by S. M. Hallow
First published 2026
London, December 1849. Irene Shallcross Haley practices necromancy through grimoires bound in human skin. She lives with her undead husband St. John in a marriage of convenience, protecting ancient witch knowledge. When authorities hang her lover Agnes for witchcraft, Irene refuses to accept the loss. She attempts what no one has accomplished in two millennia: true resurrection. With St. John's help, Irene forces open the Halls of the Dead to reclaim Agnes. The ritual succeeds, but Agnes returns wrong. She craves raw flesh and carries a malevolent ghost attached to her soul. Irene must restore Agnes to her true nature while navigating her complex feelings for both her resurrected lover and St. John. She faces another threat: Sir Silas Underhill, the man who condemned Agnes, must not discover what Irene has done. Death does not end love, but resurrection brings its own perils.
Genres: fantasy, adult, adult-fiction, dark-fantasy, gothic, historical-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, gothic, intimate, melancholic, suspenseful
Tropes: complex-love-triangle, forbidden-love, lovers-to-enemies, supernatural-resurrection
Setting: London
Period: December 1849, 19th-century
352 pages · Hardcover · Harper Voyager
Content warnings: death, gore, murder