When a young mother feels like life is tearing her down she gets the chance of a lifetime. She gets to edit a book by the woman she idolizes. Could she finally be getting the break she so desperately needs? You will have to read to find out.

Over all I could completely feel for the storyline. Don’t we all just say “I cannot take one more bad thing!”. Don’t most of us shrug things off that drive us nuts just to have some peace? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it to anyone e who enjoys a good mystery! This is one of my favorites reads for the year.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read an early release. It was definitely a wild ride.

At the heart of this story are three women from different time periods. The point of view toggles between these three perspectives, and each one is captivating, with their own distinct voice. DeMeester managed to make it where there wasn't one I enjoyed more than the other; I was connected to and invested in all. There is this overarching connection of these women being oppressed, and "put in their place" by the men in their lives. In the two more current ones, the women belong to the same religious cult, "The Path", and there's a story of the Dark Sisters used to scare women into behaving themselves. This legend of the Dark Sisters is what weaves these three timelines together. When the connections are made, it is fantastic. The horror is slowly building--a dream that feels real, a desire to walk into the woods and scream, a seeing of something that can't be real. And then it gets really real, because that's the thing in horror, it is real. There are some graphic and gruesome scenes woven in, a subtle magic flowing throughout, and most importantly, women fighting for autonomy. I cannot stress how much I loved this book! Besides the physical and haunting horror, we see a combination of religious horror (which is turning into one of my favorite subgenres), and misogynistic horror. This book defines female rage, supporting women’s rights and wrongs, and good old witchcraft. WOW! This one is going to stay with me for a while! This is one of my favorite books of the year so far!

Massive shoutout to the author Kristi DeMeester for being kind enough to reach out to me saying she would send me an ARC if NetGalley didn't approve me.... but alas, they did! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC! Genuinely one of my favorite reads of the year so far. The book releases 12/9/25.

In a tale steeped in feminine rage, generational trauma, and eerie supernatural mystery, this novel is a chilling exploration of what it means to be a woman in a world that refuses to let women be free. Spanning centuries—from the 1700s to the 1950s and into the early 2000s—the story weaves through the lives of several generations of women living in the same oppressive, hyper-religious town: Hawthorne Springs.

Ruled exclusively by men and governed by a suffocating brand of evangelical Christianity, Hawthorne Springs is as stifling as it is opulent. The women are controlled, confined—and they keep getting sick. No one can explain why. Beneath the surface of wealth and holiness lies something darker: whispered legends of the Dark Sisters, wayward women said to lure girls into darkness. Who are they? Are they merely stories... or something more real? And why do young women keep disappearing?

The novel is equal parts supernatural horror and feminist parable, examining the toxic effects of repression and the quiet, desperate resistance that simmers beneath the surface of seemingly perfect communities. The characters are flawed, sometimes even unlikeable—but purposefully so. They mirror the truth: that light and darkness coexist in all of us.

Fast-paced and deeply unsettling, this story is a brutal and beautiful journey through the hidden corners of womanhood. The mythos of the Dark Sisters lingers throughout, a symbol of everything unnatural and ungodly—yet irresistibly powerful.

A gripping, unforgettable read that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended for fans of feminist horror, small-town secrets, and gothic mysteries with bite.

A witchy story about generational curses, misogynistic societal expectations, and the ways that the patriarchy feed off women, Dark Sisters falls into the rich horror tradition of They Drown Our Daughters, The Haunting of Alejandra, and Jennifer McMahon novels. Kristi DeMeester continues her trend of mixing horror with systemic patriarchal oppression in the best way possible..

This novel follows three parallel stories, one in the mid 1700s, 1953 and 2007. A mother, Anne, and daughter Jennifer leave their home in ancient times, worried about being persecuted as witches. Anne makes up a lie to extricate her daughter from her love interest. The escape to the woods, only to find an ancient tree that seems to infuse them with power. Unfortunately, the women suffer from a sickness often without ever getting well again. In the other time lines, we see how the woman’s power is appropriated by the religious men of the community, subjecting the community women to servitude. Camilla the pasture’s daughter unlocks the secrets of the tree, to balance the inequities of the women’s stolen power, in a dark and vengeful conclusion.

I loved the character development in the 1953 sections, the forbidden love affair, the dangers inherit in the Mary’s first tastes of hidden freedom.

The stories kept me engaged, wondering what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this novel.

4.5 stars out of 5

I loved the witchy vibe to this book, and everything is so well-written. I really liked the narrative structure of each chapter featuring one of three time periods / group of character. 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. It's not what I usually read but it was a nice change.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

"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.

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!