"The fen belongs to itself. Like us, it protects its own. It is a force like no other. It has no mercy."

Have you ever had this experience of waking up from a dream, where you remember you sort of remember its ghostly outlines, but not enough to grasp what it was fully about? Maybe you remember it was a pleasant dream, or maybe there was something ominous about it, yet when you try to return to that memory, it’s just out of reach. That feeling is very close to what I felt after finishing Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens.

The story follows a young Romany woman’s life in a seemingly idyllic mining town that hides its secrets just below the surface. Orchid finds solace in a lush orchid fen where she doesn’t fear the villager’s judgement. Here, she meets not only her future husband Jack, but a group of “panni raklies”; the spirits of dead girls that haunt the waters in which they were murdered. Through them, Orchid learns they history of the town; one filled with violence inflicted upon the girls and the lands alike, in pursuit of profit. As her own desire for revenge intwines with that of the panni raklies, it becomes clear that all roads will lead to eventual blood in the waters...

Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens is told in lush prose and extremely short chapters, often not even a full page long. It adds to the distinct and ephemeral atmosphere I described at the start of my review, but it can also keep the reader from fully connecting to the story as a result. When you have imagery and language this slippery, it becomes hard for the story to stick, and I fear the novel will lose some readers here, regardless whether that was intentional or not.
For me personally, there were many elements to the book that I loved. Part folklore, part eco-fiction, coming-of-age with a ghostly touch, and all told through almost poetic prose: that’s basically a listing of my readers-catnip. Yet the intangibility of some of the images, the short chapters and the lack of character development in our protagonists kept me at a distance. The story never stuck with me, and whenever I put it down, I felt a little lost trying to pick it back up again.

I adore Stelliform Press and love how they publish eco-fiction that’s just a little outside the mainstream. I have yet to have a full miss with them. Yet with Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens, I can’t help but feel like I wanted to love this more than the sum of its parts, and I didn’t.
If dreamlike fiction with an ominous tone is your vibe, I recommend checking out this novel, or any of the previous works by Stelliform Press for that matter. I’m a big fan in general.

Many thanks to Stelliform Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Hutchinson Lee, and Stelliform Press for giving me a copy of this book.

Content Warnings: Death, Murder, Self-Harm, Minor Gore, and Racism.

"Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens" by Lynn Hutchinson Lee is now a new favorite book in my library. The story is about a Romany woman named Orchid, who lives with her overly critical mother in a small, Canadian town called Carminetown. Orchid falls in love with Jack, one of the men who works in the local goldmines, and marries him surrounded by nature. That's the thing with the two of them; they fell in love over orchids and the orchid fen. It is their special place. It is where their hearts join.

The fen and nearby river are also haunted by a group of woman and girls who have been murdered over the history of the town. They are driven by revenge, ghosts of those who were wronged. They call to Orchid, begging her to help them. Begging her to end their plight.

"Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens" is told through a series of short chapters. Some of these chapters are text messages, poems, information on fens and orchids, or in normal prose, giving the overall narrative a sort of dreamy feel. Some chapters are disconnected, more thoughts than substance, but that's part of the feeling, the emotion of the overall piece. In exploring the thoughts of the main character, Orchid, as well as her connection with the women in Carminetown, her beloved Jack, her mother, and the Earth itself, Lynn Hutchinson Lee crafts a thoughtful, powerful, and enchanted narrative about the strength of community, love, and trust.

I sincerely loved this novel. I wish it could be longer, however; I will note that the ending is a bit abrupt considering the pace of the rest of the novella. Many of the names in the book were similar to other names as well, making it a bit difficult for me to keep track of the numerous characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend this novella to anyone looking for a solid, if not short, read.

I am in awe. The writing was so evocative and emotional. I felt like I knew Orchid Lovell on a deep, cellular level. Her psyche, her peculiarities. I was immediately sucked into her world and perspective. This story was beautiful and heart wrenching in a subtle, almost intimate way.

The Romany culture and spirituality is woven into the story so beautifully. I don't know much about Romany beliefs and practices, but this book has truly sparked deep interest to know more.

The format of this book was very interesting. It was a bit confusing at first because there were SO MANY chapters, but after a couple of the vignettes, I got used to it and was able to become fully engrossed in the story. The short chapters really helped to pace the book, and give it that dreamy tone. It also helped me understand Orchid and the way she was processing the events in her life.

I would probably consider this book ecological horror in a way. The horror is subtle, but there were still moments I was biting my fingernails, afraid for Orchid or Jack or the panni raklies. The ecological emphasis was both daunting and inspiring.

In general, I truly, genuinely, was in awe and fascinated by this book. I was utterly enraptured by it and the different emotional and spiritual facets.

Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens – Lynn Hutchinson Lee
Lush, atmospheric, and brimming with longing, this novel paints a rich portrait of desire and self-discovery. Lee’s prose is intoxicating, immersing readers in a world where emotions are as wild and untamed as the natural landscape. A beautifully written exploration of love and identity.

Thank you net galley and Stelliform press for providing this early read in exchange for an honest review. Magical realism is one of my favorite themes and I was roped into the novella right from the start. This first-person narrative is engaging and declarative in its tone to aid readers through a difficult journey. The lyrical prose brought the vivid imagery to life and felt like I was watching a movie through print. The metaphors amplified the reading experience that I had to continue reading. We, the readers experience everything through the protagonist and her rich dialogue.
The citations at the end of chapters broke me away from the story each time and I would prefer this as footnotes and/or saved for the end section of the novel. However, with this being about climate change I understand the purpose of needing these references. This serves as a great allegorical warning of climate change and how this is exerted through Romani oppression and experiences.

This book is beautifully written but there were several time where I thought "wait, what's going on?". There was a lot of random things happening that didn't tie into the plot and a lot of plot holes happening. The resources chapter I thought was a mistake at first. That was really confusing. The basic underlying story, I really enjoyed. All the other stuff, I was getting lost and confused

The prose in this story is dark, lyrical, and seductive. I loved it. I loved the danger that lurked in every corner, the panni raklies and their vengeance from beyond the grave, Orchid's deep connection to the fen. I'm excited for what this author will go on to write.

Love, hurt and ecological revenge. Beautiful. Tactile.

Fragmentary: dreamlike, thrown beyond itself. Featuring (fragmentary) fictive academic bibliography: a technique I love, love love.

Lynn Hutchinson Lee seems to have been mostly writing short stories so far and Orchids shows a kind of sensibility towards the craft that is (more commonly, better) suited to shorter fiction: economical, masterly emotional, punchy, if a bit vague.

Beautifully written, this novella absolutely sings. Dreamlike and surreal, it tells the story of a community, particularly its women, fighting back against a corrupt mining company and the effects on both the people and the environment. It absolutely takes a hold of you with its characters and doesn't let go. Highly recommended.

This was really lovely!

The prose was beautiful, very dreamlike. I’m noticing a lot of “nothing can ever be the same again” in books that I’ve been reading recently, and this is very much part of this novella. I find it somewhat comforting that I am not alone in grappling with this concept.

The relationships in this were incredible as well, particularly between Orchid and her mother, as well as Orchid and Jack. Orchid and her mother particularly got me; I think that’s just what being close to your mom is like sometimes. It was well-paced, just as long as it needed to be. I would love to read more from this author and publisher!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Title & Author: Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens by Lynn Hutchinson Lee

Diversity and Representation: OwnVoices Romani, woman, Canadian

Genre: literary fiction, magic realism, speculative fiction (horror/fantasy)

Length: Novella

Publisher: Stelliform Press (indie)

Pub Date: 4/21/2025

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Notable Quote: "Girls and women and the land, it's all the same to the Galvestons, the panni raklies sing."

Read this if you enjoyed: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

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First line: "The orchid arranges her flower in the image of the pollinator she desires, whether bee, wasp, moth, or fly. The petals- fleshy, succulent, x-rated- can be rolled in, bruised, or caressed."

Summary (spoiler free): Orchid is a young Romani woman hiding her heritage in Carminetown, a rural, Canadian gold-mining center surrounded by water. A river, and a fen. It's a town with an undercurrent of violence- particularly towards women. So many that their spirits inhabit the waters as vengeful sprites, or "panni raklies."

That's not the only strange thing about this town. Orchid once saw a young boy seemingly born straight from the fen. As an adult, Jack, he seems to be the only man the panni raklies don't immediately turn their vengeance upon. Orchid and Jack fall in love, violence erupts due to corruption and expansion of the local mine, and Orchid's relationship with the water sprites becomes even stranger. And more ruthless.

_ _ _ _ _

This is my first 5-star read of this year, and it was a treat. Its chapters are short, ranging from 1-5 pages long, and this helps you speed through despite the dense writing. And it is dense. Heavy in abstract imagery, symbolism, and local and Romani colloquialisms, this novella is best enjoyed slowly. Some chapters may require a re-read, which is facilitated by their short length. The writing is beautiful; it is essentially prose poetry arranged into a narrative, and giving it your full attention to fall into the rhythm of its prose is essential.

While I do not have much experience or knowledge of the Romani diaspora, Hutchinson Lee's writing painted a vivid, understandable, and empathetic picture. Orchid and her mother's fear connected to their Romani heritage being found out is ever-present, lending an urgent and dread-filled backdrop to the lyrical prose.

Just as deeply felt is the linking of nature with women, female friendships, and safety. The orchid fen is a place of love, desire, and authenticity for the Romani family feeling alienated everywhere else. It is a home for the spirits of abused young women where they find support and companionship. It is also the target of corrupt men who treat nature and women much the same way- to be used, dirtied, and discarded. The men who are safe- Jack, seemingly literally born from the fen, the caring husbands of Indigenous women- are ones who respect and protect nature, just as they respect the women in their lives.

This is a book that will stick with me for quite a long time. If you enjoy quick, poetic reads with themes about motherhood, environmental justice, and community, give it a read!

Written in what feel like short bursts, Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens is a hybrid novella of mixed genre, it feels experimental, comprised of prose, poetry, encyclopedia definitions, mobile phone conversations and excerpts of non-fiction environmental texts.
It tells the story of Orchid, a young Romany girl living in Carminetown with her unwell mother. On one side of town Nurses Creek, known to be the resting place of the river spirits; the ‘Ruskalkas’; the panni Raklies; the dead girls who have not been forgotten by the town and are waiting for revenge their chance at revenge. On the other side of town is the Orchid Fen, a place of quiet beauty, loved by most who live in the town.
Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens is at once a horror story of what happens when dead girls start calling, a love story and a piece of environmental commentary that considers the results of greed and corruption in the mining industry. I could not put it down and sat turning pages well into the night.

This wasn't my favorite infestation book. I felt like compared to some of the others this just didn't have as much to offer. I usually really enjoy spore type horror and I didn't hate this or anything but it just fell sort of flat for me. Overall this was a good but not great.

I love orchids, so that title and synopsis by Lee combined with the incredible cover art by Jay Rasgorshek had me in a chokehold.

This is a darkly dreamy and atmospheric story. Short chapters, sometimes oddly styled prose, but totally enthralling. I felt like I was in the warm and muddy marsh waters at times and could picture myself as a bystander in many scenes.

I would’ve liked a tale more grounded in reality and less surreal, though, it was a beautiful read. The horror elements were more subtle, in varied creeping forms, so read this tale for all its elements, not just for fear inducing moments.

“In the fen there’s light. There’s life. Whirring air, shifting islets, motes of morning light on transparent wings, a haze of green things unfurling and opening to the sun. I’d rather be at the fen, that place where the laws are true, real, embedded in the underground networks humming from root to root.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Stelliform Press for a copy.

This book was amazing! I'm a sucker for eco-horror, and this one did not disappoint. The story follows Orchid, a young Romani woman living in a Canadian mining town, and her struggle with racism, an ailing mother, and a money-hungry mine owner. Lynn's beautiful writing made me feel so much.

I loved the summary of this novel “dead female spirits in the creek take revenge against the men who killed them” umm YES PLEASE!

To be honest, I was a bit confused when I first started this novel and at times the narrative was difficult to follow unless it picked up again in a new chapter with the storyline I was familiar with.

But when the narrative resumed, I was very engrossed in the characters. I loved the FMC and her storyline, but I did feel as if this story was more creepy and somewhat thrilling rather than scary and horror-ish. So I would’ve liked a bit more darkness.

Also, I wasn’t a fan of the super short chapters, and I did feel that this didn’t help with the flow of the story. And, if anything, the short chapters just made me more confused because of how jumpy and back and forth the story seemed to be and these chapters (and confusion) took me out of the story more than I would’ve liked.

However, the short chapters had absolutely no bearing on the lyrical and atmospheric prose of this book. I absolutely loved the ode to nature and the outdoors and its inherent beauty, which was very evident in the writing. It was beautiful,

I had no idea what to expect from this book, and that made it a completely wonderful experience for me as a reader. This book has such a wonderful dreamlike quality to it, that I was sucked in immediately and found this story of a Romany girl and her difficult mother to be fascinating and emotionally effective. The short vignettes that make up this book add to the feeling of being memories as much as it's an actual story. This is an author that I will definitely be on the lookout for in the future!

Love the short chapters.

I found the writing was really nice but it often made it hard to follow the plot so I definitely lost the thread a few times. I wouldn’t really call this horror - it had a few unsettling moments but otherwise can’t really see how it earned the horror tag.

Put this on your radar!

Obviously, the title and the cover of Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens really drew me in. Then I read: “Written in over 100 dreamy mini-chapters, this novella explores the tenuous reality of the Romany diaspora living in troubled times on troubled lands.” Sold.

This is a story of Orchid, who finds comfort in the fens (wetlands) of her new town. Orchid is struggling to balance her relationship with her sick mother, her relationship with her new husband, and her connection to nature, especially to the spirits that live in the fens.

I really enjoyed Lee’s effortlessly flowy writing style. The book as a whole was effectively gloomy and atmospheric, which I love. I found Orchid to be a relatable and lovable character and I felt for her trying to balance everything in her life.

Thank you to #SFWA and @NetGalley for this #eARC!

I absolutely loved this book so much I couldn't put it down, and I read it in one sitting. I cannot wait to read more of her stuff as I was drawn in from the beginning. Great storytelling and relatable subject matter make this one that I'll definitely be recommending to friends.