This was a creepy, atmospheric read. Perfect for fall. It started off really slow and it took me a long time to get into it, The story doesn’t really take off until about 75% of the way through, but once it does- it speeds towards the end with lots of reveals and twists and turns. Overall I ended up liking it, but definitely wish it was evenly paced throughout.

What a way to end spooky season! 👏🏻 I love horror and dark romance and this was chefs kiss! I love it when you don’t know where a book is going and it just surprises you constantly. It was perfectly fast paced and kept you hooked this was exactly what I needed. The MMC dear lord can she write a good MMC. My only critique is the last 12% of the book but honestly that’s how most horror sci fi books go. Overall loved this and everyone should read it.

Thank you NetGalley for this book’

The twists and turns in this book gave me whiplash (in a good way) and I found myself speeding through the last few chapters to find out what was really going on!!!! I loved the fungi aspects and the dark academia, the tension between the student/teacher and I’m not usually a huge fan of student/teacher but this was done really really well and I was impressed. This book is dark, eerie, twisty and spicy and I think you’re gonna love it too!!!

Thank you, NetGalley for this arc!

Okay, wtf was that???? This book is unique and original. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I was fully immersed in the foggy gloomy setting of a secluded part of Vancouver Island.
The ending was so fast-paced and answered question after question that I had while reading the first 3/4 of the book.
This is a book you read to scratch a specific vibe you're going for. It's a fun creepy time.

I've been reading Karina Halle since she first started self publishing in 2012-ish. I enjoyed this book and the strange things that happened in the story intrigued me. I wasn't expecting the plot twist toward the end and honestly, I felt like I didn't understand it very well. I understood the premise of what happened but couldn't follow the timeline and the HOW of it. Perhaps that's just my misunderstanding.

It was definitely darker than some of her previous books, but I enjoyed it. I wish it had been longer to fully flesh out what happened after the plot twist.

Grave Matter
By Karina Halle
4 ⭐️

Grave Matter is the epitome of atmospheric. I cannot gush enough about the feel of this book – uber remote wilderness (obtained in a very sketchy way from the nearby indigenous tribe – that is addressed in the storyline *high five to that*) with the whole point of being there to search through the damp underbrush for fungi. I could hear the muck squish under the interns’ boots. I loved it. The story is interesting with bits of paranormal action, sci-fi – when science goes awol without regulations and very questionable morals, romance, “what!?” secrets to be revealed in the precious last 20%, and beyond.

I found it to be a really fun, creepy read. I eyeballed this one and felt it held my attention well. There were parts of the story I wasn’t loving then the ending righted my ship – I can’t say more. I’m only mentioning it to say that if your raising an eyebrow while reading this, keeeeep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Karina Halle, and Metal Blonde Books for this eARC.

4.5 ⭐️

I never thought I would fall in love with fungi horror but Grave Matter has me craving more! There is a little spicy with some BDSM elements. It is definitely a slow-burn with the pace starting off slow and a bit confusing, but by the end, everything falls into place with spore-filled clarity! I also appreciate the neurodiversity represented especially the relatability of a female with ADD.

You know how everyone was like “wtf did I just read” in regards to this book? Yeah, completely valid. I did not see the plot twist coming, which is generally unusual for me. I don’t typically go for the “professor/student” love story but this one was done well, and once you get the plot twist, it made sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I inhaled it on my flight while traveling. I like reading books from the author, though the sometimes are a hit or miss for me. Thank you for the arc and opportunity to review.

i couldn’t get into this book , and I wanted to DNF at 52% but it’s for my bookclub so I pushed through .

it did not get better. there’s random spice in places there shouldn’t be.

the characters are so immature for their ages.

the plot was supposed to be suspenseful but it was a “gotcha” plot that was put there with no real explanation or motive. I guessed some of the smaller reveals but overall unsatisfying and made me feel icky

3.5-4 Stars.
I have always enjoyed Karina's books and I knew I would like this one too. The great gothic fantasy, horror atmosphere vibes it gave off was great. The story was super interesting and kept my attention from page one. It kinda started off a bit slow but it definitely picked up and just the whole setting of this story was interesting and learning about all these certain types of "mushrooms and fungi" was different. The mysterious characters too played a huge roll in this one. Definitely a book ill remember.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grave Matter is the first book I have read by this author, Karina Halle. It follows student Sydney Denik who is starting an internship with the prestigious Madrona Foundation who are doing promising Alzheimer’s research using fungi. This research takes place on a foggy, isolated Vancouver Island. The Island and the Foundation are harboring terrible secrets, special mushrooms, and ghosts.

The book got off to a bit of a slow start, and there is a lot of detail and depth written into the story. I loved all of the science and the gothic vibes, and it left me spellbound and glued to the pages as the story progressed and sucked me in. The characters were very well written. Halle not only did a phenomenal job at creating a narrator who knows she can't trust herself, but she also kept so many pieces in play between the other characters and even the setting. The closer I got to the end, the more I was on the edge of my seat. As more and more secrets and truths were revealed, I got so anxious, and I honestly never saw coming!

The author truly has a way with storytelling. I am a huge fan of dark/horror romance, and this book definitely didn't disappoint. This book was a nice mix of all of my favorite genres: horror, mystery, psychological thriller, romance, even a little sci-fi. Very well done!

I highly recommend checking this book out! It is well worth the read and is good candidate for a book club pick or holiday book exchange! Read it, you won't be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book! It did feel like it dragged a bit from 60% to 80%, but nothing crazy bad. There were some parts that were legitimately creepy. I enjoyed the overall story and the plot twists I did not see coming! I would recommend this to people who like a bit of horror in their dark romance.


Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

This is my first Karina Halle book and I’m so excited I dove into it. I went in blind and it was a wild ride, but this is not a complaint!

In Grave Matter we follow Sydney to Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest. It’s told in first person POV.

When Sydney arrives to the island, something isn’t quite right. This book is filled with suspense, twists, gasps, and of course spice 😮‍💨

Definitely check your triggers, but if you’re good with the shopping list… buckle up!

What a wild ride... Can't decide on 3.5 or 4 stars so I rounded up.

Horror is not a genre I seek out but I like sci-fi a lot and obvi romance so I gave this a go. I've been hoping that the "formula" with romantasy would work in other genres: Roman-Si-Fi??? . I am hopeful!

For me, this definitely leaned more sci-fi than horror (good) but the romance felt forced (unfortunate). Maybe its that I was so hooked on the mystery and sci-fi of it all that when the smut would pop up, it just felt gratuitous.

It felt slow in the middle but then reeeealllly picked up in the last 25% and I think the momentum of the last quarter could have been spread out more. BUT I was super interested in the science, the setting, the ghosties, and Munawar. I also wish some of the revelations at the end could have been found out in real time in the story rather then just neatly tied in the last chapter.

Overall, I was entertained and isn't that why we read?

As always, I absolutely LOVED this book. Anything by Karina Halle never ceases to be amazing. I absolutely loved getting to know these characters and deep diving into this new world

This is the first book I've read by Karina Halle and it was AMAZING. I've never been so creeped out by a book, but this one did a number on me! I LOVED this book. The twists and turns had me wanting more!

I finished reading this book in a day and loved every second of it. With it’s PNW, cottage-core mixed with gothic vibes in an academia setting, it was the perfect fit for the fall season. The horror elements within the plot and how Kincaid was obsessed with Sydney was perfection. Loved seeing the ADHD representation. The book was beautifully written and kept me engaged. I couldn’t predict all the plot twists and turns and my jaw was on the floor by the end of the book. Definitely recommending this book for our upcoming psychological thriller book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of Grave Matter, in exchange for an honest review.

In Grave Matter, Sydney, a curious graduate student, embarks on a research program at the isolated Madrona Foundation, nestled deep in the Pacific Northwest. The location itself is so remote that much of its plant and fungal life remains a mystery to science. The Foundation, secretive and enigmatic in nature, has been conducting experiments on the local fungi—but Sydney quickly discovers that their work may be far more sinister than it appears. As she delves deeper into the strange happenings around her, she begins to suspect that the fungi might not only be affecting her mind, but possibly even bringing the dead back to life.

This novel marks a departure from Karina Halle’s usual style, blending her signature intrigue with an eerie, atmospheric setting that keeps readers on edge. Though Grave Matter is a departure from her more typical works, it still delivers on the tension and romance that fans of Halle have come to expect. With its unique plot and chilling undertones, it’s a refreshing and thrilling addition to her repertoire. I’m eager to see where she takes this new direction in future books!
4.5 Stars!

I went in blind with this book and boy was I surprised. It’s a good mix of horror, spice, mystery and a subject I never thought would interest me, fungi. Syd, our main character is an unreliable narrator and finds herself at an isolated research compound studying her the uses of fungi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. She immediately starts seeing things and becomes paranoid it’s all in her head. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, but something definitely isn’t right with this place and the people running it.

Incredible! I'd never read a horror romance, and Grave Matter has me on the search for more.

Sydney is an aspiring mycologist who wins the chance to study Alzheimer’s research at a mysterious research foundation, She arrives on Vancouver Island with a dozen other grad students and they all realize that something is off about the Madrona Foundation.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere at the Madrona Foundation. Halle is truly talented in describing the setting; I felt like I was there. The various fungi and wildlife were so *aware* and creepy and that was really enjoyable and scary. There were some moments where I was genuinely scared and the body horror felt so real.

The characters felt so real and flawed. To be honest, Sydney annoyed me at first, but I came to understand her and why she made the choices she did. Kincaid was interesting and I was worried that their relationship was going to be "insta-love", but I was really happy with what ended up happening.

This is such an atmospheric and suspenseful horror romance. I'd recommend it to horror fans, thriller fans, and romance fans alike!