Dark Sisters: A Novel by Kristi DeMeesterPublication Date: December 9, 2025
Pages: 336
Add on: Goodreads
Buy the Book: Amazon
Rating: ★★★
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fiction / Horror / Occult & Supernatural
Publisher: St. Martin's Press / Macmillan
Three women must chase a curse through the generations in order to reclaim their power in this fierce and stunning novel from Such a Pretty Smile author Kristi DeMeester.
1750: Anne Bolton sets off with her daughter to begin a life of secrecy. In town, they are killing women accused of witchcraft every day, and as a healer, she’ll soon be persecuted too. But then she makes a deal with a powerful dark entity to protect those under her purview–and unleashes a devastating power with consequences that will echo for three hundred years.
1953: Mary Shephard is a new mother, a picture-perfect wife, and dutiful member of The Path–a community of faith that holds piety and family values above all else. But Mary feels oppressed by these limiting expectations, so she takes a part-time job. Then she meets Sharon, and their star-crossed love story begins. But that’s the thing about star-crossed lovers–people just want to tear you apart.
2007: Camilla Burson is the preacher’s daughter, and she knows how to play the game. But now women in The Path are dying of a rare disease, including her mother, and this time she’ll push her father too far. Her punishment: The Retreat, a place that shows troublemakers like Camilla that toeing the line is best for everyone. But there is an old, forgotten power awaiting her; a power that if Camilla can claim, will change everything.
REVIEW
Kristi DeMeester’s Dark Sisters pulls you in fast, a multigenerational horror tale where the past refuses to stay buried. The novel weaves historical fiction and supernatural terror, but at its core, it’s about women fighting to claim power in a world built to break them.
Everything starts with Anne Bolton, an 18th-century healer who, cornered by accusations of witchcraft, makes a desperate pact with something dark. That single, fateful choice echoes through the centuries, cursing her bloodline. As years slip by, we meet Camilla, a preacher’s daughter who refuses to bend, and other descendants marked by Anne’s bargain. All of them face the looming threat of the “dark sisters”, unnerving figures that stalk them through time.
DeMeester writes with urgency and atmosphere, never flinching from the hard truths her characters face. Her women are fully realized: Anne’s raw fear, Camilla’s refusal to conform, and the fierce loyalty that links them all. The book tackles big themes: female autonomy, religious oppression, and generational trauma, with a sharp edge and a pulse of hope beneath the horror. The rage simmering under the surface is palpable, but so is the sense of solidarity.
Dark Sisters has a vivid atmosphere and complex characters. While the novel explores familiar ground, feminism, bodily autonomy, and the cost of defiance, it does so with emotional honesty and a knack for making old fears feel new. The pacing stumbles here and there, but the story’s scope and depth keep the pages turning.
Dark Sisters stands out as a haunting, powerful story about the scars we inherit and the courage it takes to break free. For anyone who loves their horror with a shot of historical depth and feminist fire, this is one not to miss.
