A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning YA horror/fantasy set in dark academia about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all.
Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.
Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries.
A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness. And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was missing: power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.
A high-octane mystery of murder and magic for fans of Ace of Spades, House of Hollow, and Get Out!
The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780008665500
Imprint: Magpie (HarperCollins)
"A gruesome modern fairy tale like this bloody, romantic tale gets its claws in you right from the start. I loved it." -- Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
"In this nonstop roller coaster of suspense and intrigue, Jackson has crafted a tale rife with terrifying thrills, a perfectly ominous setting, and a healthy dose of heart." -- Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead
"Strange magic, mad creatures, and cruel curses abound in this eerie tale of becoming. This book calls to you sure as the dark forest calls to Douglas--and if you know what's good for you, you'll answer that call." -- Chuck Wendig, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath