Leech by Hiron Ennes is a Gothic, atmospheric, slow-creeping dread that burrowed deep into my mind as I read and left me disgusted and unsettled by the end. Ennes did something out-of-the-box, ambitious, and experimental with this book that I personally liked. It started with the POV of a parasite, not the host being hunted and succumbing to a parasite, but the parasite itself. The next 300+ pages are a slow-burning, horrific journey through a wintry, desolate town, a crumbling chateau, enigmatic townspeople, a disintegrating hivemind connection, and a new parasitic competition. It tackled themes of parasitism, survival, exploitation, ethics in medicine and the medical industry, and autonomy.

There's so much world lore to sink your teeth into. It is dense and demands your attention, but I did wish the worldbuilding were explored more. There were so many interesting concepts and ideas thrown around about the world outside of Verdira, but to tie all of the details together to form one image felt like trying to pull wisps of smoke into a knot. By the end, I am still left with so many questions.

The story can also feel a bit disjointed at times. The ending particularly felt a bit rushed and disconnected from the rest of the story. I understand how we got there, but after a rollercoaster of crazy in the 50%-80% of the book, the way the story ended didn't carry the same weight as how it started.

What carried me through these rough moments was the writing. Ennes can Write. There is no doubt about that. The stream of consciousness from both parasite and hosts, the devolving and switching perspectives, the timing of details that just don't sit right, and the experimental use of pronouns to denote different minds were engaging and inventive. I loved the character voice of the parasite and the way the voice changes as the story goes and more of its past is revealed. Reading this book felt less like usual horror but more unsettling and uncanny, like seeing a face in the crowd that doesn't seem quite right staring back at you.

I liked the adventure despite its weaknesses, and this read has only solidified Hiron Ennes as a favorite author. Their books might not be for everyone, but I know for certain that with every book they write, I will always be given something creative, ambitious, and unapologetically, fantastically weird.