Blood on Her Tongue (Deluxe Edition): A Novel

by Johanna van Veen

Overview

"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

Goodreads Most Anticipated Spring Horror Novels

"I'm in your blood, and you are in mine…"

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry. 

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728281575
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	03/25/2025
Edition description:	Special ed.
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

JOHANNA VAN VEEN grew up in the Netherlands with her two sisters. She received an MA in English Literature with a specialization in early modern literature, as well as an MA Book and Digital Media with a specialization in early modern book history. She enjoys spending time with her girlfriend, her sisters, and her dog, though not necessarily all at the same time.     

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/09/2024

Van Veen’s stunning sophomore outing (after My Darling Dreadful Thing) is gothic horror for the ages. In 1887, Sarah finds a body in the bog surrounding her husband’s isolated mansion in the Netherlands and develops an obsession with the corpse that transforms into a mysterious illness. Worried that Sarah’s husband will have her institutionalized, her twin sister Lucy comes to visit, hopping both to care for Sarah and investigate the root of her malady. The depiction of the bond between the twins is poignant and devastating as Sarah’s condition deteriorates and Lucy confronts the possibility of being left alone in the world. A vampiric threat is gradually unveiled, but the true horror of this story lies in the helplessness and desperation Lucy and Sarah face as women whose lives are at the mercy of men. Having witnessed their aunt being sent to the asylum when they were young, they fight to avoid the same fate, though this proves a struggle because Sarah’s husband and doctor are oblivious to the supernatural forces at work. Combining shiver-inducing horror with sharp-fanged social commentary, this more that merits comparison to Dracula and other genre titans. Agent: Kristina Perez, Perez Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Goodreads Most Anticipated Spring Horror Novels 2025

"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. Fans of modern gothic and masterful prose, look no further." — Marcus Kliewer author of We Used to Live Here

"Chilling in its intimacy, this tale of monsters and monstrous love is a gorgeous gothic treat. I drank up every delicious word." — Jennifer Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of Diavola and Lute

"A new gothic masterpiece. Blood on Her Tongue is decadent, full of gore and rot, and viscerally, relentlessly engaging. I devoured this one. Once you’ve tasted a little, you’ll need more, then more, then more…" — CJ Leede, author of Maeve Fly and American Rapture

"Johanna van Veen’s artful and cunning use of the sublime will pull you into a sisterly web of terror, beauty, and horror, all of it sensual and dripping with the idea that death should be a kind of mutilation." — Nicholas Belardes, author of The Deading

"Gruesome, at times unhinged and deeply beautiful, Blood on Her Tongue is morbid in the best sense of the word. A vital addition to the gothic genre that will make you shudder with both pleasure and fear." — Katrina Monroe, author of Through the Midnight Door

"Johanna Van Veen weaves a seductively gruesome horror yarn with Blood on Her Tongue. Every page is dripping with gothic dread and undead yearning, and I couldn’t devour it fast enough." — Brian McAuley, author of Curse of the Reaper

"Dark, visceral, and deliciously disturbing—van Veen has woven a tale that feels like a brand new 19th century classic, bristling with gothic horror and mounting dread." — C. E. McGill, author of Our Hideous Progeny

"Johanna van Veen embroiders a rich tapestry of dark secrets and disturbing monsters, then delights in smothering you with it. A chilly gothic horror story that begs to be read by a roaring fire while the wind howls outside your window." — Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll

"Johanna van Veen takes up the mantle of Stoker and Le Fanu with this seductive tale of hunger, transgression, and the violent power of sisterhood. Sumptuous, disturbing, and sensual, Blood on Her Tongue is queer gothic fiction at its audacious best. A bloody and decadent feast of a novel." — Elliott Gish, author of Grey Dog

"A heightened experience for gothic horror fans. Johanna Van Heen indulges the audience with atmospheric tension and deeply flawed yet emotionally compelling characters. The taste of blood becomes sharper with every page." — Bram Stoker Finalist Vincent Tirado, author of We Came to Welcome You

"Blood on Her Tongue is a lush gothic fever dream, a tale of love, violence and spiraling madness that will linger long after you've read the last page." — Christina Henry, author of The House that Horror Built

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