Deepwater King — Claire McKenna

The sensational follow up to MONSTROUS HEART; a magical tale of intrigue on dark waters and a love story for the ages. The perfect gothic, gaslamp fantasy â€" ideal for fans of V.E. Schwab and China Mieville

Since losing her great love to the Queen of the Sainted Isles, Arden must fulfil an impossible promise before she can return home â€" she must complete the dangerous Rite that will return Jonah's spirit to the abyssal Court of the Deepwater King.

This sets her off on a journey far out at sea to find believers of the old religion on the oil-slick and mysterious islands beyond the horizon. But such a responsibility will not come without sacrifice, for the Deepwater folk who worship the King require the most desperate payments the soul, and with one man Arden may have to pay the greatest price of all…

Astonishingly original, with world-building to rival the depths of the ocean, McKenna has drawn a rich tale of longing and courage â€" penning the perfect oceanic steampunk fantasy.

Reviews

‘A wonderfully tortured and emotional mystery'
SFX

‘A beautiful lighthouse keeper whose blood keeps the lamp alight; a Heathcliffian kraken-skinner living on the next door headland who may or may not have murdered his wife; a complex, steampunk world of eugenically determined magicians … what's not to like?'
Daily Mail

About the author

Claire McKenna is a speculative fiction writer from Melbourne, Australia. Claire grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and came to Australia when she was young. Her stories decided to come with her.
A longtime writer of short fiction with a background in environmental sciences, book one in the Monstrous Heart trilogy was Claire's debut novel.