Do not follow the whispers. Do not stray from the light. Do not trust what comes back.

Meet Hesper Stornaway. Ten years ago her sister vanished into the dark - a death sentence in a world where nightfall breeds monsters - but Hesper followed her and returned... Changed.

The townsfolk call her a witch. They say Hesper is to blame for the rising disappearance of children, that she must know the secrets the dark holds. Yet, all Hesper wants is to bring her sister home.

When Hesper's last hope is stolen by her own mother - coin saved to pay the upcoming tithe on Midsommar - Hesper is dragged to the capital under the Duke's orders. In a desperate plea to uncover what stirs in the dark, the Duke sends Hesper back into the shadows to retrieve answers, in turn vowing to forgive the tithe.

There, Hesper finds herself face-to-face with Draven, sovereign of the Shadowlands. He wants her help. She wants her sister. Their bargain: retrieve a sequestered artifact and Draven will aid Hesper's search.

But nothing in the Shadowlands is as it seems, especially when monsters look like men. And soon Hesper will need to decide how far she is willing to go to bring her sister back to the light, and who is she is willing to become...

Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik's grounded folklore, the magical adventures of Katherine Arden and the dark fantasy worlds of Rachel Gillig, The Hungry Dark demands to be devoured.

Publication

UK: Hachette (Gollancz)