Honour & Heresy Max Francis 9780008810276

Instagram sensation Max Francis makes his highly anticipated debut with this atmospheric, gothic, dark academic fantasy of two scholars racing each other to find answers to an invasion in a haunted library, perfect for fans of Katabasis and A Study in Drowning.

'A stunning debut with all the lush, gothic atmosphere that I adore' Ava Reid, No.1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

'Tense, obsessive, and richly imagined, Honour & Heresy is the queer dark fantasy that readers have been looking for' Kalie Reid, author of The Sacred Space Between

'As twisting and turning as the shelves in an ancient library, Honour & Heresy will keep readers turning the pages to watch the mystery, and the tender romance, unfold' S. M. Hallow, author of The Halls of the Dead

Roy Dawnseve cares more for philosophy than battle. But, in a society that shuns literature in favour of their ongoing war, Roy must face a difficult choice: brave the front lines or investigate the identity of their foes in the Orphic Basilica, an ancient, abandoned library.

When Roy chooses to unravel the mystery, it soon becomes clear that the Orphic Basilica isn't without its own horrors. Strange voices echo down the halls, ghosts roam the bookshelves, and those who stepped foot in the library have either emerged insane or were driven to their own demise.

Roy's partner in the investigation is Percival Atherton, a manipulative, enigmatic and distractingly charming scholar who has no qualms about belittling Roy. As a fierce snowstorm isolates them from civilisation, Roy and Percival must grapple with their tormented pasts, an unexpected romance, and an age-old conspiracy whose secrets are certain to wipe Northgard from history.

Filled with all the yearning of a rivals-to-lovers romance, the intrigue and fear of a dark academia, and the wonder and discovery of an epic fantasy, Honour & Heresy is ultimately a story of self-discovery amidst the chaos of war and a long, cold winter.

Max Francis is an author of queer fiction. He has a bachelor's degree in creative writing, which he studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He currently resides in Melbourne, Australia, where he's either hard at work on his next project or watching some absurd B-grade horror film. Honour & Heresy is his first novel.

'A deeply moving tale of love, redemption, and the passionate pursuit of knowledge, wrapped in ink-stained pages and steeped in the dreamy depths of winter. A stunning debut with all the lush, gothic atmosphere that I adore' Ava Reid, No.1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

'Outlaw scholars. A library haunted by atrocities of the past. Six months to defeat an unknowable enemy, or certain death. In this slow burn academic mystery teeming with ghosts and dark magic, Max Francis tells a story of two brilliant young philosophers grieving the loss of their persecuted community and grappling with how far they'll go to heal the scars of their past. As twisting and turning as the shelves in an ancient library, Honour & Heresy will keep readers turning the pages to watch the mystery, and the tender romance, unfold' S. M. Hallow, author of The Halls of the Dead

'Tense, obsessive, and richly imagined, Honour & Heresy is the queer dark fantasy that readers have been looking for. Step into a world where scholarship is condemned, and secrets are rife, and be prepared to stay up all night racing towards an ending you're both desperate and terrified to reach. An absolutely standout debut!' Kalie Reid, author of The Sacred Space Between