Description

‘A gothic masterpiece and a devastating exploration of humanity’s capacity for evil’ Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

‘The Black Hunger is a phenomenal book full of rich historical detail, occult mysticism, and slow, creeping horror. . . a triumph’ Thomas D. Lee, author of Perilous Times

John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his cell as he mourns the death of his secret lover and the gnawing hunger inside him grows impossible to ignore.

He must write his last testament before it is too late. The story he tells will take us to the darkest part of the human soul. It is a tale of otherworldly creatures, ancient cults and a terrifying journey from stone circles of Scotland to the icy peaks of Tibet.

It is a tale that will take us to the end of the world.

A spine-tingling, queer gothic horror debut where two men are drawn into an otherworldly spiral, and a journey that will only end when they reach the darkest part of the human soul. Perfect for fans of The Historian and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Praise for The Black Hunger:

‘A new dark classic to stand alongside Frankenstein and Jekyll & Hyde, The Black Hunger reveals its horrors inch by devastating inch, leading the reader from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Scottish Islands and back again’ Molly O’Neill, author of Greenteeth

‘Rich in historical detail, poignant romance, sweeping adventure, and visceral terror, The Black Hunger is both utterly original and thrillingly addictive’ Jennifer Thorne, author of Diavola

‘A terrifying gothic journey to the place where the very cruellest, hungriest creatures hide in the snow, and wear our faces. This is a magisterial debut’ Michael Rowe, author of Wild Fell

Publisher Review

The Black Hunger is a stunning historical horror novel that recalls the work of Elizabeth Kostova and the best of Dan Simmons’ Victorian supernatural fiction. With painterly prose, Pullen takes the reader on a terrifying gothic journey to the place where the very cruellest, hungriest creatures hide in the snow, and wear our faces. This is a magisterial debut by a major new voice in contemporary dark fantasy — Michael Rowe, author of WILD FELL The Black Hunger is a phenomenal book full of rich historical detail, occult mysticism, and slow, creeping horror. Pullen has written a compelling queer love story that takes the reader firmly by the hand and leads them from Oxford to the Himalayas, through 1920s diplomatic intrigue and esoteric Buddhist spiritualism, all the way to war-torn Russia and the distant steppes of Siberia. Redolent of Arthur Conan Doyle and H. P. Lovecraft, The Black Hunger is a triumph that should be on your reading list — Thomas D. Lee, author of PERILOUS TIMES Rich in historical detail, poignant romance, sweeping adventure, and visceral terror, The Black Hunger is both utterly original and thrillingly addictive — Jennifer Thorne, author of DIAVOLA A new dark classic to stand alongside Frankenstein and Jekyll & Hyde, The Black Hunger reveals its horrors inch by devastating inch, leading the reader from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Scottish Islands and back again — Molly O’Neill, author of GREENTEETH A gothic masterpiece and a devastating exploration of humanity’s capacity for evil — Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters