Genre Fiction
![Hiron Ennes - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_hiron_ennes.jpg)
Leech
A surreal and horrifying debut, Hiron Ennes's Leech defies our understanding of identity, heredity, and bodily autonomy.
An Amazon Book of the Month!
An October "Great Reads" Indie Next Pick!
"A wonderful new entry to Gothic science fiction, impeccably clever and atmospheric. Think Wuthering Heights... with worms!"―Tamsyn Muir
MEET THE CURE FOR THE HUMAN DISEASE
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.
An Amazon Book of the Month!
An October "Great Reads" Indie Next Pick!
"A wonderful new entry to Gothic science fiction, impeccably clever and atmospheric. Think Wuthering Heights... with worms!"―Tamsyn Muir
MEET THE CURE FOR THE HUMAN DISEASE
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.
Editorial Reviews
"A wonderful new entry to Gothic science fiction, impeccably clever and atmospheric. Think Wuthering Heights... with worms!" ―Tamsyn Muir
"Emotionally complex, wildly inventive, and full of squirming terror... This is a must-read for readers looking for something new from the horror genre." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"[A] fascinating jigsaw puzzle... [that] only gets more intriguing as the novel goes on... Fans of gothic horror will devour it." ―Booklist, starred review
"The fascinating world and original narrator that Ennes creates in their debut produce a sublime gothic sci-fi tale that grows into a story greater than the sum of its parts." ―Library Journal, starred review
"Leech uses language with startling acrobatism, creating a world steeped with more secrets than the human body can contain." ―Cassandra Khaw
"Worldbuilding both subtle and surprising. Killer prose. Grotesque biology like I've never seen. If you've ever wondered what would happen if David Cronenberg and Edgar Allen Poe bumped into each other at the same parasitological conference, here's your answer." ―Peter Watts
"Startlingly original, yet eerily familiar, with Leech, Ennes spins classic Gothic horror and fascinating science fiction into a creation that is disturbing, horrifying, and impossible to turn away from." ―Brom
"This book managed to surprise me, and that's not easy for this jaded reader. I read everything, therefore I thought I had seen everything. Leech isn't like anything I've read before." ―Tade Thompson, author of Rosewater
"A tense, disturbing work of Gothic horror that embraces difficult themes of power, abuse, agency, and raw survival in an unforgettably apocalyptic setting. Gory, shocking, raw ― and utterly humane." ―Kameron Hurley
"Leech is wonderful, with a truly unique protagonist, a gooey, squicky post-apocalyptic setting, and a dose of Gormenghast gothic. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Traitor Baru Cormorant." ―Django Wexler
"A razor-sharp balance between the Gothic and the weird, Leech is a startling surprise. A unique narrator, a complex and twisted world, toe-curling horror ― I wanted to keep reading." ―World Fantasy Award-winning a...
"Emotionally complex, wildly inventive, and full of squirming terror... This is a must-read for readers looking for something new from the horror genre." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"[A] fascinating jigsaw puzzle... [that] only gets more intriguing as the novel goes on... Fans of gothic horror will devour it." ―Booklist, starred review
"The fascinating world and original narrator that Ennes creates in their debut produce a sublime gothic sci-fi tale that grows into a story greater than the sum of its parts." ―Library Journal, starred review
"Leech uses language with startling acrobatism, creating a world steeped with more secrets than the human body can contain." ―Cassandra Khaw
"Worldbuilding both subtle and surprising. Killer prose. Grotesque biology like I've never seen. If you've ever wondered what would happen if David Cronenberg and Edgar Allen Poe bumped into each other at the same parasitological conference, here's your answer." ―Peter Watts
"Startlingly original, yet eerily familiar, with Leech, Ennes spins classic Gothic horror and fascinating science fiction into a creation that is disturbing, horrifying, and impossible to turn away from." ―Brom
"This book managed to surprise me, and that's not easy for this jaded reader. I read everything, therefore I thought I had seen everything. Leech isn't like anything I've read before." ―Tade Thompson, author of Rosewater
"A tense, disturbing work of Gothic horror that embraces difficult themes of power, abuse, agency, and raw survival in an unforgettably apocalyptic setting. Gory, shocking, raw ― and utterly humane." ―Kameron Hurley
"Leech is wonderful, with a truly unique protagonist, a gooey, squicky post-apocalyptic setting, and a dose of Gormenghast gothic. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Traitor Baru Cormorant." ―Django Wexler
"A razor-sharp balance between the Gothic and the weird, Leech is a startling surprise. A unique narrator, a complex and twisted world, toe-curling horror ― I wanted to keep reading." ―World Fantasy Award-winning a...
Readers Top Reviews
TheBookishAbyss
An old parasite has created a niche for itself amongst humanity. After taking over numerous hosts, it has developed in an intelligent, sentient community that has developed The Institute where members are medically-trained and dispersed around the land to take over as the main doctor in every region. Through its study of humans in this way, it has developed a remarkable library of knowledge and a medical procedure for spreading itself to knew hosts. For half a millennia, it has steadily grown and ruled the medical community. However, through hive mind communication, the newest doctor for a local baron has discovered and alerted the Institute and all its members of a competitor on the loose in and around the baron’s château infecting hosts and fighting for its own foothold in humanity. What transpires is a battle for dominance with humankind in the crosshairs. This is a debut novel by this author and it is amazingly and impeccably written. I am always drawn in by science and there is plenty of scientific discourse in this book. The vocabulary enriches the story and brings depth to the plot. I was completely enthralled from beginning to end by the menagerie of characters and the care given to creating multi-dimensional personalities that the reader feels intense emotions about. This is a highly recommended read!
MTheBookishAbyss
“As far back as I can possibly remember, in any place, in any host, I have never had a name.” The baron’s doctor in the North has died and a new doctor must be sent post-haste! When the replacement médsaine arrives from the Interprovincial Medical Institute, their first task is finding out how they lost track of one of their bodies. And how did that body die? Upon autopsy, they discover something small and black and… parasitic. It would seem they have a competitor in their midst, but who will win this war of leeches? And will the victor truly bring good fortune to humanity? I moved Leech up on my TBR the instant I received it because, well, look at that cover! But also because I was looking for something different, and gothic sci-fi hit that mark. This book did not disappoint on those themes. This was very French Chateau gothic mixed with what in my head felt like Alien in a victorian gown. The concept is like nothing I’ve read before, a truly unique premise, and I liked the way the world building worked its way brick by brick rather than in one avalanche so that I was a little confused at first but slowly the gears started to click into place until that lightbulb turned on. One thing that bothered me about this book however is how DENSE it is. There’s a lot of words per page and it’s quite a thick book to get through. You have to be ready to sit with this one for a bit unless you’re a supremely fast reader which I am not. But, the story, concept, moral question, and fascinating characters were well worth the effort. If you’re looking for something different, this gothic, sci-fi horror is the one for you! 🪱
