Clown Wyrm: Folk Horror with Jesters

by Adam Andrews Johnson

Mercury and Periwinkle are a pair of circus performers who are checking out a new mead tavern one evening, when they suddenly get sucked through a dark portal. The pair gets transported to a world that feels like the Middle Ages, but they quickly realize they are not in the past. Knights, rebels, jesters, and drag queens cross paths with the two lost clowns, but the longer they're in this other world, the stranger it proves to be. Cruel royals reign over the land alongside a terrible beast, and it is said that magic comes from the monster. Mercury begins formulating a plan to steal the magic and to use it get her and Periwinkle home.

All of Adam's books feature lots of LGBTQIA+ characters, including gaggles of drag queens!

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2025

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was pitched as folk horror, but I think it would probably appeal to the fantasy crowd even more than to the horror crowd. To be certain, there are a lot of horror elements to the story so it's not like it's not horror, it just has that fantasy plot points, pacing and energy you know? It's very queer, it's weird, the characters have fun names and the imagery gets quite wild (it would make for a fantastic graphic novel), great times.

[Aiden Messer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is weird AF. I love it! Amazing characters too.
An Eldritch monstrosity. Time travel. Nice clowns. What else can you ask for?

[Joharra Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was suspenseful and kept me at the edge of my seat! I loved seeing a horror book where the clowns were the heroes as most show them as killers these days. I loved Mercury and Periwinkle's characters and their friendship. The climax was so fun and intriguing and done so well! I loved the story and the rebellion and the themes. The ending definitely made me want more. I really hope there's a sequel because that can't be the end. I highly recommend.

[Tracy Southwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my Godzilla! This was a very enjoyable book. I loved the characters and the adventure they took us on!