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But Not Too Bold
The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings
The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House―Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.
Dália, the old keeper’s protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor's death, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.
But there’s a gaping hole in Dália’s plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.
The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House―Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.
Dália, the old keeper’s protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor's death, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.
But there’s a gaping hole in Dália’s plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2022
49 people are currently reading
9,634 people want to read
About the author
Hache Pueyo
2books31followersHache Pueyo is the Argentine-Brazilian writer and translator of But Not Too Bold. She won an Otherwise Fellowship for her work with gender in speculative fiction, and her short stories have appeared as H. Pueyo in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, among others.
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February 12, 2025A sapphic Gothic romance, where the monstrous mistress of the isolated house is in fact an eldritch spider god. as you do. It's immensely creepy and warped with lots of murder and amorality and body weirdness. Lush writing and thoroughly entertaining, with a delightful line at the end. I don't know if I was convinced by the romance per se but the weirdness carried me along very effectively.
February 25, 2025
A sapphic AND gothic monster romance narrated by the captivating pen of Hache Pueyo that will be in my thoughts long after writing this review - .
� 4 stars
Thanks to Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
� 4 stars
Thanks to Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
November 17, 2024
Gothic horror meets sapphic monster romance?! Y'all this was so good!!
I think this one is going to be a big hit. Blending gothic horror with sapphic monster romance and a mystery element, this novella blurs genre lines in a delightful way. But Not Too Bold follows Dália, a young woman becoming the new Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor was eaten by the Lady of Capricious House. But Dália has been raised for this and is not afraid, even after being tasked with uncovering a thief.
It's short so I won't say too much, but the writing in this is fantastic and it seamlessly navigated the line between horror and romance in a way that's hard to do. It's macabre in the best of ways. Hache Pueyo is an author to watch! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I think this one is going to be a big hit. Blending gothic horror with sapphic monster romance and a mystery element, this novella blurs genre lines in a delightful way. But Not Too Bold follows Dália, a young woman becoming the new Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor was eaten by the Lady of Capricious House. But Dália has been raised for this and is not afraid, even after being tasked with uncovering a thief.
It's short so I won't say too much, but the writing in this is fantastic and it seamlessly navigated the line between horror and romance in a way that's hard to do. It's macabre in the best of ways. Hache Pueyo is an author to watch! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
January 30, 2025
3.5 stars
This book was weird but I think it could have been weirder.
This story follows Dalia who is the new keeper of the keys in a strange estate own by a giant spider woman. The estate is run almost like a hotel but the third floor is off limits and Madam Anathema hides her face from her staff. Only occasionally exposing her true form to her brides who she is known to eat after they shy from her in terror. She treasures the memory of these brides and has keepsakes for each one, when an item from her last bride is stolen she blames the previous keeper of keys and Dalia steps into the position.
The main plot involves a brief mystery to solve the theft and a growing closeness between Dalia and the Madam. I really enjoyed the writing style and the atmosphere really reminded me of a stop motion picture directed by Tim Burton or Henry Selick. It was weird but I think it should have been a little weirder, it almost shied away from the craziness in some places when it could have been leaning in a touch more. Regardless, a quick, compulsive read that I would recommend if you're in the mood for something odd and sapphic.
Do not recommend if you have arachnophobia!
This book was weird but I think it could have been weirder.
This story follows Dalia who is the new keeper of the keys in a strange estate own by a giant spider woman. The estate is run almost like a hotel but the third floor is off limits and Madam Anathema hides her face from her staff. Only occasionally exposing her true form to her brides who she is known to eat after they shy from her in terror. She treasures the memory of these brides and has keepsakes for each one, when an item from her last bride is stolen she blames the previous keeper of keys and Dalia steps into the position.
The main plot involves a brief mystery to solve the theft and a growing closeness between Dalia and the Madam. I really enjoyed the writing style and the atmosphere really reminded me of a stop motion picture directed by Tim Burton or Henry Selick. It was weird but I think it should have been a little weirder, it almost shied away from the craziness in some places when it could have been leaning in a touch more. Regardless, a quick, compulsive read that I would recommend if you're in the mood for something odd and sapphic.
Do not recommend if you have arachnophobia!
January 22, 2025
Title/Author: But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Tor Dot Com
Format: ARC/Netgalley/ebook
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time reading
Affiliate Link:
Release Date: Feb 11th, 2025
General Genre: BISAC Categories: Fantasy - Dark Fantasy - Romantic - Gothic - LGBT - Lesbian
Sub-Genre/Themes: sapphic monster romance novella/gothic fantasy/spiders/humanoids/brides-marriage
Writing Style: Speculative
What You Need to Know: The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House�--Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides. Dália, the old keeper's protégée, must take up her duties. But there's a gaping hole in Dália's plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.
My Reading Experience: This was very strange, borderline bizarre. I thought about not finishing a few times, it just didn't feel like I was the audience but there was a little nugget of interest that kept me invested. I couldn't let go. The spider stuff, all the tarantulas...I skimmed over. Characters are eating them or handling them, I don't know. I didn't want those visuals floating around in my brain before bedtime--I have enough spider nightmares.
The monster, Anatema, is a spider-like human. The author describes her features and movements in detail, it's quite alarming and fascinating. There is a bit of fantasy and whimsy that reminds me of Coraline/James and the Giant Peach...I could see this book in the same stop-motion animation. The ending was great.
Final Recommendation: I would recommend this to readers who enjoy reading something different and peculiar. I liked imagining this in stop-motion animation, vibrant and colorful. It's the only way to imagine the spider lady! There's an audience for this book so I hope it finds its people!
Comps: The Ocean at the End of the Lane/Coraline (not recommending Neil Gaiman right now, but it's great to know we have some alternatives to that kind of storytelling) James and the Giant Peach, The Shape of Water. Eric LaRocca's We Will Never Leave This Place
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Tor Dot Com
Format: ARC/Netgalley/ebook
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time reading
Affiliate Link:
Release Date: Feb 11th, 2025
General Genre: BISAC Categories: Fantasy - Dark Fantasy - Romantic - Gothic - LGBT - Lesbian
Sub-Genre/Themes: sapphic monster romance novella/gothic fantasy/spiders/humanoids/brides-marriage
Writing Style: Speculative
What You Need to Know: The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House�--Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides. Dália, the old keeper's protégée, must take up her duties. But there's a gaping hole in Dália's plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.
My Reading Experience: This was very strange, borderline bizarre. I thought about not finishing a few times, it just didn't feel like I was the audience but there was a little nugget of interest that kept me invested. I couldn't let go. The spider stuff, all the tarantulas...I skimmed over. Characters are eating them or handling them, I don't know. I didn't want those visuals floating around in my brain before bedtime--I have enough spider nightmares.
The monster, Anatema, is a spider-like human. The author describes her features and movements in detail, it's quite alarming and fascinating. There is a bit of fantasy and whimsy that reminds me of Coraline/James and the Giant Peach...I could see this book in the same stop-motion animation. The ending was great.
Final Recommendation: I would recommend this to readers who enjoy reading something different and peculiar. I liked imagining this in stop-motion animation, vibrant and colorful. It's the only way to imagine the spider lady! There's an audience for this book so I hope it finds its people!
Comps: The Ocean at the End of the Lane/Coraline (not recommending Neil Gaiman right now, but it's great to know we have some alternatives to that kind of storytelling) James and the Giant Peach, The Shape of Water. Eric LaRocca's We Will Never Leave This Place
April 11, 2025
But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It's oddly, beautifully-compelling.
I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn't understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can't necessarily explain it coherently.
In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I'm so glad I did!
But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It's only 112-pages and well-worth the read.
The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you'll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there's no escape.
I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.
More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?
Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren't adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.
Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.
I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn't understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can't necessarily explain it coherently.
In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I'm so glad I did!
But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It's only 112-pages and well-worth the read.
The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you'll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there's no escape.
I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.
More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?
Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren't adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.
Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.
October 14, 2024
Dalia has lived most of her life in the sumptuous Capricious House, training to be the Keeper of the Keys. When she is finally promoted into the role, she comes face-to-face with the house’s mistress Anatema, an ancient creature who resembles a giant spider. Dalia finds herself more intrigued than scared by her monstrous boss, who has eaten many of her servants and all of her past brides. Anatema immediately enlists Dalia to help solve a mystery, but as the two spend more time together, Dalia finds herself fascinated by more than just the case.
I love weird fiction, so I decided to give monster romance a try! And honestly, this book is so fun. The lush setting and food descriptions are on point, and I was deeply invested in the mystery. I feel like the actual romance is a bit underdeveloped; I didn’t quite buy that Dalia had strong feelings for Anatema. Still, this was a fun read, and with a sub-100 page count, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone trying to meet their reading goal.
I love weird fiction, so I decided to give monster romance a try! And honestly, this book is so fun. The lush setting and food descriptions are on point, and I was deeply invested in the mystery. I feel like the actual romance is a bit underdeveloped; I didn’t quite buy that Dalia had strong feelings for Anatema. Still, this was a fun read, and with a sub-100 page count, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone trying to meet their reading goal.
December 16, 2024
3.0 Stars
This was such a strange and off kilter horror novella. It was more weird than terrifying for me. I liked portions of it but largely found the narrative not to my tastes. I imagine that readers who love weird horror will appreciate this more than I did but honestly it was hard to judge from the outside.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was such a strange and off kilter horror novella. It was more weird than terrifying for me. I liked portions of it but largely found the narrative not to my tastes. I imagine that readers who love weird horror will appreciate this more than I did but honestly it was hard to judge from the outside.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
November 11, 2024
Even though Halloween is over, this is a perfect read for spooky season!
Ancient sentient humanoid spiders. Tarantulas as pets. Tarantulas as food. Life in the Capricious House is super goth and feels very Addams Family.
It's a very closed set type of setting, which makes it even better and creepier, imo. As someone who's not really a big fan of spiders, especially giant talking spiders who eat their mates, I was pretty creeped out. I loved the horror-filled descriptions, which kept me going. The prose was rich and very immersive.
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really get the romance portion. It came out of nowhere at the end. I love monster romance, but this was on the very tame end to the point where it was nonexistent.
Anyway.
Read this if you love Goth vibes and weirdness. It's a quick novella and I couldn't put it down. I'd love to read more from Hache Pueyo.
Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.
Ancient sentient humanoid spiders. Tarantulas as pets. Tarantulas as food. Life in the Capricious House is super goth and feels very Addams Family.
It's a very closed set type of setting, which makes it even better and creepier, imo. As someone who's not really a big fan of spiders, especially giant talking spiders who eat their mates, I was pretty creeped out. I loved the horror-filled descriptions, which kept me going. The prose was rich and very immersive.
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really get the romance portion. It came out of nowhere at the end. I love monster romance, but this was on the very tame end to the point where it was nonexistent.
Anyway.
Read this if you love Goth vibes and weirdness. It's a quick novella and I couldn't put it down. I'd love to read more from Hache Pueyo.
Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.
February 3, 2025
I fear this is one of the few times I'm at a disadvantage for being terrible at visualizing things while I'm reading because wtf just happened...
I like the gothic vibes though.
I like the gothic vibes though.
February 20, 2025
3.5⭐️ give me all the weird, gothic, sapphic monster novellas
November 22, 2023
this one is indeed for all the monsterfucker girlies out there
February 19, 2025
2.5�
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so I am devastated that I didn't love this!
First of all - I would not classify this book as a monster romance, because in no way did I find this book romantic. There wasn't really growth in their the characters' connection, and I honestly couldn't wrap my brain around how we got to that ending.
I was really interested in the first half of this novella, but I just didn't understand the events that happened in the second half. Based on what happened, I also didn't feel like the ending made any sense whatsoever.
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so I am devastated that I didn't love this!
First of all - I would not classify this book as a monster romance, because in no way did I find this book romantic. There wasn't really growth in their the characters' connection, and I honestly couldn't wrap my brain around how we got to that ending.
I was really interested in the first half of this novella, but I just didn't understand the events that happened in the second half. Based on what happened, I also didn't feel like the ending made any sense whatsoever.
February 3, 2025
The nitty-gritty: I enjoyed parts of this bizarre fantasy/horror novella, but some elements were a little too bizarre.
But Not Too Bold is a very weird piece of fiction that didn’t completely work for me, but I do appreciate some of the things the author did with worldbuilding. I also loved the Latin American flavor of the story, as the author herself is Argentine-Brazilian.
In Capricious House, the master of the keys has just died—or rather, she’s been consumed by the master of the house, a giant, spider-like creature named Anatema—and her successor is Dália, a young woman who has been training for the position since she was brought to Capricious House as a child. Dália’s job is to attend to Anatema, who never leaves the third floor of the house. Dália holds the keys to every locked room and box and is in charge of opening them whenever necessary, but she also knows that Anatema has many rules, and if broken, the punishment is usually death—to be consumed by Anatema herself.
The day that Dália takes on her new position, Anatema discovers one of her memories is missing. Before eating someone, she weaves an elaborate, magical tableau of that person out of spider silk and locks the “memory� in a box. For someone in the house to betray Anatema by stealing from her is unheard of, and so she gives Dália the task of investigating the crime.
But what Dália uncovers turns out to be dangerous for everyone in the house.
First, what I enjoyed. The story idea was so far removed from anything I’ve read before, and I loved having my brain rewired for a bit with new ideas and storytelling concepts. Weird idea #1: Capricious House is surrounded by poppy fields, which are harvested for decoration, drugs and food. Weird idea #2: a giant spider/human creature rules the house, eating anyone who pisses her off, while she gathers “brides� from time to time (who always end up being eaten as well). The “employees� who work in the house expect that they too will be eaten someday. Weird idea #3: this land (the wider world is never explained) has had a spider plague, so tarantulas are everywhere. The people who live in Capricious House have decided to deal with them by taking them as pets (everyone seems to have their own personal tarantula) as well as incorporating them into the menu. How can you not appreciate such weird ideas? Hache Pueyo is a creative and talented writer, even if I didn’t fully love her story.
I also enjoyed the lush descriptions of food. One of Dália's favorites is fried tarantula legs, which was both fascinating and gross. One of Pueyo's themes seems to be "consumption," both in the way the humans appreciate the many delicacies from the kitchen, and the way Anatema revels in eating her employees.
Despite these mind-bending ideas, though, the story itself didn’t always work. I found the mystery of the missing memory to be weak and the reasons behind the theft a little convoluted. Also, the story is billed as a sapphic romance, but the romance elements, which are almost non existent, turned me off and didn’t work at all. The characters themselves are also weird to the point that it was nearly impossible to understand or connect to them. Dália and her fellow employees are human, but to live in a house with a giant spider who is going to eat you is sort of ridiculous.
Still, I’m glad I read But Not Too Bold, and I’ll definitely remember it as one of my more unique reads of the year.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
But Not Too Bold is a very weird piece of fiction that didn’t completely work for me, but I do appreciate some of the things the author did with worldbuilding. I also loved the Latin American flavor of the story, as the author herself is Argentine-Brazilian.
In Capricious House, the master of the keys has just died—or rather, she’s been consumed by the master of the house, a giant, spider-like creature named Anatema—and her successor is Dália, a young woman who has been training for the position since she was brought to Capricious House as a child. Dália’s job is to attend to Anatema, who never leaves the third floor of the house. Dália holds the keys to every locked room and box and is in charge of opening them whenever necessary, but she also knows that Anatema has many rules, and if broken, the punishment is usually death—to be consumed by Anatema herself.
The day that Dália takes on her new position, Anatema discovers one of her memories is missing. Before eating someone, she weaves an elaborate, magical tableau of that person out of spider silk and locks the “memory� in a box. For someone in the house to betray Anatema by stealing from her is unheard of, and so she gives Dália the task of investigating the crime.
But what Dália uncovers turns out to be dangerous for everyone in the house.
First, what I enjoyed. The story idea was so far removed from anything I’ve read before, and I loved having my brain rewired for a bit with new ideas and storytelling concepts. Weird idea #1: Capricious House is surrounded by poppy fields, which are harvested for decoration, drugs and food. Weird idea #2: a giant spider/human creature rules the house, eating anyone who pisses her off, while she gathers “brides� from time to time (who always end up being eaten as well). The “employees� who work in the house expect that they too will be eaten someday. Weird idea #3: this land (the wider world is never explained) has had a spider plague, so tarantulas are everywhere. The people who live in Capricious House have decided to deal with them by taking them as pets (everyone seems to have their own personal tarantula) as well as incorporating them into the menu. How can you not appreciate such weird ideas? Hache Pueyo is a creative and talented writer, even if I didn’t fully love her story.
I also enjoyed the lush descriptions of food. One of Dália's favorites is fried tarantula legs, which was both fascinating and gross. One of Pueyo's themes seems to be "consumption," both in the way the humans appreciate the many delicacies from the kitchen, and the way Anatema revels in eating her employees.
Despite these mind-bending ideas, though, the story itself didn’t always work. I found the mystery of the missing memory to be weak and the reasons behind the theft a little convoluted. Also, the story is billed as a sapphic romance, but the romance elements, which are almost non existent, turned me off and didn’t work at all. The characters themselves are also weird to the point that it was nearly impossible to understand or connect to them. Dália and her fellow employees are human, but to live in a house with a giant spider who is going to eat you is sort of ridiculous.
Still, I’m glad I read But Not Too Bold, and I’ll definitely remember it as one of my more unique reads of the year.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Shelved as '2025'
September 16, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom
February 11, 2025
Prepare to be weirded out, similarly to that disgusting tongue commercial from yesterday’s Super Bowl LIX! This is decidedly horror, and it’s the disturbing kind. I loved the setting and characters. The characters and estate are so unique and compelling.
My one gripe was that one decision made by a character didn’t make sense to me, given a previous decision. I have to be vague or there will be spoilers. I suppose I mean that a couple of motivations contradicted each other, and it had me scratching my head. Still, it’s a quick, engaging read that fans of this genre will enjoy.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC. All opinions are mine alone.
My one gripe was that one decision made by a character didn’t make sense to me, given a previous decision. I have to be vague or there will be spoilers. I suppose I mean that a couple of motivations contradicted each other, and it had me scratching my head. Still, it’s a quick, engaging read that fans of this genre will enjoy.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC. All opinions are mine alone.
November 25, 2024
Thank you Tordotcom for the arc.
4.5�
Honestly this was gorgeous.
To me this was the exploration of what it means to be seen in all our flaws and to still be liked/loved despite it all.
It made me reflect on how we might try to present ourselves in a way that may be more pleasing to others, but we aren't seen until we can be our true self.
4.5�
Honestly this was gorgeous.
To me this was the exploration of what it means to be seen in all our flaws and to still be liked/loved despite it all.
It made me reflect on how we might try to present ourselves in a way that may be more pleasing to others, but we aren't seen until we can be our true self.
February 21, 2025
But Not Too Bold follows Dália, a young woman stepping into the role of Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor is literally eaten by the Madam of Capricious House. But Dália was raised for this and isn’t afraid to fulfill her role, even if it puts her at risk of being eaten too!
This book is such a cool mix of gothic horror and romance. It gave me Crimson Peak and Dracula vibes with its eerie, sultry atmosphere. The writing is gripping and walks that fine line between horror and romance—which I was surprised was done so delicately. It’s macabre in the best way, giving just the right amount of darkness without making the romance aspects feel disturbing.
I also really loved Dália. There was something so relatable about her journey and seeing the powerful person she grows into. And the mystery? Way more intriguing than I expected! But what surprised me most was how much emotional depth this little book carries. I did not expect to feel such strong emotions for these characters.
The ending was a bit bittersweet as I wish a few details had been fleshed out more and that the book was just a bit longer, but I still enjoyed my time with this story. If you love more gothic romance horror, modern folklore, or stories with a rich, eerie atmosphere, definitely pick this up!
Thank you to the publisher, Tor Publishing Group, for an E-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts or opinions shared in this review are my own!
This book is such a cool mix of gothic horror and romance. It gave me Crimson Peak and Dracula vibes with its eerie, sultry atmosphere. The writing is gripping and walks that fine line between horror and romance—which I was surprised was done so delicately. It’s macabre in the best way, giving just the right amount of darkness without making the romance aspects feel disturbing.
I also really loved Dália. There was something so relatable about her journey and seeing the powerful person she grows into. And the mystery? Way more intriguing than I expected! But what surprised me most was how much emotional depth this little book carries. I did not expect to feel such strong emotions for these characters.
The ending was a bit bittersweet as I wish a few details had been fleshed out more and that the book was just a bit longer, but I still enjoyed my time with this story. If you love more gothic romance horror, modern folklore, or stories with a rich, eerie atmosphere, definitely pick this up!
Thank you to the publisher, Tor Publishing Group, for an E-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts or opinions shared in this review are my own!
March 4, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up
This was bizarre and compelling throughout, succeeding best when creating its otherworldly atmosphere. A lot is left unexplained, as befitting a classic fairy tale, but I do wish I understood character motivations better. The ending highlights the romance most, but it felt abrupt to me. Still I would absolutely try more from this author, and this cover is perfect to me.
This was bizarre and compelling throughout, succeeding best when creating its otherworldly atmosphere. A lot is left unexplained, as befitting a classic fairy tale, but I do wish I understood character motivations better. The ending highlights the romance most, but it felt abrupt to me. Still I would absolutely try more from this author, and this cover is perfect to me.
November 3, 2024
Imagine The Shape of Water but with Shelob as the love interest.
April 13, 2025
Life goes fast but chemotherapy goes slow, and finding the happy reading ground between the two is an exercise I'll probably never satisfactorily hash out. One compromise has been taking what promisingly queer eBooks I can get from from the easily accessible pool, of which this is the latest. Unfortunately, this is another case of the thesis outweighing the execution, which is a shame when it comes to wlw monsterfucking. See, I know I move (relatively) slowly in terms of both my reading preferences and my evaluations, so part of my rating of this quick whippersnapper of a piece will be subsequently effected. However, this is the Gothic genre we're operating within, where details certainly have their place but mood reigns supreme. This work certainly had a number of suitable puzzle pieces to work with, but an emphasis on quantity (characters, settings, plot lines) over quality (set pieces, significant character interactions, emotional terroir) left the fear skatingly thin and the mental picture bare bones. Add in the repetition of certain humdrum factoids without any accompanying fleshing out or convolutions upon convolutions, and you have a text that certainly wears the trappings of the Gothic, but never quite delves beyond skin deep. In any case, this technically qualifies as a woman in translation piece, which I didn't expect in my queer searchings but will always appreciate. It didn't do it for me, but what a brave new world we live in, to have such potential to work with.
April 7, 2025
Queer, cosmic, sapphic, bizarre, and somewhat horrifying. I don’t fully understand the reading journey this story took me on, but I certainly enjoyed it. Sometimes the details were a bit too vague� the world building was obscure and frustrating. Otherwise, wow, still kind of floating on the vibes of this short book.
Imagine an 8 legged eldritch god living on the third floor of an intricate mansion, who is known to devour her staff and brides. You’re next in line as keeper of the keys, and suddenly the job is yours. Only bloody rags and shoes remain of the last lady in the position. Magic, beauty, monstrosity, and longing abounds in this fantastical dark fiction.
I have to say, the cover is also so spectacular! Like I would frame it as art it’s so gorgeous and I’m not even a fan of spiders.
Imagine an 8 legged eldritch god living on the third floor of an intricate mansion, who is known to devour her staff and brides. You’re next in line as keeper of the keys, and suddenly the job is yours. Only bloody rags and shoes remain of the last lady in the position. Magic, beauty, monstrosity, and longing abounds in this fantastical dark fiction.
I have to say, the cover is also so spectacular! Like I would frame it as art it’s so gorgeous and I’m not even a fan of spiders.
February 17, 2025
Gothic horror meets sapphic monster romance with a mystery twist? Yes, please!
But Not Too Bold is the tale of Anatema, the mercurial Lady of the Capricious House, who just so happens to be a massive humanoid spider with a weakness for laudanum and beautiful women, and Dália, her newest keeper of the keys—as Anatema made a meal out of the last.
After learning the reason behind her predecessors death—a stolen memorial keepsake—Dália is tasked to find the true culprit or else her life is forfeit as well. Only while Dália plays sleuth at Anatema’s behest, she finds herself intrigued by more than just the case.
What a delightfully weird read this was! This was so eerie and beautifully written, and while I wasn’t quite convinced of Anatema & Dália’s feelings for each other, I was hooked regardless.
This was fantastic.
But Not Too Bold is the tale of Anatema, the mercurial Lady of the Capricious House, who just so happens to be a massive humanoid spider with a weakness for laudanum and beautiful women, and Dália, her newest keeper of the keys—as Anatema made a meal out of the last.
After learning the reason behind her predecessors death—a stolen memorial keepsake—Dália is tasked to find the true culprit or else her life is forfeit as well. Only while Dália plays sleuth at Anatema’s behest, she finds herself intrigued by more than just the case.
What a delightfully weird read this was! This was so eerie and beautifully written, and while I wasn’t quite convinced of Anatema & Dália’s feelings for each other, I was hooked regardless.
This was fantastic.
January 6, 2025
Quick sapphic read.
January 17, 2025
huge W for anyone who had a crush on Miss Spider from James and the Giant Peach as a child
March 7, 2025
Proud of myself, I really loved that.
February 15, 2025
I'm honestly floored by how much I ended up enjoying this one.
If (like me) you're new to monster romance- and you're not afraid of spiders, I feel like this would be a great place to start.
When Anatema enlists Dália to help find the culprit responsible for her missing memories, neither of them are prepared for the attraction that forms.
This was surpsingly tender- and as much about two women feeling seen for the first time as it was about anything else.
If (like me) you're new to monster romance- and you're not afraid of spiders, I feel like this would be a great place to start.
When Anatema enlists Dália to help find the culprit responsible for her missing memories, neither of them are prepared for the attraction that forms.
This was surpsingly tender- and as much about two women feeling seen for the first time as it was about anything else.
March 20, 2025
Sometimes, there were feasts instead of meals, there was fear, adrenaline, joy. Sometimes everything was real. Sometimes, she had dreams where she was tied to a spiderweb, lost in a maze, blindfolded, unable to see, but seen at last.
3.5 stars. I don't always do well with super short books, but sometimes I read a novella that's just theperfectlength. There was nothing extraneous included, and nothingneeds to be added. Uuuuunfortunately this isn't one of those cases, lol. But it came pretty close? I really liked this! It's a sapphic fantasy (with a tinge of horror) novella about an eldritch, arachnid being who rules over her mansion, and the young servant who just became her newest keeper of keys. Anatema has the unfortunate habit of eating people (her brides, her servants, people who annoy her) but Dalia is pretty sanguine in her new position. Her first major duty is to solve the theft that led to the death of the old keeper, and in so doing, she finds herself becoming closer to her mistress.
I keep seeing this described as a romance, and that led my expectations in certain directions, and I ended up being let down. There wasn't quite as much focus on Dalia and Anatema's relationship as I'd have wanted. Even by gothic romance standards, this didn't really achieve the feel I think it was going for; at least on my opinion. But it was still wonderfully atmospheric and eerie and decadent. I loved all the descriptions of the rich, complex food, of Anatema'sart and 'memories'. There was a lot of artful repetition that was very effective; be bold, be bold. The formatting was interesting, when it came to the inscriptions, and Anatema's weird, unsettling voice that she sometimes used. Anatema herself was something of a mystery to me; I couldn't quite get a handle on how to picture her. She's a spider lady, but not exactly. And she can contort her body to look almost human? And then sometimes she's positively monstrous. It was fun, seeing Dalia fall for her in thisvery... idk, calm and measured way. Good for you, girl. Get that monster lady. The mystery kept me engaged, though I do wish it had been more involved. And I really wish we'd gotten a bit more at the end. Even if it was just to see them together a bit longer. The end just felt super abrupt.
Still, I'm really glad I read this, because it was such a unique little experience. Don't expect too much romance if you read it, but it's definitely worth checking out.
Content warnings:
February 19, 2025
Absolutely stunning short read. I devoured it^^
It was captivating and I couldn't stop reading it, and when I had to stop, I couldn't stop thinking about it and wanting to keep reading.
It's a unique, fascinating story. A little mystery about a theft included, besides the unique situation of the characters and their madam of the house. The characters are believable and seem like real people.
I would love to read it again straight away.
It was captivating and I couldn't stop reading it, and when I had to stop, I couldn't stop thinking about it and wanting to keep reading.
It's a unique, fascinating story. A little mystery about a theft included, besides the unique situation of the characters and their madam of the house. The characters are believable and seem like real people.
I would love to read it again straight away.
March 2, 2025
4/5�
”But I don’t want to be alone. I would like you to be with me, madam.�
strangely cute, I just wish it was a bit longer!!
”But I don’t want to be alone. I would like you to be with me, madam.�
strangely cute, I just wish it was a bit longer!!
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