A Fate Worse Than Drowning - by Sarah L Hawthorn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For fans of A Dark and Drowning Tide and The Lighthouse Witches comes a queer speculative novel about a lighthouse keeper who made a devil's bargain to save her sister, but when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, she is left with an impossible choice...

One deal with the devil makes a fool. Two? A villain...

A year ago, Elle made a deal with the devil to save her sister. Now, they live on a desolate spit of land beyond Halifax harbor. Elle, as lighthouse keeper, steers unsuspecting sailors to their destruction; those are the terms of her bargain. Liney need never know the cost. Her safety is worth every drop of blood.

But a sinner's pact is not so simple. When the devil returns, demanding more - more shipwrecks, no survivors - Elle knows what she must do to keep Liney safe...

Another ship. Another crew killed in the devil's name.

Then a woman washes ashore. Is she a soul to be sacrificed, or part of a darker design? As Liney and the stranger grow closer, Elle faces an impossible choice: kill, and break Liney's heart, or forfeit her own soul.

Danger arises from all sides: the merciless sea, ruthless men on the mainland, and the infernal bargain itself...

Souls and sisterhood, fate and fire - what must be sacrificed for the devil to get his due?

Review Quotes

"What if a lighthouse keeper, rather than shining her light as a beacon of hope in a storm, instead used it to lure unsuspecting ships onto deadly shoals? With lush prose, plenty of danger, and a dash of romance, A Fate Worse Than Drowning explores what it truly means to make a deal with the Devil. Sarah L. Hawthorn spins a fantastical gothic tale of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the sea and asks the ultimate question: Just how far would you go to save a loved one?" -- Juliet Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author of Asylum Hotel and The Séance Garden

"With beautiful prose, sweeping world-building, and bewitching characters, this fresh take on the Faustian bargain delivers ache and hope in equal measure." -- Katrina Monroe, author of Through the Midnight Door

"Sarah L. Hawthorn delights with her salt-soaked debut A Fate Worse Than Drowning, a seductive and infernal hymn of dread, love, and damnation. Set in a lonely Nova Scotian lighthouse, this tale of souls and sisterhood gone wrong is a tribute to the haunted tides of the east coast, adding queer, feminist flair to maritime stories of ghosts, devils, and the power of the sea. As stylish as it is wicked, full of tenderness and pain, A Fate Worse Than Drowning pulls you beneath the surface and leaves you gasping for air." -- Elliott Gish, author of Grey Dog

"This gorgeously atmospheric, heartrending and deeply ominous book stuck in me like a splinter from the moment I picked it up. The brilliantly complex relationship between the two sisters was perfectly realised, as was the isolation of the lighthouse keeper's life; and I've never made a deal with the devil, but I'm pretty sure this book perfectly captures the temptation and frustration and addictive power of that, too. Also, if you saw me crying at the end, no you didn't. Much like a certain lighthouse keeper, A Fate Worse Than Drowning and its vivid characters will haunt me for a long time." -- Hester Steel, author of The Faceless Thing We Adore

"Hawthorn strikes the perfect gothic balance, with the delicious tension and growing dread juxtaposed against the sweet joy of blossoming romance." -- Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Sarah L. Hawthorn transports readers to the windswept shoreline of Devils Island, Nova Scotia in this darkly atmospheric debut. With prose both sharp and lyrical, A Fate Worse Than Drowning asks us how far we'll go to protect the ones we cherish most from the world's cruelties. From the very first line, Hawthorn's debut takes us readers by the throat and doesn't let go until we reach its stunning conclusion. Told in Elle and Liney's alternating points-of-view, this beautiful novel underscores how powerful love can be as both a protective and destructive force--and how easily the former can teeter into the latter. Just as Hawthorn's Pratterman devours souls, I absolutely devoured this book. I can't wait to see what else Sarah has in store!" -- Shannon Ives, author of Those Fatal Flowers