Dark Woods, Deep Water

by Jelena Dunato

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Pub Date Sep 19 2023 | Archive Date Jun 30 2023

Horror | Sci Fi & Fantasy

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Description

In the depths of a remote forest, an enchanted castle preys on unwary travellers. The servants of the Goddess Morana sacrifice to their dark mistress every soul who crosses its threshold. One terrible night, three people who should never have met find themselves trapped there: a spoiled lady escaping an unwanted marriage, an aging warrior-prince on a deadly mission, and a resourceful rogue caught up in a botched heist. As their destinies entwine and the dawn approaches, the solution to the castle’s riddle becomes clear: if they want to escape, one of them must die.

A dark fantasy tale inspired by Slavic folklore, Dark Woods, Deep Water is the debut novel by Croatian author Jelena Dunato. Set in an intricately imagined world that staggers the line between fairytale and brutality, this novel will appeal to fans of Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik, as well as lovers of classic Gothic fiction.

In the depths of a remote forest, an enchanted castle preys on unwary travellers. The servants of the Goddess Morana sacrifice to their dark mistress every soul who crosses its threshold. One...

A Note From the Publisher

BIO
Jelena Dunato is an art historian, curator, speculative fiction writer and lover of all things ancient. She grew up in Croatia on a steady diet of adventure novels and then wandered the world for a decade, building a career in the arts.
Jelena’s stories have been published in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, The Dark, Future SF and Mermaids Monthly, among others. She is a member of SFWA and Codex.
Jelena lives on an island in the Adriatic with her husband, daughter and cat.

Other editions:
Kindle: 978-1-7392348-4-3
£2.99 / $3.99

BIO
Jelena Dunato is an art historian, curator, speculative fiction writer and lover of all things ancient. She grew up in Croatia on a steady diet of adventure novels and then wandered the world...

Advance Praise

"DARK WOODS, DEEP WATER is an enthralling dark fantasy with a gritty, gothic heart. There are no heroes here: instead the characters' varying shades of villainy fit perfectly into this horror-laced tale. Nail-biting, grisly, and genuinely chilling."

-- Jess Hyslop, author of Miasma

"Dark Woods, Deep Water drew me into its spell, weaving its beautiful threads around me until I looked up and realized I'd been reading long past the time I should have been asleep. From the first page, I knew I'd follow these characters into whatever dangers lay in wait. A gorgeous, layered, compelling tale in a world both familiar and strange."

-- Kate Heartfield, bestselling author of The Embroidered Book

"An eerie, fascinating tale, which - like all great stories - retains its mystery even after the last page is turned. We meet characters of varying motives and complexity, each of whom is compelling and, above all, real. The liminal world Dunato has created, with its rich seams of Slavic folklore, makes Dark Woods, Deep Water an extraordinary novel and its author one to watch. I have a new favourite."

-- Lucy Holland, author of Sistersong and The Worldmaker Trilogy