Monster hunters tangle with court politics in a dark and decadent horror adventure by the critically acclaimed author of Leech.

He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.

'An intriguing work of whimsi-grotesquerie' – Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

Monster hunters tangle with court politics in this horror adventure by the critically acclaimed author of Leech.

Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard.

In a complex, chaotic metropolis, Guy Moulène 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, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters

'I will follow this writer anywhere going forward' – Gillian Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

"Truly on par with Vandermeer and Miéville, an absolute thrill to read" - Literary Hub