilde who had stolen from Anatema made mroe sense than anyone else doing it but it was still upsetting to find out the reasons for this outcome.

A clever novella, where Dalia is advised of the simple task of keeping the owner of the house happy. And that happiness revolves around solving the mystery of which employee is the thief. And the owner? Anatema- a very large, archaic creature… a tarantula.

Even though this was told as more of a character story, the world and the possibilities of the plot; I would love to see a novel from this world. I enjoyed the thought behind the small details, like using poppy’s and Dalmatians. A little flirtation as well, as Anatema continues to search for her bride. Unfortunately the flirtations felt a little one sided, so it did feel a little awkward. Even though this is overall a love story, it never quite convinced me.
I do think this would have worked better adapted into a full length novel. But a fun quick read and the pacing felt even throughout.

But Not Too Bold is a strange, yet intriguing novella about a young woman named Dália who works as a keeper of keys in Capricious House. Anatema is a humanoid spider and Lady of Capricious House. Dália serves Anatema as Anatema searches for a bride. Her search is almost constant as she usually finds a reason to kill every bride who enters Capricious House. Anatema and Dália have an interesting dynamic as Dália is the perfect amount of bold for Anatema's high and specific standards.

It definitely took me a second to fall into this story, but once I did I really enjoyed it. This gothic house full of spiders and sweets was so vibrant and fun to read about. There is also a little mystery thrown in which compelled me. I really liked how it was wrapped up and thought it was very well done for such a short story.

The one thing I would not call this novella is a romance. There are romantic elements for sure, but the short length of this story does not allow these romantic relationships to have much depth to them. I think this story could continue in another installment and explore these elements successfully, if the author chose to do so.

I would recommend this if you are:
-a fantasy reader
-a mystery reader
-a lover of gothic houses in your fiction
-someone who enjoys LGBT relationships in your fiction

I would NOT recommend this if you are scared of spiders!

I was so excited to see Tordotcom publishing a novella in translation, and BUT NOT TOO BOLD did not disappoint. In this rococo confection of tropical gothic horror, the new keeper of the keys must solve a mystery before the arachnoid mistress of the Capricious House literally devours her. It's monster romance, it's queer, it's horror, it's a mystery. It's humid and hot. It does everything it says on the cover, and goes down smooth as turkish delight placed in your mouth by an eldritch horror.

This was an interesting, suspenseful short story/novella by a new to me author. I was drawn in by the cover and wasn't disappointed trying something different. Recommended for fans of authors like Alix E. Harrow. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5⭐️

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo follows our main character, Dália, as she assumes the role of Keeper of the Keys at Capricious House after her predecessor is eaten by the owner, Madame Anatema. Something has been stolen from Anatema and Dália must try to find the culprit or risk being devoured herself. There’s also a romance that somehow really worked for me and I ate this up!

If fantastical gothic horror with a cute sapphic monster romance subplot is your vibe, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an eARC!

Prepare to be weirded out, similarly to that disgusting tongue commercial from yesterday’s Super Bowl LIX! This is decidedly horror, and it’s the disturbing kind. I loved the setting and characters. The characters and estate are so unique and compelling.

My one gripe was that one decision made by a character didn’t make sense to me, given a previous decision. I have to be vague or there will be spoilers. I suppose I mean that a couple of motivations contradicted each other, and it had me scratching my head. Still, it’s a quick, engaging read that fans of this genre will enjoy.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC. All opinions are mine alone.

At this point, I think it’s well-established that I am more than happy to explore some of the weirder corners of fantasy/horror stories. I mean, I loved “Asunder” and that was such a wild ride of world-building! Well, this one starts off weird, gets a bit weirder, and then ends in full weirdness. Starting with the premise, which is the idea that anyone would be willing to work in a house run by a giant spider who is more likely than not going to eat you some day. I’ll just get it out of the way now: if you focus too much on the realities behind whether or not anyone would sign on for the basic premise of this book, you’re probably not going to have a great time. But if you’re willing to go with it, there’s some very interesting storytelling to be had.

I’ll also say, if you have trouble with bugs or spiders, this isn’t the book for you. There is spider stuff everywhere, from people handling and eating tarantulas at any given moment, to the very detailed descriptions of Anatema and just how her human/spider bits meld together. I don’t particularly have a problem with bugs or spiders, so I found all of this to be on the pleasantly creepy side, rather than outright horror. That said, there was a particular erotic dream sequence that was…a lot. More, I found the general concept to be interesting: the ways that the human characters dealt with their day-to-day existence and the almost guaranteed gruesome end that was coming to them.

I also enjoyed the writing style and was impressed with the emotional punch that was packed into a story with such a short word-count, under 100 pages. I was a bit surprised by how central the romance was to the story. I went in with the impression that while there was a romantic subplot, the story itself would be more focused on the mystery. Well, it was the opposite, with the mystery taking up very little page time and the romance making up the rest. I didn’t quite buy into Dalia’s feelings for Anatema, but I do think that this book will find an audience with the monster romance lovers out there!

Overall, this was truly unique read. I’m not sure I can think of anything like it. The writing was incredibly strong throughout, and really, it’s going to come down to your tolerance/interest in spiders whether or not you have a good time with this one!

Rating 8: One of the more unique novellas I’ve read in a long time, deftly mixing horror, fantasy, and, somehow, romance, all into one small package!

Link will go live on Feb. 26 on The Library Ladies

Sapphic romance monster horror?? Count me in! First of all, this was a riveting read. I read this in one sitting, and I think it's easy to do so, because it's well-written and intriguing. Every character has a depth to their personality, the setting is opulent, and there is a LOT of story development for the length. The writing will absolutely suck you in with its setting- and character-building. You will fall in love with the building itself, and at least a few of Pueyo's diverse individuals. I really love the monstrous designs Pueyo came up with; they're actually unique, and were some of the best, most interesting descriptions in this novella. I would read more about her Archaic Ones any day.

Unfortunately, this was not a perfect match for me. This story promised a Gothic, and it is just way too succinct to give that slow-burn, emotional feeling. I don't think every reader will count that as a negative; the style doesn't seem to be the most popular. As a lover of modern Gothic-style horror (such as The September House, Mexican Gothic, and Our Wives Under the Sea), it did disappoint me, and lowered my score. I think the mystery element that kept the story progressing also prevented it from having the weight of creeping dread that I so love in Gothic literature.

I really enjoyed my time reading this story, but I think this could have gotten a higher rating if I had different expectations. It ended up being less Gothic, less horror, and less sapphic than I anticipated, largely because it is only 99 pages. I do recommend it as a fast, interesting, exciting read. 4/5 stars.

Huge thank you to Tor Publishing Group and to Netgalley for giving me access to this Uncorrected Digital Galley / eARC for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own, and as unbiased as I could make them.

This was actually lowkey an intense read, but I came to really enjoy it. I wasn’t fully sure what I was getting myself into when I started it, but it was a quick and enjoyable read, and I enjoyed the way it wrapped itself up. The mystery and the conclusion were all really quick, so it may not be for everyone, but I’d read it again.

So this one isn’t for the arachnophobia! It’s a novella, you can easily read it in an evening. But if you’re a sensitive soul perhaps it isn’t quite bedtime reading. It’s about as close to horror as I can manage. Excellent writing though, and I couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 2/11/2025. For such a short read, Pueyo's But Not Too Bold sure gives a person a lot to chew over. Advertised as The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic, I would throw in that it is also 100% Mr Fox. No, not the Dahl one. The original English fairy tale. The catch phrase, after all, is straight from that creepy wonderful story.

But let's replace foxes with spiders (trigger warning: these are not dainty pretty spiders, brace yourself for some gorgeously otherworldly monster descriptions). Also let's add that the Spider Queen of the House, Anatema, definitely leans towards the ladies and keeps trying to find her perfect bride. If they don't measure up, well, she eats them and tries again after memorializing the lost bride as a delicately crafted doll in a perfectly recreated miniature room. Unfortunately, she just ate her Most Important Employee and now has to deal with the pretty young replacement Dália as well as finding out who has been stealing her "memories" from their locked drawers.

So the novella is part mystery, part horror, part sapphic love story which is one heck of a combination and it takes a skilled writer to balance it all. I'm delighted to say that Hache Pueyo nailed it. The fact that I am still thinking about the story days after reading it just shows the grip it exerts. It's lyrical and slightly confusing (in a good way) and quite unsettling. Human, after all, can be just as much a state of mind as a state of biological fact.

This captivating novel will enthrall readers who are drawn to dark, atmospheric, and romantic fantasy, especially those who revel in sapphic love stories, gothic horror, and LGBTQIA+ representation. The story weaves a spellbinding tapestry of love, mystery, and self-discovery, all set against the backdrop of a haunting and eerie world.

With its richly drawn characters, evocative prose, and intricate plot, this book promises to transport readers to a realm where love and darkness intertwine, and where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur. As the protagonists navigate the complexities of their relationships and confront the secrets that lie hidden within their world, readers will be captivated by the unfolding drama and the haunting beauty of the story's atmospheric setting.

This is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy, gothic romance, and LGBTQIA+ fiction, as well as anyone who appreciates a well-crafted and thought-provoking story that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

Hache Pueyo’s But Not Too Bold is sort of a Bluebeard retelling, where “Bluebeard” is in fact a massive, ancient spider-like being called Anatema. The background to the story is mostly sketched in: there are Archaic Ones like Anatema in various places around the world, though each of them is monstrous in a different way, and their works are clearly desired by others for some reason — but other than that the details are thin on the ground. Which is fine, because what matters is the setting of the Capricious House, Anatema’s home, and Dália’s role within it as she takes over from her mentor, the old keeper of the keys, whom Anatema has eaten for stealing something.

There’s a genuinely creepy, claustrophobic feeling about it all, even as Dália sails through it all. In all of it, she’s happy where she is, happy serving Anatema, and that adds a sort of “Beauty and the Beast” feel in some ways, though it’s very much not the same story, as there is no transformation or any hint of one — we’re talking “romance with a monster”, not “redemption and transformation of the monster”.

I was completely riveted, and a little creeped out, all at once. It was a lovely read.

This was fun and creepy little book that is so much more than it seems. The author crafted a mysterious and creepy little world full of impending doom, but managed to make me feel so much for the supposed monster. This book explores what it’s like to feel like you have to hide who you are from everyone you meet, to feel like you are too strange to be a part of the world but to constantly seek connection with it even though it seems futile. Anatema hides away in her attic, letting only a select few into her inner sanctum. Dalia hides in her work, feeling invisible and like she doesn’t really exist. These two women provide each other the greatest gift: they see each other and they don’t turn away.

I loved this book and I will be marking it as my staff pick the moment it arrives at my store.

Hache Pueyo's "But Not Too Bold" is a gothic novella about a young woman who works for a monstrous spider/woman hybrid who ends up eating most of her employees as well as brides they bring for her. I'm not usually the biggest fan of spiders, but the plot of this book sounded too intriguing to resist! I really enjoyed Hache Pueyo's simple and direct, but beautiful writing style. I also sometimes struggle with the pacing of short stories and novellas, but I thought that Pueyo did a wonderful job with this as well. I was also impressed with how much world building Pueyo was able to do in such a short amount of time. This is definitely a great read if you're wanting some weird sapphic horror!

3.5 Stars

What a strange little book. I don’t know what I was expecting, but a gothic tale full of sapphic romance, mystery, betrayal, and, most importantly, tarantulas was not it.

The story begins with the untimely death of the current Keeper of the Keys - accused of thievery and eaten by the lady of the house. Dália has spent most of her life knowing that she would one day take over the position, but wasn’t expecting it to be quite so . . . sudden once the time came.

Anatema is an elder being who lives on the upper floor of the estate. More human than her counterparts, she is still quick to react and will not let a slight (even an unproven one) go unpunished. She desires the company of others, taking beautiful young women as brides and servants, but ultimately devours most who cross her path. It’s hard to find love when you largely resemble a giant spider.

A lot happens in less than 150 pages. It’s a short story, and the mystery of Anatema adds to the allure of the tale. Who is she? Why is she there? I wanted answers. She is deadly, dark, and mysterious.

For the same reasons I enjoyed the novella, I had issues with it. It’s too short. I did not get enough of my questions answered. The romance felt too rushed. I would have loved to see this as a fleshed out full length novel, because I’m ultimately left unsatisfied. I just want more. (But I have the same complaint with most shorter stories, so maybe it is a me problem.)

Ultimately, though, I did enjoy But Not Too Bold. I think Hache Pueyo is a name to watch out for.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Tordotcom Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

But Not Too Bold is a haunting and immersive gothic fantasy novella, blending The Shape of Water with Mexican Gothic in a chilling sapphic monster romance. When the old keeper of the keys is found dead, Dália, her protégé, must step into the role, maintaining the locked drawers that hold the monstrous Lady Anatema’s memories. But Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a penchant for laudanum and human brides, is a deadly mistress of the Capricious House—one who consumes every lover she takes. As Dália searches for the truth behind her predecessor’s death, she must also navigate the growing tension between her duty and her own safety, knowing full well that Anatema’s hunger is as unpredictable as it is inevitable.

This novella is dripping with eerie atmosphere, its creeping dread settling in from the very first page. Pueyo masterfully weaves horror with dark romance, making Anatema a figure of both grotesque terror and undeniable allure. Even with my own arachnophobia, I was captivated by the intricate world of the Capricious House and the dangerous dance between Dália and her monstrous mistress. There’s a constant tension whenever Dália is near Anatema, a sense that at any moment, the wrong move could be her last.

If there’s one downside, it’s that I desperately wanted more—this is one of those rare novellas that could have been expanded into a full-length novel without losing any of its impact. The ending left me wanting to see what happens next, and I would love to explore more of this dark, unsettling world. Fans of gothic horror and unconventional romances will devour this in one sitting.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I struggle with rating novellas because they are so short that I don't always feel like I have a chance to really figure out the plot. Vibes though? This was amazing vibes wise. The writing was great, it felt creepy and fun and I really enjoyed it.