Announcing Slewfoot, a New Illustrated Novel from Brom

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Slewfoot – a tale of magic and mystery set in Colonial America, full of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it – will be published by Nightfire in September 2021!

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken… and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch. 

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

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Here’s what Kelly Lonesome, senior editor at Nightfire, has to say about Slewfoot:

“Nightfire is thrilled to welcome Brom to our coven — a natural fit for sure! Slewfoot was acquired by Diana Gill and I am proud to help usher it to bookshelves next fall, just in time for the witching season. Slewfoot takes a unique approach to the struggle between pagans and Puritans, and it features Brom’s signature haunting artwork throughout in full color. Anyone celebrating Samhain in 2021 will absolutely want a copy of this fantastic book!”

And from Brom himself:

“I have always been fascinated by the dark side of a soul, whether human or other. As a child it was the monster I most loved to roleplay—the vampire, the werewolf, the ghoul. Even then empathetic to their plight, creating stories as to why they were the way they were, why they did the things they did. Even then seeing that evil was a point of view, that to these creatures it was the humans that were either the monsters, hating and tormenting them, or perhaps just food, nothing more. Is it evil to kill that which we need for substance? Is it evil that the wolf should slay the fawn? Or is it just being that which it is?

Each book I have written explores this theme and with Slewfoot I continue the narrative, but this time I dive not just into my fascination with the dark soul, but also with the dark side of history. The Puritans were very noble in their pursuit of religious purity, but, as with all power structures, there are those who would twist and manipulate the dogma for their own gain and desires, which to me is one of the truest forms of evil. 

It was while watching a documentary on the Salem witch trails that I kept thinking, Now what would it be like if those accused of witchcraft were really witches, if the Devil was their ally, what havoc would ensue? And the tale of Slewfoot was born.  

So, if you share my desire to explore why things want to drink our blood and eat our bones, this is a tale for you.”

And the praise for Brom’s previous novels is nothing short of glowing:

“It’s just not fair, I tell you! . . . He’s a storyteller with his artwork, and in a very elite class. Now he decided to invade my turf with Lost Gods, a novel that winds into surprises and unexpected triumphs as much as the corners of his artwork. —R.A. Salvatore

“Wickedly poetic, The Child Thief makes me want to believe.” —Kim Harrison

“A gruesome and darkly fantastical twist on a classic tale. Brom injects pure horror into fantasy.” —Holly Black on The Child Thief

“Lost Gods is an adventure tale and a mythic odyssey. It’s the kind of story lovers whisper in stolen cars burning rubber from this world down to the very edge of the Abyss.” —Richard Kadrey, New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim series

“Brom effortlessly weaves classical mythology with modern nightmares in this beautifully twisted hell ride. Heartwrenching, operatic, and stunningly illustrated, Lost Gods is a dark gem of a novel.” —Christopher Golden

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Over the past few decades, acclaimed dark fantasy artist Brom has lent his distinctive vision to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games to comics and film.

He is the author of The Child Thief, Krampus, The Lost Gods and the award-winning illustrated horror novels The Plucker and The Devil’s Rose. Brom is currently kept in a dank cellar just outside of Seattle.

Slewfoot will hit shelves on September 14, 2021!

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