“Gothic horror for the ages…Combining shiver-inducing horror with sharp-fanged social commentary, this more that merits comparison to Dracula and other genre titans.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Immersive and disturbing, Blood on Her Tongue etches itself into your mind and leaves behind a permanent mark.” — Marcus Kliewer author of We Used to Live Here
This has been the year for Dracula-esque retellings and I am a huge fan of it. The second I read the synopsis for Blood on her Tongue, I knew my gothic horror loving heart was going to be a fan.
This has been the year for Dracula-esque retellings and I am a huge fan of it. The second I read the synopsis for Blood on her Tongue, I knew my gothic horror loving heart was going to be a fan.
Lucy and Sarah are twin sisters and not only share a face, but also the feeling that they are not a fully formed person without the other. Lucy is called upon by her brother-in-law to come care for Sarah who has fallen ill and seems to be rambling nonsense about a woman in the bog. Lucy is fearful that Michael will have her committed to an asylum as Sarah had a previous bout of insanity after the death of their small daughter.
Blood on her Tongue is, as you can imagine, a gory scene full of blood, death and the sisterly bond that not even death can break.
Is this a vampire novel? I don’t really think so in the traditional sense. There are certainly aspects of the vampiric trope, but also it is a new spin on the timeless tales of Dracula’s seduction and control and what becomes of the victims.
This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of description of abuse and bodily fluids so please read the authors trigger warnings at the front before deciding to start. However, if you’re like me and see the art in this disturbing content, I highly recommend picking this one up. Blood on her Tongue will be available on March 25 2025 at your local bookseller or library or you can preorder through my affiliate link here.
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As one of three sisters, I felt a draw to the connection between Lucy and Sarah. They not only love each other deeply, but they also have a competition between them. Michael was first Lucy’s love interest, but Sarah was able to win him over with her charm and wit. Therein lies the deceit and hidden affair as Lucy tries to outshine her frigid sister.
The love connection between Sarah and Katje was weird for me. As much as Sarah continues to declare she is not, there was still the feeling that she was an abuse victim looking for another domineering relationship to give her direction. The sapphic scene was quite gruesome for the squeamish but did add an interesting turn to the whole feeding aspect.
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