House of Dusk
by Deva Fagan
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Pub Date Aug 26 2025 | Archive Date Aug 19 2025
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Description
With complex relationships, a rich and mythic world, and brisk pacing, this standalone novel is perfect for fans of Tasha Suri, Samantha Shannon, and Shannon Chakraborty
Ten years ago, Sephre left behind her life as a war hero and took holy vows to seek redemption for her crimes, wielding the flames of the Phoenix to purify the dead. But as corpses rise, a long-dead god stirs, and shadowy serpents creep from the underworld, she has no choice but to draw on the very past she's been trying so hard to forget.
Orphaned by the same war Sephre helped win, Yeneris has trained half her life to be the perfect spy, a blade slipped deep into the palace of her enemies. Undercover as bodyguard to Sinoe, a princess whose tears unleash prophecy, Yeneris is searching for the stolen bones of a saint. Her growing attraction to the princess, however, is proving dangerous, and Yeneris struggles to balance her feelings for Sinoe with her duty to her people.
As gods are reborn and spirits destroyed, the world trembles on the edge of a second cataclysm. Sephre must decide whether to be bound by her past or to forge a better future, even if it means renouncing her vows and accepting a new and terrible power. Meanwhile, when the true enemy makes their bid for power, Yeneris must find a way to remain true to her full self and save both her mission and her heart.
As dead gods rise and corruption creeps across the world, this sweeping standalone fantasy tale of forbidden sapphic love and dark betrayal will set your heart ablaze.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780756420109 |
PRICE | $29.00 (USD) |
PAGES | 384 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

*ARC Review!* Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book.
4.5 stars, a phenomenal read, everything that a high fantasy should be and an incredible addition to Fagan’s bibliography.
The Plot: 5/5
The book follows two main characters. Sister Sephre, a war veteran hoping to spend the rest of her retirement peacefully gardening in a temple and Yeneris, the bodyguard to a Princess Sinoe and prophesier as they try to deal with the aftermaths of an ugly religious war and, possibly, the apocalypse. But also, it is a story about finding and accepting yourself in its entirety. There are zombies, there is magic, there is political and religious intrigue, and not a single boring story beat.
The Worldbuilding: 4/5
The world of HoD was well thought out, and more importantly, well executed. Important information were scattered into digestible chunks, almost always after a particularly anxiety-inducing scene and served as a welcomed breather. It is easy to follow the history and you will be able to understand the bare bones of the lore to keep up. I was not given a map or a glossary (which would be necessary for lesser authors) but the world still felt real and lived in.
I particularly enjoyed the slight variations in theology between different kingdoms. It gives the world just that much more realism. The Gods being animals represented by different times of the day and different elements sounds like too much but it works and I’m into it.
However, the timeline of events could have been better elaborated, particularly the cataclysm and the war, and what exactly they were. And I’d love to know more about the city, which appears only as a shapeless void in my head with the lack of description.
This is a standalone, which is quite disappointing as we didn’t really get to know as much as I’d like and I do hope Fagan decides to write more books set in this world. I need to know the lore behind the other houses and kingdoms.
The Characters: 4/5
Perfect, 10/10, no notes.
We need more older female characters with a ton of baggage, still insecure, needs therapy and kicks ass, but also just wants to garden. Sephre, I will die for you. I do not suffer from PTSD so I cannot comment on the portrayal of that in Sephre but it succeeded in hurting me.
Yeneris is the typical trained-to-be-a-weapon fmc and she’s perfect, don’t ever change. Think Inej and Ead Duryan had a swoony, headstrong lovechild. Honestly, can’t blame her.
Sinoe is everything a princess should be. She’s kind, she’s smart, she’s friendly, she’s slightly sarcastic, ugh I love her too. The tragedy in her life was well portrayed and my heart was constantly aching for her, despite her not even being a pov character.
The side characters were a treat and a half. Each one of them were so distinct and it was obvious how much love and thought the author gave them.
On second thought, one note. The antagonists were mediocre. I prefer villains that occupy a larger bandwidth in a story and the antagonists in HoD fell flat for me.
The Prose: 5/5
One thing that really stood out to me throughout my reading were the gorgeous descriptions of the setting. Every change in scenery was accompanied by prose that stole my breath away.
House of Dusk by Deva Fagan will be published on 26 August 2025! I genuinely cannot wait to talk about it jsagfhsgfdkjggh