Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

TL;DR: My kind of weird, vampires meets parasitic bugs.
Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher!

Plot: Sonia is hired to illustrate a guide to bugs but the professor is definitely up to something.
Characters: Some were definitely stronger than others but the plot was more the focus here.
Setting: 1889 back woods, it had some clear hallmarks but it could have been any time or place
Horror: This was fun for me. Lots of bug, nesting horror.

Summary:

The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. 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. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? 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 dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.

Thoughts:

This is 100% my type of weird. I can’t fully explain all the little things that capture my type of weird because of spoilers but starting off the list is parasitic bugs, which I know is going to be a turn off for lots of folks. This is a great little story from Kingfisher, and I had a great time.

Our main character is an illustrator (another yes from me), and it’s set in the back woods (yes) of a country town (yes) in 1885. She arrives hearing tales of some folklore creature that once hunted the people of the town (oh yes), and ends up working for a grumpy scientist illustrating bugs (yes!). We go from there and it gets weird and intense quickly.

In the acknowledgements Kingfisher talks about describing her story ideas to a friend and hoping for ‘The Face’. This face is usually of horror or disgust. Something that reads ‘What is wrong with you?’. I’m well and familiar with this face because I do the same with my husband and our friends when I’m writing or planning D&D sessions. This is the perfect example of why these books, and especially this one work for me.

It’s the weird that most people scrunch their face up at and say ‘Ugh, no!’ but I say ‘Oh yes!’. If you’re not going to enjoy bugs growing in people, pass on this one. But otherwise this was a delight.