A review by tr4278
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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.