The Way It Haunted Him

Reviews / Votes

Samotin casts a spell over the reader with this sensuous dark academia novel as dark and twisted as the stacks of an occult library.
--S.T. Gibson, internationally bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood

I'm the one haunted by this tender and gorgeous story. Laura R. Samotin tackles themes of atonement and duty-and how those things can be wielded as a form of abuse-in the nuanced way that her readers have come to expect, while expertly weaving in Jewish mysticism and casual queerness. Fans of dark fantasy, shining hope, and everlasting love, don't miss out on this one.
--Kamilah Cole, USA Today & National Indie bestselling author of An Arcane Inheritance

The Way It Haunted Him is a love letter to horror readers. A story steeped in folklore, queer love, and the harsh reality of grief, guilt, and the monsters we inherit. Laura R. Samotin, the master of a one-sitting read, has struck again.
--Ben Alderson, author of The Haunting of William Thorn

Laura Samotin stuns again. Her dark, entrancing prose and wonderfully complex characters will leave readers spellbound, as they delve with Michael Stein into the secrets of Schechter Institute. A powerful gothic tale that will have readers at the edge of their seats.
--Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful

Beautifully poignant and chillingly dark, The Way it Haunted Him is an examination of grief, obsession, trauma and above all, love. It grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go.
-Frances White, bestselling author of Voyage of the Damned

An unsettling and wholly original exploration of grief, desire, and the strength of belief, The Way It Haunted Him will get under your skin and linger for a very, very long time. Also: one of the best cats in literature.
--Claire Schultz, author of Even Your Bones Would Do

A solid example of the emerging horror romance subgenre and a grown-up option for readers who loved the YA novel, When the Angels Left the Old County, by Sacha Lamb, or the academic horror research and queer romance of A Game in Yellow, by Hailey Piper.
-Booklist

I really enjoyed this read-sweeping yet intimate, gory and chilling, and impossible to put down. The point at which the story begins-after Dimitri loses the war to Alexey-was a great choice, and I appreciate how carefully Laura R. Samotin delved into the depths of trauma, depression, and grief, while still leaving room for humour and hope.
--Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

Samotin's breathtaking debut is a Gothic, deeply Jewish tale about love's power to both wound us and set us free. Passionate and gruesome, heart-pounding and poignant, this story will be carved into your very bones.
--Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

The Sins on Their Bones is a novel of grief flayed open with surgical care, a story like a broken bone healing stronger than before. From war-torn shuls to opulent palaces to hidden rooms with cold secrets, Samotin has created a queer Jewish fantasy world that feels real enough to step into. The journey is dark, but never lonely.
--Lauren Ring, World Fantasy Award winner and Nebula finalist

Intense and visceral, with a romance that showcases the restorative power of love on the wounded, this stunning debut will leave you spellbound from the first page.
--Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful and World Fantasy Award finalist

Samotin's debut is both epic and intimate, both sharp and sumptuous, both painful and ultimately hopeful, with Jewish magic in its bones. Novo-Svitsevo will linger in my heart for a long time.
--Rebecca Podos, Lambda Award-winning author of From Dust, A Flame

The Sins on Their Bones is a book that will break your heart and then fuse it back together, stronger for having been broken. It's a story of agency and abuse, about what we deserve and what we owe ourselves, about finding the strength to forgive ourselves and to accept the forgiveness of others. Samotin is a powerful new voice in the genre, with this queer dark fantasy that reminds us that there is always, always a light in the dark.
--Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn

Samotin has crafted a modern classic which explores love, family and loyalty whilst dabbling in dark magic, high octane sexual tension and a web of romance that I will never stop thinking about. The Sins on Their Bones is a book that you will devour with ease, but be careful, because it too will devour you-soul, heart and mind. I CANNOT stop thinking about this book.
--Ben Alderson, author of Heir to Thorn and Flame

An enthralling story that never flinches away from its darkest moments-Dimitri, Vasily, and even Alexey will carve themselves into your hearts and linger with you long after reading. With impeccable world-building, gut-wrenching prose, and a deeply compelling plot, The Sins on Their Bones is a must-read book of 2024. I can't wait to read whatever Samotin writes next.
--Lillie Lainoff, author of One for All

Gothic and glorious, The Sins on Their Bones is the dark Jewish fantasy I've been craving. Novo-Svitsevo will stay with you long after you've finished the last page.
--Natasha Siegel, author of Solomon's Crown

An implacable tangle of dark histories and intense passions, damaging desperation and many kinds of healing love.
--Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer

Set in an imaginative, lived-in world steeped in Jewish mysticism, The Sins on Their Bones walks a tightrope between darkness and light, between heavy themes and levity, between escaping the monsters from your past and becoming one in the present. Get ready to fall in love with Samotin's characters-even the villain! Especially the villain.
--Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days

A heart-wrenching tale of love, loss and the long, difficult road to healing, The Sins on Their Bones is an unmissable debut from a powerful new voice.
--K.M. Enright, author of Mistress of Lies

Wrenching, brutal, and fiercely loving, The Sins on Their Bones is a remarkable and unflinching fantasy debut.
--Emily Skrutskie, author of Bonds of Brass

Clever and inventive, Laura R. Samotin's debut novel filled me with giddy nostalgia for the heady days when a younger me first discovered fantasy adventures, deliriously unhinging my jaw to devour entire books whole in a single night. Which is exactly what I did with The Sins On Their Bones: it was simply too much fun to put down! It's left me desperately craving both blinis, and the second book in the series.
-Rose Sutherland, author of A Sweet Sting of Salt

Rich in wrenching intimacies, The Sins on Their Bones is a paean to healing and endurance against all odds.
--Foz Meadows, author of A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

The Sins on Their Bones is absolutely unique and potently atmospheric. The darkness nearly wafts off the page.
--Ariel Kaplan, author of The Pomegranate Gate

Immersive and original, The Sins on Their Bones is the Jewish fantasy I've always dreamed of reading. Samotin has created a world that is rich and evocative and absolutely steeped in Jewish folklore, and a cast of wounded, messy, enchanting characters that grab you by the heart and never let go. Every page took my breath away, and the ending left me absolutely clamoring for more. This tender, violent, breathtaking debut will keep you on your toes until the very last word.
--Shelly Jay Shore, author of Rules for Ghosting