Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for providing me with this ARC.

A Metal music group. The disappearance of the lead singer in the woods. A final escapade between the last members of the group in the middle of a forest. Enigmatic and spooky fungus. A feeling of being spied through the woods... What a wonderful setting for a great story.

The cover and title caught my eye. The description promised a good read. And the promise was kept.

I need to admit I was a little lost by the multi-pov and the multi-time line, but I quickly got used to it. Once you are hooked, you definitely can't drop your reading until the final page.

The author manages to immerse you in her world, notably thanks to the imagery that was so vivid and detailed. I felt like I was really seeing the scenes, living what the characters were living.

I really enjoyed the fact the author put a musical touch into her story, it added really something extra to the story. The mystery and horror parts are well driven and surprising in a way that I didn't even expect the plot twists.

Jo Kaplan has a true writing talent and here you have a great horror novel that blends horror, botanical/science, music and mystery.
I recommend this story for those who want a horror story that stands out.

Unfortunately this book really wasn’t it for me. I found the premise intriguing however I felt the pacing was a bit “off”. I struggled to keep up with characters/location/plot and found myself having to re-read passages multiple times in order to take in and understand what was going on. The depth of the characters was a little inconsistent which made it difficult for me to have any great feeling or connection towards them. I do also think this book would have benefited from being a little shorter as it did go on for a looooonnggg time, only for the end to be a little underwhelming. A tighter edit may have done this story a little justice as there were some great concepts and spooky moments which unfortunately got lost in the rabble of everything else.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clash Books and Jo Kaplan for providing this ARC ✨

The cover alone pulled me in, and from the very start the storyline had me hooked. At first, I thought it was going to be cut and dry and maybe even a dud but wow, was I wrong. It surprised me quickly, and I couldn’t put it down.
The pacing was spot on, the characters were easy to connect with, and the ending tied everything together perfectly. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this as an ARC, and I’ll definitely be picking up more of Kaplan’s books in the future.

I would wager that this is the kind of book that's best when going in blind- so my summery of this will just be; petty band members with messy relationships, obsession, fungal horror, and mysterious creepy researchers deep in a forest.

The premise of this book is good, and the first part of the book very compelling. For me, the book ran out of steam somewhere after the first half. But that's purely because I love an ambiguous ending, and this book offers a lot of the answers raised during the story toward the end of the book. If you hate open endings especially in mysterious horror books, give this one a try.

The plot and characters were fun, and the action starts early on. I kept thinking what more could possibly still happen for the rest of the story! Great atmospheric read, perfect for a dark autumn evening (bonus points if read in a forest, but that might freak you out).

Let me start by saying that I usually don't go for thriller novels but something about this one drew me to requesting the ARC and I am so happy it did because this was such an entertaining read! The premise of spooky mushroom, rockstar, sapphic/wlw characters was such a wild combination of things that had me in an absolute chokehold. I felt uneasy and creeped out and had very vivid flashbacks to watching my partner play The Last of Us and to watching the show and it made me think that this story could make for a VERY good spooky season movie or show.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The characters in this book are annoying at best. They react to each other the way angsty middle schoolers would, and they’re supposed to be grown adults. If you can get past that, sorry, there’s no redemption to be found when it comes to the plot. It’s so disappointing because the ideas are very cool, but there’s too much going on. There are three or so half-baked ideas badly woven together. The plot devices are ham-handed and any attempts at escape were met with unbelievable luck that takes you right out of the story. The pacing is stilted, you can be sure that any momentum built up is halted by an on-the-nose backstory chapter. Simply don’t read it. Not worth anyone’s time.

MUSHROOMS! Spooky spores! This was such an interesting read. I love the cabin in the woods energy. There is something that so immediately lifts the stakes. I really enjoyed the band dynamic with Brynn and Harlow.
It has been a long time since a book has made me say "gross" out loud because imagery was so vivid and detailed it was remarkable. I could visualize everything so clearly. Every time I wonder why something was happening there was an answer. I really enjoyed the mix of story, music and the scientific pages to move the plot forward.
I think for me it was missing a little bit more of Harlow and Thorne's past being explained. A bit more of who they were and who they will be. But overall this was a smart and spooky read.


thank you netgalley for this ARC

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me to opportunity to read this amazing book.
Firstly, I love fungi inspired horror, but I never had LGBT metal fungi horror, which I loved.
This books mixes various past and present but does it perfectly, I never was confused.
The plot twist at the end was really well done, Jacqueline was so well writen.
I do wish it had been more saphic, more focus on Harlow feelings for Brynn.
All together I really could see this becoming a movie, for me I envisioned like that because all the descriptions felt so vivid some parts really terrifyed.

Overall I did enjoy this book but it’s definitely not for everyone. If you aren’t into body horror or gore I would skip it.. I do think it could have been shorter, especially because there was so many POVs that it made the story hard to follow and boring at time because I felt that some of the POVs weren’t really necessary. I did really like the twist at the end!

Pros
* Atmospheric
* Setting and forest descriptions add to mystery and dread of what is to come
* Evil Dead meets stranger things

Cons
* Story structure: multiple POVs; before and after; various media (articles about the band and events, guest book, etc)
* Character development: some characters felt flat; forgot who was who

I don't know why I waited so long to read Jo Kaplan's "The Midnight Muse". I think my interest was especially piqued after hearing the term "Sporecore" as a horror subgenre in "Feral and Hysterical" by Sadie Hartmen. Essentially, this story felt like a riff on "Annihilation". Only it stars metal musicians and not scientists, and it fully embraces the gory terror of a horror book. This book surprisingly delt with difficult themes and was very much a tragic tale. The ending felt a tad rushed but I also didn't mind because I would've been happy if the last two or so chapters were cut altogether. But this didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book and I'm excited to recommend it to my fellow Sporecore girlies.

3.5 stars rounded to 4!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Midnight Muse is a creepy and atmospheric read that blends band drama with cabin-in-the-woods horror and a touch of the supernatural. The story follows Brynn, the lead singer of Queen Carrion, who disappears during a retreat to a remote cabin. A year later, the rest of the band return to the same place hoping for closure, but what they encounter is far stranger and more terrifying than they could have imagined.

I really enjoyed the eerie setting and the mix of music culture with horror. The sense of unease builds steadily and the paranormal elements were intriguing, especially with the haunting presence of Brynn’s voice echoing through the forest. The book leans into themes of loss, ambition, and obsession, while also delivering moments of gore and shocking imagery.

That said, I did feel the pacing dragged in sections and at times the narrative felt longer than it needed to be. Some character reactions also pulled me out of the story because they did not always feel believable in such extreme situations. Still, there is an originality to the concept and I liked how the band dynamics played into the tension.

Overall, this was an interesting and unsettling read that kept me engaged even if I was not completely blown away. Fans of folk horror, body horror, and eerie cabin settings will likely find a lot to enjoy here.

The Midnight Muse is a haunting, atmospheric read that had me hooked from the first page. Jo Kaplan weaves a narrative that pulses with dread, lingering unease, and moments that filled me with genuine anxiety. The story kept me desperate to read on, always needing to know what waited at the end.

The dynamic between the characters was one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Each band member felt flawed and human, their grief and secrets feeding into the tension as the group unraveled. I especially loved how their relationships and inner turmoil mirrored the horror creeping in from the outside.

Kaplan’s use of shifting perspectives and mixed formats—letters, guestbook entries, newspaper clippings—was incredibly effective, layering mystery upon mystery while heightening the unsettling atmosphere. And the fungal horror threaded throughout the story was both imaginative and deeply disturbing, lingering with me long after I turned the final page.

This is a bold, unforgettable novel—equal parts chilling, innovative, and emotionally raw. I’d highly recommend The Midnight Muse to fans of horror that blends psychological unease with supernatural and ecological dread.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I could not put this book down it was SO enthralling!

The body horror, the psychological horror.. and the bioweapon horror. So damn well written. Everything about this book was incredibly creepy, the atmosphere eery and chilling.

I have never been more scared of nature in my life after reading this book and I know all about the bears and creepy crawlers. But nope, this book was the one to do it.

This is a horror of the ages, among the ranks of King and Shirley Jackson. So well written.

I think my only issue was that I didn’t like how one character sort of catapulted some of the events.. would things have been different otherwise? I can’t be specific for obvious reasons! But just wow!!!

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.

This book followes the story of band whos lead singer goes missing, and wasnt found. A year later the band go to a cabin in the middle of a forest, no roads, no signal and a run down cabin. What they dont expect is for 6 of them to arrive and only 2 leave alive.
Brynne weaver was the lead singer and the song writer for the band and one day so goes "camping" and never comes back.
A year later, to the day brynn disappeared tragedy strikes in the must unusual way, a paranormal way. Bryan's voice can be heard throughout the forest singing the bands songs, but its not brynn singing.
This book was a fun read, i felt it dragged on slightly in some chapters and the 3rd person POV didnt alow you to engage fully with the characters and get a feel for them.
Contained mystery, violence, paranormal activity and gore.
The story was great and not something I had read before, but for myself i didnt find myself dying to find out what happenes next.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a creepy and fun time. The beginning reminded me of the movie ‘Frank’ which I love. Interesting band dynamics, pretty believable on that front. I found the characters to be mostly realistic and compelling. I’m not sure I buy Jacqueline’s character- but then again I’ve met some crazy selfish people in the music scene in little old Utah, so maybe she’s not far fetched. I thought the lyrics written by the band to be a bit cheesy, but so is a lot of metal music. My main gripe is that it teeters a bit and feels longer than necessary, would benefit from some cutting down in my opinion. I would still recommend if you like horror- especially mycelium horror, with cabin in the woods and band drama!

Thank you NetGalley, CLASH Books, and Jo Kaplan for the ARC.

This wasn’t necessarily a bad book, it was just completely opposite my style. I enjoyed the horror aspects of it and actually the sci-fi too, but the extreme gore and devil worshipping just wasn’t for me; kind of a little too metal.

The characters were ok, I never really connected with any of them though. But I will say at the end of this book, reading it at night in the dark, I was super scared at every noise I heard in the house.

Super interesting learning about the mycelium and what drives it, and I thought the book had a good ending.

A woodsy-mycelium folk horror:

Everything blends well here: The occult, metal music, gothic, cabin-in-the-woods horror, the supernatural and also science thrown in. A bit like Stranger Things with the Underworld breaking through. The fungus as a vast, sentient, network is intriguing.

This is a creepy and intriguing horror, with well-rounded characters. I did skim a bit when the setting came away from the cabin, but the momentum is kept up thanks to switches in POV, excerpts from research papers and band interviews. There are also multiple timelines set ‘before’ and ‘after.’

TW: Body horror and alcoholism

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and author Jo Kaplan for the opportunity to read The Midnight Muse. This is my honest review of the ARC, and I truly appreciate it.

I was in suspense while reading the whole book, from the first page it draws you into its mystical and terrifying world, which excites you to the depths of your soul. The occultism and conspiracies in this book are scary, but that's also its charm. I'm usually not a fan of the horror genre, but the cover captivated me and the plot as a whole too!

Bravo!

This book sounded right up my alley. Heavy metal, fungus, and horror are one of he best descriptions of a book I've ever heard. And I'm glad to say this book lived up to my expectations! It was graphic, the descriptions of the fungus are fascinating and horrifying, and the characters grab you and hold you in. The tension created is done masterfully. I really have nothing to complain about.

Some people dislike the ending of this book, but I actually enjoyed it. I thought it was an end that was satisfying, but lets the audience know that this whole... situation is still very unknown.

If you enjoy fungus horror, heavy metal, and the SCP Foundation (I don't think I've seen anyone bring up the SCP vibes the latter half of the book has), then this is for you. Please note that this book has pretty graphic alcoholism if that's a trigger for you!