The Brink

Set in the 17th-century English countryside, The Brink blends historical and eldritch folk horror in a queer tale of awakening while exploring a darkly hungry Derbyshire Peak District-where the perils may be natural, unnatural, or very human.

When the keeper of a demonic hell hole falls in love with the perfect sacrifice, she must choose: her loyalty to both her family and her village, or salvaging her own chance at happiness.

It is 1642 in Derbyshire, England. Jane Vernon spends her days trying to satiate the hungry spirit that dwells within Elden Hole, a generational curse shared with her siblings. But each sacrifice increases her reluctance, until the offering of one travelling merchant starts unravelling the fabric of murderous duty and exploitation that shapes her life.

Isaac Latimer appears as a wealthy wanderer searching the countryside for his cousin, Sarah, last spotted in the company of an older man. As a guilty conscience drives Jane to join Isaac in his hunt, she catches a glimpse of an unburdened life even while realising nothing is as it seems.

Among sacrifices and betrayals, burgeoning love and decaying lies, the spirit's hunger grows alongside threats in the dark, and only a Vernon can decide between death and damnation.

• Publication date: 22 September 2026
• Page count: 441
• Dimensions: Height 230 mm; Width 147 mm; Thickness 25 mm
• Publisher: Ruadan Books
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9781968143176