Description
'An intriguing work of whimsi-grotesquerie'
OLIVIE BLAKE
He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.
In the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, Guy Moulene has a simple goal: keep his sister out of debt. For her sake, he'll take on any job, no matter how vile.
As an exterminator, Guy hunts the uncanny pests that crawl up from the river. These vermin are all strange, and often dangerous. His latest quarry is different: a worm the size of a dragon with a deadly venom and a ravenous taste for artwork. As it digests Tiliard from the sewers to the opera houses, its toxin reshapes the future of the city. No sane person would hunt it, if they had the choice.
Guy doesn't have a choice.
'A lush and seductive story, rife with opulent horror and decaying decadence'
SUNYI DEAN
About the Author
Hiron Ennes is a writer, musician and student of medicine based in the Pacific Northwest. Their areas of interest include infectious disease, pathology and anti-capitalist healthcare reform. When they're not hunched over a microscope or Word document, they can be found playing in the snow or playing the harp (though usually not at the same time). They're queer in every sense of the word, and they really want to pet your dog.
Reviews
Hiron Ennes is a visionary creative who writes like no one else - their imagination is vibrant and seemingly dauntless. The Works of Vermin is an intriguing work of whimsi-grotesquerie that's got it all: political intrigue, Wharton-esque manners, infectious disease, mysterious revenge and, of course, toxic bugs -- Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
A lush and seductive story, rife with opulent horror and decaying decadence -- Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters
Tiliard is a wonderfully gooey, oozy, rotting mess of a city, full of gnawing vermin and weaponized perfume, and the story of its revolution is a squicky blast. Fans of Max Gladstone or Seth Dickinson will love this one -- Django Wexler, author of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
In the space of two novels, Hiron Ennes has become one of the very few inhabitants of my Read-On-Sight list. The Works of Vermin isn't for everyone; those in thrall to YA might run screaming from the room, and good riddance. But if you're a fan of Mervyn Peake, Gene Wolfe, China Mieville - mammal, have I got a book for you. A book to be not so much read as wallowed and rolled around in -- Peter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia
A brilliant, shapeshifting puzzle box of a book, as beautiful as it is bewildering. Rarely is language used so ecstatically these days. Read it aloud to someone - its mystery is best untangled with the mouth -- Christopher Buehlman, author of The Daughters' War
I will follow this writer anywhere going forward -- Gillian Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl
Ennes is an alchemist, and The Works of Vermin is its own, new element. A brilliant blend of intense intrigue and the fantastically macabre -- Johnny Compton, author of The Spite House
Book Information
ISBN 9781529073652
Author Hiron Ennes
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Macmillan
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Details
Imprint: |
Macmillan |
