Starling House
#5573.78 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2023 Reading commitment Low by Alix E. Harrow Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
A standalone Southern Gothic fantasy in which a young woman takes work as a maid at a mysterious, half-legendary mansion in a struggling Kentucky coal town and uncovers its supernatural ties to the town's own dark history.
Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Starling House (2023) core · 3.78 (178,766 ratings); A standalone Southern Gothic fantasy: a young woman takes a job as a maid at a mysterious, half-legendary mansion in a struggling Kentucky coal town and uncovers the house's supernatural ties to the town's past.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Starling House? Starling House's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Starling House finished? Complete (2023).
- How much reading does Starling House take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~308 pages).
- How is Starling House ranked? #557 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 178,766 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #557?
Ranked #557 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.78 across 1 core book.
- Backed by 179k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #556, The Legend of the Ice People (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 179k ratings · Ranks #557 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Starling House and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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- A Dowry of Blood Dark fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.91
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.88
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.78 across 178,766 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Starling House admitted as a standalone novel accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26
Rule: Core Canon is the single standalone novel (2023).