Book Awards

Alongside the gory, insistent violence wrought by the town and the coven, Legrand’s lush and uniquely evocative prose keeps tensions high throughout Amity’s struggle with her magic, fury, and conscience. . . . Slow-burn horror meets a queer coming-of-age story, with compassionately explored themes of feminism, grief, trauma, faith, and abuse. A YA fantasy complement to Naomi Alderman’s The Power; fans of Legrand will find this an interesting new approach, as will readers of Rory Power and House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland.

Legrand successfully brings a supernatural gruesomeness to her exploration of morality and agency.

The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Craft in this feminist standalone from Legrand (the Empirium trilogy), a fusion of horror and queer romantic fantasy that advocates unity, self-empowerment, and societal change. . . . readers will be riveted by Legrand’s fierce female characters and their harrowing emotional journey.

Legrand crafts a fiercely unsubtle feminist fantasy that takes on the patriarchy and the toxicity of hate. Amity’s evolving sense of self joins horror-driven action that . . . will keep readers invested.