A. G. Slatter

Enemies become lovers, rivalry turns to romance, and convenient marriages create true love in these 12 addictive Romantasy tales. Featuring Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Tasha Suri, Melissa Marr and more. Fall in love with these twelve gorgeous Romantasy stories from bestselling and beloved authors. Lost lovers return for a second chance –? but what are their motives? Academic rivals compete for a prestigious position, but their sizzling chemistry might get in the way. A monster slayer? posing as an unwitting sacrifice meets an intriguingly moral prince. From relationships caught ?in disparate timelines to ghostly ballrooms and dragons that need rescuing from princesses, this anthology gives you an inventive new spin on all your favorite tropes, and much more that you’ve never seen before. FEATURING BRAND-NEW STORIES FROM:Olivie BlakeA. G. SlatterTasha SuriKatherine ArdenKelley ArmstrongHannah N. MaehrerMelissa MarrMegan BannenKelly AndrewKamilah ColeA. C. WiseEliza Chan

From the multi-award-winning author of The Briar Book of the Dead, comes an enthralling gothic fairy tale of witches, lady knights, twisted conspiracies and a coveted enchanted throne. Set in Slatter’s much-loved Sourdough universe, this dark magical fantasy is perfect for fans of The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow and Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. Her Grace, the True Princess Emlyn Mentoras, has come home after twenty years. The sole survivor of the slaughtered royal family of Five Ports, her life’s been dedicated to winning back her kingdom from the vicious Woodcutter Kings. Overseen by the Beldame Lanike she’s learned the ways of sword and shield, to rule and also – perhaps surprisingly – to show mercy. Emlyn wants the city to live again, for her people to prosper and, most of all, to follow in the footsteps of her idol, St Callwen, Five Ports’ founder. But Emlyn’s got a secret that will blow her hard-won existence apart… When the horrors of her past catch up with her, she finds herself on a journey into the underworld with a loyal knight by her side seeking an elusive crown. A deadly quest that will test all her skill and courage and reveal a betrayal at the heart of the kingdom. A deeply engrossing, richly told dark fantasy of a blighted monarchy, a stolen destiny and a young woman’s difficult search for her own path.

Witness macabre ceremonies, malicious creatures, and elder gods emerging in this companion anthology to Shadows Over Innsmouth and Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth, containing 17 short stories inspired by the legendary horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, and curated by award-winning anthologist Stephen Jones. Featuring stories from some of the biggest names in horror fiction, including Ramsey Campbell, Kim Newman, A. G. Slatter, and many more. This newly redesigned edition also includes a revised and updated Introduction and Contributor Notes, along with additional artwork exclusive to this printing. The final volume in the original trilogy that began with Shadows Over Innsmouth and Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth. Witness a macabre ceremony conducted by moonlight, kid detectives unearthing a sinister supernatural secret, and a skilled harpist lulling the old gods back to sleep beneath the sea—along with an Innsmouth poem by H. P. Lovecraft himself and a “posthumous collaboration” between the author and August Derleth. Featuring 17 short horror stories from some of today’s top Lovecraftian writers, curated by World Fantasy Award-winning editor Stephen Jones. This newly redesigned edition also includes a revised and updated Introduction and Contributor Notes, along with additional artwork exclusive to this printing. Including stories from: H. P. Lovecraft Ramsey Campbell Adrian Cole August Derleth John Glasby Brian Hodge Caitlín R. Kiernan Brian Lumley Kim Newman Reggie Oliver Angela Slatter Michael Marshall Smith Simon Kurt Unsworth Conrad Williams

Once upon a time, three young sisters survived a catastrophic house fire… Years later, one of them disappears and then another and it is left to the eldest sister to find out whether something else survived… A dark, twisty, page-turning modern gothic horror from the multi award-winning author of The Cold House. When sisters Chloe, Zoe and Dido were children, their father died and their mother could no longer care for them, so they were sent to live with the local doctor’s family: mother, father and three sons. Soon after, however, Ashwood Farm burned to the ground, and only the three young girls survived. Years later, the sisters live very separate lives, each dealing with their painful past in different ways. But when first Chloe, and then Zoe disappears, it’s left to Dido to rake through their history and find out if her sisters are still in the world or paying the price for what happened that long ago summer night.

Nineteen original horror stories exploring ancient sites, uncovering forgotten histories and prising open the tombs of the past, from award-winning authors and editors Dan Coxon and Philip Fracassi. Perfect for fans of Ellen Datlow. Unearthed digs beneath these crumbling structures to reveal their archaic pasts, and their darkest secrets. Featuring the best modern writers of horror and dark fantasy, these stories explore the caverns and the catacombs, the ruined temples and the monoliths - and drag an ancient evil back into the light. Featuring stories from: Tananarive Due Christopher Golden Josh Malerman Tim Lebbon Eric LaRocca A. M. Shine Jonathan Maberry Hildur Knutsdottir Ai Jiang A. G. Slatter Mark Chadbourn Priya Sharma Benjamin Percy V. Castro Gemma Amor Cavan Scott Premee Mohamed Hache Pueyo Steve Toase

Award-winning stories from the world of All the Murmuring Bones and The Briar Book of the Dead, this is a compendium of fantastic tales from the dark gothic heart of the Sourdough universe. Witches, assassins and pirates are brought to life in immersive, sinister and magical prose. Comprised of three collections (Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales) these mosaic narratives form much of the foundational mythology for the novels All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, The Briar Book of the Dead The Crimson Road and A Forest, Darkly. Within these pages, coffin-makers work hard to keep the dead buried and their own murderous urges in check; poison girls are schooled in the art of marital assassination; books carry forth stories and forbidden secrets; a young witch wreaks a terrible revenge on an old lover; the Little Sisters of St Florian devote their lives to knowledge good and bad; a dying forest god is reinvigorated; mermaids and seamstresses make dangerous bargains; changelings bring havoc. Saints slumber, hind-girls dance across the countryside, bears show their true colours, and the fate of the upper and lower worlds rests on the whim of a volatile plague maiden... Exquisite, compelling and rich with unforgettable characters, these stories layer and intertwine in the dexterous hands of a master storyteller. All three collections were shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award with The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings winning the award. This is beautiful fairy-tale gothic of the most haunting and dangerous kind.

A page-turning dark fantasy of witches, twisted magic, changelings and the sins that bind. Set in the award-winning author's acclaimed universe, this immersive story is perfect for fans of Ava Reid, Hannah Whitten and Lucy Holland. Deep in the forest lives Mehrab the witch, coping with loneliness in her own strange ways and quietly battling her demons. One evening, a young woman appears on her doorstep seeking shelter, pursued by godhounds who wish to destroy all those practising magic, and Mehrab's solitary existence is disrupted as she teaches the girl how to control her powers. Together they forge a cure for their isolation with heartbreaking consequences... Meanwhile, in the local village, children begin to disappear, sometimes returning forever changed - or not returning at all. Sinister offerings appear on Mehrab's doorstep, and a dark power pursues her through the trees. As the villagers turn hostile and the godhounds close in, Mehrab finds herself at the centre of a struggle to save the soul of the forest, the life of an old love - and her own new-formed family. A bewitching gothic tale; haunting, gripping and written with wit and heart, this is a book to both savour and devour.

When Everly’s husband and young daughter die in a car crash she finds out nothing is quite what she thought… Secrets, lies and grief collide in this funny, tragic, intimate and utterly compelling horror novella. Written by the acclaimed author of the Sourdough Universe novels and winner of multiple awards including the Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy, this searing tale is perfect for fans of Rachel Harrison, Delilah S. Dawson and Sarah-Maria Griffin. Writer Everly Bainbridge's life is left in ruins when her husband takes their child to the supermarket one day and a lorry collides with their car. After the accident, a lawyer appears on her doorstep and tells her her husband was not who he said he was and she is a very rich widow. She retreats to a lonely house in the countryside to recover. But there’s a well in the cellar, a spectacularly cold room, and one night, Everly wakes up with a foot hanging over the emptiness of the well and the echo of her daughter’s voice in her ears…A short, sharp, emotionally layered story of horrific secrets and dangerous lies, this dark, fierce gem of a novella will keep you turning the pages late into the night…

A captivating dark gothic fantasy set in the same universe as the award-winning author's All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. A tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises, perfect for readers of Alix E. Harrow, Hannah Whitten and Alexis Henderson. Violet Zennor has had a peculiar upbringing. Training as a fighter in underground arenas, honing her skills against the worst scum, murderers and thieves her father could pit her against, she has learned to be ruthless. To kill. Until the day Hedrek Zennor dies. Violet thinks she's free - a rich young heiress with a world of possibilities in front of her. Then, to her horror, Violet learns that her father planned to send her into the Darklands, where the Leech Lords reign. Where Violet's still-born brother was taken years ago after Hedrek sold him to a man bearing the mark of the mysterious Anchorhold. Her father's solicitor and the city's bishop are insistent she fulfil her duty, but Violet steadfastly refuses. Until one night two assassins attempt to slaughter her - and it becomes clear: if she wants to enjoy a future free of the interference of either solicitors, bishops or assassins, she's going to have to clean up the mess her father made. On her journey, Violet seeks the help of Miren O'Malley in the hidden estate of Blackwater, whose family once produced the purest, strangest silver; Ellie Briar of Silverton, the Briar Witch who guards the gateway to the realm of the Leech Lords; and Asher Todd of Whitebarrow, who did terrible things and found The Three Who Went Beneath. Ultimately, Violet must go alone. Into the Darklands. To the Anchorhold where it all began. Where it will all end. To do what must be done. By turns gripping and bewitching, sharp and audacious, this mesmerising story takes you on a journey into the dark heart of Slatter's sinister and compelling fantasy world, where blood is currency and magic is a weapon.

Set in the same universe as the acclaimed All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns (one of Oprah Daily's Top 25 Fantasy Novels of 2022), this beautifully told Gothic fairy tale of ghosts, witches, deadly secrets and past sins, will be perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid. Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway. Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie's cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build. Told in the award-winning author's trademark gorgeous, addictive prose, this is an intricately woven tale of a family of witches struggling against the bonds of past sins and persecution.

A lush and twisted dark fairy tale suffused with witchcraft, dark secrets and bitter revenge from the award-winning author of All the Murmuring Bones. Exquisite, haunting and at times brutal, readers of Naomi Novik and Erin Morgenstern will be entranced. Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible - and Morwood is a house that eats secrets. With a monstrous revenge in mind, Asher plans to make it choke. However, she becomes fond of her charges, of the people of the Tarn, and she begins to wonder if she will be able to execute her plan - and who will suffer most if she does. But as the ghosts of her past become harder to control, Asher realises she has no choice. From the author of All the Murmuring Bones, dark magic, retribution and twisted family secrets combine to weave a bewitching and beautifully written gothic fairy tale.

Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you ve been waiting for CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom. A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.