Local Gods

'Lush and darkly evocative, Local Gods feels as though it's been woven from the finest strands of folk horror tales like Pan's Labyrinth, The Wicker Man and Freddie Kölsch's Empty Heaven. A stunning and all-consuming read.' Kat Ellis, author of The Devouring Light'I burned through this tale of old magic, lush and glorious revenge, and an underestimated girl who has to lose everything in order to figure out who - and what - she really is' - Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of the Hazel Wood seriesDeliciously sinister, mesmerising YA folk horror at its best in this stunning new novel by Melinda Salisbury.Shunned and living in an isolated wood, Sylvie comes across a scrawny, wasted monster named Illican: a local legend, a god made flesh.With their destinies entwined, Sylvie sees an opportunity for redemption, but the woods are watching and nothing goes as planned . . .'Melinda Salisbury has forged a visceral and potent world that rings with magic and emotional truth . . . Powerful and prescient' - Deirdre Sullivan, author of Savage Her Reply'Brimming with dark small-town atmosphere, romance, and the allure of dangerous deals with an ancient deity. I was spellbound' - Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting'With beautiful, unsettling imagery that brings the oppressive, declining resort town of Pine Ridge Hollow to vivid life, Salisbury paints a folk horror that is propulsive and emotionally serrated in equal measure' - Jihyun Yun, author of And the River Drags Her Down'Melinda Salisbury is a lush, magical writer - who isn't afraid of the dark' - Rainbow Rowell