From the author of The Unspoken Name comes a riveting Gothic fantasy mystery full of uncanny magic, long-guarded secrets, and a deadly trial to inherit a legendary power, perfect for fans of The Tainted Cup and The Raven Scholar.

The Mallory cousins have been summoned to their ancestral home by their great-aunt Sophia—or as the world knows her, the great Banisher, warden of the Isles and the singular defense against unspeakable otherworldly horrors.

Whoever can survive on the remote island for ten days and ten nights will inherit her house, her title, and her magic.

But the island is a labyrinth of deadly puzzles, terrifying ghosts, and scheming cousins with their own scores to settle. By the time the ten days are up, almost everyone on the island will be dead.

Almost everyone. Because someone else was there, witness to it all. And the story they tell is far darker than the blood coating the grounds of that cursed place.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



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. It was some of the most fun I have ever had reading a book. 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

"One of my favorites of the year! Riveting, labyrinthine, and ruthlessly satisfying, like an eldritch Agatha Christie with a touch of Shirley Jackson. Larkwood's voice is a true delight—I want everything she writes."—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

“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

"Tense, clever, and highly atmospheric! Knives Out meets haunted island in this brilliant gothic fantasy filled with haunted women, dramatic murders, and a truly impressive twist."—Sunyi Dean, USA Today bestselling author of The Girl with a Thousand Faces

“A compelling mystery with its roots planted in the Gothic, which grows and twists itself into a unique shape. Its fruits are dark, possibly poisonous, and yet compulsively moreish.”—Freya Marske, USA Today bestselling author of A Marvellous Light

"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."—Everina Maxwell, author of Winter’s Orbit and Call Me Traitor

“A sumptuous, gothic feast of intrigue and murder, The Seventh Banisher invites you into a game of family politics that carries the weight of the world on its shoulders. This book will drag you to the darkest depths, and you’ll scream the whole way down.”—K. M. Enright, bestselling author of Mistress of Lies

“​​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. This is a book that demands to be devoured.”—Georgia Summers, author of The City of Stardust

"A deliciously clever page-turner full of dark delights: hauntings and murders and secrets galore, all playing out in a creepy mansion at the edge of an ocean full of eldritch horrors! Larkwood delivers a top-notch story. I’ll be rereading this one for sure!”—Melissa Caruso, author of The Last Hour Between Worlds

“Diana Wynne Jones meets Agatha Christie—The Seventh Banisher offers horror with a touch of charm, romance with a beat of tragedy. It’s clever, endearing, bewitching.”—Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, authors of Feast While You Can

"A mordant fantasy of manners that hits hard and doesn't stop. This massive multiplayer mystery novel—like Battle Royale executed by Evelyn Waugh—is not to be missed."—Isaac Fellman, award-winning author of Notes from a Regicide

“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. 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
Dragonmount is a proud provider of DRM-free eBooks. By purchasing any eBook from our store, you are not only helping support our website, but you are helping small businesses thrive in a market traditionally dominated by large companies. Learn more in our eBook FAQ.