by Lauren Kate
First published 2026
Desdemona faces two impossible choices when Rafe de la Cruz appears at her door. Her brother lies in a hospital bed after a brutal assault. The police consider her their prime suspect. Rafe offers an escape: enrollment at Acheron, an elite film academy she has never heard of before. Dez accepts his offer and runs from the law to pursue her dream of moviemaking. Acheron proves far more dangerous than any courtroom. Students compete ruthlessly for advancement. Faculty wield supernatural influence. Secret projects unfold behind closed doors. Dez discovers that her film education involves forces beyond human understanding. The school demands participation in conflicts that span dimensions. Her survival depends on navigating seductive power games while questioning everyone's motives, including Rafe's. The stakes escalate beyond her personal freedom or artistic ambitions. Cosmic forces threaten everything she values, forcing her to choose between her dreams and her soul.
Genres: mystery, fantasy, supernatural, contemporary, action, academia
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Acheron
416 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, violence