Downton Abbey meets the Brothers Grimm in this gothic fairy tale featuring a lush, upstairs/downstairs sapphic romance. Perfect for fans of The Thirteenth Child, Belladonna and Where the Dark Stands Still.
Publishing April 28, 2026. Available for preorder now.
"Through sentient woods and bargains entrenched in folklore, this gothic fairy tale brings the eerie vibes in full force with the welcome addition of a sapphic love story. [...] What really shines, though, is the dark, fantastical atmosphere that weaves its way through the background and settles itself into readers’ very bones." —Booklist
Indentured servant Katrien longs to make amends after a difficult choice extended her cousin Helsa’s servitude with their lord of the manor. So when a dark creature in the forest known as The Redwood Man demands the lord’s youngest daughter as payment for saving his life, Katrien is eager to make her own bargain that will guarantee her cousin’s freedom—so long as she can successfully lie.
Katrien must fool The Redwood Man into believing she is the daughter he was promised, Lady Zaviera. Yet three girls have already lost their lives trying to pose as the young noblewoman, with the increasingly impatient forest lord seeing through each deception and exerting his wrath in return. To ensure Katrien’s success where the girls before her have failed, Zaviera and her sisters teach her how to be the perfect imposter, even as The Redwood Man’s sentient vines threaten to consume the manor and its staff.
Turning a kitchen maid into a proper lady is no simple task, and matters are complicated further as Katrien begins to fall for the tenderhearted lady she might die for. Caught between duty, desire, and Zaviera’s own blooming feelings, Katrien must decide if she’s truly willing to risk her life to right past wrongs and sacrifice herself for the girl she’s come to love.
Praise for The Redwood Bargain:
“A fresh take on ‘The Dwarf, the Fox and the Princess,’ collected by the Brothers Grimm […] relayed via atmospheric prose underscored by visceral instances of body and ecological horror.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“With lyrical prose and an unsettling sense of wonder, The Redwood Bargain weaves romance and folklore into a haunting, poetic tale that lingers long after the final page.” — Alex Crespo, author of A Feast for the Eyes
“Deliciously dark and atmospheric, The Redwood Bargain isn’t afraid to tackle difficult themes. A fabulous foray into gothic fiction.” — Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Girl With No Reflection and For No Mortal Creature
“The historical drama and class politics of Downton Abbey get a fairy tale twist in this riveting tale of choices and consequences, as it drags you like a malevolent vine towards a shocking conclusion.” — David Ferraro, author of The Alchemy of Moonlight and Soul of a Gentleman Witch
“A beguiling sapphic fairy tale with deft language, an eerily immersive setting, and characters that wrap themselves around the reader’s heart. Fans of historical fiction and retellings alike will delight in this fresh, wonderfully queer homage to the Brothers Grimm!” — Ashlee Latimer, author of Witchkiller
“The supernatural forces at work are suitably frightening […] [in this] fairy tale that’s grounded in familial love.” —Kirkus Reviews