How to categorize this! Set across 15th-18th century France, you could call it lush, historical horror, dark academia, queer romance, or a fantasy retelling of the tale of the Beast of Gevaudan. (A little something for everyone.)
Professor Sebastian Grave is a morally complicated near immortal who shares his skin with a demon and has been called upon to vanquish a beast he thought long dead by none other than a former lover’s ailing son. It’s got gods, ghosts, werewolves, Joan of Arc, and– my favorite– footnotes. It’s also, believe it or not, kind of funny.
This surprised me and I’m eager to see where the story goes– another strong debut!
–Maddie, Secret Garden Books, Seattle, WA
Ask a local bookseller what they’re reading at Secret Garden Books and other independent bookstores. Does it feel lightly subversive to try a book with “winter” in the title during the summer?
