Tor Nightfire

Excerpt: PIÑATA by Leopoldo Gout (Tor Nightfire)

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GoutL-PinataHCTo celebrate its fast-approaching release, we have quite a substantial excerpt from Leopoldo Gout‘s gripping new tale of possession: Piñata! Due to be published by Tor Nightfire in North America and in the UK, on March 14th, it has been described as “A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic.” Check out the full synopsis:

They were worshiped by our ancestors.
Now they are forgotten.
Soon, they’ll make us remember.

It was supposed to be the perfect summer.

Carmen Sanchez is back in Mexico, supervising the renovation of an ancient abbey. Her daughters Izel and Luna, too young to be left alone in New York, join her in what Carmen hopes is a chance for them to connect with their roots.

Then, an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of rare, centuries-old artifacts. The disaster costs Carmen her job, cutting the family trip short.

But something malevolent and unexplainable follows them home to New York, stalking the Sanchez family and heralding a coming catastrophe. And it may already be too late to escape what’s been awakened…

Now, on with the excerpt…!

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Upcoming: THE DEAD TAKE THE A TRAIN by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey (Tor Nightfire)

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KhawKadrey-DeadTakeTheATrainUSHCThe cover and details for The Dead Take the A Train, the new novel by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey has been unveiled! An eye-catching, twisted cover pairs nicely with the synopsis, and places the book firmly on my must-read list:

Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.

Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.

The cover is by James Jirat Patradoon.

The Dead Take the A Train is due to be published by Tor Nightfire in North America and in the UK, on October 3rd, 2023.

Also on CR: Interview with Cassandra Khaw (2016); Guest Post by Khaw, “Everything is Exhausting”; Review of Walk Among Us; Reviews of Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, Aloha From Hell, Devil in the Dollhouse, Devil Said Bang, and Kill City Blues

Follow the Author (Khaw): Website, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter
Follow the Author (Kadrey): Website, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter

Excerpt: LUTE by Jennifer Thorne (Tor Nightfire)

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ThorneJ-LuteToday, we have an excerpt from Jennifer Thorne‘s Lute, a folk horror novel that has been described as “Wicker Man meets Final Destination“. Check out the synopsis:

On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less.

Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.

Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It’s all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.

Then The Day begins. And it’s a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina—and Lute—will never be the same.

Now, on to the excerpt, which is taken from the second chapter in the book…

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