"Dark Sisters" by Kristi DeMeester is a story about three different women in three different time periods.

1750:
Anne Bolton is a healer who was afraid that she and her daughter were going to be accused of witchcraft by their village. In desperation, she makes a deal with a dark entity in exchange for protection.

2007:
Camilla Burson is a rebellious preacher's daughter. She lives in a small, religious town where girls get a mysterious illness and pass away. Some in the town believe that it is the work of dark entities known as the "Dark Sisters".

1953:
Mary Shepard is a bored housewife who begins having an affair with another woman.

"Dark Sisters" is a novel about womanhood, religious trauma, women fighting against society's expectations of them, and about women taking back their power. The novel is dark, suspenseful, unsettling, and haunting. It is also beautifully written.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this amazing novel!

Loved it! If you are a fan of Once and Future witches, or the many books out there that tells a story of three independent women in three story lines along 3 different timelines, then add this book to the list. It’s has history, dark/gory scenes, magic, outcasted women, secrets and more. Every time I picked this book up, I had to read it three chapters at a time to get to all three women’s stories. Book is well written with easy to picture scenery and relatable main characters. Characters develop well and the book stays true to its theme.

3 stars. Initially I was impressed by the writing quality and settings of Dark Sisters. It was a bit hard to settle into the three timelines, especially given the overlap in one character name which I was unsure how to interpret: was this the same person and if so, it must be terribly important. This kept distracting me as I looked for clues as to it's importance.

About midway I found I didn't really find the actions of a few of the characters were sufficiently supported by their motivations. This feeling only grew as the book went on. I think it was partly fueled by the length of the book. I felt a loss of interest a good part of the time. When the very dramatic and (minor spoiler) violent end comes, this boredom led to a lack of emotion on my part, other than, well, I'm glad that's over.

Still, I think this author has a great writing voice and will give another of their books a try. Not every novel will resonate with every reader.

I absolutely loved this book! A combination of religious horror, misogynistic horror, f*ck the patriarchy, supporting women’s rights and wrongs, and good ol’ witchcraft. WOW! This one is going to stay with me for a while! I will come back for a more in-depth review, but this is in my top books of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced copy. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Kristi DeMeester’s Dark Sisters is an ambitious and unsettling novel that braids together the lives of three women—Anne in 1750, Mary in 1953, and Camilla in 2007—each struggling to reconcile their true selves with a society determined to suppress and shape them accordingly. Visions of two mutilated women, bound by a single braid and known only as the Dark Sisters, haunt these women across time, serving as both a warning and a bad omen. As the narrative unfolds, the question becomes clear: will they break free from the suffocating grip of patriarchy, or will they lose themselves entirely?

The book’s structure—alternating perspectives across three distinct time periods—is one of its strengths. It gives weight to the recurring themes of generational trauma, repression, and the cyclical nature of patriarchal control. DeMeester paces the story well, building a mounting sense of dread that lingers over every chapter. The tension is palpable, and at times overwhelming, in the best way possible.

The 1750 and 1953 storylines are the most compelling. Anne and Mary are developed with nuance and emotional depth, making their arcs both heartbreaking and resonant. Their fears and resilience feel grounded and relatable. In contrast, Camilla’s arc feels somewhat undercooked. Her rebellion against her strict religious upbringing is central to her narrative, yet it lacks a strong initial setup. The inciting incident that leads to her being sent of retreat is unclear, making her transformation harder to fully invest in—though, to DeMeester’s credit, Camilla's motivations become clearer and more convincing as the story progresses.

One of DeMeester’s great strengths is atmosphere. The oppressive weight of religious dogma, gender roles, and fear saturates the prose. The haunting imagery—especially of the tree and the bound dark sisters—is both symbolic and deeply disturbing. The novel blurs the line between reality and myth in ways that evoke a visceral discomfort, particularly for anyone who has experienced (or been unnerved by) the darker side of religious institutions.

While the themes—feminism, patriarchy, religious control, and bodily autonomy—are familiar territory, DeMeester presents them with emotional intelligence and impact. The twists are not particularly surprising, and seasoned readers of feminist horror may see the trajectory early on. However, that predictability doesn’t diminish the novel’s power. Its strength lies more in emotional resonance than shock value.

The world-building is grounded and effective. The balance between supernatural horror and real-world cruelty feels authentic, creating a chilling echo of reality. Most notably, the book captures that specific kind of dread many women feel in religious or patriarchal spaces—the subtle, creeping fear that you’re being watched, judged, or punished simply for existing.

In all, Dark Sisters is a tense, disturbing, and thought-provoking read. It's not about cheap thrills or plot twists; it’s about the slow, simmering horror of what it means to be a woman in a world that seeks to control her. I recommend this novel to readers looking for feminist horror that’s both emotionally rich and thematically unflinching.

Dark Sisters has feminine rage, witches, religious rebellion, and curses. So what’s not to love?? Unfortunately, it was super repetitive and longer than it needed to be. It started off really interesting, but it got to the point where the story was just dragging. There were chapters that didn’t feel like anything really happened. They were just kind of there. By the end, I just thought, “alrighty then,” instead of being surprised by how the timelines came together.
Don’t worry, there are some positives!! The world-building is great. You really get a sense of what living in The Path is like. The women in the three different time periods each have their own distinct voice. You can tell the author put a lot of work into fully developing each main character.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I finished Dark Sisters 10 days ago and I am still thinking about it. It deals with the fear of witchcraft, a mother's love, homophobia, misogyny, religion and religious oppression. Oh, and don't forget feminine rage! There's plenty of that thrown in to the mix of the ugliness that is life in Hawthorne Springs.

Kristi DeMeester interweaves the lives of Anne, Mary and Camille seamlessly. Three women who, through different circumstances, are not free to be who they are. The men of Hawthorne Springs hold all the power and women are thought of as less than. They are meant to be pretty and subservient. Nothing more. Each of the three women have an amazing story to tell and their voices are unique. We shift back and forth between the time periods in a very flowing way. Anne heals the sick and is deemed a witch. Mary is the quintessential housewife who has a forbidden love affair with a woman. Then there is Camille who fights the patriarchy and tries to break the curse that befalls the community.

Dark Sisters is the perfect combination of horror and historical fiction. I am always blown away with an author that can write three different timelines and make it all come together so beautifully! **Chef's Kiss** This book will be under my Christmas Tree this year. A gift to me from me.

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester completely consumed me from the first page. I went into this blind never having read anything by this author, but knew from the blurb it was for me. I found myself compulsively turning pages, unable to break away from its eerie pull. DeMeester’s mastery of atmosphere is undeniable — each scene pulses with tension, thick with dread, vivid locations and quiet fury. It’s not just that I couldn’t stop reading; it was that I didn’t want to.
The story unfolds through three distinct points of view across different timelines, covering multiple generations of women, each one deepening the emotional impact and adding layers to the mystery. The shifting narratives created a rhythm and keeping me fully immersed in each character’s world, and DeMeester handles the transitions with such precision that it never once pulled me out of the story. If anything, it made me more invested — eager to see how each thread would eventually weave together – and when it did – holy smokes.
And at the heart of it all are the women. Fierce, wounded, searching — each of the female protagonists had me in their corner from the beginning. Whether they were trapped in the grips of a suffocating cult or navigating who they are and what their purpose is, I rooted for them with everything I had. Their pain was palpable, but so was their strength, and watching them fight for autonomy, understanding, and connection was as cathartic as it was harrowing. Dark Sisters is horror, yes — but it’s also a dark and haunting story for women who refuse to disappear.

Set to publish December 9, 2025



Dark Sisters is haunting in all the right ways. Kristi DeMeester weaves the lives of three women, each trapped in their own time and system, into a story that never lets go. What starts as quiet discomfort grows into something feral and raw. It is not just horror. It is familiar.

The writing is layered without being confusing. The shift between timelines is smooth, and each perspective brings something unique to the table. The horror here is not about monsters or shock value. It is about control, silence, and what it takes to finally break free.

More than anything, this book made me think about how isolating it can be to carry pain passed down through generations. There is something deeply personal in how these women move through the world, how they survive it, and what they are willing to risk to change it.

This one will stay with me. If you are drawn to stories about legacy, rage, and the strength it takes to say "enough," Dark Sisters is worth your time.

Thank you to Kristi DeMeester, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"There were other moments-- holding ice in her hand until its winter burn was too much; yanking a few strands of hair from the back of her head where no one would see; a safety pin in the soft flesh of her inner arm. A sum of all her small sins laid bare on the altar of her body."

This was an excellent embodiment of female rage and the tyranny of purity culture. I really appreciated that each of the three narratives had its own voice and tone, and the reveal of the purity ritual was absolutely skin-crawlingly disgusting. This was the perfect balance of horror, rage, and women biting back.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Dark Sisters tells the story of 3 women, separated by decades and hundreds of years a part, all connected by one mysterious powerful force.
Anne – being persecuted for witchcraft in the 1700s, Mary – living in the shadows of her husband in the 1950s unable to live her truth, be who she truly is, wanting to love who she wants to love, and finally Camilla in the early 2000s – the rebellious teen of the town’s well to do pastor, frustrated in her surroundings and mystery; she is determined to figure out what everyone is hiding and what is the true story of the Dark Sisters. Is this just an old legend told to keep the women in line or is there something more sinister at play? All 3 stories plays a crucial role in this slow burning story of legacy and what it means to be separated by generations but having an unbreakable bond. What is ultimately discovered is an ending no one was ready to unleash.
This was a 4*read, thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the E-Arc and the chance to review it!

You give me horror, historical fiction, feminist rage and oppressed women and I am in!
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It did take me a minute to get into it but once I did (and I'm glad I kept reading), I was in for the themes and the three timelines journey.

I would read this author again!

I loved this book more than I expected. It was dark and twisted, but oh so beautiful! Each page kept me wanting more and more. I was very satisfied with the ending and can’t wait to add this to my libraries shelf!

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester spans three centuries in the cursed town of Hawthorne Springs, following women who fall prey to a mysterious illness when they step out of line—boils in their mouths, teeth falling out, the whole gruesome package. The setup has potential: Anne Bolton makes a dark bargain in the 1700s, Mary Shephard has a forbidden affair in the 1950s, and Camilla Burson questions her preacher father's congregation in 2007, all connected by this sinister legacy. DeMeester clearly knows her way around body horror and feminist rage, and the concept of generational curses tied to female rebellion should have been right up my alley. But despite all the right ingredients—witch trials, religious hypocrisy, queer longing—the execution felt sluggish and overly heavy-handed with its themes. The multiple timelines never quite clicked for me, and by the time the big revelations arrived, I was more relieved to be done than genuinely surprised.

Thank you, Netgally and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, Dark Siaters is out September 12th, 2025


The premise of this book is why I picked it. I love stories that are dark and focus on women, and this hit both on the head. Cut between three different time lines, 1751,1953 and 2007, the story and the mystery of what the Dark Sisters are unraveled at a decent pace. The book was a fast read, but when things clued in, I couldn't put it down. hearing lore dump in the 1953 setting and then hearing more clues in the other time lines or vice versa really worked! When we find out what the purity ball is, I want to gag!!!! This story also made me really sad for women and women today who are still under the thumbs of their husbands, fathers, and other men in their lives sometimes. What Anne and Florence go through in the 1700s still happens now. What the "Retreat " stands for still happens

"So many women who've tried to escape only to bleed" really stood with me. It still rings true in 2025. Going into this book I assumed it would be gory, gross more like a horror movie but it was just a different type of horror, the horror of men and feeling helpless and of society you can't escape. This book was very much a "good for her" vibe. I really enjoyed this book and I think it will stay with me a while for sure. if you are a fan of The VVitch or Slewfoot or other type of witch books, I highly suggest checking it out!

This story was epic. It was a tale told in three different timelines - the 1700's, the 1950's and the early 2000's. The story told of the women made one realize that the more things change the more they stay the same.

There is no such thing as women's rights. If there were they would simply be called 'rights'. The control has been and is still in the hands of men. The amazing story points out with magical realism just some of the ways that men and religion control women.

Kristi DeMeester tells such a well crafted story. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read this early. Thank you also to St. Martin's for publishing another amazing book.

Highly Recommended.

I love books with multiple / overlapping characters and storylines and this book delivered!!

It fed my Halloween and spooky season need in the middle of the summer — just what I needed ☺️

Thank you thank you thank you SMP and NetGallery for the ARC!

I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC copy in exchange for my review.

I read it in one day. It was THAT good. This is "The Grace Year" older, more mature, darker sister (see what I did there?). To Kristi DeMeester : I love you I love you I love you.

Holly Collins

*Dark Sisters* by Kristi DeMeester is a haunting, genre-blending novel that intertwines horror with themes of feminine rage and empowerment. Spanning three timelines—it follows three women who confront a generational curse, each battling societal constraints and reclaiming their power. The narrative is both eerie and poetic, offering a visceral reading experience that lingers long after the final page. With its rich storytelling and atmospheric tension, *Dark Sisters* is a compelling choice for readers seeking a thought-provoking and chilling tale. I highly recommend.

I story with different POV and in different time lines coming together for a cathartic ending.
I really liked it!

#NetGalley