Wolf Worm

· Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal
6 reviews
Audiobook
9 hr 14 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

"Narrator Mary Robinette Kowal wonderfully conveys the wryly funny prose and the creeping horror of the story. Giving each character a distinct voice, Kowal deftly and consistently moves between them and superbly renders Sam’s voice." —Library Journal on A House with Good Bones (Starred Review)

“[Mary Robinette] Kowal’s performance enhances this gothic horror audiobook.” — Kirkus


“I saw the devil in these woods.”

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost—one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher "Narrator Mary Robinette Kowal wonderfully conveys the wryly funny prose and the creeping horror of the story. Giving each character a disti...

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Ratings and reviews

6 reviews
Jessica Galindo
August 17, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ I’m going to preface this and say that I am not a fan of insects. And this book right here? Yeah, there’s a very heavy focus on them. This was also my first horror read so it was an experience. This one started off slow for me and I feel like I didn’t really start to become more invested until about 40% in. But after that point? I had the need to keep listening. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with keeping the tone of the book and making it engaging. And when I got to the last 30ish% of the book? I could not control my reactions and I’ll leave it up to your imagination of words I may have said out loud. While it wasn’t my usual genre, this book was very well written and, even if I did find it slow in the beginning, it methodically builds to the horror aspect. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review 🩷
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Lorena Dinger
March 24, 2026
This Southern Gothic was disturbing, sometimes grotesquely creepy, yet funny & quirky. Kingfisher’s writing makes me feel like I'm right there living these events along with our characters. Some scenes made my skin crawl, & I occasionally felt on the verge of panic, but I knew things would work out in the end. The story starts slowly & takes a long time to build suspense, but I enjoyed hearing Sonia’s inner dialogue. Ending was great, & I enjoyed the author's note. Wonderful narration.
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Maria S.
February 26, 2026
This was absolutely disgusting. This is actually the third gross parasitic insect horror that I've read in the last few months and every time I am grossed out and horrified and why do I do this to myself? Set in 1899, Wolf Worm takes you inside the mind of Sonia, a down on her luck scientific illustrator who takes a post illustrating beetles for the book of a naturalist, Dr. Holder, who is primarily studying the parasitic botfly, whose larvae are also known as the Wolf Worm. Wolf Worm, as a book, is incredibly slow paced. You might forget that you're reading a horror and instead just enjoy the scientific and artistic ramblings of being inside Sonia's mind and then something really unsettling happens and you remember that we're very very slowly building towards something truly horrific, but of course you don't know what it is. I won't spoil it for you but I will say this book contained some of the most disgusting and horrific body horror that I have ever read. I actually almost threw up in my mouth a little. So yeah.. 5 stars, no notes. 🎧 The audio narration was incredibly well done. Mary Robinette Kowal brought Sonia to life in such a realistic way that it truly felt like you were inside her head and hearing her thoughts. The way she sped up and pitched up the narration when Sonia was going on an anxious spiraling ramble is *chef's kiss* perfection. Highly recommend this one as an audiobook. Big thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audio review copy! Thoughts are my own.
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About the author

T. KINGFISHER writes fantasy, horror, and occasional oddities, including Nettle & Bone, Thornhedge, A Sorceress Comes to Call, What Moves the Dead, and A House with Good Bones. Under a pen name, she also writes bestselling children's books. She lives in New Mexico with her husband, dog and cats, in an area with absolutely no botflies.
T. KINGFISHER writes fantasy, horror, and occasional oddities, including Nettle & Bone, Thornhedge, A Sorceress Comes to Call, What Moves the Dead, and A House with Good Bones. Under a pen name, she also writes bestselling children's books. She lives in New Mexico with her husband, dog and cats, ...

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