Thanks to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this book in exchange for my review.

This is another book that needs a trigger warning, bold and clear, before the summary. It was gross, bloody and detailed. Prepare yourself for gore, eyeball popping and cannibalism.

I'm really not sure how to rate this book. I'm returning to gothic/horror books, and this author is one of the recommended to me, so it's all rather new to me. That's part of the problem with rating this book. But also I liked the writing, but it also felt overly long? I think? And I felt the suspicion about Sarah's illness seemed to take a really, really long time for the characters to figure out. And even then, it wasn't labeled as I'd expected. (Sorry, trying to be general here, so as not to include spoilers.)

As a recent return reader to gothic horror, the story line all felt new and different and 'fresh', but regular readers might find it similar to others in the genre.

3 stars for this one, as I didn't love it and didn't hate it. Recommended to those who like historical, gore-y horror.

Atmospheric. Dark. Unnerving. How far would you go for the ones you love? This story follows twin sisters as they navigate a sickness taking over their simple lives. Both gory and emotional, the reader learns to love even the monster.

I tandem read the physical book with the audio. The audiobook narrated by Emily Tucker perfectly voices these characters. She has a desperation that brought life to the story. There were pronunciations I never would have gotten on my own. She is also easily understood at faster speeds.

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Poisoned Pen Press, and author Johanna Van Veen for the ALC, eARC, and published copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook. Emily Tucker was a great narrator and lent true emotion to the more frantic, hysterical scenes of the novel.

Who doesn't love a creepy gothic parasitic, vampiric, sapphic, madwoman tale of secrets and bloodshed? Lucy is worried for her twin sister, who is deeply ill with a "brain fever" after the discovery of a mysterious bog body on her husband's estate. Neither Lucy nor Sarah want to be seen as mad or hysterical; their aunt was send to asylum when they were children and she died there, so both twins will do anything to keep the other from the madhouse. They are fiercely protective of each other at all times, in fact, even though they've not always been truthful with one another. Blood on Her Tongue explores Lucy and Sarah's relationship amid a good amount of patriarchal nonsense and true body horror. I was hooked from the beginning and finished very quickly.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and Netgalley for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

Blood on Her Tongue is the second book I've read by Johanna van Veen and I can confidently say this might be one of my new favorite authors. This book had such a dark, eerie, and uncomfortable atmosphere. I loved it! The plot started slow but did pick up quickly. It was impossible to predict all the twists and turns it took. I loved that all of the characters were some level of crazy or extremely morally gray. The narration for the audiobook was amazing! It really brought this creepy story to life. If you're looking for an utterly disturbing story about twin sisters in a gothic Victorian setting, this is a must read.

I don't normally mention trigger warnings in reviews but I do have one to mention this time. Trigger warning for a large amount of eye horror.

2.75/5 rounded up because maybe it's just me.

I think that this book has such a pretty cover! That is what originally drew me to this book: I love the gothic vibes, darker color palette, and spooky font. Yes, you are allowed to judge a book by its cover because a pretty cover will make you read the book! I said what I said. I went to art school, I appreciate good cover design!

Anywhooooo...

I really did not vibe with this book. I found it to be so incredibly slowly paced (which is totally a thing you find quite often in a more gothic-leaning story), but I like to be constantly intrigued and captivated. I want to feel that feeling of never wanting to put the book down. When a book moves as slowly as this one, I don't get to feel that.

This is a story about going mad, being infected by a spooky ailment, family turmoil, and a spooky lil setting. These are all elements that could make such a captivating story, but I just kept getting taken out of it. The characters would say strange things at times (that I could tell were not supposed to weird me out and take me out of the story), I just couldn't be made to care about them or the very intense things that were going on with them or around them.

I know that I lot of people are going to love this, I can just tell. But this just wasn't the book for me and that's okay! I just prefer my spooky books to be in a different style, I guess.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

4.5 stars

blood on her tongue is a fantastically disturbing and haunting gothic novel perfect for summerween or spooky season, or just a regular old rainy night. blood on her tongue was full of mental health awareness (or perhaps the lack of such), gorey and unsettling deaths, sapphic lovers, betrayals by sisters, as well as the bond between families.

also, perhaps most importantly, i love the dog.

as for the audio, the narrator did a fantastic job!

Blood on Her Tongue is eerie, emotional, and completely absorbing. Set in 1880s Netherlands, it follows Lucy as she returns home to care for her twin sister, Sarah—who might be sick, haunted, or something much darker. What starts as historical horror slowly unravels into a haunting story about grief, obsession, and the kind of love that can destroy you.

The writing is beautiful and immersive—the kind of prose that makes you feel like you’re breathing the same damp, heavy air as the characters. It’s not fast-paced, but the slow burn works. The emotional weight between the sisters hit hard and stayed with me long after I finished.

If you like gothic horror with heart (and a little rot), this one’s worth the descent.

I don't usually dabble on this side of the street when it comes to book genres but I'm glad I took the chance. The description did not disappoint. This was gothic and just enough horror but not gruesome.

It did take me a minute to figure out what was going on but that could have been me and the audiobook (sometimes I space out, it happens). By midbook I was invested and then I was consumed. I loved how the period views of women came into play and this quiet feminine rage too over. Very satisfying

Thank you to the author, Tantor Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

An absolutely enthralling gothic novel that didn't heavily rely on letters! I went into this totally blind and had a great time with it. I'm so happy to say that the body horror in this one was actually meaningful to the plot, which was a much needed change of pace after other books I've read. I would definitely recommend this one!

Take my review with a grain of salt, this not my typical genre.

It was definitely creepy and unsettling. Audiobook narrator was fine I don’t think it was my kind of book.

I was deeply enthralled by Blood on her Tongue, a gothic horror novel about vampirism and the codependency between twin sisters. Johanna’s take on vampires felt very original, and the story was filled with many twists that I didn’t see coming.

Johanna’s prose was incredibly vivid and filled with evocative imagery. The descriptions of gore were so grotesque that I even felt a bit squeamish.

I was incredibly impressed with Emily Tucker’s narration. Her correct pronunciations of the Dutch names and words deeply immersed me in Zwartwater in the late 1800s Netherlands. Her performance in the opening letter from Sarah was especially well done and really set the stage for Sarah’s descent into madness.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

“I’m in your blood, and you are in mine…”

This audiobook narrated by Emily Tucker was so good. She did a wonderful job and I was immediately hooked.

I loved this one! This book was full of mystery and complete horror. I loved the attention to detail and the research on mental illness that went into to creating this novel.

In the late 1800s, Netherlands, Lucy‘s twin sister Sarah falls mysteriously ill. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. Sarah claims to be haunted by the bog woman and Lucy’s the only one who thinks there more to it then a fever to the brain. And she must protect her sister from being sent away.

Lucy fears her sister is hiding something important from her. While harboring her own secrets. Sarah’s condition only worsens and she becomes ravenously hungry. Lucy begins to suspects her sister has become possessed… or maybe it’s madness? She must face the truth or loose her sister forever.

Johanna van Veen's Blood on Her Tongue, a haunting exploration of sisterhood and societal oppression, skillfully combines gothic horror with incisive social commentary.
Twins Lucy and Sarah find their bond tested when Sarah becomes obsessed with a centuries-old bog body discovered on her husband's estate. Her subsequent illness is marked by a refusal to eat, incoherent mutterings, and a rotting stench.
Van Veen masterfully layers the mounting dread as 19th-century niceties slowly erode and the true perils—both Sarah’s gruesome transformation and the systemic misogyny the women in the house face—unmask themselves.
3.5 stars rounded up to four.

I purchased a physical copy of this book because I was sucked in to its design. I hadn't had time to read it yet, so when I saw it was available as an audiobook I was so excited! I tore through this. Amazingly written, the story is insane and draws you in, and the narrator is *chef's kiss*. Amazing book!

check your TW, this is heavy in body horror.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is the story of a woman who seemingly falls ill and goes mad after the discovery of a bog body on her estate and her sister who comes to take care of her. Lucy and Sarah are twins and though separated by life, they are reunited in Sarah's sickness. At first Sarah warns Lucy away, trying to get her to go home, but things take a drastic turn as Sarah actions turn sinister.

Blood on Her Tongue is one of the most enjoyable books that I've read this year. I thought it was going to be a vampire novel but was something a little different and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned in a slightly different direction. The characters were all well rounded and interesting, even characters that only made brief appearances seemed to have agency and personality that sometimes can be lacking in other books - this was maybe a stark contrast to the other book I was reading at the time so that is why it stood out so much.

I listened to the audibook for this story and I thought the narrator was great. The story itself was good and I thought the ending was satisfying. All in this was 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Thanks to Johanna van Veen for writing this, Tantor audio for sending the audiobook my way, and NetGalley for letting that happen.

I LOVED this book!! It was such a different story than I’ve ever read before. The way it was written I felt like I was watching it play out right in front of me the whole time, feeling the raw emotions from both Sarah and Lucy throughout the story. The way it has you questioning what you thought you knew as the story went on kept me so engaged as well. Emily Tucker was the absolute perfect pick to voice the audiobook & gave even more emotion that I think made me love it even more. I wish it had more of a longer ending, but I think ending will definitely have me pondering for a while!

Thank you Net Galley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC copy!!

A gripping gothic horror featuring: a bog body, gore, a dog, codependent twin sisters, and a musty manor.

In 1887, the Netherlands, after the discovery of a bog body on the manor, Sarah begins to send increasingly unhinged letters to her twin sister, Lucy. After Lucy receives a letter from Sarah’s husband, begging her to come before it’s too late, Lucy comes to find a shell of her sister. And so it begins. To prevent Sarah from being sent to an asylum, Lucy must find out what her condition is, but they are both harboring secrets from each other.

Narrator goes crazy. Perfectly fit the vibe of the book. She captured the emotion of the book really well.

The atmosphere of the book was fantastic—eerie, cold, and dreadful. The deeper you go the more uneasy it makes you. Very (eye)gore forward and a bit disgusting. (Reasonably) Unhinged women and horrible men. Most of the horror in this book does not come from the supernatural, but the men. The sister’s relationship is a very dark obsession that is consumed by love and envy. These two would do anything for each other.
3.75⭐️

I was really conflicted on how to rate this one. On one hand the gothic horror, the writing style, the body horror, the twist on vampires were all really well done. It was exactly the mood I was in. On the other hand I was really disappointed in how flat I found Lucy to be. In the beginning her codependent personality seemed like the obstacle that she was going to have to hurdle in the end and while it felt like she ALMOST became her own person multiple times it was constantly negated by turning back into “my sister.” I found she lacked agency all the way to the last and it kind of felt like it stepped on the underlying commentary on misogyny and the treatment of mentally ill women.
So in all vibes we’re a 5 but the protagonists lack of agency really dragged the plot line down unfortunately.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to Blood on Her Tongue.

Blood on Her Tongue
Genre: Gothic Horror
Audiobook Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)

Blood on Her Tongue is a chilling Gothic horror tale centered around twin sisters Sarah and Lucy. The story begins when Sarah encounters a mysterious bog woman, which seems to trigger unsettling changes in her behavior — possibly a brain fever or something far more sinister. Concerned, Lucy visits Sarah to care for her, but she too harbors secrets that add layers of tension and mystery to the narrative.

The audiobook delivers an eerie atmosphere that fits well with the Gothic tone, but at times the pacing feels uneven, which slightly detracts from the overall experience. The narration does a decent job capturing the suspense and emotional complexity of the sisters, though it could have been more immersive.

While the plot offers intriguing elements of psychological and supernatural horror, it didn’t quite reach its full potential for me. Fans of atmospheric, slow-burn Gothic horror with complex sibling dynamics will find Blood on Her Tongue worth a listen, though it might not satisfy those looking for a tightly paced thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc of Blood On Her Tongue.

This book is absolutely the perfect, horror, gothic, vampire-esque story you could possibly get your hands on. I've started another book from Van Veen and loved it (still need to get around to finishing it, though) and I think completing this book has officially put her on my favorite authors list. As someone new to gothic storytelling and horror, I'm still processing how much I love it, but I can confidently say this was a stunningly, dark and beautiful book! The prose are romantic and slow seamlessly. It doesn't feel heavy-handed or like it's trying too hard. It's genuinely beautiful and pulls you into the life, environment, time-period of the characters in this book! This is not a gothic romance but there are some beautifully unhealthy (and some kind of charmingly dark) relationships that keep my romance-reader heart going. I loved how dark and sincere this was. It's not a dark romance, it's not disturbing, per se. It has that romance about it that is simply the lifestyle of the people living in this book. Trapped in a time women didn't have autonomy, twins with a genetic history of insanity find themselves swept up into the uncanny.

If you're fond of the 2024 Nosferatu or Crimson Peak, this book will fill your ever desire (with less focus on the romance and more feminine rage).

I wish I could say more about this, but I struggle to put words to things I deeply love, and this is one of them. If you're a horror girlie, or reading to bite your teeth into a beautifully gothic story of rage and womanhood.. this is for you!