The Forest Demands Its Due

A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning YA horror/fantasy set in dark academia about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all.

Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.

Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he's just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness.

And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he's always felt was missing: power. But if he's not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.

A high-octane mystery of murder and magic for fans of Ace of Spades, House of Hollow, and Get Out!

In the top tier of recent thrillers, The Forest Demands Its Due delivers a potent mix of suspense, paranormal elements, and a chilling examination of power's corrupting influence. As Douglas Jones navigates the treacherous waters of Regent Academy's dark history, he must confront a terrifying supernatural entity and the darkness within himself.

For fans of Alexis Hall (10 Things That Never Happened), Olivie Blake (The Answer You Are Looking For Is Yes), Little Chmura (The Lovers Grim), Alison Cochrun (Kiss Her Once for Me), and Sophie Gonzales (Never Ever Getting Back Together).

HarperCollins 2023