Synopsis
A masterfully captivating Gothic fantasy full of murder, family secrets, and a mysterious succession trial from the author of The Unspoken Name, perfect for fans of The Tainted Cup, The Raven Scholar and One Dark Window.
The Mallory cousins have been summoned to their ancestral home by their great-aunt Sophia - or as the world knows her, the great Banisher, warden of the Isles and the singular defence against unspeakable otherworldly horrors.
Whoever can survive on the remote island for ten days and ten nights will inherit her house, her title, and her magic.
But the island is a labyrinth of deadly puzzles, terrifying ghosts, and scheming cousins with their own scores to settle. By the time the ten days are up, almost everyone on the island will be dead.
Almost everyone. Because someone else was there, witness to it all. And the story they tell is far darker than the blood coating the grounds of that cursed place.
Praise for A. K. Larkwood:
'Takes all the tropes of fantasy and spins them into something wild and new. A dizzy, delicious debut' – Alix E. Harrow
‘Richly detailed, enthralling and extraordinary’ – Jenn Lyons
'Stylish, classy and timeless’ – Tamsyn Muir
Details
Reviews
“A befouled chocolate box of delights. It was some of the most fun I have ever had reading a book. I am first of the cult of Kit Lanyer: if she has no fans, that's because I have died, and I hope it is because she got me”Tamsyn Muir, New York Times bestselling author of Gideon the Ninth
“No notes-one of the most perfectly constructed fantasy novels I’ve ever read”Shelley Parker-Chan, USA Today bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun
“Tense, clever, and highly atmospheric! Knives Out meets haunted island in this brilliant gothic fantasy filled with haunted women, dramatic murders, and a truly impressive twist”Sunyi Dean, USA Today bestselling author of The Girl with a Thousand Faces
“A compelling mystery with its roots planted in the Gothic, which grows and twists itself into a unique shape. Its fruits are dark, possibly poisonous, and yet compulsively moreish”Freya Marske, USA Today bestselling author of A Marvellous Light
