The Warm Hands of Ghosts
#3893.96 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2024 Reading commitment Low Katherine Arden Last reviewed 2026-09-04
Overview
A Canadian nursing sister searches the WWI Western Front for her brother, presumed dead but reported found -- and finds herself drawn into something older and stranger than the war. Standalone historical fantasy with genuine numinous elements.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Warm Hands of Ghosts (2024) core · 3.96 (34,284 ratings)
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Warm Hands of Ghosts? The Warm Hands of Ghosts's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Warm Hands of Ghosts finished? Complete (2024).
- How much reading does The Warm Hands of Ghosts take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~325 pages).
- How is The Warm Hands of Ghosts ranked? #389 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 34,284 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #389?
Ranked #389 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.96 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (34,284 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #388, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (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?
Well rated · 1 book · Complete · 34k ratings · Ranks #389 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical 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.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what The Warm Hands of Ghosts and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Tigana Epic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.08
- The Tale of the Serpent's Heart Mythic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.06
- Once Was Willem Mythic fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.03
- The Once and Future Witches Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.02
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.96 across 34,284 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: Admit The Warm Hands of Ghosts (Katherine Arden) accepted 2026-09-03
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Mythopoeic Society -- 2025 Mythopoeic Awards, Adult Literature finalists Tier 1
- Rating-platform listing: The Warm Hands of Ghosts Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-09-04
Rule: Core Canon: the single 2024 novel.