Voice Like a Hyacinth

A Novel

By: Mallory Pearson

Narrated by: Kira Fixx

Five young women eager for success rely on the unspeakable to make their dreams come true in a chilling novel about martyrdom, ritual, and obsession by the author of We Ate the Dark.

Art student Jo Kozak and her fellow classmates and best friends, Caroline, Finch, Amrita, and Saz, are one another’s muses—so close they have their own language and so devoted to the craft that they’ll do anything to keep their inspiration alive. Even if it means naively resorting to the occult to unlock their creativity and to curse their esteemed, if notoriously creepy, professor. They soon learn the horrible price to be paid for such a transgressive ritual.

In its violent aftermath, things are changing. Jo is feeling unnervingly haunted by something inexplicable. Their paintings, once prodigious and full of life, are growing dark and unhealthy. And their journey together—as women, students, and artists—is starting to crumble.

To right the wrong they’ve done, these five desperate friends will take their obsession a step too far. When that happens, there may be no turning back.

©2025 by Mallory Pearson. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Kira Fixx narrates a chilling story of obsession as five young women call upon the occult and learn everything has a price.… Fixx evokes the youthful energy of the five women with a breathy eagerness. Each has a distinct voice, but they start to sound alike as they grow closer. The narration and story fuel each other as the five friends hunger for success, love, revenge, and a feeling of being alive. While the story is often lush and sentimental, the horror elements haunt the performance and creep into the listener's imagination. Fixx brings this haunting story to life.”—AudioFile Magazine

“In this lush and propulsive gothic outing, Pearson (We Ate the Dark) takes the dark academia aesthetic to art school…Vivid descriptions, believable emotional stakes, and deeply creepy horror elements keep the pages flying as Pearson probes the experience of queer womanhood and the toll of ambition. This stuns.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Pearson’s lush prose enlivens this creepy tale of friendship, art, and ambition.”—Booklist

Overly verbose

Not for me. Felt no connection to the characters. Everything mired down in description (“we ate hummus think and rich bursting with garlic flavor, with carrots that crunch between our teeth as we bit down hard…blah blah blah). 12 hrs of boring for 10 minutes of good.

Engrossing story

Absolutely loving the journey in this book. It’s got just the right twist on what it’s like to have friends, love, competition with no true malice and growing into women hood and all the complications that come with that. With just a touch of dark and ominous. The narrator is incredible and honestly fits the vibe of the main character so well. She doing an amazing job and I’m extremely picking on what narrators I like. This book touches truly on what it’s like to go through the pressures of what life puts on you and what you’re willing to sacrifice to get it. I love how all the characters grow but stay true to their character. The book Deffo gives bell jar vibes with the perfection of writing on inner monologue and first person pov. Not easy to do and the author is nailing it. Haven’t been bored once. Absolutely love this book. Now need a special edition to put on the shelves.