Unholy Terrors

August 14, 2023
A teen risks everything for love and truth in this uneven fantasy from Clipstone (the World at the Lake’s Edge Duology). Everline Blackthorn has always felt like an outsider among the Vale wardens. Not only is she unable to wield the magic that the other wardens use to protect the enclave and its residents from bloodthirsty monsters called vespertine, she’s also the illegitimate daughter of the wardens’ commander, birthed by an infamous traitor. On the night Everline was born, her mother betrayed the enclave and decamped to the Thousandfold, a realm home to the vespertine and their eldritch god creator. Everline’s father won’t discuss her mother’s motives, so when a handsome human-vespertine hybrid named Ravel abducts Everline’s best friend, Lux, in retaliation for the wardens killing his sister, Everline defies orders and heads for the Thousandfold, hoping to rescue Lux and uncover the truth about her mother’s defection. When outside forces contrive to link Ravel and Everline’s fates, romance blossoms. Purple prose and anemic worldbuilding give way to a paltry plot, but Everline’s evolving relationship with her half sister, Briar, and her commitment to saving Lux, are bright spots, adding nuance and heart. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

August 15, 2023
Unholy Terrors is an alluring, gothic tale of forbidden love and shifting allegiances in a land of magic and monsters. Everline Blackthorn is not like the other wardens who guard the wall of bones, protecting the Hallowed Lands from the wolf-like vespertine—her magical abilities never manifested, and her past is heavy with the legacy of her mother’s mysterious desertion. When Everline encounters an impossible vespertine—one that is more boy than monster—she is determined to seek the truth of the world beyond the wall. Unholy Terrors is Clipstone’s third novel and, while it is stand-alone, holds the same gothic-fantasy charm as her previous works. One for readers of romance rather than for high-fantasy fans, Unholy Terrors is rich in swoon-worthy tropes—enemies-to-lovers, witty retorts, mud-covered skirt hems, vampiric embraces, and shuddering breaths. The setting is a patchwork of fairy tale and religious iconography, and the familiarity provides easy reader immersion while the ritualistic elements lend dramatic weight. While the novel focuses on the palpable (PG-rated) romantic tension, underneath it is a twisting plot exploring coming of age, family ties, and evolving values. Best suited to readers aged 14+ who are fans of L J Smith, Lynette Noni and Sarah J Maas, Unholy Terrors is for all those who have longed to kiss a monster.