4.5 stars rounded up

S T Ashman is definitely on my go to author list. I loved her first 3 books and loved this one as well.
You can’t stay is very different to her other 3 books but definitely lived up to the others. It was dark and twisty from the beginning and kept me gripped there was so much going on throughout the book which kept me engaged all the way to the end.
I hope S T Ashman releases another new book soon because I will definitely be picking it up.

that book heald my heart for the entire book. it was so much more than i thought it would be. i have no idea but as soon as i came across this book i got this darkened doom feeling, in all the right ways for a book i immediately want to read. and as i read further and you learn about a few of the topics in the book i was almost asking myself whether this had indeed been giving off a "feeling" ha!
there is sooooo much darkness to this book that fills you and surrounds you and also keeps you reading with that almost heartbeat like uncertainty all the way through the book.
i couldnt put this down. i wanted to make sure our main character was ok because this woman was one strong and brave woman. and i also wnated to know jsut what was going on. at first i thought how is this author going to weave a beleivable story into these disappearances. surely it cant? but oh oy was i wrong and it was so much better than i thought.
this book is outstanding it hits every single note for a thriller and in that deep chilly and uncertain feeling that books give you sometimes. one of the best thriller type feelings you can wish for from a book!

You Can't Stay
by S. T. Ashman
Pub Date: Apr 30 2025
Interesting thriller that kept me invested.
Esther's sister disappeared after getting into a black SUV and Esther is determined to find her no matter what it takes . In her search she has found that every year several people disappear in the same area. When Esther is approached by a stranger offering to allow Esther to take her place in a top secret assignment that will most likely help her discover the truth, Esther, a naturally gifted vet school dropout feels she has nothing to lose.
Ryder, a highly trained soldier in prison for murdering his son's coach with his bare hands, is suddenly pulled from his cell and given a chance to earn his freedom by being a guide on the same top secret mission. He wants his freedom and to see his son again so he agrees to join the team.
Their mission seems simple enough. Take a shipment through the woods to the drop off and return. But something's not right. Esther's Native blood and Ryder's Viking roots are telling them the woods are restless...maybe even dangerous. Afterall, why would they need a team of highly trained soliders for what seems like a simple mission and what happened to the last team that was assigned this mission?
The team soon becomes ensnared in an ever changing woods filled with giant wolves, Vikings from days past, and Native whispered warnings. This is no ordinary mission, and if they make it out alive, it will be a miracle.

Good read. I would classify as a magical/mythical realism thriller.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review!

I really enjoyed this, it was such a good book and exactly what I needed. Incredible survival horror with the added complexity of Norse gods and more, as well as a forest that is truly alive and doesn’t want the characters to make it through. I had a hard time putting this down and loved both POVs and both characters. It was so interesting seeing a character with full, brutal knowledge and one with none. This was a very good book, perfect for fans of survival horror and Norse myths!!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!! It was very interesting to learn about these characters and the mythology behind it all!! This book wasn’t bad but I thought it was part of a series and I was confused for most of the book. The character I loved the most in this book was Esther. She’s strong, independent, and never gave up fighting for and fighting to find her sister. I liked the action and adrenaline that I felt when something went wrong. I loved the veterinarian parts of the book as well because I am a huge animal lover like Esther. My other favorite part about this book was the white fox appearances. There were some funny parts and some serious parts that I enjoyed a lot. This was very good and well written. I am a big horror lover and this was right up my alley!! I look forward to reading more books in the future!!

Every year, the government sends a group of people deep into New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

And every year, they don’t return.

This book was so much MORE than I was expecting based on just the synopsis!! Horror, YES... but also suspense, action, adventure, and fantasy all wrapped up in one fantastic gripping story! This is an expertly written novel that keeps the reader fully engaged the whole way through, start to finish! Highly recommend if you're at all interested in any of the genres mentioned above. You'll love it!

"You Can't Stay" really gripped me from the start. I started this book and didn't think i was going to like it but boy was i wrong. I enjoyed it so much. Also gave me spooky vibes which i enjoyed. Thank you so much for the ARC.

I don't know...

As I was reading this, I kept hoping that our author had some indigenous culture beyond a 1% Ancestry.com DNA test, but...I don't think so. They may have some Scandinavian background or just a deep and abiding love of Vikings, though.

Our indigenous character is pretty thinly drawn. Our Viking convict is sort of...Thor.

There are logic issues here - the main one being every little thing about our female MC. I need someone to sit me down and very slowly explain to me how anyone on earth would think girlypop is a sniper. (Sorry - I have a teen and Gen Z slang is living wildly in my brain today.)

The truth behind everything is certainly surprising and would likely be far more logical after consuming vast quantities of mead.

The book does move quickly and I think the author had fun writing it. I just expected something else.

* ARC via Publisher

What a ride. This was a super fast moving book that I couldn't put down. Mystery and horror the whole way through. The creatures that S T Ashman threw in along the way were impressive to say the least, and lets not forget scary.

Esther has spent two years hunting for her missing sister, with only one clue a black SUV that takes people every year like clockwork. When a soldier offers a lead, she takes the chance, (she will do anything to find out what happened to Jasmine) slipping into the role of the world's best sniper on a top-secret mission. Destination? Unknown. Objective? Deliver the cargo to the checkpoint. But as the forest turns against them and enemies that shouldn’t exist close in, Esther realizes finding her sister was never going to be easy maybe it might be impossible.

“Not in a million years did I think I’d die in some Norse spin on The Blair Witch Project,”

This book was absolutely fantastic thrilling, eerie, and norse mythology in a book! Imagine a perfect blend of horror and thriller, woven with Norse mythology and Native lore, creating a story that feels both ancient and chillingly relevant with its modern day setting. I found myself completely immersed in the beliefs, legends, and eerie superstitions of both Norse and Native traditions, all while being terrified. S.T. Ashman did an outstanding job writting a story that’s both deeply unsettling and deeply fascinating. Also I love the small reference to her other book (Yeah I caught that!)

First book I've ever read by this author which I've newly discovered. Absolutely loved it and will read their others. The style and descriptions are fantastic. I loved all the ancient and natice cultural references and it had me researching those I didnt know about! This is my kind of book. Mystery meets crime meets horror. A story of survival. Loved it! Highly recommended!

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, S. T. Ashman and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

1.4 stars

This was described as “True Detective” meets “Vikings” and clearly my brain turned off after I saw “True Detective” because “Vikings?!?!?” Why would I have requested this?

Esther’s sister disappeared two years ago and she is desperate to find her. I’m telling you, I don’t think anyone in any book I read grows up with a sibling who doesn’t go missing. If you aren’t the MC, you are in bad, bad trouble. But I digress.

Someone finds out about Esther’s sister being gone, maybe someone in the military (this is never explained) and a woman in the military offers her place there to Esther so she can go on a super secret mission into New Hampshire (site of so many secret missions) where her sister might be located. Please note that the military member Esther will be replacing is a SNIPER and I don’t think that Esther knows how to fire a gun. So this seems well planned.

Oh, and it matters that Esther is part Native American, and there’s also a murderer with a heart of gold in there named Ryder (of course,) and a Viking (here he is,) oh, and multiple terribly scary things, plus a big bad, and I won’t spoil any of that because….well, in case you decide to read this rather convoluted mess.

I will admit, there’s a lot going on here. Plus, the books I read hardly ever have snipers in them.

Aubrey has gone missing and no one seems to care about her.

As a struggling addict she seems to know her life is not worth worrying about but her sister Ester seems to care.
She discovers a government experiment that may concern her sister and travels deep into the mountains to find her.

This is a unique plotline and one I really enjoyed.

It is a well thought out read and I loved the 'coldness' of the surroundings

It is a a mix of thriller, horror and political read and all the characters have something to offer the story.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Wow, wow, wow. This has got to be the best book I have read this year. I literally could not put this one down. I don't even know what genre to fit this one into because it has a few mixed in. This one is a thriller mixed with so much more! I don't want to give anything away. I went in blindly to this one and was so glad I didn't know what to expect. It starts as a mystery to figure out where groups of missing people are disappearing to...is it a serial killer or much worse? The main character is an amazing woman who has overcome so much only to keep getting stuck having to fight to just be content in life. Very relatable! She is looking for her sister and will do any and everything to find her...at first I thought, ok, this is going to be like every other missing person read. Same basic concepts. NOPE!! This book had me Googling so much during the read and I learned a lot about ancient and native cultures, it was fascinating! The main man in this one has also had to overcome his own demons, and I felt for them both main characters during this adventure. This is definitely the sort of read I dream of when I start a new book! I cannot wait to read more from this author now and I am SO grateful for the publisher for allowing me this ARC read. It was a thrilling ride! :)

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this book. I’m a thriller girl and this book did not disappoint. This has a little horror, mixed with psychological thriller, mixed with Norse mythology. It’s a wild ride and I think y’all should go into this book blind. It will not disappoint!

I found the writing to be sloppy and uninspiring. I couldn't even finish it. I am sure this is book is for someone, but it was not for me.

First book of the year since I've been so busy and I'm not disappointed. I absolutely love her writing style and the book has gripped me since the first page !! I'm impatient to read more of this gem of an author !

4.5 this was great!! So totally went into this blind and loved it. I needed to know what was happening and what was going to happen. I really liked the twist of the woods, now I can’t say much about it since I would consider it a spoiler, but you need to read this book.