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The Lord of the Wood
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26The cozy fantasy of TJ Klune meets the creeping horror of T. Kingfisher in this magical novel about a man who enters a deadly enchanted forest expecting it to endanger his life, but not his heart...
Clockmaker Arthur Throckmorton lives a quiet life with his sister and her children, only dreaming of adventure. So when a wealthy client offers him a job that involves traversing Shiftleaf—an enchanted forest that claimed his father decades ago—he reluctantly accepts. The forest is treacherous, but the money will change his family’s lives.
The journey quickly turns perilous. Fleeing monstrous birds, Arthur stumbles upon a hidden vale where he meets the Lord of the Wood—a figure from his father’s many stories. Instead of the fairy prince Arthur always imagined, Ira is a morose man, slowly transforming into a beast, his power over a dying forest waning.
Arthur enjoys the safety of the vale, and Ira’s company. But he yearns for his family. To safely return home and rescue Ira from a cursed and lonely existence, Arthur and Ira must reach the heart of the wood to heal the forest. Except the farther they venture from the vale, the more beastly Ira becomes. If they can’t complete their mission before he turns completely, Arthur could lose the man he’s falling for—and never see his family again.
Clockmaker Arthur Throckmorton lives a quiet life with his sister and her children, only dreaming of adventure. So when a wealthy client offers him a job that involves traversing Shiftleaf—an enchanted forest that claimed his father decades ago—he reluctantly accepts. The forest is treacherous, but the money will change his family’s lives.
The journey quickly turns perilous. Fleeing monstrous birds, Arthur stumbles upon a hidden vale where he meets the Lord of the Wood—a figure from his father’s many stories. Instead of the fairy prince Arthur always imagined, Ira is a morose man, slowly transforming into a beast, his power over a dying forest waning.
Arthur enjoys the safety of the vale, and Ira’s company. But he yearns for his family. To safely return home and rescue Ira from a cursed and lonely existence, Arthur and Ira must reach the heart of the wood to heal the forest. Except the farther they venture from the vale, the more beastly Ira becomes. If they can’t complete their mission before he turns completely, Arthur could lose the man he’s falling for—and never see his family again.
400 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 21, 2026
415 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Anderson
6 books239 followersE.M. Anderson (she/they) is the queer, neurodivergent author of The Lord of the Wood (Hanover Squre Press, 2026), The Keeper of Lonely Spirits (MIRA Books, 2025), and the now out-of-print The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, as well as various short stories. It is their doom to one day vanish in the depths of a forest, never to be seen again, after ignoring the repeated warnings of the locals to stay out of the woods. Until that fateful day, you can find them on Bluesky or Instagram @elizmanderson.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
It was a good book and I was very, very drawn in from the beginning. I am was wary about the horror bit described but I found it not bad at all even with how squeamish I am. I lived both the siblings stories and how they evolved and I am always here for an antlered love interest in the woods. The pacing was good and I the other characters added to the story.
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Publisher all thoughts are my own.
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Publisher all thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
E.M. Anderson was already and auto-buy author for me, but I think this is my favorite book she's written so far. This is my Roman Empire. I already want to read it again.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews