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Dark Sisters is a brilliant and captivating novel which weaves together the stories of three different women from three different timelines and quite beautifully creates a generational connection. This is the story of these three women, but also the story of all women who are expected to meet impossible standards. It explores religion, oppression, misogyny, sisterhood, the patriarchy, homophobia, and more while artfully illustrating how power in women creates fear in men. I loved the theme highlighting the need to acknowledge all of the parts of oneself, both light and dark, to be whole, strong, and impactful.

This novel is a most certainly horror and very witchy. I would love to say it is completely fiction and historical for a society that has evolved and progressed, but sadly…here we are. Nonetheless, this is a great outlet for feminine rage!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristi DeMeester for this free digital book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Sisters is a multi-generational horror novel that blends historical fiction with feminist rage in a way that feels both timely and timeless. Spanning three centuries, it follows Anne, Mary, and Camilla—three women bound by blood, magic, and a curse that refuses to fade. Each story is distinct yet echoes the same core themes: defiance, desire, and survival.

The writing is lush and vivid, with just the right amount of horror—psychological, supernatural, and societal. Anne’s storyline is especially gripping, and Camilla’s arc brings everything together with a sense of urgency and purpose. The pacing slows a bit in the middle, and occasionally the timelines blur in ways that feel more disorienting than intentional, but the payoff is worth it.

This is a book about women who refuse to stay quiet, even when the world tries to silence them.

A powerful, atmospheric read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

ARC Read: Yes, thank you to St Martin’s Press for the ARC!
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Mystery/Thriller
Content Warnings: religious trauma, body horror, the patriarchy
Rating: 🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆 / 🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆

Oh, boy. This novel was definitely a conduit for feminine rage, and as an ally, I’m here for it. Each of our main characters had to carefully navigate extremely overbearing religious institutions not built to celebrate or cultivate women other than to be baby factories, which got my spidey-sense not so much tingling as bursting my head wide open. There were so many instances where I wanted to reach through the pages and repeatedly punch most of the male characters in the face, which is a testament to Kristi DeMeester’s descriptive skill.

Overall, this novel is a perfect example of why people should try way harder to tend to themselves instead of forcing their waiys of life onto unwilling others.

Let’s break it down by era (and we’re going deep into spoiler territory here, so abandon all hope, ye who enter here):

Anne, 1700s: Anne’s story was very sad, proof that even if your intentions for others come from a place of love and care, it doesn’t mean the path you take to get there is the right one. Her daughter was unwilling to accept her mother’s teachings, doubling and tripling down each time another bump surfaced. It wasn’t until the very end of their lives that she saw through the tyranny the religious zealots were causing, a realization that came way too late.

Mary, 1950s: Another extremely sad tale for everyone involved. The 1950s were a horrible time for women not interested in the family unit fantasy, and especially for LGBTQIA2S+ folks in a religion-majority town. My wife and I discussed this at length during my read of this novel, as I kept bringing up segments for us to talk about. At the beginning of the story, it seemed Mary’s husband Robert was an innocent in all of this, as he did not force her into the marriage, nor to have their daughter, and seemed to love them both dearly. However, as the story progressed, his 1950s head of household stigma came in full force, and again, though he may have felt he was acting out of love and care for his wife and family, he caused way more damage than any good he thought he was doing with his words and actions. And what a heartbreak for Sharon, Mary’s love interest who just gets her world shattered as well, and Vera, who had to deal with the male religious control fantasies in both of these modern-era tales.

Camilla, 2000s: I grew up in North Texas, home to one of the biggest “prosperity preachers” in the world. The far-reaching parallels of his empire and how Camilla’s father treated wealth and his church were scarily accurate. And brainwashing camps, a.k.a. “Retreats,” are very real and frightening. Camilla’s religious rebellion was written well, and though petulant at times (she was a teen, after all), her maturity in the face of all that was happening was a welcome surprise.

The ending itself was very satisfying for me, as I found myself getting more and more furious every time Camilla uncovered more (and we got more context through the other stories). That’s all I’ll say on that front to avoid full-blown spoilers.

Feminine rage and historical fiction just go together beautifully. I can’t wait to hold the physical copy in my hands because I wanted to hug the story at times.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy!
Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester is a fun, witchy read. The story follows three women, one in the 1700s, one in the 1950s and the other in 2007, who all have connections to the story of the Dark Sisters. No one quite knows who or what they are, but the women in Hawthorne Springs have always fallen ill and been drawn to a mysterious tree to die. And there's something strange and sinister that the men are involved in, specifically within The Path, an ultra-religious and misogynistic church.
This book combines dark themes of magic and witchcraft with real life themes of the patriarchy and antiquated gender roles, as well as themes of homophobia and religious cults.
I really enjoyed reading this and liked how the stories intersected, as well as the challenges the women faced. And it was interesting to see how it all unfolded in the end.

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester is a feminist horror story full of sacrifice, rage, and lots of blood.

Set in three different timelines, Dark Sisters follows a curse through time as unsuspecting women are called to reclaim their power with the help of malevolent spirits. In the 18th century, Anne Bolton is a healer who lives in a village with her daughter who is about to be betrothed. Fearing for her safety, Anne decides to make an evil bargain in order to protect her and her daughter. The bargain lives on, cursing and awakening women for centuries. In the 1950s, Mary is a bored housewife who begins an illicit affair that threatens her safe and acceptable life. In the 2000's, Camilla is the controlled daughter of a preacher who uncovers the unholy secrets of her father's congregation. Each generation of women will be visited by the evil bargain that had bound them together through pain and blood.

Dark Sisters is a creepy story that contains Faustian bargains, blood sacrifice, and black magic. It uses these occult topics to explore female agency and feminine rage. Anne, Mary, and Camilla each experience the oppressiveness of the patriarchy as they try to embrace who they truly are. The lines were smudged between what is a curse and what is a gift, challenging the balance between light and dark. What does it mean to embrace your true essence, that part of yourself that has been conditioned away? What if you awakened your power, how would it transform your life? The story had a spine tingling quality with a shocking twist at the end that I did not see coming. This book offers a dark exploration of female power and male control, utilizing nature and its raw untamed magic to transform each character in this story to an empowered version of herself.

This is the most sinister story I have read about witches in a very long time.

I liked this was about women overcoming the opression they encounter and how it shows up on different ways through the centuries. With that being said i was really drawn to one of the three stories and the other 2 bored me a little. I wanted to love it more then i did

Kristi DeMeester has masterfully woven a tale of bone-chilling horror, religious oppression, and the supernatural that instantly draws you in and doesn't let go. Dark Sisters explores three interwoven narratives following very different women, who battle against patriarchy and religious oppression to reclaim their right to exist - not as puppets or trophy wives, but simply as women.

I made the mistake of cracking this open as a bedtime read, and absolutely had to finish it in one go. Would wholeheartedly recommend to fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Witch!

First, I want to thank Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the eArc! This is my own honest review.

I felt like this book was so many genre's in one, yet beautifully written. I really liked it. The way it was written with dual timelines caused there to be the right amount of tension. As a woman, the disturbing themes of religious and patriarchal oppression was a bit heavy and frustrating. Especially when seen being practiced by other women. I liked the strong message this book gave of how healing should be looked at and how to tackle it rather than pretending it doesn't exist.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. I loved it. I grew up in a strict religious home, received a purity ring, and have felt all the female rage that comes with these things. So much of this book rang true for me, and honestly healed me. We are so lucky to be able to read books that speak to us directly and make us as readers feel so seen. I plan to buy a physical copy of this once it is released. Really really highly recommend- female rage, bits of horror, and religious oppression make for a non stop page turner.

This book is a masterpiece. Infuriating, timely and scary, I was enthralled from the first page and it didn’t let up until the final word. This is a book that will have everyone talking and it should. Far more than just a book about the injustices done to women across the history of this country, it’s a testament to their strength and resilience. Just such a fantastic book.

This was a great book. I was given an advanced reader copy through NetGalley. I love books like this that twist a story through multiple generations. DeMeester did a great job with each of the three time periods in this book. Each generation had it's own issues but there were overlapping themes to tie everything together. While the book does flip back and forth through the three stories, you won't have difficulty following. At its core this is a ghost story mixed witchcraft that affects each mother and daughter a little differently and it helps you learn why each pair make the decisions they did.

Amazing!!! I loved every part of this book! When I wasn’t reading it, it was all I could think about! Amazing story line, characters and overall the writing was great. This is one book I wish was longer because I wanted more. I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait until December to read it! I’ll definitely be thinking about this book for a while.

Oooh this is a good one. This is something I truly would love to reread during fall or while camping in the summer idk. It’s eerie and I’m so here for it.
Had me hooked from the start. The change of storyline/timelines kept me entertained and wanting to get through it faster!!

What a dark slow burn twisty novel. I enjoyed the plot and felt it was original with interesting characters that kept you wanting more.

I loved this beautifully written feminist horror novel that explores the lives of Anne, Mary and Camilla through three timelines connected by blood, In more ways than one. Kristi DeMeester does an amazing job of weaving together a story of ancient magic, repression and the subjugation of women by the religious patriarchy. As each one of these women fights to escape her bonds and shape her own destiny, I found myself cheering for them. This novel also reminded me of the fact that women are at their most powerful when they are lifted up and supported by other women.

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester is a chilling, beautifully written feminist horror novel that spans three timelines, connecting the lives of Anne, Mary, and Camilla through a legacy of repression, resistance, and dark magic. Set against the backdrop of religious control and generational trauma, the story explores the horrors women face under patriarchal rule and the strength they summon to fight back.

DeMeester’s prose is lyrical and immersive, blending supernatural elements with emotional depth. With themes of identity, forbidden love, and defiant power, Dark Sisters is both unsettling and empowering—a must-read for fans of feminist horror and historical fiction.

Fierce, haunting, and unforgettable.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this advanced copy!!

I actually found this title while perusing GoodReads about a month ago and was anxiously waiting till December to get my hands on it. The blurb, the cover all of it drew me in instantly.

This was my first approved book since joining this site and wow did we start off strong. DeMeester created one of the most unique feminist horror filled books I’ve read so far. The entire plot of following 3 different women’s life in completely different timelines was SO fun for me. I never once got bored of any of their stories playing out.

I genuinely would not have cared if this book was 200 more pages. I want to know so much more about how we went from Point A to Point C. I want more lore! I want more horror! This was AMAZING, and the radicalized religion was written perfect in my opinion. It’s not everyday you read about the true horror of what religion is for so many people and it was executed in the most chefs kiss way in Dark Sisters and gave us some female empowerment at the same time. I can’t praise it enough. Thank you thank you thank you!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

A reminder of why I don't like men... This book will definitely get you worked up.

Unfortunately, about halfway through I found my interest dwindling on all three timelines. The timeline I cared the least about (a teenage girl in 2007) got the most attention. I'm all for the toxic culture of purity balls but wish this one had played out differently.

Also, I will forever hate men being written to say 'ew' when periods are discussed, even if it's a critique. The teenage friend would have been a perfect character to get away from that stereotype with.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This story mixes magic, horror, and historical fiction. It dives into the ways women have been oppressed throughout history, and how society continues to benefit from that. I really liked how it didn’t shy away from showing how women have been stripped of their power, and how there's still hope for taking that power back. Dark and twisted throughout.