The Night Guest

Hildur Kn?tsd?ttir's The Night Guest is an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary Reykjav?k that's sure to keep you awake at night.

I?unn is in yet another doctor's office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something's not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven't revealed any cause.

When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same -- have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.

Until one night I?unn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she's walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .

What is happening when she's asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won't anyone believe her?

Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Published: 09/03/2024
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781250322043


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 08/01/2023 pg. 11
Publishers Weekly 11/06/2023
Booklist 11/01/2023 pg. 42
Library Journal 06/01/2024 pg. 12

About the Author

Hildur Knútsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1984. She has lived in Spain, Germany, and Taiwan and studied literature and creative writing at The University of Iceland. She writes fiction both for adults and teenagers, as well as short fiction, plays, and screenplays. Hildur is known for her evocative fantastical fiction and spine-chilling horror. The Night Guest is her first book translated into English. She lives in Reykjavík with her husband, their two daughters, and a puppy called Uggi.

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Spare Man, Ghost Talkers, The Glamourist Histories series, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and a four-time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov's. She lived in Iceland while performing for LazyTown (CBS) as a professional puppeteer. The Night Guest is her first work of translation.