Scythe and Pen

a dark fantasy retelling of the

Hades and Persephone legend

Demetrius Raske strikes a deal with the Devil to stop a monster stalking the city, but he may have unleashed another villain entirely…

The Capital of the United League of Nations glitters like jewels on a dame’s neck—a city of wicked splendor and possibility. The deals struck in the Senate are as ruthless as the ones struck in the city’s criminal underbelly. No one knows this better than vampire politician Demetrius Raske, who walks both worlds.

Demetrius fights for a bill that will grant humans and vampires equal civil liberties. But many citizens don’t share his sentiment, especially after the murders begin. Body after body, drained of blood, appear throughout the city, threatening the League’s tenuous peace treaty between humans and vampires. If Demetrius’s bill doesn’t pass the Senate, his campaign for a united future will be crushed. Only one man has the ability to apprehend the bloodthirsty monster—a man known simply as the Devil. And rumor has it, he isn’t a man at all. Together, they strike a deal to catch the murderer before Demetrius’s bill fails—a disaster that would push the League to the brink of civil war.

But Demetrius’s calculated moves don’t go unnoticed. He catches the attention of Gabriella Rose, a journalist whose hunt for her next big headline pushes her right into the murderer’s path, costing her everything she holds dear. Now something dark grows within Gabriella—a power her allies wish to control and her enemies want to exploit.

The only way Demetrius and Gabriella can save themselves—and the city they love—is to strike another deal with the Devil. But their villainous partner is playing his own game. And soon they will learn how the Devil earned his name.

SCYTHE AND PEN presents a Gatsby-esque twist on the Hades and Persephone legend. Part horror, part fantasy, Scythe and Pen is the first installment in a dark fantasy series. Readers have compared the story to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente, and the BBC series Peaky Blinders.

1.12.2024

a viciously dark fantasy perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Peaky Blinders, The Secret Life of Addie LaRue, and These Vicious Delights.

available at all major retailers

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

A dark jazzy book playlist

In the mood for some jazz and blues? Listen to the Scythe and Pen playlist. Tracks have been specifically chosen to coordinate with novel events and characters. A mix of sultry blues, dark ballads, and toe-tapping jazz, the playlist will put you in the mood to dance … or hunt down a monster.

available at all major retailers