The Archaic Ones exist. No one knows how or why, it is enough that they are. Dália has been raised in service to the Archaic One, Anatema, a being who rules, lives in, and created the Capricious House. To this house her brides are brought, taken to the upper floors to keep Anatema company until, eventually, she consumes them, keeping their memories alive in the form of perfect replica dolls living in perfect replica rooms. Anatema is content like this, until someone steals one of her dolls.

It was no stranger who stole the bride doll — for how could a stranger get in? In her rage, Anatema kills Matilde, the woman who raised Dália as her own granddaughter, and the woman whose duties now fall to Dália. Like Matilde, Dália has become the Keeper of the Keys and will venture to the upper floors of the house to meet Anatema. Her new mistress demands that Dália find the thief, or she, too, will be eaten.

But there are so few suspects! The maids, the cook, the gardener, women Dália has known all her life, women who have no desire to rouse the wrath of the Ancient One. Time is running out, and Dália must be clever if she wishes to live.

This story is, I think, best gone into blind. (Well, unless you don’t like spiders, in which case you might not want to go in at all.) The atmospheric strangeness of this house, which is and has always been the world to Dália; the strangeness of Anatema, who is very much not human; and the almost random moments of magic and otherworldliness that fill the Capricious House are so delicately handled and given just enough description to draw the eye, but never explained, because how do you explain something that may or may not be an ancient god? Or an alien? Or something completely unknown?

Dália is not exactly brave, but she’s not afraid, either. To her, Anatema is a person who happens to be an Ancient One, a fickle, irritable, and strangely beautiful woman with eight legs and an inhuman face. Anatema speaks to her, not as a servant or friend, but as someone who is absolutely, irreplaceably important. Anatema watches Dália, studies her, commands her, and unwittingly enthralls her. Dália is captivated by the being Anatema is, wanting to help her — because the loss of he doll has hurt her — and to find out who caused her such pain.

The story has a folkloric feel, somewhere between fairy tales and mythology, and was a delight to read. The writing is smooth and efficient, and the story moves along at a pleasantly brisk pace, making this a quick and easy read. I will say that there isn’t much tension in the book, and almost no conflict … as well as no real character growth. Dália doesn’t seem to be phased by anything or desire anything; Anatema is a creature of simple wants and needs, and when those are filled, she is content.

However, I did enjoy this for what is is, and would love to both see more books from this author, and more books set in this world. The Ancient Ones are fascinating, and with so little actually revealed about them, I am left wanting more! If you’re in the mood for something a bit weird, very imaginative, and different, I strongly suggest you give this novella a chance.

The premise of this novella caught my eye, but as I read it, I found my mind wandering. How it is written and the presence of the characters wa ls not enough to hold my interest.

I don’t know what to say here. This was fine, I just don’t have any opinions on it? It was a great insight on “be bold but not fearless” and that even monsters need love but I don’t have actual thought?

Novellas are hit or miss for me, so while I don’t think this necessarily needed to be longer, I wouldn’t have been upset if it had been?

Womp womp. I DNF'd this one.
I am a huge fan of Sapphic Horror Novellas, for I find I've read several of them, but I just couldn't get into this one.
I am still very thankful to Tordotcom, Hache Pueyo, Netgalley, and other contributors for granting me physical and digital access to this one before publication day.

But Not Too Bold // Hache Pueyo

This was an interesting one! The lore of the Ancient Ones could have easily been expanded into a full length novel, but I enjoyed this little monster romance novella about trying to identify a thief. The descriptions of the house and Anathema were captivating I loved trying to imagine the visuals of everything that was going on. The plot was a secondary enjoyment for me, I was happy to follow along with the story even if I did not get fully invested. Overall, a pleasant little read for something so infested with spiders.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

holy moly this book was such a fun surprise to me! it resonated in ways i wasn't expecting, and took a number of intriguing turns in a pretty short span.

i really adored the atmosphere here: the huge, decadent house and its rules and quirks, the gothic sense of dread and dream logic, the ancient and monstrous mistress Anatema. Pueyo combines a classic folktale feel (specifically referencing Mister Fox, a variant of Bluebeard) and a mansion full of maids and cooks and a majordomo with the unique magic surrounding Anatema—endless fields of poppies, tarantulas that constantly appear, miniature memories that Anatema weaves and keeps locked away in drawers as a record of everyone she has eaten. the house is its own world that operates within and around these oddities, and to the staff none of it seems that strange at all.

Anatema herself is capricious—one assumes her home is called Capricious House for a reason—and objectively should be frightening. she's huge and spider-like in her anatomy, even though she is able to fold herself down into a more humanlike shape when she chooses, and she's deadly in her moods, constantly seeking a bride but growing angry and eating each human woman she courts. in some ways Anatema and the house and its staff remind me of Spirited Away, a self-contained and structured system where things might go very magically awry if offense is caused at the wrong moment.

but we get to see Anatema through the eyes of Dália, the new Keeper of the Keys, who has been raised in the house and so has no special fear of its mistress. through Dália's calm and curious perspective, the book becomes an almost-cozy mystery, trying to unravel a theft as Dália and Anatema get to know each other and see each other in ways they haven't been seen before. and there's a particular way in which Dália thinks of herself, or rather doesn't think of herself, with a certain detachment that felt very real to me. she doesn't know if she's pretty, she doesn't want anything grand beyond the treat of a favorite food, she isn't cognizant of any affections or attractions within herself until outside input forces her to consider these things more closely. when she does finally come to understand what she really wants, it's such a beautiful slow bloom of comprehension, so lovely and queer and familiar!

now i get why i've been seeing this book on lists everywhere, what an absolute treasure!

So, if you like things a bit weird and are good with spiders I think you should check this one out. I liked the setting and the characters, Dalia is our MC, and when the old keeper of the keys.. dies, well it's Dalia's turn. Dalia has grown up in this house knowing that someday she will be the keeper, and when her time comes she shows no fear of what's to come. And when you see what's on the third floor you'll realize how brave she is.

In the middle of her transition, she finds out her mistress has experienced a theft, and it's up to Dalia to discover who did it, or she could be next on the chopping block.

This is a weird and quirky story in the best way. I didn't find it too spooky or scary, but there were definitely intense moments that had you wondering if everyone was going to survive.

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.