Leech by Hiron Ennes

Leech by Hiron Ennes
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Way out in an extremely isolated chateau, the replacement for a deceased doctor of a baron has arrived and is fascinated with the mysterious death of their predecessor. The baron is not concerned, but the new doctor is, and they fear there’s a strange new parasite lurking in the corners of the castle. Unfortunately for them, their fears are confirmed as the parasite spreads its way across the castle, causing its inhabitants to become just as dangerous as the parasite out of fear.

I have to say that this book is an interesting one, but it is confusing at times. Early on, I almost thought the doctor we were following was actually the parasite threatening the entire community. Though, we are indeed following someone affected by a parasite, it’s just a different one altogether. Regardless, the concept alone made this a really interesting read because we’re watching the internal struggles of someone who was basically body snatched by a parasite long before the start of the book. This new deadly parasite just fascinates the protagonist whose true name isn’t revealed until much later.

Honestly, I think this is one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year. It’s a gothic science fiction that has us following an unreliable narrator. They are unreliable because they have basically been body snatched by a parasite for some time at the start of the novel, so they have many voices in their head on top of having their body controlled at times. On top of everything, they’re also losing time, so there’s big gaps in their memory and they are fully aware of it.

There’s a cast of violent to just odd characters. I liked two characters, but it wasn’t enough for me to say either were favorites. It’s just that the two of them were likable and I liked every time they showed up in the story. If you’re looking for a book that will give you characters you’re rooting for all along, this isn’t the book for you, but it does have a cast of odd to downright crazy characters to follow.

All in all, this is a gothic sci-fi horror at the core. There’s some steampunk elements to it that make it interesting, but not enough to call it a steampunk novel. There’s also a lot of blood and gore, which can get pretty gross at times, so it’s not for the squeamish. The opening is a bit of a confusing slow burn, but once it picks up, it makes sense most of the time and takes readers for a wild ride. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a gothic sci-fi horror and like unreliable narrators.