DOWN WHERE MONSTERS DWELL
A dark, historical fairytale steeped in Icelandic folklore about the powerful bond between mothers and daughters, and how quickly fear can lead to violence; perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Brom, and Victor LaValle.
In the isolated fjords of Iceland, a young woman named Halla rescues a baby girl, abandoned by her parents who fear she’s a changeling. Halla doesn’t believe in such nonsense and decides to take her home.
And she’s right – the child, Æsa, is not a changeling. But she’s not exactly human either. As she grows up, terrifying rumors of a violent woman with a monster’s face begin to spread through the fjord’s other farmsteads.
Human or not, Halla knows her daughter isn’t a monster. She must do whatever she can to protect Æsa because she knows: scared people can do terrible things.
“A bloody brew of folklore and outright horror. This is Knútsdóttir at her haunting, flint-sharp best. I devoured it.”
“A beautiful story that reshapes cruel legends into something fresh and new, full of fierce hope and powerful bonds between women.”
“Equal parts folkloric fable and feminist horror, Knútsdóttir’s latest novella is a bite-sized triumph. An unflinching exploration of monstrosity and who defines it.”
DEAD WEIGHT
An Icelandic night may hide secrets and affairs – or even bodies – in this gruesomely cathartic horror thriller from the author of The Night Guest.
Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door.
Trying to do the right thing, Unnur reunites the lost pet with its owner—a young woman named Ásta who is in desperate need of some help. Unnur reluctantly agrees to take in the cat until Ásta is able to care for it again herself.
Soon, Ásta becomes a fixture in Unnur’s life and the two form an unlikely friendship. But like a black cat, trouble is tailing Ásta, and Unnur is the only one there when things take a violent turn.
Nothing tests a friendship like blood on your hands.
“Dead Weight has everything I’ve come to love about Knútsdóttir’s style: it’s eerie, captivating, and oh, so satisfying.”
“A gut-punch of a story as stark, brutal, and brooding as a lava field with a burning heart of female friendship and tenacity.”
“Terrifying, horrible, unspeakable, yet so very immediate and relatable. Forget being able to put Dead Weight down—I had to remember to breathe.”
RIME
An adventurous coming-of-age story about love and destiny in a different kind of Iceland, where humans share the land with giant animals and the struggle to stay alive is unrelenting.
The lives of Jófríður and her people are controlled by the seasons. They spend the summer in Fellsskógur forest, the autumn in Húsavík, and in winter, when the wintervores come down from the highlands, the only way to stay safe is to retreat out on to the ice of Lake Mývatn. Dangers lurk at every step, but life goes on - until Jófríður's life is turned upside down. Not only does she have to choose between her beloved childhood friend and a handsome newcomer, but when her father falls ill the well-being of her people suddenly rests on her shoulders.
“It is very important for the Icelandic literary landscape to have ambitious writers like Hildur Knútsdóttir, who has once again published an excellent book for young people.”
“Rich and believable world building is one of the basic prerequisites of good fantasy, and in this book Hildur Knútsdóttir certainly succeeds in creating a memorable world.”
“Rime is an ambitious and exciting account of life in a colder and harsher Iceland. The characterization is particularly strong and the protagonist’s development is at the forefront.”
About Hildur
Hildur Knútsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the year 1984. She writes fiction for both adults and teenagers, as well as plays, screenplays and short fiction. Hildur is known for her evocative fantastical fiction and spine-chilling horror, but her co-authored work with Þórdís Gísladóttir about the humorous crises of modern teenage life has also been well received.