by Mere Joyce
First published 2026
Dominic never wanted to run his family. He preferred books to responsibility in the isolated Canadian town of Aplin Shade, built where another settlement mysteriously disappeared. Then a carriage accident kills his father and injures his sister, forcing leadership on him. His only comfort comes from Lex, a logger he loves in secret. They plan to leave this place where neighbors judge harshly and kindness comes with strings attached. The forest surrounding them harbors the Fanteur, shadow creatures that drain blood from corpses each night before returning them for burial. These beings have always left the living alone. Winter arrives and changes everything. The Fanteur begin hunting living people, targeting the logging camp where Lex works. Dominic and Lex must survive the attacks while fighting for their forbidden relationship. The woods close in around them as they search for escape from a forest that never forgives.
Genres: fantasy, horror, canadian-literature, dark-fantasy, gothic-horror
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, haunting, intimate, melancholic, suspenseful
Tropes: duty-vs-desire, forbidden-romance, forced-proximity, found-family
Setting: Aplin Shade, Canada
368 pages · Paperback · Poisoned Pen Press
Content warnings: death, gore, violence