A review by helena_g_reads
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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