A masterfully captivating Gothic fantasy standalone full of murder, family secrets, and a mysterious succession trial from the author of The Unspoken Name, perfect for fans of The Tainted Cup, The Raven Scholar, and One Dark Window.

The Mallory-Blythe cousins have been summoned to their ancestral home by the Banisher, their great-aunt Sophia. Whoever can survive on the island for ten days and ten nights will inherit her house, her title, and her magic.

But the island is riddled with ghosts and worse, and the cousins have their own scores to settle. By the time ten days are up, almost everyone on the island will be dead.

The only surviving witness is Kit Lanyer, a petty criminal and self-proclaimed bystander. The time has come, she says, to tell the truth.

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Praise for this book

“A. K. Larkwood comes out swinging as the heir to Diana Wynne Jones in this superbly realised, phantasmagoric mystery novel. It effortlessly marries the complex clockwork investigations of writers like Yokomizo and Christie to dark, ghoul-haunted fantasy, and the result is a befouled chocolate box of delights. Seeing the absolute worst of a family hamstrung by their own greed, ambition, and horrible secrets should not be such a fun time, and yet it was some of the most fun I have ever had. I am first of the cult of Kit Lanyer: if she has no fans, that's because I have died, and I hope it is because she got me.”—Tamsyn Muir, New York Times bestselling author of Gideon the Ninth

“No notes—one of the most perfectly constructed fantasy novels I’ve ever read.”—Shelley Parker-Chan, USA Today bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun

"Beautiful, dark, funny, and utterly gripping, I got completely lost in this book. Let it lead you into its sea-drenched spell at the edge of the world, but never trust the many-faceted trickster at its heart."—Everina Maxwell, author of Winter’s Orbit and Call Me Traitor

“​​Deliciously gothic with page-turning tension, The Seventh Banisher invites you to step into the dimly-lit halls of bitter family politics, deadly secrets, and a mystery that haunts the living as much as it raises the dead. Like the ghouls that prey on the shoreline, A. K. Larkwood knows how to ensnare a reader—this is a book that demands to be devoured.”—Georgia Summers, author of The City of Stardust

“The Seventh Banisher reads like a lost classic—as if Diana Wynne Jones wrote And Then There Were None. It’s both a perfect queer pastiche of the Golden Age murder mystery and a fantastically inventive vision of hauntings, desire, and belonging, with deft worldbuilding that only seems to take place when you aren’t looking. I simply tore through this book—you’ll want to cancel all your plans to finish it.”—Avery Curran, author of Spoiled Milk

Praise for The Unspoken Name:

“A perfect fantasy debut.”—The Daily Mail

“An imaginative story of love, sacrifice, and betrayal that traverses worlds in this phenomenal debut . . . Larkwood's intricately woven plot is jam-packed with intrigue and excitement.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Action-packed and emotionally engaging . . . Lushly detailed with incredible worldbuilding, Larkwood's debut is a singular take on orcish fantasy.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Great fun—fantasy with an epic sweep in a gorgeously drawn universe.”—Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice

"Takes all the tropes of fantasy and spins them into something wild and new. A dizzy, delicious debut."—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

“A fun, fresh take on the traditional fantasy quest, and an adventure I couldn't put down!”—S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

“Astounding. . . unlike anything I’ve read before.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

"The Unspoken Name has everything—spine-tingling prose, gorgeous worldbuilding, powerful older women, found family (but it's terrible), and true love. It's fantastic."—Emily Tesh, Hugo Award-winning author of The Incandescent

"Epic fantasy in the vein of Le Guin. . . I love this book so much."—Arkady Martine, Hugo Award-winning author of A Memory Called Empire

“A glorious book! Richly detailed, enthralling, and extraordinary."—Jenn Lyons, author of Ruin of Kings




About the AuthorA. K. LARKWOOD studied English at St John’s College, Cambridge, and now lives in Oxford with her family. She is the author of The Unspoken Name and The Thousand Eyes.
Title: The Seventh Banisher
Author(s): A. K. Larkwood
ISBN: 9781250239044
Copyright 2027
Release Date: March 30, 2027
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
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