I was supposed to write a different book. I had every intention of doing so. But then, I received a comment on an Instagram post. I can’t remember now which post it was, or what the context even was, but I do remember that Christina Orlando brought up Ludwig from A Dark and Drowning Tide. They said something to the effect of, Wouldn’t it be cool if Ludwig got a story about solving his whole “I’m turning into a tree” problem? I said, yes, definitely. I would love that so much! Perhaps he could team up with a rival botanist at the university to crack the case. They said, I was thinking more along the lines of a faerie prince.
I thought about what that might look like, daydreaming about it just for fun. And then the outline practically wrote itself. I pitched the idea as a novella to my agents, who said a full-length novel might be an easier sell. I wasn’t sure my publisher would go for it. Even though it could easily stand alone, it’d been a while since A Dark and Drowning Tide came out. I wondered if the window had closed. I braced myself for disappointment.
I’m very excited to share that they let me write it.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Bookshop | White Whale Bookstore
In this queer folkloric romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dark and Drowning Tide, set in that same world, a world-weary botanist must untangle three mysteries before his time runs out—a plagued grove, a dying dryad prince, and the curse slowly eating his body alive.
In the wake of a disastrous scientific expedition, life has gone on for all the surviving members—save for one. Ludwig von Meyer, renowned botanist and victim of a deadly curse, is slowly turning into a tree.
His body grows more alien by the day, and then there’s the matter of the blackouts, which have him waking inside an eerie, blighted grove.
Then, one night, he awakes on the doorstep of the grove’s keeper, a mysterious dryad prince named Alois, who offers a pact. Alois can lift Ludwig’s curse, on one condition: Ludwig must rid the sacred grove of its blight.
With the bargain sealed, Ludwig has only a handful of weeks to solve the mystery of the grove before his curse makes him a permanent part of it . . . and before the handsome dryad who increasingly owns Ludwig’s heart perishes along with his trees.
This cover is beyond what I could’ve hoped for or dreamed of; Mary Metzger, the incredible illustrator behind it, is a genius. I’ve admired her work for years, so I’m over the moon that her art is the face of a book that’s very dear to me. The texture of this piece—along with how perfectly she captured the intimate, moody atmosphere of the book—blows my mind. I’m also so grateful to the art director at Del Rey who designed this cover, David Stevenson.
You can preorder Heartsgrove now! I included some links just below the cover, but I would love it most if you preordered from your local independent bookstore (or mine).
Heartsgrove has quickly become my favorite thing I’ve ever written. It’s a return to something in the vein of A Far Wilder Magic: It’s intimate and small scale, focused deeply on characters and romance, and has a similar melancholy-but-whimsical atmosphere. It’s also a departure for me in that it’s kind of smutty. While Heartsgrove is a companion novel, you do not need to have read A Dark and Drowning Tide to enjoy/understand this book. But if you did read it, yes, Lorelei and Sylvia make an appearance. :)
Immortal Game is out next week! I have a few last-minute reminders for you ahead of release day about signed copies, events, a Barnes & Noble preorder sweepstakes, and a UK special edition.
You can get signed and personalized copies of Immortal Game through White Whale Bookstore. Leave your personalization request in the order comments at checkout. If you leave the order comments blank, your book will just be signed. Your book will come with an art print, a sticker, and a bookmark tucked inside (while supplies last).
I am going on tour next week, and I’m SO looking forward to meeting y’all! Most of these events are ticketed, so be sure to RSVP.
Tuesday, August 4 @ 7pm
White Whale Bookstore with Rachael Lippincott - Pittsburgh, PA
TicketsWednesday, August 5 @ 7pm
The Ripped Bodice with Ava Reid - Brooklyn, NY
TicketsThursday, August 6 @ 7pm
Powell’s with Courtney Gould - Beaverton, OR
Event detailsFriday, August 7 @ 7pm
Barnes & Noble with Dahlia de la Vega - Huntington Beach, CA
TicketsSaturday, August 8 @ 7pm
The Novel Neighbor with Cat Bakewell - St. Louis, MO
Held in the St. Louis Library Clark Family Branch
Event detailsSunday, August 9 @ 6pm
Book People with Dana Swift - Austin, TX
TicketsSaturday, August 22 @ 12pm
Signing at Barnes & Noble - Morgantown, WV
You can still grab a special edition of Immortal Game from LitPins! It’s SO beautiful, with one of my favorite case designs I’ve ever seen.
If you preorder Immortal Game from Barnes & Noble, you’ll be automatically entered into a sweepstakes! You could win a $100 B&N gift card, an embroidered sweatshirt, and many cute stickers.
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