LEECH | Hiron Ennes
09.27.2022 | Tordotcom
Rating: 3/5 stars
In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The doctor’s replacement has a mystery to solve: discovering how the Institute lost track of one of its many bodies. For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed. In the frozen north, the Institute’s body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron’s castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again.
What a fascinating, weird, and unusual story! Leech is a dark tale like none I’ve read before. I’m not entirely sure how to talk about it without spoiling parts, so I’m going to go the pros and cons list route with this review.
Pros:
✨Incredibly unique!
✨Fantastic take on an isolated chateau setting!
✨The suspense! There are some excellently detailed moments throughout that truly had me on the edge of my seat.
✨The parasites! What can I say, I’m a sucker for weird stuff!
Cons:
✨Lack of details: This story could have benefited from more backstory.
✨Confusing: I’m all for solving a mystery and letting things unfold, but there were several chapters I finished where I would just question what the heck happened and if I should go back and reread it.
✨Disjointed feeling: There were a few times when the narrative just didn’t work for me and the constant back and forth made the read overly dense.
✨The ending: It felt like a bit of a let down after the build up of the story.
A huge thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!
What Jess Reads 