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The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Season of Fear
Reader Score
85%
85% of readers
recommend this book
Night of the Witch meets The Handmaid's Tale in this queer Gothic horror debut set against the monstrous Bavarian forest of Hexenwald. ★"Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic."--Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning ★"A dark and dreadful tour de force of a debut! Exquisitely beautiful and horrific."--Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse's divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea--the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse's hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee. Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse's divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea--the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse's hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee. Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.
Book Details
- Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books-Little Brown and Hach
- Publish Date: Sep 2nd, 2025
- Pages: 352
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 9.23in - 6.33in - 1.16in - 1.20lb
- EAN: 9780316581639
- Recommended age: 14-18
- Categories: • Fantasy - Dark Fantasy• Girls & Women• Monsters
About the Author
Emily Cooper is a published scientist who works in marine policy. Nobody knows what she means when she says that, so she also calls herself a conservationist. Her career was preceded by a Master's degree in Biology and a lifelong obsession with the natural world. Emily lives near Manchester in a 330-year-old cottage, which she's fairly certain is haunted. Emily doesn't mind; it provides ample inspiration for her novels. When not writing, you can generally find her confidently misidentifying the birds in her garden. She is on Instagram and X @ohdeeremily.
Praise for this book
"In a world cleverly crafted to highlight the beauty and terror of sacrifice, Cooper's dark debut gives us a heroine worth remembering. Love, sisterhood, and ritual blend together to create a timely and monstrous tale that will haunt readers until the very end." --Elle Tesch, author of What Wakes the Bells
"This is a book about agency, love, power, divergence--the desire to feel like you have a place in the world when you just don't fit in, and finding a way to be true to yourself anyway. It is a brutal reckoning that doesn't shy away from rage but allows for softness and change and figuring out what's right. Beautifully done." --Oblong Books (Millerton, NY)
"A girl who has never known fear discovers the lengths she is willing to go for love in this mesmerizing, standout debut. At once lush and haunting, both beautiful and brutal, Season of Fear challenges society's penchant for female sacrifice and paints a poignant picture of what it truly means to be a savior." --Adrienne Tooley, author of The Third Daughter
"With all the beauty and the brutality of a Grimm's fairytale, Season of Fear is as richly woven as a medieval tapestry-- a sparkling, magical story replete with danger, heartbreak, and the hopeful tenderness of first love."--Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Tenderly, I am Devoured
"Emily Cooper's love for her characters and this world shines in every twist and turn of this impassioned, deservedly angry debut. A rewarding read for anyone seeking smart, timeless horror that seizes your attention from the first page."--Logan-Ashley Kisner, author of Old Wounds
"A dark and dreadful tour de force of a debut! Season of Fear is a consuming tale of sacrifice and service that will haunt you long after its final page. Cooper's worldbuilding is exquisitely beautiful and horrific."--Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
"Season of Fear is a vividly imagined page-turner with a thought-provoking take on gender inequality. This book is the perfect blend of horror and romance, with a gasp out loud twist: such a fun read!" --Kathryn Foxfield, author of Good Girls Die First
"Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic, Season of Fear is a beguiling dark fantasy debut that smolders like hearth-fire."--Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
"Darkly whimsical and deliciously unsettling, Season of Fear strikes the perfect balance between fairytale and terror with twists and turns that make it hard to put down."--Jamison Shea, author of I FEED HER TO THE BEAST AND THE BEAST IS ME.
"Influenced by Bavarian folklore, this morbid, modern fairy tale is told in poetic prose. The descriptions of the evil found within the forest drip with malice and beauty in equal measure.Such a bewitching yet contemporary story feels critical for a YA horror collection."--Booklist
"Season of Fear is a wonder and a horror. Cooper's haunting prose practically drips off the page, weaving a tale of darkness, sacrifice, and what it means to be known. This is one book you should not read in the dark."--Alexandria Warwick, author of The North Wind