Utopian anarchists are pitted against rogue demon deer in this dropkick-in-the-mouth punk fantasy that Alan Moore calls “scary and energetic.”
Searching for clues about her best friend’s mysterious suicide, Danielle ventures to the squatter, utopian town of Freedom, Iowa, and witnesses a protector spirit—in the form of a blood-red, three-antlered deer—begin to turn on its summoners. She and her new friends have to act fast if they’re going to save the town—or get out alive.
“A dark story of the human need for power.” —Eileen Gunn, author of Stable Strategies and Others
“Daring anti-fantasy.” —Nick Mamatas, author of Sabbath
“A unique bite of punk culture.” —Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times–bestselling author
“Important, thought-provoking . . . thrilling ride.” —Lewis Shiner, author of Glimpses
“Always vivid.” —Tobias Buckell, New York Times–bestselling author
“As relatable as it is harrowing.” —Leanna Renee Hieber, author of Darker Still
“Utterly engrossing . . . it refuses to let you go.” —Mur Lafferty, author of Station Eternity
MARGARET KILLJOY is a transfeminine author, born and raised in Maryland, who has spent her adult life traveling with no fixed home. A life on the road has given her a healthy respect for hobos, street kids, and other elements of the criminal class. A 2015 graduate of Clarion West, Margaret’s short fiction has been published by Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Vice’s Terraform, and Fireside Fiction amongst others. She founded SteamPunk Magazine in 2006, and her nonfiction books have been published by anarchist publisher AK Press. Margaret’s wrote A Country of Ghosts, a utopian novel published by Combustion Books in 2014. She is also the author of the Danielle Cain series, starting with The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion, from Tor.com Publishing.