In the dangerous magical city of Wickhills, a streetwise secret agent is tasked with protecting a foreign defector from his pursuers... even at the threat of war.

Looking after a defecting scientist should have been Vycol Ferec's easiest mission. But now he's on the run from the intelligence agency he works for, dodging a handler who might have gone rogue and relying on a secret patchwork of illicit resources and dodgy contacts. Turns out his defector might be carrying an apocalypse-level magical weapon — and protecting it requires Ferec and his team to go underground, literally. Down here, the rules are very different... and the tense peace between every city in the world will shatter unless Ferec can drag their darkest secrets into the light.

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Praise for this book

Praise for Wickhills

"A triumph of the imagination, the story twisting and turning through a world that grows more grotesque and fascinating with every page." —Adrian Tchaikovsky

"With lush prose that brings to mind classics such as Gormenghast, Premee Mohamed weaves a spy story set in a vivid, fantastic world." —Silvia Moreno-Garcia

"Here there be monsters and wonders, gnarly intrigues and a fascinating hero. Wickhills is both a city and a story worth savoring." —Cate Glass, author of An Illusion of Thieves.

"A wry and adventurous tale as unexpectedly layered as a new city built on mysterious ruins. Every dig rewards us with delight." —Meg Elison, author of Foundling Fathers

"Premee Mohamed's facility with the written word never fails to make me pump my fist in sheer delight. Wickhills is both an engaging spy thriller and a playful and brilliant feat of imagination. Not since Perdido Street Station have I found myself so absorbed by the dangers and delights of a weird city." —Kate Heartfield

"This novel grabs you by the lapels, and drags you right in. It’s crammed full of big ideas, with a fascinating and intricate setting and a cunning story that had me staying up late to find out how it could possibly end. Intrigue, espionage, and a city that defies all reason – what more could one want?" —Daniel O'Malley

"Vivid as lightning, intense and atmospheric as a thunderstorm; a real tour de force." —K.J. Parker

"Perfectly inhabits the intersection between John Le Carre and China Mieville" —Elizabeth Bear

“Recommend Mohamed’s (The First Thousand Trees) latest to lovers of gas-lamp fantasy, epic political machinations, or hidden motives and anyone who has wondered what a fantasy version of Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky would look like.” —Library Journal, *STARRED* review

"Mohamed's rich, atmospheric descriptions of the setting of Wickhills call to mind a modern-day steampunk version of London....Fans of China Miéville’s novels, particularly King Rat (1999) and Perdido Street Station (2001), as well as Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach series will enjoy." —Booklist




About the AuthorPremee Mohamed is a Nebula, World Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus, and Aurora award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She has also been a finalist for the Hugo, British Fantasy, British Science Fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Crawford awards. In 2024, she was the Edmonton Public Library writer-in-residence, and she has taught at establishments including the Banff Institute for the Arts, the Clarion Workshop, and the Carl Brandon Society. She has judged short fiction contests for CBC and Alberta Views Magazine and can be found on her website.
Title: Wickhills
Author(s): Premee Mohamed, Jonathan Strahan
ISBN: 9781250378422
Copyright 2026
Release Date: September 08, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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