The Twisted Ones

Reads so fast and so effortless that you don't realize how in thrall you are to it. It's the sensation of being a little kid who stayed out too long past dinner and sure, you were having fun, but now it's a moonless night and the forest is dark and you are hopelessly lost. This is righteous, folkloric horror, and the devil is waiting in between these pages. - Chuck Wendig, NYT bestselling author of BLACKBIRDS and WANDERERS Innovative, unexpected, and absolutely chilling, T. Kingfisher isn't just breaking into the horror scene, she's breaking it down. With a hammer. - Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mira Grant A deliciously horrifying read. I adored it. In turns deeply human and uncanny, THE TWISTED ONES reads like the world's most terrifying episode of Hoarders. Don't sleep on it. In fact, be prepared to never sleep again. - Nebula Award-winning author Alyssa Wong A refreshing contemporary voice, classic scare-filled weirdness, and a big delightful dog for company: THE TWISTED ONES is a hugely entertaining read. - Aliya Whiteley Smart, crackling prose, genuine chills, suspense that doesn't let up - oh, and strange things walking in the woods. This book was so gripping I practically inhaled it. Definitely one not to miss, though you may want to read it with all the lights on! - Alison Littlewood THE TWISTED ONES combines with dread of the classic Arthur Machen tale with the poignancy of IT FOLLOWS. A sweet and shivery tale of things best left unseen by one of the genre's rising stars. - Helen Marshall With a remarkable assured new voice, Kingfisher strides into the haunted realm of folk horror, and quite simply mic drops. - Stephen Volk, award-winning writer of GHOSTWATCH and The Dark Masters Trilogy T. Kingfisher's take on Machen's tale is very fine indeed. Clever, gruesome, funny, and downright terrifying. THE TWISTED ONES is a refreshing twist on folk horror best read in daylight. Don't go into the woods ... no, really, just don't. - Angela Slatter THE TWISTED ONES is a weird, shimmering story told with sharpness and grace - somehow both wild fairy tale and quiet, personal horror in equal measure. It's a strange and lovely balance, expertly crafted for daytime laughter or nighttime trembles. - Cherie Priest, author of THE FAMILY PLOT and MAPLECROFT. Read this one with the lights on. - Kirkus Reviews Kingfisher neatly combines modern elements into a combined folktale and horror story that is rich in atmosphere and characterization... - Publishers Weekly Laden with cosmic fright, THE TWISTED ONES connects the foreboding of ancient folklore with the horrors of modern life. But it does so with a sharp, witty voice and a compelling first-person protagonist who finds herself precariously straddling worlds she never knew existed. - NPR BOOKS My favourite thing about the novel ... is the unpredictability of how the story progresses, the subversion of the most common horror tropes. Fear not, we know from early on, given the framing narrative, that the dog survives. - THE BOOK SMUGGLERS A more than worthy homage to Arthur Machen's classic 'The White People', ... a genuinely creepy tale of supernatural horror and cosmic dread in its own right. - James Brogden PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR Refreshingly charming...it is the mark of a great author to bring characters to life so easily - SFF Book Reviews on BRYONY AND ROSES There is nothing I love more than to be taken by surprise by a story that is so unexpectedly great - Kirkus Reviews on THE SEVENTH BRIDE Darkly funny...a fast and entertaining novel - Locus Magazine on CLOCKWORK BOYS Vernon's worldbuilding is magnificently weird - Tor.com on SWORDHEART