A masterfully captivating Gothic fantasy full of murder, family secrets, and a mysterious succession trial from the author of The Unspoken Name, perfect for fans of The Tainted Cup, The Raven Scholar and One Dark Window.

The Mallory cousins have been summoned to their ancestral home by their great-aunt Sophia - or as the world knows her, the great Banisher, warden of the Isles and the singular defence against unspeakable otherworldly horrors.

Whoever can survive on the remote island for ten days and ten nights will inherit her house, her title, and her magic.

But the island is a labyrinth of deadly puzzles, terrifying ghosts, and scheming cousins with their own scores to settle. By the time the ten days are up, almost everyone on the island will be dead.

Almost everyone. Because someone else was there, witness to it all. And the story they tell is far darker than the blood coating the grounds of that cursed place.

Praise for A. K. Larkwood:

'Takes all the tropes of fantasy and spins them into something wild and new. A dizzy, delicious debut' – Alix E. Harrow

‘Richly detailed, enthralling and extraordinary’ – Jenn Lyons

'Stylish, classy and timeless’ – Tamsyn Muir