Wolf Worm

By: T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

"Narrator Mary Robinette Kowal wonderfully conveys the wryly funny prose and the creeping horror of the story. Giving each character a distinct voice, Kowal deftly and consistently moves between them and superbly renders Sam’s voice." —Library Journal on A House with Good Bones (Starred Review)

“I saw the devil in these woods.”

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost—one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire

Disgusting & perfect

Love T Kingfisher and was so excited for this one! It delivered absolutely and was perfectly horribly gross

Her Best Yet: A Haunting, Unpredictable Descent into Paranormal Horror

This is, without a doubt, her best book yet.

From the very beginning, I was completely pulled in. The story has this eerie, almost dreamlike quality that reminded me of Over the Garden Wall, but layered with much darker, paranormal horror elements. It creates an atmosphere that feels both whimsical and deeply unsettling and it absolutely works.

Fair warning: this is not a book for the squeamish. There are moments that take a sharp, unexpected turn, and at one point I genuinely did not see where things were going. That unpredictability made it even more compelling.

The storytelling, pacing, and overall vibe were incredibly well done. It’s one of those books that sticks with you after you finish it.

I did enjoy the narrator overall, but I struggled a bit with the voice for Jackson. At times, it was difficult to distinguish between him and Rose, which pulled me out of the immersion here and there.

That said, it’s a small critique in what is otherwise an outstanding book. This one easily stands out as a favorite and, in my opinion, her strongest work so far.

don't sleep to it.

I fall asleep to audiobooks. almost every night. helps my brain shut off. this is a particularly bad choice to wake up in the middle of the plot twist. it's beautifully written and her world feels real. which is why that was truly unsettling this time around. I was thinking it would be another like the ones set in almost Europe which were definitely creepy but a bit less realistic. this one is more possible, and therefore more unsettling to me when my brain is still waking up.
absolutely recommend the book, as long as you are awake.

my favorite author

brilliant, carefully researched. she clearly visualized each scene and chose every word and element of the story with care. fantasy anchored in experience making strange things feel real and natural. there is no one like this author.

Creative premise

Loved the creative take on a horror story. I appreciated the brave female protagonist, creepy setting, and a well-crafted and researched scientific approach.