Book Review: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

‘House Of Hunger’ by Alexis Henderson was released in 2022. It is a horror novel that dabbles in the idea of vampirism without explicitly stating that the nobility in question in the North’s bloodlust relates to vampirism. Although the idea of bloodletting for medicinal purposes can be traced back to Galen and Humourism back in Ancient Rome, the idea of drinking blood, without mentioning the other three humours, black bile, urine, and phlegm being let or consumed heavily implies the need for blood to be consumed for nutritional value instead, since the Countess Lisavet consumes it in tea, wine, and straight from the source.

The book follows the story of Marion, a maid from the slums of Prane, who encounters an advertisement for bloodmaids in the newspaper, and in a bid to escape a life of poverty, abuse, and hunger, she applies. Successful, she finds herself in the most notorious of the noble houses of the North, the original Northern House, the House of Hunger, where she swears to serve a tenure among bloodmaids to sustain the life of the sickly Countess.

As Marion grows comfortable in her new home, she makes ample discoveries about the history of the North, the nature of her home, and that there is plenty to fear among the grandeur of the House of Hunger. As her world seems to echo her curious thoughts, and Marion befriends her fellow bloodmaids, she finds herself in a precarious position, enthralled by the countess, and usurping the favourite, Cecilia from her position as First Bloodmaid, the one who would bleed most frequently to sustain Lisavet. Spurred on by ambition, and a drive to satisfy Lisavet’s cravings, Marion ends up discovering something she shouldn’t have, and the ramifications will be catastrophic.

I loved this book. It contained conventions I was well-versed in as a reader of gothic and horror fiction, and I was delighted to see the grotesque outcome of the story. The amalgamation of anticipation and tension was exciting and greatly fulfilling. I hope to get the chance to read more of Henderson’s work in the future because her command of language and her world-building skills are incredible. I was questioning everything and everyone as I read and I could not wait to find out what was going to happen around each and every turn.

Fans of vampire fiction as well as horror work will likely love this book just as I did, it probes your mind and uncovers your fears, fears of aging, of dying, of being abused or abandoned and I loved being forced to face them. It was a brilliant, exhilarating read.