Bitterbloom - by Teagan Olivia King

About the Book

In the village of Rixton, the vicar's daughter--plagued by visions of strange monsters and blamed for the sudden deaths of several village girls--realizes the monsters she sees in the woods are actually lost souls seeking her help and decides to travel into the hellish purgatory where they reside in hopes of bringing her late mother back to life, only to uncover horrifying family secrets along the way.

Book Synopsis

For fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid comes a thrilling new fantasy by the author of Spit Back the Bones.

Once a fool. Twice a thief.

In a village plagued by mysterious deaths, Adelaide Thorn wonders if she is truly touched by the Devil. The villagers believe her to be the monster responsible for all the tragedies. Even her father, the vicar, presumes she's guilty, tying her to a chair as punishment, afraid that if he cuts her loose, more girls will wind up dead. Her chronic illness causes her to have strange visions and blackouts, and even Addie herself begins to wonder if she is the one with blood on her hands.

Addie feels drawn to the Rowan Wood on the outskirts of her village, and when she wades out into the river to get closer, she cuts her foot on a strange bell nestled in the riverbed. Ransom Black, a lordling with secrets of his own, helps her stanch the bleeding and speaks to her without any indication of fear.

Back at home, Addie rings the bell and realizes it gives her the power to see the ghosts of those the village has lost, including the ghost of Bram Avery, who begs for her help. Bram tells her that the bell--a Reaper's Bell--can open the door to the Rowan Wood, a hellish purgatory where the souls of the dead reside.

Accompanied by Bram and Ransom, Addie ventures into the Rowan Wood with hopes of rescuing her late mother. There, Addie quickly realizes that their beloved might not be who they once were. Addie's journey to find her mother's soul is complicated by her attraction to Ransom and her unexpected feelings for Bram, who might be more dead than alive but sees Addie in a way no one has before.

As the three make their way deeper into the Wood, each motivated by their own desperate desires, trust turns to betrayal and flawless facades begin to flicker. It may be that the ones Addie has so longed to reunite are those who have been lying to her her entire life.

About the Author

Teagan Olivia King grew up in Michigan's wild Upper Peninsula but traded in the stormy shores of Lake Superior for the wind-beaten sandbars of Lake Huron. She holds a degree in Creative Writing from Northern Michigan University and is the author of several works of short horror fiction. She lives in an old farmhouse with her beloved, a rescue pup named Remus, a black cat named Chester, who may or may not harbor the soul of some long-dead deity, and probably some ghosts. She is the author of several works of adult horror and dark fantasy.