by Eden Royce
First published 2025
Phee St. Margaret grows up sheltered in Reconstruction-era New Charleston, where her mother controls every aspect of her life and pushes her toward marriage. When news arrives that Aunt Cleo has died, Phee sees her chance to prove herself capable of more than her mother believes. She volunteers to serve as pomp, taking on the honored responsibility of organizing the funeral service. This decision means traveling alone to the remote town of Horizon, directly against her mother's wishes. Phee arrives at her aunt's disturbing house expecting to handle funeral arrangements. Instead, she encounters visions emerging from mirrors and reflective surfaces throughout the home. Shadows move where they should not. The boundary between the living world and whatever lies beyond begins to blur. As Phee works to fulfill her duties as pomp, she uncovers family secrets that her relatives kept hidden even in death. She must navigate supernatural forces while proving to herself and her family that she possesses the strength to forge her own path.
Genres: historical-fiction, coming-of-age, supernatural, dark-fantasy, gothic-horror, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, eerie, emotionally-complex, haunting, introspective
Tropes: defying-expectations, found-family, haunted-setting, self-discovery
Setting: New Charleston, Horizon
Period: Reconstruction era
163 pages · Hardcover · Tordotcom
Content warnings: death