Great narrator and great story. Very original and engrossing. Some parts were a bit too dark and gory for me but I kept reading because I was so invested in finding out what was going on! This was my first book by this author but it definitely won’t be the last!

**4.5-stars**

Blood on Her Tongue is set in the late-1800s in the Netherlands. We follow Lucy after she receives word that her twin sister, Sarah, is unwell. Lucy travels to where Sarah resides, at her husband's large estate. A doctor, a friend of the family, has diagnosed Sarah with a temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. Lucy is desperate to see Sarah's condition for herself.

Once she is on the estate, Lucy feels that something more is going on than the simple explanations the doctor, and Sarah's husband, are putting forth. Therefore, she's determined to solve the mystery, and figure out the cause of her sister's rapid decline. As Sarah's condition worsens, she becomes violent, and hungry. Lucy considers possession, or maybe it is insanity. Either way, Lucy is willing to risk anything to keep her sister out of some miserable lunatic asylum.

I loved the set-up of this story. You could feel the Dracula inspiration in such a clever and substantial way.

There's a piece of the story that involves the finding of a body in the bog on the estate, who they dub the bog woman. I thought that was super intriguing and provided a nice eerie backdrop right from the start. It was also so fun when the author incorporated little pieces of mixed media into the story, as it made it feel more real, or believable. I have to think van Veen had Dracula in mind with that sort of inclusion as well.

The author did an incredible job of creating a lush gothic vibe as well. It felt like a classic story, yet more accessible to all in regards to language and pacing. Overall, I felt this was really well done. I loved the atmosphere, paired with some phenomenal death scenes. Johanna van Veen didn't shy away from getting dirty.

Everything that went on, it got crazy, thinking about being in Lucy's shoes, the things she witnessed, the changes she saw in her sister, are terrifying to think about. The Body Horror, in general, was fantastic; toe-curling and uncomfortable. My jaw was on the floor and I was squealing in delight through multiple scenes. Please keep in mind this is coming from an experienced Horror Reader, so tread cautiously if you aren't a fan of gory content, or are maybe trying out the genre for the first time.

Additionally, I do love sister stories, and this is a memorable one. I feel like the relationship between Sarah and Lucy was so w I'm really looking forward to picking up more from this author. I suspect we're going to have a long and beautiful friendship.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audio production brought this story to life; very well done!

Blood on Her Tongue is a richly written novel that leans heavily into the literary gothic horror tradition, with vivid, often gruesome imagery and hauntingly descriptive prose. The atmosphere is compelling—dark, cold, and heavy with dread. It delivers on the promise of gore and gothic aesthetics, immersing the reader in a chilling world that’s well rendered through language.

However, the pacing was a real struggle for me. The story unfolds very slowly, and I found myself needing to push through sections, hoping for more movement in the plot. While the book is clearly crafted with care and artistic intent, I personally found it lacked the momentum I typically look for in a novel. The central concept was intriguing, but I kept wishing there was more story—more development, more urgency, more to keep me turning the pages.

That said, the narration was absolutely fantastic. It brought the characters and mood to life in a way that made the experience more engaging than it might have been on the page alone.

To be fair, this isn’t a genre I usually gravitate toward, so fans of slow-burn, atmospheric gothic horror may find much more to love here than I did. For me, it was a cool concept with beautiful writing—but ultimately, it didn’t fully land due to the lack of narrative drive.

Johanna van Veen did an excellent job with Blood on Her Tongue. Set in the Netherlands in 1887, Lucy's twin Sarah is unwell and getting worse. She is obsessed with a mummified corpse found on the estate and then she begins to be very aggressive.

Gothic, creepy and totally unlike any book that I have read before. Very gory at times with great suspense.

Excellently narrated by Emily Tucker - perfect pace and tone.

Thank you so much to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you RB Media and Netgalley for the arc!
3-stars
Blood on Her Tongue was one of my first horror books, and I was along for the ride the entire time. The story keeps you guessing about what will happen to our main character, Lucy, and her twin sister Sarah. I really appreciated the slow escalation of the plot and how it mirrored Lucy's desperation to find out what is happening to her sister.

The audiobook narrator and her voice matched the tone of the book very well. It was easy for me to believe that I was listening to Lucy tell this story herself.

*Arc, Thank you Net Galley and Tantor Audio
I was hooked into this book and could not stop listening. It was so atmospheric and haunting. I was so certain of some things but that quickly got turned over on my head like a bucket of water. Van Veen did an incredible job of writing these two sisters as the perfect pair who deep down are toxic for each other. The further you get into the story the more I wasn't really sure who I was supposed to root for any more. It also asks a very interesting question in what really makes a person who they are. My biggest complaint with this book is that Lucy was waffly on her convictions around Sarah at times. If you like horror, bogs, unknown illnesses, and toxic sisters, READ THIS!

The narration of this audiobook was absolutely phenomenal. The emotion the narrator put into this book truly did it justice. She conveyed everything so well and even caused me to feel unsettled a couple of times.

Actual Rating 3.5

I’m always on the lookout for vampire reads that are darker and lean more into the grotesque and horror of it all rather than the romanticized aspects, and this one delivered. I liked the use of the bog bodies and the history of the area, as well as how the vampirism was explained and utilized. There were a lot of gory details though, so keep that in mind if you’re squeamish. One of the strongest aspects of this work was the atmosphere. I would have liked a bit more from the setting descriptions, but for the most part this didn’t detract much from my enjoyment.

But probably the weakest aspect of this work was the absurdity that happened in some places relating to the characters and their decisions. I don’t want to get into details in case of spoilers, but the protagonist did some things that made no sense to me, grieving or not, complicated relationship or not, they weren’t actions that made sense. Honestly, all of the characters felt like standard gothic horror tropes, more like placeholders than actual characters. This was pretty disappointing and kept the book from being as immersive or compelling as it could have been. A little nuance goes a long way.

Despite the characters, this is an interesting and entertaining read. The fast pace and dark atmosphere helped to make up for the weaker characters, so this one is still worth the read. My thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Blood on Her Tongue is a chilling, utterly creepy novel set in 1887 Netherlands. I felt the author captured the key elements I love to read in gothic horror. There is an eerie, atmospheric setting, it's graphic and gory (the eye jelly still haunts me lol), and there is an interesting and unique supernatural element that I wasn't expecting. The other elements spread throughout the plot that I was most intrigued by were mental health, sisterhood and sacrifice, and feminine rage. All topics were handled tastefully and fitting for the time period. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook, she kept me immersed in the story the whole time.

Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to this on audiobook and this was compelling, atmospheric, and viscerally creepy. The narrator had a solid performance and really captured the panicked, muggy, claustrophobic vibes. The pacing was decent and while I enjoyed the premise, I found the execution to be a bit lacking.

In the late 1800's Netherlands we follow Lucy as she goes to her visit her twin-sister, Sarah, after receiving a series of increasingly cryptic letters from her. When she arrives, not only is she deemed "temporarily insane" by physicians but she has physically deteriorated as well. Right before her speedy downward spiral, she was hyper-fixating on a semi-preserved corpse that had been found in the bog on the property. This is perfect for creepy gothic countryside vibes, however I do wish there had been better character development.

Also, this is marketed as a sapphic gothic horror but don't have your hopes too high because the sapphic romance sublot is very minimal and undeveloped. I really wasn't feeling the husband and that whole triangle situation was underwhelming at best, ick at worst. I did enjoy the pacing throughout, the ending was decent, liked the social/historical context of how women with mental illness were perceived. Overall, it was worth the listen for me but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't purchase because I wouldn't re-read it.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is ideal for readers who enjoy dark, atmospheric Gothic tales blending historical mystery with sapphic horror and the chilling tension of sisterly bonds tested by monstrous forces.

3.75 This book takes place in the Netherlands in the late 1800s. It follows Lucy, who is off to visit her twin sister, Sarah. Sarah has recently fallen ill and acting not herself. This happened shortly after they extracted a body from the bog and Sarah took a fascination with it. You read about it this through Sarah’s letters to Lucy prior to her falling ill.

This book is gothic/fantasy/horror. It takes a different view on vampires, having them be more parasites that take over their hosts body and need to eat human flesh to survive.

There were parts of this I liked, and parts that felt a little slow to me. At about 60% the book really picked up and I was more invested. I think this book is strong on vibes and not as strong on plot or characters (I didn’t really like any of them). Regardless, it IS a vibe - so read it when you’re in the mood for grotesque gothic horror.

The Netherlands, 1887:
Lucy's twin sister Sarah has fallen ill. Lucy rushes to her sister's estate to learn Sarah has been diagnosed with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. As Lucy waits at her sister's bedside, hoping she will get well again, she learns more about the days leading up to Sarah's illness. They had discovered a centuries-old corpse in the bog on the estate and Sarah had become obsessed with it. Mumbling nonsense and refusing to eat leads to Sarah's final day. But as they prepare for the burial, Lucy hears scratching from inside Sarah's coffin. Sarah isn't dead but she certainly isn't well either. Anger and an un-satisfiable hunger have over taken Sarah. Is there something more dark and monstrous going on or is she simply going mad?

My gothic vampire horror loving self was obsessed with this book! I tandem read and listened to the audiobook and it was perfect. The narration was very well done and reading along added to it with newspaper articles and letters displayed. It was unhinged, dark, eerie, and had a bit gore to create the perfect Victorian gothic setting. Female rage and vampire bloody messes made for such a fun read that I will be revisit in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the audiobook for review.

I really enjoyed this gothic horror! I haven’t read a good gothic horror in a while, and this one scratched that itch perfectly. I enjoyed the complex relationship between characters. There were gory and grotesque moments. Exactly what you’d expect from a novel as this. I started listening to the audiobook last while cleaning my house. I had to pause it when I needed to descend into my dark basement. I was definitely feeling uneasy in the best possible way! I appreciate when a novel like this can evoke those emotions. Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with this ALC for an honest review. I truly enjoyed it and recommend my gothic horror fan friends check it

This gothic horror novel cooled me down during this summer's heatwave with its dark atmosphere and fascinating character dynamics. At its heart, Blood on Her Tongue is a novel about the horrors of enmeshment, vulnerability, and even love. I thought that Johanna van Veen tackled difficult subjects with sensitivity while maintaining the books dark and melodramatic tone. The narrator was incredible, bringing energetic performances to every character had me fully immersed in the story. Highly recommended to those who enjoy gothic horror!

🩸Bookish Thoughts
This book had so much happening, and it did not hold back. It was graphic, gory, and absolutely unhinged at times. But it was also sapphic and horror, which meant I was already obsessed. The setting leaned fully into gothic vibes, with a creeping sense of dread. You could feel the fear of the unknown in every moment.

Lucy did everything to protect her sister Sarah. From the very beginning to the final scene, she stayed by her side. The direction the story took toward the end surprised me, but I loved it. The bond between sisters was messy, emotional, powerful, and unbreakable.

This book covered so much. Sisterhood. Sexism. Societal expectations. Feminine rage. Mental health. Forgiveness.

I listened to the audiobook and it was perfection. The narration elevated everything and added to the eerie tension. I would absolutely recommend going audio for this one.

🖤 What You Can Expect
• Gothic horror setting
• Sapphic rep
• Sisterhood and sacrifice
• Blood, gore, and body horror
• Mental health themes
• Feminine rage

📖 Final Score: 5 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 5 stars
📅 Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this. I thought it was intriguing, creepy, and strange. It definitely falls into the weird girl fiction category, which I loved! It was dark, gothic, and very atmospheric. It started a little slow, but overall the pacing was great. I didn't exactly find the characters likable, but I did think they were interesting and complex. The plot was unique, and the ending was full of feminine rage. It did have an open ending, but I don't mind them at all; I love having to use my imagination and think about all the different possibilities. The narrator was absolutely stellar! She did an amazing job, and her performance really added to the story.

This review will be short and succinct.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley for the e-ARC audiobook.

While this book was/is getting serious hype, so I decided to give it a try. Ultimately, I think I could have appreciated this book considerably more had it been a physical or ebook copy.

This particular audiobook has solidified that I will not be accepting any future audiobooks starting July 1. I will complete the ones currently in my reading/listening queue.
I felt a large disconnect with this audiobook and I think it is possibly because of the narrator. I just couldn’t stay focused or engaged in the reading. Her voice was too little lacking dynamic narration. I often found myself falling asleep while listening. While I don’t think this narrator was a great person for this reading, she might be better off narrating meditation or mindfulness books. This is not a rude critique as I feel she would actually excel in this genre of books.

In regard to the actual book, all of the characters were insane. Scenarios that just seemed absurdly strange yet appropriate for gothic literature.

Gothic elements:
Gloomy setting
Death/Decay-various characters, specifically the bog body and Lucy’s sister Sarah and her decomposing body
Atmosphere of fear and suspense: Sarah’s fascination with the bog body. Sarah biting and drawing blood. The thought the bog body was a criminal or someone to fear i.e. why it was staked in multiple positions throughout its body and was buried face down.
Emotional extremes: Any of the female characters’ paranoia, fear, despair, and emotional stress/trauma.
Madness/Psychological torment: Sarah, again, but also Lucy’s fear for her sister’s madness/psych torment.

I think I will purchase this book and read it at a later date, as I expect the story will be much more compelling in print form.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

The cover is what first drew me in — it gives off such an eerie, haunting vibe that I couldn’t resist. While there were parts of this story that stood out, it didn’t fully land for me overall.

I really appreciated the audiobook format. Hearing the accents and correct pronunciation of names brought something special to the experience and added authenticity that elevated certain scenes. The emotional bond between the sisters was a highlight — raw, complex, and deeply felt. That dynamic gave the story heart.

However, the pacing felt uneven, and I found myself confused during certain transitions or plot developments. I also wish we had gotten more depth from the supporting characters — there were glimpses of something compelling there, but they weren’t fully explored.

This one might resonate more with readers who enjoy moody, atmospheric fiction and sibling-centered narratives with a slightly offbeat tone.

The beautiful and mysterious cover drew me in, but that’s where it ended for me. While I really wanted to love this book, it just didn’t pull me into the story. The pacing felt off to me, I found it to really drag in parts where I just didn’t care what happened in the storyline. I didn’t enjoy the character development.

The book is very descriptive in the gory and graphic details and is very dark, so please heed the trigger warnings. Overall, writing was really well done and I don’t want my opinion sway someone. I’m just not into gory books.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for an advanced listeners copy. The