"Gorgeously atmospheric, heartrending and deeply ominous." - Hester Steel, author of The Faceless Thing We Adore
"A seductive and infernal hymn of dread, love, and damnation." - Elliott Gish, author of Grey Dog
For fans of A Dark and Drowning Tide and The Lighthouse Witches comes a queer speculative fiction novel about a lighthouse keeper who made a devil's bargain to save her sister.
But when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, she is left with an impossible choice…
***
One deal with the devil makes a fool. Two? A villain...
A year ago, Elle made a deal with the devil to save her sister. Now, they live on a desolate spit of land beyond Halifax harbour. Elle, as a lighthouse keeper, steers unsuspecting sailors to their destruction; those are the terms of her bargain. Liney need never know the cost. Her safety is worth every drop of blood.
But a sinner's pact is not so simple. When the devil returns, demanding more-more shipwrecks, no survivors-Elle knows what she must do to keep Liney safe...
Another ship. Another crew killed in the devil's name.
Then a woman washes ashore. Is she a soul to be sacrificed, or part of a darker design? As Liney and the stranger grow closer, Elle faces an impossible choice: kill, and break Liney's heart, or forfeit her own soul.
Danger arises from all sides: the merciless sea, ruthless men on the mainland, and the infernal bargain itself…
Souls and sisterhood, fate and fire-what must be sacrificed for the devil to get his due?
A riveting tale of doomed love and a chilling Faustian bargain, A Fate Worse Than Drowning is a masterwork of queer speculative fiction that will captivate fans of gothic literature.
Tropes
Gothic Fiction
LGBTQ+
Speculative Fiction
Deal with the Devil
| ISBN: | 9781464291456 |
| Publication date: | 21st July 2026 |
| Author: | Sarah Hawthorn |
| Publisher: | Poisoned Pen Press an imprint of Sourcebooks |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 320 pages |
| Genres: |
Fiction: Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales Historical fantasy |
"Gorgeously atmospheric, heartrending and deeply ominous." - Hester Steel, author of The Faceless Thing We Adore
"A seductive and infernal hymn of dread, love, and damnation." - Elliott Gish, author of Grey Dog
For fans of A Dark and Drowning Tide and The Lighthouse Witches comes a queer speculative fiction novel about a lighthouse keeper who made a devil's bargain to save her sister.
But when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, she is left with an impossible choice…
***
One deal with the devil makes a fool. Two? A villain...
A year ago, Elle made a deal with the devil to save her sister. Now, they live on a desolate spit of land beyond Halifax harbour. Elle, as a lighthouse keeper, steers unsuspecting sailors to their destruction; those are the terms of her bargain. Liney need never know the cost. Her safety is worth every drop of blood.
But a sinner's pact is not so simple. When the devil returns, demanding more-more shipwrecks, no survivors-Elle knows what she must do to keep Liney safe...
Another ship. Another crew killed in the devil's name.
Then a woman washes ashore. Is she a soul to be sacrificed, or part of a darker design? As Liney and the stranger grow closer, Elle faces an impossible choice: kill, and break Liney's heart, or forfeit her own soul.
Danger arises from all sides: the merciless sea, ruthless men on the mainland, and the infernal bargain itself…
Souls and sisterhood, fate and fire-what must be sacrificed for the devil to get his due?
A riveting tale of doomed love and a chilling Faustian bargain, A Fate Worse Than Drowning is a masterwork of queer speculative fiction that will captivate fans of gothic literature.
Tropes
Gothic Fiction
LGBTQ+
Speculative Fiction
Deal with the Devil
A Fate Worse Than Drowning features in the following genres: Fiction: Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales, Historical fantasy
A Fate Worse Than Drowning is available in Paperback
A Fate Worse Than Drowning was written by Sarah Hawthorn and published by Poisoned Pen Press an imprint of Sourcebooks
A Fate Worse Than Drowning has 320 pages
£8.99