thebookwormadventures's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
imaginaryme's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
sarah_ever_after's review against another edition
4.0
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden was a highly anticipated book of mine and I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. Katherine Arden is once again masterful in weaving fantastic elements into a historical setting. The setting of this book is WWI but the focus is not on the politics. Instead it explores the effects of war on the soldiers and how evil could profit off the vulnerability of soldiers who are experiencing hell on earth. There were so many moments of history that were well represented such as the rise in spiritualism, medical advances, and specific tragic battles. I really enjoyed researching the history alongside my read. The magic is the supporting actor to the themes. Some of the common themes explored here are PTSD and memory. The author definitely incorporates the philosophical idea of Nietzsche that memory is what makes us human and I loved that element. There are some very minor subplots of romance that were beautiful and complimentary to the darkness of the setting. Katherine Ardens authorial tone is definitely cemented for me as a haunting one. I find I am still thinking of this story long after closing the book. I deducted one star because I felt like the beginning was a little slow. I enjoyed the setting and the themes more than the characters. It is rare for me to say but I think this book could’ve been just a little longer. I would probably recommend The Bear and the Nightingale to new readers of Arden as a starting point but I think that those who enjoyed the Winternight Trilogy will appreciate this one as well.
laurynturk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The Warm Hands of Ghosts was unlike anything I have ever read. I found the plot to be captivating and the dual POV added depth to the characters and the story itself. I felt that the beginning was a little slow, it took me more than I thought it would to get into it. I did really enjoy the story once I got past the first couple of chapters. I think what captivated me most was that this was a historical fiction novel, and the aspect of magical realism that was thrown in there neatly tied everything together.
Laura is a powerful woman, and the way Katherine Arden wrote her was absolutely beautiful. Arden did a wonderful job of giving depth to all of the characters within the story, and I loved that the romance was woven in as a subtle subplot. Arden did a great job of making Laura a very independent character and giving her the means to live without a man during a time when that wasn't necessarily common. I really appreciated that the romance in the story did not become the entire plot and instead remained a subplot.
Overall The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for historical fiction with a magical realism twist. The way the magical realism is portrayed made the book that much better. Instead of taking away from the plot, it added just the right amount of mystery and suspense. I could not get enough of this novel once I really got into it! It transported you into the lives of characters that had lived through so much, but kept going despite it all.
Laura is a powerful woman, and the way Katherine Arden wrote her was absolutely beautiful. Arden did a wonderful job of giving depth to all of the characters within the story, and I loved that the romance was woven in as a subtle subplot. Arden did a great job of making Laura a very independent character and giving her the means to live without a man during a time when that wasn't necessarily common. I really appreciated that the romance in the story did not become the entire plot and instead remained a subplot.
Overall The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for historical fiction with a magical realism twist. The way the magical realism is portrayed made the book that much better. Instead of taking away from the plot, it added just the right amount of mystery and suspense. I could not get enough of this novel once I really got into it! It transported you into the lives of characters that had lived through so much, but kept going despite it all.
brandyrae's review against another edition
5.0
I sincerely feel this book will one day be considered a modern classic.
It is a story of war, terrible and brutal; of love, kind, searching, enduring; loss and grief, and apocalypses great and small. Sometimes, when the world ends, it's not on a grand world stage. It's personal. What do we do when our worlds end?
It's so hard to know what I can say about this book. This is my first arc (provided by netgalley) and this book won't be out for two months!
I need to tell you all the reasons I love Laura and Pim. How they literally collide into each other after both having lost everything and have to find their paths forward. All the reasons I love Freddie and Winter, reborn together in darkness and how far their paths diverge. The two stories start at different times and when you get to the point where they converge? Magic.
It's like a brutally realistic historical fantasy steampunk-esque reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice, but like platonic (the romances in this book are perfect though not at all the main plot, just that quiet genuine love that grows when you are with a person. ugh, so good).
I don't think I have to give this back? So I will definitely be re-reading it but I've also put in my pre-order for a physical copy. I need to do some annotating.
It is a story of war, terrible and brutal; of love, kind, searching, enduring; loss and grief, and apocalypses great and small. Sometimes, when the world ends, it's not on a grand world stage. It's personal. What do we do when our worlds end?
It's so hard to know what I can say about this book. This is my first arc (provided by netgalley) and this book won't be out for two months!
I need to tell you all the reasons I love Laura and Pim. How they literally collide into each other after both having lost everything and have to find their paths forward. All the reasons I love Freddie and Winter, reborn together in darkness and how far their paths diverge. The two stories start at different times and when you get to the point where they converge? Magic.
It's like a brutally realistic historical fantasy steampunk-esque reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice, but like platonic (the romances in this book are perfect though not at all the main plot, just that quiet genuine love that grows when you are with a person. ugh, so good).
I don't think I have to give this back? So I will definitely be re-reading it but I've also put in my pre-order for a physical copy. I need to do some annotating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Death, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Religious bigotry
tr4278's review against another edition
What a beautiful historical novel! I'm a fan of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy and was not disappointed in this standalone historical story. There is a touch of magic here, but as in that trilogy, there's also real historical depth, and real historical figures such as the nurse Mary Borden. The supernatural storyline feels like a metaphor for the fog of war and the changes wrought by loss and suffering. WWI was such a break in consciousness, a divide from the ancient to the modern, the sort of event that causes people to make up mythology to try to understand it or cope with horrors that are too terrible to be believed. Arden does not sugarcoat any of this, yet still tells a story that is overall hopeful. If you liked Alix Harrow's STARLING HOUSE you should pick up this book.
paigemay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
helena_g_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️: 4.5 / 5
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
I want to thank Ballantine, Del Rey and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Some of the coolest aspects of this story, were the setting and atmosphere of the story. I loved that this was set during the First World War and one of our main characters is a Canadian field nurse. As both this time in history and Canadian involvement in war are two topics that I rarely read about in popular fiction. I found the descriptions of the trenches to be harrowing and the hospital scenes to be truly chaotic.
As for my reservations, this is very slow to start. And I will warn fans of the Winternight Trilogy if you’re going into this story expecting something similar to that you’ll be in for quite the shock, personally I didn’t have a problem with the changes in style but I do think it’s worth noting. I’d also not been totally shocked by one of the reveals towards the end as it felt pretty apparent what was going on but still found the motivation intriguing.
Overall I really loved what this book became. I’ll admit it was slow to start but once it got to the halfway point I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what came next. The ending was beautifully done and had me teary eyed. So I’d still recommend this book for people to try, and go into it with an open mind.
Would recommend for those who are fans of
- World War I stories
- War Nurses
- Dual POV & timelines
- Character driven stories
- Dark magical realism
⚠️ PTSD, scars of war, body horror, violence
thisdarkmaterial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
roxiefox4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0