The Monstrous Kind

Gregovic’s foreboding Regency fantasy debut, set in an alternate historical England shrouded in toxic fog, combines a zombie plague with the society intrigue of Austenian classics. After the death of teenage Merrick Darling’s estranged father, the Manor Lord of Sussex, Merrick returns to the Darling estate of Norland House from New London. Upon her arrival, she is attacked by a fog-infected figure, called a Phantom, and saved by handsome sentry Killian Brandon. Now that she and her older sister Essie have been orphaned, Merrick must jockey for a higher status within England’s elite if she hopes to keep Norland House—and herself—afloat. But as her vulnerabilities are laid bare, she realizes that Phantoms are the least of her worries as she endures the mind games of 11 manor lords with agendas of their own. This thrilling and ambitious novel begins firing on all cylinders following a leisurely opening. Serpentine plotting and similarly matched language paired with Merrick and Killian’s titillating banter make this a simmering read that will appeal to fans of House of Salt and Sorrows. Main characters cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Sept.)