2026 ARC Reviews

Spoiler-free early reviews of the most anticipated upcoming releases.

Cover for The Hollow Space
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The Hollow Space

Carly Black

Thriller, Horror • May 25, 2026 • Anthology: In The Cards

On the eve of her thirty-fifth birthday, librarian Tess Davis unearths a journal hidden within the library’s ancient, dust-laden shelves. The text reveals a harrowing pact from 1855: a mother’s bargain with a demon to save her child, paid for in the lives of her descendants. The curse is absolute—every woman in the lineage dies at thirty-five, just as their own daughters come of age.
With only one lunar month remaining, Tess races through a trail of ancestral records as her world begins to unravel. Shadows lengthen, reflections detach from their hosts, and the fabric of time itself frays. To shatter the cycle and secure her daughter’s survival, Tess faces a brutal ultimatum: she must incinerate the very library that houses the curse, sacrificing her legacy, her sanctuary, and her future to ash.

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4 / 5

The Hollow Space by Carly Black straddles the line between thriller and horror. The author builds an intensely eerie atmosphere as Tess uncovers supernatural clues, racing against the clock to solve a mystery before time runs out. Tess is a highly sympathetic protagonist, making it easy to root for her and stay invested in the unsettling narrative.
Because it is a short story, I expected the pacing to be a bit faster, but it settles into a solid medium pace, leaning more into a creeping dread than a breakneck speed.
While I didn't love the ending due to a personal stylistic preference, it was handled exceptionally well and made perfect logical sense for where the plot needed to go. Overall, it’s a highly atmospheric, genre-blending read that succeeds at being both suspenseful and spooky. This feels like a great book for a thriller reader who wants to ease themselves into the world of horror.

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What is an ARC?

An ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) is a pre-publication version of a book provided by publishers so reviewers can share early feedback. Our spoiler-free reviews help you decide which upcoming titles to add to your pre-order list!

Advance copies reviewed on SpoilThePlot are securely sourced through industry partners, including NetGalley and Inside Story.