I usually don’t read horror, I’m just not made for it. But I do love the gothic classics, and I especially love Frankenstein. So when I received The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing and read the synopsis, I was already hooked. A mix of horror, gothic, humor and unionizing? What could go wrong?
Synopsis
As the laboratory assistant to the brilliant but demanding Doctor, Igor spends his nights robbing graves, stitching together body parts, and ensuring that his master doesn’t electrocute himself (too badly). It’s thankless work, but Igor knows it’ll all be worth it once they finally succeed in the Doctor’s all-encompassing quest to create new life from dead flesh.
When a mob of peasants wielding torches and pitchforks drives them out of town (again), Igor and the Doctor relocate to the isolated Ravenwald Manor to resume their experiments. But Igor and the Doctor are not the only ones seeking refuge within the walls of Ravenwald. The manor is already home to a vampiric Count and his highly dissatisfied bride, Cornelia—and an enigmatic witch and her feline familiar, Grimalkin, intend to use it as the site of a magical ritual.
At Igor’s suggestion, the three pairs come to an uneasy agreement to cohabitate in Ravenwald, lest they attract the suspicion of the nearby village. In the wake of this truce, Igor, Cornelia, and Grimalkin soon begin to realize that they might have more common with one another than their respective masters. When the trio discovers that they’ve been unwitting participants in a horrible plan to destroy the world as they know it, they must work together to stop their masters from bringing on armageddon… and stop the increasingly suspicious villagers from reaching for their pitchforks and torches.
Book: The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing | Author: Marshall J. Moore | Publisher: Bantam | Release Date: 22.09.2026 | Pages: 384 | Genre: historical fantasy, horror | Rep: wlw characters and relationship, physical disabilities (kyphosis, shaking fits) | CN: blood, body horror, verbal manipulation, assault (mentioned), death
Review
*Note: I received a copy of The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
To answer my own question from above: Nothing could go wrong. I loved The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing from start to finish. It had a very humorous and warm approach to somewhat sinister topics and dark themes. The whole book is told from Igor’s perspective. The Doctor picked him from an orphanage and took him in as an assistant (man for everything, really. And unpaid, of course. Not even a “thank you”.) Igor is constantly torn between his own wants and becoming a whole own person on one side and admiration and gratitude towards the Doctor. I really liked his development and growth. I could really feel and follow his struggles, the way he wanted something more and better but tried to be content with everything he had because of the Doctor. He knows that something about his situation isn’t right but he always pushes it away. There are only very small rebellions, so small the Doctor doesn’t even really notice them. The Doctor pursues the Great Work aka making the perfect human. Igor has to do the aquisition of body parts, the stitching together, the work and care around the house. That never goes unnoticed for long by the villagers, of course. And the inevitable mob with torches and pitchforks arrives to chase them out.
The only place good enough for the Great Work seems to be Ravenwald Manor in the town of Ravensburg, where the Doctor’s ancestors hail from. And still live, for the matter of the two resident vampires that are more or less welcoming. They are joined by a witch and her familiar, Grimalkin, who’s currently in the form of a cat. They make for a very weird and unique shared house. While the, let’s call them employers (The Doctor, the witch, the Count), make a truth that shall secure everyone’s living together somewhat peaceful and safe, the three henchpersons (Igor, the Count’s bride Cornelia and Grimalkin the cat), form a deep friendship. I really enjoyed how the three of the grow together and quickly find their very own family, safety and stability. While they find more friends in the manor and the town, those three are are main trio the story evolves around.
I really enjoyed how they bring out the best in each other, help each other and really listen. Their friendship makes all of them stronger and their want and need for something better becomes big enough to actually start acting.
While I think that the three henchpersons were all very good and the three employers very bad, so there was a clear right and wrong, The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing doesn’t get boring in the least. The characters are written so well with different kinds of humor that all add something wonderful to the story. It’s written with warmth and a love for details. There are situations with dry humor, situations that are almost slapstick like, there is slight body horror and overall there is a lightness to the story that made the book easy to read and easy to love.
I just really, really enjoyed my time with this book. I had fun, I felt the warmth radiating from the characters and I’m always for unionizing employees.
Rating:
YOU MIGHT ENJOY THE HENCHPERSON’S GUIDE TO UNIONIZING IF YOU LIKE…
found family | character growth | sassy cats | vampires | gothic classics | friendship centred stories | dry humor | creatures | unions | sapphic stories | fighting back | tentacles
What’s your favourite gothic classic? Do you regaularly read horror or historical fantasy?
Until next time,
