Demon Song, the new gothic horror novel from Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author Kelsea Yu (Bound Feet, It’s Only a Game) hits shelves on September 30 via Titan Books, and we’re excited to share an exclusive excerpt and cover reveal today.
The “eerie and unsettling” horror draws on Chinese mythology, and comes particularly recommended for fans of Shirley Jackson and Cassandra Khaw.
In Demon Song:
Places like this have a history. Desires. And this one is famished.
Megan and her mom are on the run after narrowly escaping the clutches of an abusive man who dragged them from Portland to Beijing. With few options, Megan’s mom turns to an old friend who offers them room and board in Huihuang Opera Theater in exchange for cleaning the ancient building.
Between her rusty Mandarin and constant reminders that she’s an outsider, Megan struggles with loneliness—until she meets Kristy, the glamorous young lead in the operatic adaptation of “The Monkey King and the White Bone”. Soon, Megan’s free time is split between reading a battered copy of the Chinese classic that inspired the opera and her budding new friendship; Kristy’s love of singing brings out Megan’s long-buried ambitions.
But the opera house has its secrets. There are passages within the walls that shouldn’t be there, and the more Megan delves into that old book, the more the myths begin to bleed into real life. As Megan finds it increasingly difficult to separate reality from folklore, she must uncover a decades-old mystery to discover the true, horrifying secret of the opera house before it throws its hungry eyes to her.
Previously, Yu spoke more about her inspirations and expressed her excitement to be partnering with Titan Books for the release:
“Demon Song began as a short story inspired by my first gothic love, ’Phantom of the Opera’, modernised and set in a haunted Beijing opera house – but it quickly outgrew its initial confines. I’m proud of the book it has become and thrilled to be publishing with Daniel and the fantastic team at Titan Books. Thank you to my brilliant agent, Jennifer Azantian, for making this happen!”
Head over to Titan Books for more information on Demon Song, which is set to release on 30 September, and check our our exclusive excerpt and reveal of the gorgeous cover below:
