A dark, historical fairytale steeped in Icelandic folklore about the powerful bond between mothers and daughters, and how quickly fear can lead to violence; perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Brom, and Victor LaValle.

In the isolated fjords of Iceland, a young woman named Halla rescues a baby girl, abandoned by her parents who fear she’s a changeling. Halla doesn’t believe in such nonsense and decides to take her home.

And she’s right – the child, Æsa, is not a changeling. But she’s not exactly human either. As she grows up, terrifying rumors of a violent woman with a monster’s face begin to spread through the fjord’s other farmsteads.

Human or not, Halla knows her daughter isn’t a monster. She must do whatever she can to protect Æsa because she knows: scared people can do terrible things.

Reviews

“A crisp Icelandic bedtime story replete with bright summer nights, howling winds full of sea salt, and a lesson about trying to bring unwelcome gods to old islands.”
—Christopher Buehlman, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Fires

“A dreamy, otherworldly, and triumphant tale...a fierce reminder that love will always beat fear, and that there have always been monsters who wear a human face.”
—Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author

“Dark and dreamy, yet all too real, Down Where Monsters Dwell is a tense and spellbinding fairytale for the modern reader. This one will take hold of you and never let go.”
—Melissa Larsen, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost House

“A beautiful story that reshapes cruel legends into something fresh and new, full of fierce hope and powerful bonds between women.”
—Sunyi Dean, USA Today bestselling author

“A bloody brew of folklore and outright horror. This is Knútsdóttir at her haunting, flint-sharp best. I devoured it.”
—Todd S. Jordan, author of The Flesh I Want

“A dark, fantastical look into what really makes a monster. I devoured it in one sitting.”
—Alan Baxter, award-winning author of The Gulp and Sallow Bend