Season of Fear
Night of the Witch meets The Handmaid's Tale in this queer Gothic horror debut set against the monstrous Bavarian forest of Hexenwald. 

“Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
 
"A dark and dreadful tour de force of a debut! Exquisitely beautiful and horrific."Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse’s divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea—the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.   
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse’s hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee.

Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.
 
1146791108
Season of Fear
Night of the Witch meets The Handmaid's Tale in this queer Gothic horror debut set against the monstrous Bavarian forest of Hexenwald. 

“Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
 
"A dark and dreadful tour de force of a debut! Exquisitely beautiful and horrific."Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse’s divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea—the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.   
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse’s hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee.

Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.
 
12.99 Pre Order
Season of Fear

Season of Fear

by Emily Cooper
Season of Fear

Season of Fear

by Emily Cooper

eBook

$12.99 
Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on September 2, 2025

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

Night of the Witch meets The Handmaid's Tale in this queer Gothic horror debut set against the monstrous Bavarian forest of Hexenwald. 

“Hauntingly poetic and monstrously romantic.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning
 
"A dark and dreadful tour de force of a debut! Exquisitely beautiful and horrific."Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child
In the Bavarian village of Heulensee, women feed their terror to an ancient Saint of Fear. In return, it protects them from the monsters of the Hexenwald, the haunted forest on their doorstep. Born unfearing, Ilse Odenwald has felt like an outsider all her life. When the Saint discovers Ilse’s divergence, it levels a threat: she must find her fear, or the Saint will devour her sister, Dorothea—the only person who loves Ilse unconditionally.   
Unwilling to lose Thea, Ilse enters the Hexenwald. She hopes that its horrors will finally unleash her fear and, in turn, save her sister. But during her quest Ilse inadvertently uncovers something more sinister than the monsters that hunt her: a darkness within herself. As the forest closes in, Ilse’s hopes for a normal future begin to slip away, as well as the chance to save not just Thea, but all women in Heulensee.

Bewitching and timely, this gripping debut novel is a dark fairy tale about the fate of girls and women in a world grown accustomed to sacrificing them.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780316581653
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 09/02/2025
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: eBook
Pages: 304
Age Range: 14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Emily Cooper is a published scientist who works in marine policy. Nobody knows what she means when she says that, so she also calls herself a conservationist. Her career was preceded by a Master's degree in Biology and a lifelong obsession with the natural world. Emily lives near Manchester in a 330-year-old cottage, which she’s fairly certain is haunted. Emily doesn’t mind; it provides ample inspiration for her novels. When not writing, you can generally find her confidently misidentifying the birds in her garden. She is on Instagram and X @ohdeeremily.
 
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews