Happy Tuesday, fellow Collaborators!

It's rainy and grey outside here in Green Bay, WI which means it's the perfect day to stay indoors and read/partake in hobbies. (I say, as I went to the work office for a few hours this morning, and my children/chaos/noise creators will be home from school in like 2-3 hours. One can dream. lol)

This past week (since last newsletter) I finished up the Heartstopper series, and in preparation of TODAY'S RELEASE of Cemetery Boys: Espiritu, I listened to the audio of Cemetery Boys yesterday. Y'all, I know I keep saying I'm not a fantasy/magical realism/etc. reader, but there's just something about Aiden's writing that enamors me. I loved the way he just writes in gender euphoria, and body dysmorphia without calling it that... like there's scenes that describe trans joy and validation, without the need to overtly name-call what it is. It just is. And I love that. The way he writes is just beautiful, and I'm so excited to get my signed/personalized copy of Cemetery Boys: Espiritu literally any day now. I keep watching out the window waiting on the mail person every day with both excitement and disappointment when I don't get the goods. lol I know I'm not alone in this, either.

I will also be starting Sonido Reyes' book To Our Untamed Core this week, too! (This is our Q4 book club pick, and we'll talk to them for our Behind The Book chat in November.)

I went to the Dollar Tree (seriously, they need to change their name because everything, at minimum is $1.25 and up now) and Five Below unattended twice over the last week, and I probably spent like $25 on journaling stuff? I want to go back and get some acrylic markers to test out, too. I have big plans to spend more dedicated time writing and journaling without the (self) expectation to have it monetized or future book related. If any of you are on board, we could absolutely set up a zoom chat to talk all things books, journaling/journaling prompts/etc. I'm always down to nerd out about these things. Just drop a comment if you're interested. I have a note in my phone dedicated to all the journals i want to create. We'll see how many stick.

I also want you to know, that, while I have been doing this Bookstagram thing since May of 2020, I still have to plead for some of the queer books that are on my radar. Here is just one of the many recent e-mails I've sent out pleading my case for Lamya H's upcoming book 99 Names For God:

I try to be lighthearted and funny... but like.. please, I beg. They responded very nicely, too, by the way. So, don't ever be afraid to shoot your shot to publishers! And have fun, always. There are some times I get into like, creative lows where I have zero energy to do anything content related - which happened to me when Memaw passed in June. I had to take some time to collect myself, but I also (eventually) pushed myself (gently) to do things that I knew would make me happy. So, don't be afraid to gently nudge yourself to start something you know you will enjoy, even if it takes you a little bit longer to find your groove.

Looking ahead, we will have our usual Trans Joy Thursday newsletter with the zoom details for the Beyond The Rainbow chat with Anita Kelly, Friday, September 11th, from 6-7pm CST. Next Sunday, our September Shenanigans, Week 3 newsletter will be focused on Latinx Heritage Month!

Anything in particular you'd like to see moving forward? Both here in your exclusive newsletters, or anywhere else? Always here to listen and brainstorm and see what works (and what doesn't.)

Reminder: If you're interested in a zoom meet-up to discuss books/journaling/etc. drop me a comment! We'll figure the best day/time.

As always, I hope you find joy in your day/week. Thank you for being here. I cannot wait to see where Not A Phase Books takes us.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

So we have a tie! Votes came in from both Discord and the Bindery site! We will rerun the poll again for another 24 hours for the tie-breaker.

The bookshop is officially open!

Hello my friends! Today, Twig’s Traveling Tomes is officially out in the world. Can you believe it?

I'm just sitting here settling into the truth that something we’ve talked about, dreamed about, edited, planned for, etc. is no longer ours to hold. We get to gift it to the world today, and that is such a wild and wonderful opportunity.

Today Louella’s traveling bookshop is open to everyone, and for those of you who haven't read it yet, prepare your heart. You're about to have the most whimsical, magical reading experience!

Thank you again to Gryffin, our incredible author. You've created such a gorgeous world and the most lovable found family. This book is meaningful and we're deeply proud to celebrate you today!

So, without further ado, let's dive in to all the Twigs excitement...

Look what you made.

One of my absolute favorite parts of this entire release has been watching Twig’s Traveling Tomes start inspiring your whimsical creations!

You've brought Louella’s little traveling bookshop to life in so many adorable ways.

So before we do anything else, I need you to see some of the magic this community has been making.

Pageheartreads has been working on a special Twigs adornment all week long! She has a special reading jumper and added this embroidery to celebrate the launch. Isn't that sweet?!

Laura Stanley created this INCREDIBLE coloring page for Twigs! Isn't this cute? I can't wait to start working on it! If you'd like to download it to color for yourself, CLICK HERE. Thank you, Laura!

Sara's Bookish Macarons is at it again! She says, "Twig's is a very special book so of course it deserves extra special macarons!"

These couldn't be any sweeter, and I can't believe how well she captured the character faces! Beautiful job, as always, Sara!

Emily created these beautiful granny squares for a work in progress. Wouldn't these make the perfect reading blanket for Twigs this fall?! Such talent, Emily!

Alexa went above and beyond creating this gorgeous art piece! She says "It was so much fun bringing Gryffin's character to life! (With her permission of course.) I loved surprise sending her the original."

This is INCREDIBLE! The details and art style are so whimsical, Alexa!

And finally, I had to share this amazing hat that Stacie stitched for a Twigs cosplay! Isn't it cute? I can't wait to see it all put together.

Apparently, word has gotten out… 👀

It seems news of a certain traveling bookshop has escaped the Tea Room and is making its way across the realm!. We’ve spotted Twig’s Traveling Tomes popping up in some VERY exciting places lately and every single time, I have a "WAIT, THAT’S OUR BOOK?!” moment lol.

Pinned to the notice board this week… 📌

The reviews are ✨glowing✨...

BookRiot

Publishers Weekly

Reactor Magazine

Now, come sit with us. ☕

I thought I'd share my latest check in with Gryffin where we have a cozy chat about Twig’s Traveling Tomes, including what it feels like to finally send this book out into the world and what's coming next!

Grab something cozy and come watch our chat.

Okay Quillers, we have a mission.

For the next seven days, I want Twig’s Traveling Tomes to be absolutely unavoidable. (lol)

If you’ve got your copy, POST IT. If you’re reading it, POST IT. If you see someone else talking about it, SHARE IT. Your favorite quote? Post it. Your reading setup? Post it. Your review? POST. IT. (so aggressive, I know)

Listen, engaging however your comfy is one of the biggest things you can do for a brand new story. Our goal this week is to help more people see that it exists, and you all are incredible at that.

My hops is that someone opens their feed and wonder why this little witchy book is following them everywhere.

So please tag me and Gryffin so we can find your posts, hype you up, and share them too.

And finally, my friends, thank you for loving this little book before it was even yours. For every preorder and every piece of art. Thank you for every post and message in Discord, as well as every bit of excitement you’ve shared with us. You helped make this release feel like something much bigger than a book arriving on a shelf, and it means the world to myself and to Gryffin.

This wouldn't exist without your heart and enthusiasm! Words are not enough, my friend.

Today, Twig’s Traveling Tomes officially belongs to its readers. I am so grateful and overwhelmed. May this story bring you joy and most importantly a sense of belonging.

All my love and admiration,
xx, Meg

Okay, I know it may still be offensively hot outside, but mentally? We have entered fall reading season. 🍂📚

This week on the shelf, we’re leaning ALL the way into it: dark academia, cozy fantasy, backlist books begging to be pulled off your TBR…and a beginner’s guide to one of the most iconic manga series ever written.

Basically, whatever version of fall reader you are, I’ve got you covered. 😏

📱ICYMI

Over on Instagram, we went full fall reading mode.

🍂 Dark Academia Genre Guide: If crisp air, old libraries, morally questionable academics, secret societies, and an unsettling amount of ambition sound like your ideal fall reading aesthetic…start here.

📚 Backlist Books on My Fall TBR: Because despite what Bookstagram sometimes makes us believe, books do NOT expire after release day. These are the older books I’m finally determined to get to this season.

☕ Cozy Reads for Your Fall TBR: Prefer your autumn with warm drinks, magical shops, romance, found family, and significantly less murder? I’ve got you covered there too.

And over on YouTube…

⚔️ Berserk 101: A Beginner’s Guide

If you've always been manga-curious but have absolutely NO idea where to start, this one is especially for you.

I'm breaking down Berserk: what it is, why it's become such an influential dark fantasy series, what you should know before reading, and whether it might be the manga that finally gets you to give the format a try.

And yes, this comes from someone who was once very much a manga beginner herself. 👀

🆕 NEW RELEASES

Here’s what’s hitting shelves this week!

Historical Fiction

• The Chinese Lady

• The Pirate Queen

Fantasy, Romantasy, & Sci-Fi

• Tempest

• The Dark Lord’s Guide to Honeymooning

• Wickhills

• Twig’s Traveling Tomes

• Taipei Story

Thriller & Mystery

• Fury in Death

• We Already Dug the Grave

• Wildwood

• The Wellness Retreat

• Little Red Death

• The Mystic and the Missing Girl

• Pictures of You

Horror

• She’s a Doll

Romance

• Fall Into Place

• Love Felt Like This

What are you picking up this week? 👀

💬 BOOKISH GROUP CHAT

A couple things from around the bookish internet that caught my attention this week:

🎨 “Read Your Color: The Assessment”

Okay, this was WAY too accurate. 😂 The assessment sorts you into a reading color based less on what genres you read and more on what you want a book to make you feel.

Apparently, I’m The Passionate Orange, an Orange reader who leans Red.

Orange readers chase that feeling of wonder: books that completely transport you somewhere else. So basically…yes. They got me. 😂

Especially because my personalized recommendations included Red Rising, The Hunger Games, Dune, Mistborn, The Way of Kings, and A Game of Thrones. At that point, I felt personally observed.

Take the Read Your Color assessment and PLEASE tell me what color you get. I need to know. 👀

✍️ “Pantser or Plotter: How Poe, Christie, King, and Other Greats Outlined Their Mysteries”

Ah, the age-old writing debate: meticulously plan everything…or sit down and see what chaos happens. 😂

This CrimeReads piece looks at how writers including Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Raymond Chandler, John Grisham, and Stephen King approached plotting their stories. Christie? Plotter. King? Famously NOT.

Read the full piece via CrimeReads.

🐾 LINK’S CORNER

This week, Link wants to talk about Living with Freddie: How a Dog Taught Me to Be Human by Anna Heyward.

And listen…this one might hurt a little. 🥺

Heyward adopts Freddie, an eight-year-old rescue Italian greyhound, expecting that, with enough love and training, he'll eventually settle into her life.

Freddie has other plans.

He suffers from severe separation anxiety, and instead of simply teaching Freddie how to live in her world, Heyward gradually has to reconsider what caring for another creature actually asks of us. The book blends memoir, animal behavior, and reflections on the incredibly complicated bond between humans and their dogs.

Link’s thoughts: Humans really do love adopting dogs and thinking they’re going to be the ones doing the training. 😂

But underneath the humor, I think Link would approve of this one. Because anyone who has loved a dog knows they quietly rearrange your life, and somehow teach you an awful lot about yourself while they're doing it.

Also, Link would like it formally noted that she has trained me beautifully. 10/10. No notes. 🐾

Read more about Living with Freddie via The New York Times.

Until next week, happy reading and may your fall TBR be completely unreasonable. 🍂📚

— Brittany + Link 🐾

Today is the second release drop of September! We have listed some new releases that are hitting shelves today, and should probably land on your TBR (to be read) list.

Share in the comments which book release you are most excited for!

Here's your weekly roundup of romances hitting shelves this week that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. If there are other books out today that you think folks will enjoy, feel free to recommend them in the comments. Please click through to read the post on Bindery for my full commentary.

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel published this week. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

See You Next Tuesday by Kate Stayman-London (Dial) — I’m excited to read this unapologetically political romance about two campaign staffers by the author of One to Watch and Fang Fiction. Kate’s made it clear on social media that neither of the leads are Republicans, which is hilarious and also desperately needed considering the rash of mediocre “love across the aisle” bipartisan slop we’ve seen published in the last decade.

With All My Haunted Heart by Isabel Sterling (Berkley) — Sapphic witchy romance! A witch is hired to haunt a B&B and falls for its proprietor. 

By Any Means by E.M. Caro (indie) — An anti-capitalist reporter is writing about a glass industrialist (god I love historical fiction) when they become embroiled in a serial murder mystery. I’m so here for a gay romantic suspense set in 1905. 

Twig's Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy (Cozy Quill/Bindery Books) — A cozy romantasy about a Book Witch and a rogue who must find a stolen grimoire. Published by Bindery!

Level Up for Love by Lenora Woods (Dell) — Woods is leading the tabletop RPG romance era. Whom among us hasn’t wanted to fuck your game’s DM, especially when that DM is your college nemesis who you hooked up with once?? 

My Own Kind of Person by Tim Manley (Rocky Pond Books) — This YA novel about an aspiring standup comedian discovering his bisexuality sounds really sweet. Great cover, too! 

Espíritu by Aiden Thomas (Feiwel & Friends) — The long-awaited sequel to queer YA best-seller Cemetery Boys.

Upcoming Events:

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

JUST ADDED 10/5: I'm hosting another Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans at Book Club Bar in Manhattan on October 5th at 7:30pm! Tickets just went on sale here. We sold out last time, so don't hesitate. Featured authors include Shelly Jay Shore, Blair Fell, Zakiya N. Jamal, and the one and only Joanna Shupe!

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

I can't believe we're only a week away from the start of Latine Heritage Month. Before we get to this week's books, I wanted to take you through some announcements.

FIRST...IRL MEET-UP?!? IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN TAMPA ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th...

Meet me at Al Lopez Park! This Banned Books Week event will be a casual hang of like-minded individuals who want more information on how to get involved (think pamphlets, talking and engaging with those in the your school board district), silent reading, and did I mention I'll be giving away banned books, too? Hope to see you there!

Bring a chair, book, and a friend or 2 and enjoy a beautiful bookish morning in the park with me. Sign up for more event updates and meeting details on Eventbrite!

LATINE BOOK BINGO REFRESH!

Introduced earlier this year, the bingo card has been REFRESHED just in time for Latinx Heritage Month. Intended to be a reading challenge for the whole year, I hope this bingo card will help motivate you with your Latinx Heritage Month as well as year-end Latine reading goals! If you want to get a head start, I made two YouTube recommendation videos (Part 1,Part 2). The new cards will be up on socials this week (as always, KEEP THIS CHISME BETWEEN US FOR NOW!).

SPEAKING OF SNEAK PEEKS...

WE HAVE BIEN LEIDOS MERCH!

Lectores and Libritos members got a sneak peek when my sample arrived last week, but I got to wear it out this weekend and it's SOOOOO cute! I received so many compliments and am excited to share the whole drop with you! If you don't care for the color/cut of the shirt I'm wearing or even prefer a sweatshirt over a t-shirt, DON'T WORRY! There will be a variety of styles and colors available for you to choose!

An very important component of this merch drop is that 10% of proceeds of all shirts sold will be donated to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. They have been doing amazing work with their creation of Red Cards and other immigrant resources, pivoting rapidly with information and resources as this administration issues immigration executive order after executive order, as well as with representation in immigration court. I will track and tally how much we raise and let you know when I have the final numbers!

PS--As subscribers to Bien Leidos, you'll get early access AND an EXCLUSIVE discount code before the social media launch as soon as the campaign is live (hopefully by the end of the week), so PLEASE KEEP THIS BETWEEN US UNTIL I LAUNCH ON SOCIALS!

FINALLY, VULNERABILITY AND AN ASK...

As I look out at my first Latinx Heritage Month in years, a time I would usually have the most brand partnerships for the year, without a single brand deal, I humbly ask you if what I offer you here, all the research, blog posts, recommendation videos, are worth a anything to you. I do this work, which is deeply, politically unpopular in the US in this moment in history, for free because I LOVE Latinx books. I LOVE being Latina. I LOVE being LOUD ABOUT LATINX BOOKS ONLINE. Just because the world doesn't love us doesn't mean I'm going to be quiet about about how much I love US.

If you love this newsletter as much as I love writing it, love being on Discord, or appreciate my posts on socials, and you've been thinking about supporting me, now is a great time to financially support me. You can upgrade your membership here.

And finally, the reason you're here. There are a beautiful array of books releasing this week that I'm so excited to share with you, starting with one that I missed in the exclusive newsletter for Libritos and Lectores members..

Psychological Horror

Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin

Young Adult Fantasy

Espiritu by Aiden Thomas (Audiobook)

Creative Nonfiction Collection

Bodega Stories by Amaris Castillo

Translated

Bury Your Dead by Ana Paula Maia and translated by Padma Viswanathan

Children's Book

In Case of Las Moscas by Jackie Morera and illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

Horror

Daughter of Rot by Rios de la Luz

Memoir

East of the River: A Memoir of Los Angeles Girlhood by Guadalupe Rosales (Audiobook) Memoir

xoxo,

Carmen

Hello nerds,

Another beautiful month full of events at the best bookstore in the world. I am unfortunately sending this after First Friday, so I want to focus on just two of our events coming up next week and let you know that the Switzy bookclub has been moved to October 4th as well.

Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 PM

Join us for a craft night at Sunny's. We will provide some materials to share, but please feel free to bring your own as well! This is not a structured craft, more of a self guided night to work alongside eachother. I will be decorating the back of my neglected e-reader. RSVP HERE.

Saturday, September 12th from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

We're buying gently used, in-demand books for in-store credit only, no cash. Drop off your stack or stick around and shop while we take a look. We will be buying one day only, from 11-5 on Saturday September 12th. RSVP HERE to express interest!

What we're looking for:

• Good condition—no torn covers, water damage, mold/mildew smell, writing, or heavy highlighting

• Current and backlist titles we'd actually shelve

• Fiction, memoir, poetry—especially queer and marginalized voices

• No textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, or book club castoffs from decades past. If you don’t want it, we probably don’t either!

How it works:

1. Bring in up to 50 books at a time

2. We'll sort through them while you browse

3. We'll offer credit for what fits our shelves. The rest you're welcome to take back or donate. Books MUST be picked back up on the same day, 9/10 before we close at 5PM.

4. Credit is issued at 10% of resale value and never expires. For example, if we bought a book from you that retailers for $19.99, you’d be issued $1.90 in credit.

Sunday, October 4th at 11:00 AM

Join us online for our monthly book club Zoom meeting. The September book is Switzy by Emma Cline. RSVP HERE. Note, this was previously scheduled for September 27th and moved because of travel.

• About the book: A mesmerizing portrait of an aging man’s last pilgrimage, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls and The Guest.

• About Sunny's Book Club: Sunny’s Book Club is a monthly book club highlighting both new releases and backlist titles we love. A virtual discussion is hosted over Zoom on the last Sunday of the month. You can check out our selections each month and sign up here. You do not have to buy the book from Sunny's to participate, but we love when you do!

Thank you all for your support as always and hope to see you in person this month.

CJ

Love what we do? Become a paid subscriber for less than a cup of coffee a month. Your ongoing support helps us plan ahead, fund causes we care about, and create meaningful programming for our community.

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SHOP THE CORE COLLECTION

And just like that… August slipped away into a moment in time. I did quite a bit this month, including going on a NYC trip that I definitely didn’t accidentally talk about in my July reflection post, lmfao. If you want a refresher on how that went, go back to that post. Now, let’s talk about all the fun and amazing things I did in August!

Immortal Rose Event!

Avon invited me to the HarperCollins offices to celebrate the release of Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken. The event was so much fun; I always have a blast when I’m with the Harper crew. I made perfume, a bookmark, took photos on the iconic staircase, ate great food, and even got to go book shopping, where I picked up some highly anticipated reads! I’m looking at you, The Sweetest Fiend by Raven Kennedy!

Seeing Your Name in Theaters!

I never thought I would be able to see one of my favorite movies on the big screen, and yet it happened! The first time I watched Your Name was during my sophomore year of college, in my dorm room on an iPad. Ten years later (omg), I got to see it on the big screen, and it was magical. This movie was meant to be viewed this way. The animation was stunning, the music was magical, and the story, as always, brought me to tears. Easily one of the best nights of my life.

Seeing Kesha in Concert!

My sister surprised me with tickets to go see Kesha for my birthday. I’ve been a Kesha fan for a really long time; I literally remember hearing “TikTok” on the radio for the first time. I got to scream some of my favorite songs of all time — “Praying,” “Die Young,” “Your Love Is My Drug”??? Banger after banger after banger! Kesha is such a good performer, and I love seeing her finally thriving.

Movies I've Been Watching!

The Drama — 4 stars

A movie I’ve been meaning to see and finally got around to watching. I had no idea what this was about, and consider me gagged that it was about gun violence. Also, these people had some nerve gaslighting my girl Zendaya like that. Solid film, I recommend.

Ice Princess — 5 stars (rewatch)

Hayden Panettiere died, I was sad, so I decided to watch the best movie ever made, and guess what? It’s still a masterpiece.

Freakier Friday — 5 stars (rewatch)

Another rewatch, and still one of my favorite sequels that felt like it added to the existing lore of the original film. It feels so good seeing Lindsay Lohan back on the big screen; I’ve missed her.

The Last Sunrise — 1.5 stars

Easily one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. A nothing burger of a film with terrible acting. The only thing that got me through it was watching it with friends and our very funny commentary throughout.

TV Shows I've Been Watching!

I finished The Ninth Jedi, the Star Wars: Visions show, and I really enjoyed it. I hope they make more of these, but please, for the love of God, make them longer than eight episodes! I also watched Sterling Point, which was really solid. It’s the first time I’ve seen a show where the teens actually feel like teens of the current age. I rewatched The Nanny, still a banger, and I’m currently rewatching George Lopez, also still a banger.

That was my August, let's see what I do in September!

This week’s guest is Sophia Benoit, author of the historical romance The Very Definition of Love and the essay collection Well, This is Exhausting. I asked her about putting her own spin on the “rake accidentally compromises a bluestocking” historical romance trope. We talked about our favorite historically accurate dirty slang terms and why there are so many euphemisms for sex workers. Plus, how she thinks about responsible depictions of relationships and intimacy as a sex writer and a romance author, and why we both have strong feelings about choking and breath play.

Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Castbox

• Libsyn

Follow Sophia on Instagram @sgbenoit, and purchase The Very Definition of Love from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com

The best way to support the show is now to subscribe on Bindery, a home for book lovers and the (hopefully!) future Rebel Ever After romance publishing imprint. We are 49% of the way to reaching our goal of 100 subscribers! Join at rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Media mentioned this episode:

• A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grouse

• The works of Jane Austen

• The works of Nora Ephron

Upcoming Events: 

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

JUST ADDED 10/5: I'm hosting another Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans at Book Club Bar in Manhattan on October 5th at 7:30pm! Tickets just went on sale here.

Voting has officially begun for our September Book Club selection!

We invite you to join our Discord community to participate in lively discussions, connect with fellow readers, and share your thoughts throughout the month. For those who prefer to vote here on Bindery, we'll also be posting a poll so members can cast their votes directly on the platform.

🗳️ Voting will remain open for 24 hours.
📖 Our group reading will begin on Sep 10th.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, please join our Discord and let us know. We're always happy to hear from our community.

Happy reading, and we can't wait to see which book you choose for September!

Chapter 8

Maren’s mouth was set in a grim line--part worry, part annoyance he had waited until the morning to tell her. Icarus ran a hand through increasingly unkempt hair and made a mental note he would immediately forget about needing a trim. The image was seared into him every time he blinked--two glittering eyes reflecting light that did not exist in the alley, the feeling of foreboding that swept over him like a winter wind. He stared at the tips of his fingers, already starting to turn azure even after such a short burst of magic. He frowned. 

“You need to dose,” she pushed off the low file cabinet and placed the ampule on his desk. 

She left him alone without another word. Off to theorize, lost in the map she was making in her mind’s eye. They had not quite gotten to her new research in light of his exchange with the creature the previous evening. 

He sighed and cracked the glass, leaning back in his chair. The pearlescent liquid hit his sclera with a burn that was more about surprise than the Eidolon. His slip into the hallucinatory space between worlds was swift. Reality sighed open around him. Eyes closed, the sound of birdsong sharpened in his ears. 

When he opened them again, he was standing in the familiar field. He reached out to brush the soft petals of gorse stalks. Illusion or not, they always felt real to him. A sea of yellow blooms stretched out to the horizon, continuing infinitely as far as he knew. He tried to take it all in. Churning indigo waters effervescent with life he could never quite see when he looked over the edge of the canyon. Light bent through the spray in a peculiar rainbow. It did that on occasion--shifting bands of pastels from one angle, jewel tones from another. He never knew what prompted it to show one time but not another. Another mystery of wherever the Eidolon carried him.

Staccato laughter drifted on the gentle breeze that tugged at the stalks under his hands. He sighed. It was absurd that in this place outside of time he managed to feel a modicum of peace. He looked down at his fingers and noted the faint shimmer in the blue receding before the color drained away. When the distant flutter of wings sounded, he was not quite ready to go. Then his foot found the ever-familiar root and he tumbled back into reality again

Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen. That was all the Eidolon ever gave him and it was never enough. Therein lay the danger of Eidolon, unfortunately. Plenty of priests and common folk lost themselves to the Blue Fever--a sort of emotional addiction to the in-between and the euphoria it left in its wake. Too much and a person wasted away, not thinking to eat or drink while lost in the haze. He never questioned why someone might chase that high. Some days he considered it himself.

He got to his feet with a private groan of protest. One burning shot of whiskey later and he headed for Maren’s office. Her commitment to organization was both a marvel and the bane of his existence. Antithetical in every way to his organized chaos, she kept everything in labeled boxes and had a system other people could comprehend. He hated it. 

She turned to look at him, glancing to his now-normal fingers and back to her cork board. New information was pinned--notes she had made and a hastily sketched copy of the sections in the book she had harangued the librarian into giving her. The rendition of the woodblock print was especially terrifying. Maren was many things, an artist was not one of them. 

“An abhartach,” she gestured, “is a nocturnal fae creature. Not much about them, unfortunately. They’re not a common species.”

“Right. So how do we get rid of it?” He pretended to review her research, but they had done this dance for too many years to fool her anymore. 

She folded her arms and looked at her feet, “That’s the problem. We don’t.”

“Mare?” He raised an eyebrow at her, a sinking feeling in his gut. 

She sighed and gestured to one of the tacked-up sets of pages, “They don’t possess, they turn. He isn’t possessed by an abhartach. He is one.”

He cursed under his breath as he read, “Damnú air.”

“Unfortunately, this isn’t a magic problem. But it is still our problem,” she ran a hand over her face. “We have to tell Eilonwy.”

“She likes you. Might forgive you when you tell her we’ve got to behead her brother,” he winced at the sharp punch she landed on his arm. “All I’m saying is I don’t think she’s my biggest fan and me telling her might elicit a… reaction.”

Maren appraised him, “If she already hates you, what’s hating you a little more?”

***

He never did figure out a reply to that by the time they had Eilonwy seated across the desk from him. She sat straight, rigid in the stiff black brocade of her mourning gown. She was still not permitted access to the bodies of her family, despite vehemently arguing with the faithful coroner about their immortal souls. If she was still red-eyed from crying about it, Icarus could not tell under the fine mesh of her short funerary veil. 

“Say it again. Slowly.” Her tone was clipped, so cold it might snap if he put too much weight on it. 

He cleared his throat and wished she would dispense with that idiot veil so he could hold her gaze properly, “He isn’t possessed by an abhartach. He just is one. There’s no exorcism to be had. According to our research--which I assure you we have done a considerable amount of--the only option is… to separate the head from the body. Body goes into running water, head goes into consecrated ground.”

“With an iron nail through the heart,” Maren amended. If he could kick her without being noticed, he would have. That detail was one he would have preferred to keep between them. 

Eilonwy sat unmoving across from him, impossible to read in her perfect silence. He had not forgotten his discussion with Maren about all her peculiarities. This stillness she cultivated was starting to become one of them until she spoke again. 

“Will that bring him peace?”

The question caught him off guard, particularly the tone she asked it with, “Will it-? I- I can’t answer that for you, my lady. All I know is it’s how it must be done if we want to rid the city of him.”

She lifted her hands and rolled up, pinning it in place. She was clear-eyed, practiced, sharp with a brimming intelligence she had kept poorly hidden. A flicker of grief escaped from its hiding place, though, and he softened to her a little. Try as she might, he could see the way her tenuous thread of hope had just snapped. The green of her eyes brightened like a hawthorne under the light of the full moon, then she blinked and it was gone. He rubbed at his eyes and cursed his bad sleep. 

“If he’s not possessed and he were to somehow be… restored,” she took a shuddering breath, black leather gloves creaking with the tight fist she made out of sight, “he would be tried and hanged for what he did.”

“Possibly,” Maren shrugged, “but restoration is, unfortunately, not an option in his case.”

Eilonwy lifted a hand in a polite bid for silence, “He would be tried and hanged if it were. Either way, Dáire’s fate is sealed. It would be cruelty to bring him back, but it would be a mercy to end him before he continues down this murderous path.”

For all her sharpness and fire, Icarus had to respect her ability to take what the Pale God handed to her with grace. He exchanged a look with Maren that caught her attention and her eyes narrowed, “What else?”

“We-,” he sighed and tapped his thumbs against each other atop his threaded fingers, “We’ll need your help drawing him out to us. It followed me last night-” he held up a hand to stop her questions before they started, “-and I’m fairly certain it’s because my colleague and I smelled like you. When it didn’t attack me, I think it’s because it was confused why the trail of you faded.”

They had pieced it together. It was strong enough, could have lunged for him and been done with it. Faefire or no, Icarus had a throat to rip out the same as any man. It had observed him, watched him. The more they read, the more it made sense. 

“Part of your brother was still… himself for some time. We aren’t totally clear on the mechanism for what turned him into this thing, but part of him remained who he was for a while at first. It’s why he killed a few orphans and… ladies of minor public concern,” he glanced to Maren in an appeal to transfer this horrible conversation to her, but she pointedly refused him. “The final rite of transformation is to drain the life of those he loves. After that, when all ties to his old self are severed, he enters the final stage of his transformation into this… thing.”

Try as she might, Eilonwy could not conceal the tremor that had overtaken her. She swallowed hard, staring past him at the frosted glass limned with early afternoon light for a while. Resolutely, she set her sight on him again, “What’s the final stage?”

“We don’t know,” Icarus willed the apology into his tone so he would not have to say it aloud.

She exhaled hard, annoyance replacing the grief for a moment, “And you need me to lure him out.”

He nodded, singular and sharp. The plan was simple enough to be stupid, but if the abhartach could not tell the difference between someone who had touched his sister and Eilonwy herself Icarus had little faith in its intellect. Trap it, question it, kill it. The only wildcard was how it would react to Eilonwy when they used her as bait. 

***

Icarus bounced his leg as he leaned against the stacked crates in the alley. There was a blank spot in all of this. An empty palace where information should have been. He folded his arms tight across his chest and stared between the cobblestones at his feet. Running back through the case had not helped. Still, he smelled it like a bloodhound and could not let it go. 

Fae and demonic traces had resonated. While he could explain them away, none of them fit in a way he found satisfying. Maren--if she had been troubled by it--said nothing. Even when they set out in the cold to prepare, she made no mention. So here he was peeling apart the layers in silence waiting in the damp, foggy dark for a monster. 

His hand slipped into his coat and he rattled his flask, lamenting not topping up before they left. He drained what was left and took a steadying breath. Simple as the plan might be, plans had a funny way of getting away from people. He was not such a fool to believe himself immune. 

There was still something fundamentally wrong with this whole care. He could not put his finger on it. Whatever was being concealed skirted the edges of his awareness and stayed just out of reach. He had hoped the remnants of his flask might help turn over some stone of knowledge to illuminate the mystery-

The air changed. 

He stiffened, head cocked, listening. Shadows grew longer at the mouth of the street. The amber light of the streetlamps change as if drained by the inky darkness trailing behind the slow-moving, familiar figure approaching. 

He stayed out of sight, fingers wrapped around the hilt of his knife. His awareness sharpened, keen on the weight of his sword strapped to his back. The chill in the air hollowed out--cold in a way that had nothing to do with winter. 

One breath.

Two.

Footsteps echoing in an even tempo. Eilonwy kept her shoulders straight from what he could see of her, staying even and standing tall. If she were afraid, he could not tell. The creature trailing at a distance too close for his liking, however, could probably hear the mad hammering of her heart. 

Every muscle wound tight like a spring. Hand ready at the edge of the small blade. If this did not go colossally fucking sideways, he could grab Eilonwy in a pinch if he was ready. She was closer now. Almost there. His pulse slowed, breath even and deep. One hand flexed when the calm of battle washed over him. He whispered a prayer to the Archangel Lazriel, Right Hand of the Pale God, for strength and speed. 

He slashed his forearm and drew his sword. The alley flared with blue firelight, abruptly channeled into the metal where it flowed into every sigil like molten iron. In the same breath, he stepped into the street.

“Go!” He shouted to Eilonwy. 

She lifted her skirts and broke into a run. He stepped forward, careful to miss the salt line--the most critical part of their idiotic plan. Twin pinpricks of light raged and widened in the dark. Light refracted from some corrupted inner place. A howl filled the air--bitter with fury, agony, a thousand trapped souls emanating their last fearful cries in one single haunting bellow.

It moved, slower than he anticipated. In the muted light of the gaslamps, the abhartach allowed itself to be revealed. He raised his sword in a high guard, barely inside the strike from the thing’s long, talonlike nails. He shoved and it took a surprised step back. 

“Maren!” He roared. 

The thing that was once a man straightened and whirled in time to catch Maren closing the final line of salt along the road. Its howl turned into a shriek--violence and peeling metal rolled into one hideous noise. With a whisper, Maren’s hand hovered over the grains and they began to glow. With its path sealed and its movement enclosed, it turned to the only thing that remained inside the battleground it was trapped in. 

Icarus. 

Good morning and happy Labor Day! I hope you're finding a way to rest today. Here's a look back at my reading over the past week. Books marked with a * were gifted to me and books marked with a ^ I was paid to read.

Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast by Pamela Colloff* - I saw Colloff speak at the National Book Festival and immediately downloaded this audiobook. I found it to be a bit scattered in the first half. It seemed like her subject, Paul Skalnik, did so much and ruined so many lives that it was hard to organize it into a narrative until she focused on Jim Dailey's case. Overall though, it's clearly written and horrifying in that way nonfiction can be where if it was fiction you'd say it wasn't believable. I appreciate Colloff highlighting the way the legal and carceral systems failed - and making it clear that this wasn't a fluke, but the way things are structured.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - This was a reread for me so I can dive into the sequel that came out this year. Also, I totally dropped the ball on holding a book club discussion for it, I'm so sorry! I was not expecting August to be as busy as it was. If you've read it, please drop your thoughts in the Discord!

Stories of a Devoted Mother: From the Kovno Ghetto to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn by Diane Cypkin^ - Through reading manuscripts for Books Forward PR, I've read a lot of memoirs. I've discovered that I really enjoy this sort of subgenre of them - books about people who aren't famous and maybe didn't lead an extraordinary life, but that show us what life was like for a specific community at a specific time. In this case, Cypkin was the child of Lithuanian Jews who survived the Holocaust and made a new life in New York City. It's vignettes of life in midcentury Brooklyn, and I greatly enjoyed it. (Now, I said "not extraordinary life" but that's not true for her parents, and we do get their horrifying experiences as well.)

Cold in Mississippi: A Memoir of the Human Soul in Medicine by Dwaine Rieves^ - This is another memoir in the "regular-ish people" subgenre outlined above, but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. It's quite scattered, often bouncing between several decades within one page. Rieves is trying to sort out whether the concept of the soul should be considered in medicine, but the parallels he's trying to draw between his research and caring for his mother dying of cancer don't really land due to how all over the place the writing is.

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi - This was, as I expected, unhinged and fun. There's not a ton of depth to the characters given h0w high concept and fast moving the plot is. I didn't really care, though, and was just gleefully along for the ride. Scalzi is so good at snark, and this novel is like 75% snark.