General Fiction (Adult)/Horror/Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Pub date: 27 August 2026
My rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Summary:
In the Appalachian hills, Tess Wynne lives in precious quiet. She tends her wildlife sanctuary, honours old rituals and survives what comes for her each year. Then she finds a doe split open. And the fawn who survived. Red-mouthed. Full set of teeth. Hungry. Nature knows what must be done. The town watches to see if Tess will do it. She does not. Whispers spread. Old bargains strain. Something feral stirs within Tess—anger, appetite, the slow understanding that prey is only prey for so long.
A dark folktale of teeth and inheritance, Fawn asks what a woman must become to keep what is hers—and what the land demands in return.
Review:
“But my craft had teeth, and I would not hesitate to use them. I was not so eager to be harmless.”
It’s been a while since I’ve consumed a non-romance story as fast as I have this one. Maybe because this book, at its core, is about love. The deep, unapologetic, almost animalistic love for life, in all of its forms. And the absolute disregard that most humans have for it.
The writing is brilliant, the plot engaging, the setting vivid and stunning, and Tess is absolutely justified in every action she takes in my eyes. She’s not vengeful enough if anything.
It is equally hopeful and heart wrenching. Tender and violent. Lovely and spiteful.
And unfortunately, deeply relevant.
“The devil came on the autumn equinox, as he always did.” was one hell of an opener, it sucks you right in and never really lets you go. A genuinely (delightfully) nerve racking experience. Will be recommending it to all my horror loving friends.
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