In becoming a vampire, I’m less than a girl. And more.
Or maybe I’m becoming what I always have been, deep inside.
A blade.
When nineteen-year-old Fin volunteers to take her secret love’s place in their village’s Finding, she is terrified. Those who are chosen at the Finding are whisked away to Castle Courtsheart, a vampire school where human students either succeed and become vampires, fail and spend the rest of their lives as human thralls…or they don’t survive long enough to become either.
Fin is determined to forge a different path: learn how to kill the undead and get revenge for her mother, who was taken by the vampires years ago. But Courtsheart is as captivating as it is deadly, and Fin is quickly swept up in her new world and its inhabitants – particularly Gavron, her handsome and hostile vampire maker, whose blood is nothing short of intoxicating. As Fin begins to discover new aspects of her own identity and test her newfound powers, she stumbles across a string of murders that may be connected to a larger ritual – one with potentially lethal consequences for vampires and humans alike. Fin must uncover the truth and find the killer before she loses her life…or betrays her own heart.
Court of the Undying Seasons is a deliciously dark romantic novel and a pitch perfect modern take on classic vampire tropes.
Praise for Court of the Undying Seasons:
★”Pays homage to classics and plays with boarding school and murder-mystery tropes in an original, inventive way. Fin’s own journey into power along with the medieval-esque setting, heart-stirring romance, well-rounded secondary characters, and found family make it a delectable read indeed . . . Abso-bloody-lutely brilliant. ” ―Kirkus, starred review
“With brutal romance, vicious stakes, and a twisty mystery, Court of The Undying Seasons takes everything we love about vampires and cranks it to a whole new level.” —Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf and For the Throne
“Alluring . . . Witty dialogue and arch antagonism keep the character dynamics breezy, while high-stakes action and fraught romance imbue the narrative with urgent pacing. Strickland further employs complex mythology and a bombshell-laden plot to interrogate issues of choice, consent, and identity.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Strickland has done it again! Court of the Undying Seasons is blood-soaked, blade-sharp, and completely enthralling. With a wildly imaginative world, a delightful cast of characters, and prose that expertly threads the needle between creepy and camp, this is a book to be devoured.” —Allison Saft, New York Times-bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
“Enthralling, bloodthirsty and unapologetically queer, Strickland’s take on vampires is both captivating and fresh.” —Laura Pohl, author of The Grimrose Girls and The Wicked Remain
“A dark, luscious mystery that will pull readers into a labyrinth of love, betrayal, and blood. A.M. Strickland has crafted a dizzyingly dark reminder that it’s family that makes us human – even if you choose the family yourself, even if you’re no longer human at all.” —Andrew Joseph White, author of Hell Followed with Us
“Strickland . . . is an old hat at dark fantasy . . . this may catch the eye of legions of renewed Twilight fans.” ―Booklist
“Deliciously dark and twisty plot, rife with betrayal and murder . . . [a] well-written vampire thriller.” ―SLJ
Content Warning for Court of the Undying Seasons:
-Blood drinking (both voluntary and forced)
-Violence
-Gore
-Death/murder
-Child abuse
-Child neglect
-Mind/body control
-Consent issues
-Uneven relationship dynamics
-Parent death (off-page)
-Mentor death (on-page)
-Substance use (alcohol, mushrooms, and vampire blood)
-Mild gender dysphoria
-Mild body horror