Direct Descendant is a standalone cozy horror story from Canadian writer, Tanya Huff. I've been trying to read more canadian fiction lately, and this delightful queer story is set in Toronto and I just loved it!

Cassidy "Cassie" Prewitt is one of the four protectors of the Dark Force in her small town, Lake Argen. Their job is to keep strangers out. However, when one wanders literally into their world, and his wealthy family come looking for him, Cassie must work with a PI to stop an apocalypse from happening.

I've read a few cozy fantasy books, with Discworld and Legends and Lattes being my favourites, and I absolutely ate this up! Cassie is a part-time baker and part-time protector and it was a delight to see her PI, Melanie, try to work together to stop Armageddon!!! I loved watching the relationship bloom between the two of them, and I especially loved the Canadian-isms....

"Moose could be assholes" only in Canada!!!!!!

The reader is thrown into the story straight up, with the action happening practically from page 1. As much as I love a slow world building, I loved this even more!!! You eventually learn what the town is all about, and it was really interesting to read about the protectors and the Dark! Add wit, sarcasm and a healthy dose of romance and I was absolutely hooked!

If you love cozy fantasy, you need to add Direct Descendant to your Spring reading list!!!! It's the perfect book to curl up with, as we come out of the cold winter months.

A quirky paranormal romance story. Some dark elements but overall a fun and intriguing read with some good twists and turns. At times humorous and romantic as well.

3.5 stars

I'm not going to lie, I almost DNFd this book when I had no clue what was going on after 15% but I decided to give it until a quarter of the way through to see if it was worth finishing and I'm glad I did as it ended up being a lot of fun.

The initial issue I had with it (and the reason I couldn't give it a 4-star rating even though it was lots of fun) is that there was no real explanations about what was happening. You jump straight into the action, which is fine if this is accompanied by clear and understandable explanations that let you get to grips with the magic and the characters. The guest few chapters were more a stream of consciousness and all I could gather was that Cassie had some major shit going on in her life.

Things started to make more sense with the introduction of the second POV, who wasn't from the town so had no idea what was going on. From this point, Cassie's POV also started explaining a bit more too.

Once I knew what was happening, I was able to enjoy how fun and silly the book was. It really is a cosy fantasy set in modern times. While there's some horror elements, they're mostly daft so there's no real scare element. I also enjoyed the characters, all of whom were fairly bizarre in various ways.

The romance side of things was a bit meh. It was very insta-love with no real development but it was cute. You knew what was going to happen, but that ties in with cosy, which usually has a happy ending and fairly low stakes.

I would say once you make it past the initial 3 confusing chapters, this book is a good read. It kept me turning pages and I would happily return to the town in a future book.

So, I really like Tanya Huff; I grew up reading Tanya Huff, and while I don't know her as a person (hi Tanya, would love to chat someday!) I feel like I have a strong sense of the things Huff likes to write about and the tropes and topics she cares for.

About three chapters into this one I had the thought of, oh. This is a pandemic comfort write, isn't it? I did one of those myself, and at some point life is going so wild around you that you open a doc that's titled something like "Have fun with" and you throw in everything you love: whimsical small towns with weird people, eldritch horrors who are also cute and cuddly, big stakes but make it cozy, a whirlwind lesbian romance, and toss a climactic final battle in there. Make it all comfortable, though, because life is uncomfortable. When I got to the end and saw that this was inspired by pandemic-reading Jordan Hawk's Widdershins series (something I've also read all of) I think I said "Ohhh, that makes sense" aloud!

And viewing that as the goal, I think this novel works super well. It balances all those elements really nicely and makes something that feels like it'd be a lovely comfort read. It's quirky and whimsical and funny and sweet and the characters are really charming. I want to go live in Lake Argen. I'd live over the bookstore. It's that sort of read.

I think that it's a bit uneven in other ways. The dark fighting the dark felt like it wasn't fully explained by the end, and the relationship was a bit rushed; so much of the story relied on this romance to be sold to us, but because they were in lust so quickly and the entire conversation where they learned about each other was offscreened (in a "we talked all afternoon and I barely remember about what" way), I don't know if I could say what exactly they loved about each other other than their bodies. I would have preferred the backstory be given to us slowly by Cassie over the front half of the book more explicitly so THAT part could have been summed up with "I told her about x and y" and we could have seen more of them actually getting to know each other as people. I want to hear about Cassie loving Melanie's stubbornness or her intelligence or her care for children specifically because she *sees* it and hears about it and engages with it. Vice versa, I want to see Melanie loving Cassie's care for her community, and find her scattered personality charming. I believe these must be the things they loved in each other, but when we saw flashbacks or them thinking of each other, it was mostly to kissing or sex. And again, that's fine, there's nothing wrong with a sexy lesbian romance, but since the back half of the story leaned on it, I just wanted a touch more there.

But all in all, a solid read and I can see myself coming back to it as a comfort read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to DAW and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. My first foray into cozy horror, as I tend to avoid any kind of horror if possible. I admit that I have never read any Lovecraft or eldritch horror, so wasn't sure what to expect.

The story was a little hard to follow in the beginning, as the history and background wasn't really explained until later in the book. But it was interesting and had some pretty fun characters.

The sapphic romance was sweet, if a bit insta-love. If you like the close-knit, small town vibe, mixed with supernatural townsfolk and sort of cute eldritch creatures, then this is for you.

Cassie Prewitt has fairly recently become the Voice of the Dark. She's one of 4 townsfolk who have a little extra from the Dark ... whatever the town made a deal with years and years ago for protection and prosperity. Now that deal seems to be weakening, due to an unexpected sacrifice. No one quite knows what is happening, or how bad things might get, and then a private investigator shows up which only complicates things further. Especially since Cassie really likes Melanie.

At first, it was very confusing figuring out what was going on. Eventually the similarities to the Long Hot Summoning series helped me figure things out. Things were much more enjoyable after that.

By the synopsis, Tanya Huff’s new novel, Direct Descendent should’ve been everything I was looking for in “cozy horror,” but, unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. The humor didn’t land with me, at all, and it broke my immersion. I tried a couple of times to keep going, but I only ended up encountering the same issue. Ultimately, reading is subjective, so is humor, and Direct Descendent just wasn’t my cup of tea. As usual, I encourage you to check out other reviews and decide for yourself whether this book is or isn’t for you.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, thank you!

Thank you net galley for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I found myself very confused in the beginning of the book. Once I started catching on to things the book was ending. The love interest happened very fast too. Overall I feel like the book could have been a little longer to help clear things up.

3.5 stars for this whimsical little book.

I thought I was in for more of a horror-esque romp through a small and strange Canadian town, but this was definitely more cosy than I expected.

Although saying that, I did enjoy the plethora of odd characters and the weird and wonderful goings on in Lake Argen.

Everyone and everything connected well, but I would have liked more back-story surrounding certain characters and aspects (Alice, Evan?)

The only thing I wasn't particularly sold on was the romance aspect. This wasn't even fast. This was instant, and maybe it was the town's influence, or maybe it was the author adding another element. Who knows? but for me, I'd have liked more build up to Cassie and Melanie's relationship.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

A very unique story, the plot was a little slow to start but the world building made up for this, immersive and fully fleshed characters, really enjoyed this overall and would read more by this author for sure

It took me a while to get into this. Not because of the characters or the dialogue, but just because of the world-building. I would have liked a bit of a back-story a lot earlier on in the story - even up to the middle of the book. We don’t really know exactly what is going on though until very close to the end when we get the history of the town. I felt that this part made the story come together and would be interested to read the book again now that I have that information.

I liked the characters and enjoyed the quirky secondary people. The offbeat humour might not be to everyone’s taste but I was a fan.

The story is a great idea - usually a town like this would be the backdrop to a complete out and out horror story and the main outsider character would end up burning it down to the ground. This went a different way and I was here for it.

I was very intrigued when I saw this labeled as cozy horror. Sadly, it wasn't good.
I couldn't stand the characters at all. At the beginning of the book, I was confused. Once I figured out what was going on, it became very repetitive. I have a great sense of humor, but did not find this funny. It just wasn't for me.

I've read author Tanya Huff in the past - I really liked her vampire & Gale women series quite a bit, so I was interested in reading her latest attempt at the cozy horror genre in "Direct Descendant". Overall, it worked okay for me, but I did feel the pacing was off and that there were just a few too many characters, but I really did like the concept a great deal - a small, Canadian town with lots of eldritch horror elements and a sapphic romance. And the town is so cute & quite quirky. Overall, I felt it quite decent at what I think it was trying to do. My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance readers copy - very much appreciate it

This is a great romp in a small town, where magic and contracts with supernatural forces maintain the status quo. It's got excellent characters including two adorable and fierce protagonists, terrific dialogue, and perfect pacing. It's a standalone, and I liked it so much I'm going to go read more of the author's work, and lucky for there is a TON of it.

This had a great premise and an interesting love story. It took me a minute to get oriented, but Huff's world proved really engaging and her characters well-rounded.

Direct Descendant is a queer, cozy horror from Tanya Huff. I felt the story was well written but just didn’t pull me in. I need more world building and context in the beginning. Maybe I’ll come back to it in the future but for now, DNF.
Thank you to Net Galley & DAW for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This was a fun story. It's not normally my type of thing-eldritch horror but this worked. At times in the beginning, things were a little confusing but again this is eldritch horror mixed with cozy fantasy so it makes sense. Overall I enjoyed this book. This is the first time I've read this author but I'll have to look into more of her books in the future.

In the shell of a nut: Cozy, quirky, and just the right amount of eldritch nonsense.

This book was *fun.* Eldritch horror, but make it cozy (I and SO glad cozy horror is catching on!). Mystery, but make it small-town drama. Potential world-ending horrors, but make them an average weekday.

The humor was spot on—dry, casual, and made the weirdness feel so normal that I just went with it. *“I guess we’ll find out if eldritch hordes burst forth from the cellar to destroy the earth.”* / *“You seem remarkably blasé about that possibility.”* / *“I’m panicking inside.”* / *“Join the club,” I sighed. And that was Tuesday.”*

That pretty much sums up the atmosphere.

The beginning was a bit... thick? I was struggling a bit. There are a *lot* of characters, and everyone has this rambling way of talking that made them blur together a bit. I felt like things were thrown in at random and I wasnt always sure if it was to add to the vibe or just me missing someone. For example, this is in the middle of the main character talking while walking down the street. *“One of the teenagers turned around, became a third cousin on my mother’s side, and raised a questioning brow.”* No follow-up, no explanation. Maybe it’s part of the magic of it all, maybe I just missed something.

Anyway, it starts by throwing a ton at you, no easing in, just full immersion in the world. I liked that overall, even if I was lost. Others might not enjoy it. Why are the verbs capitalized? Assume magic and move on.

I *loved* the low stakes. Eldritch horror without the existential dread? Yes, please. The romance was cute, but it took over the mystery plot about halfway through. I knew Huff had a background in romance when I started, so I wasnt too surprised. My biggest romance-related complaint was that I’m not the biggest fan of insta-love. But it didn’t ruin the book for me.

So. If you need slow-burn romance, deep mystery, or super-tight plotting, this probably won’t be your thing. But if you’re down for weird small-town magic, a cozy eldritch vibe, and a sapphic love story with a side of supernatural nonsense, this one’s a good time.

A light campy cozy horror novel where the nearest eldritch horror might just be your neighbor, and a town where the god is very real - and all you need to do is make a sacrifice for it!

Direct Descendant fits right into that campy semi-serious horror genre that fits podcasts like Welcome to Night Vale and novels like The Stranger Times, and once the story took off I could see the charm.

My biggest issue with this novel was the beginning simply dumping you into the story with no buildup or anything to make the reader understand anything of what was going on - or who any of the characters were. Several times I re-checked to ensure that this actually was a standalone novel and not a “standalone but connected to another series” novel, because in many ways it felt like one. Rather than introducing the reader to the story, the location, or the characters - we are instead starting in the middle of the story, and we (the reader) have to slowly piece together who exactly everyone is, and what exactly is going on. Once this footing was found I enjoyed this novel a great deal more, but the rough start seriously made me consider DNF’ing as it was just very difficult to get into the story.

However, I did find this novel to be cute and charming, and I always have a soft spot for stories that add the aspect of “cursed town but everyone is fine with it” into it. I love stories that focus on a small group of people having insider information, where the world at large is ignorant of whatever is “actually” going on - and this town fits the bill perfectly.

When a stranger Sacrifices himself and vanishes, it sets off unexpected consequences throughout the livelihoods of everyone around. Suddenly, the agreement they have with the strange eldritch monster is falling apart, and things aren’t working as well as they used to. Compounded with the grandparent of the man who vanished, hiring a schoolteacher to nose around the town to figure out what, exactly, happened to her grandson - and the secrets of the town are about to fall apart entirely.

The romance between our two main characters I thought was cute, but it was very “lust at first sight” that made both of their insistence that this was, somehow, a relationship that they’d be together for years to come seem…unrealistic. I can understand them liking each other, and forming a bond and wanting to see where their relationship goes, but the sudden idea - after they’ve slept together once - that they were the true love of the other felt a bit shoehorned in to give romantic tension when there otherwise wasn’t any.

Overall, I did find this book not be a bad read, but the rough start, as well as the romance and some of the characterization and writing/dialogue, kept it firmly in the 3 star range for me. I enjoyed the worldbuilding of the town, and the people within it, but felt like much of the rest of the plot to be a bit shaky and not very coherent - or concrete. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of the idea of cozy eldritch/cosmic horror to give this book a try, however, and to see if you find something in it that I didn’t.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and DAW for providing this e-ARC.

Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff

A funny, creepy but cozy small town sapphic romance with eldritch horrors.

As a direct descendant of the town founders, Cassie is one of the Four chosen to protect the town and the agreement with the Dark. But when a stranger sacrifices himself and disappears into the Dark, the agreement begins to fray.

I enjoyed the story. I liked the main characters and I loved the small town Canadian setting. The dialogue was great and the secondary characters were all interesting- in fact, I would have liked a lot more of their stories. There isn’t a lot of explanation- the reader is just dropped into the action, so the beginning was a bit confusing, but the story is definitely worth continuing. I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love, although it was both sweet and clearly necessary to the plot. My favorite character was the “animal” companion that shows up midway through the book.

Definitely a fun read and I’d love to see more in this world.