A darkly brilliant and twisted solo debut novel about secrets, lies - and strange revenge

'Darkly unsettling' Guardian
'Intoxicating – dark, heady, lyrical’ Daily Telegraph
'Terrifying and inventive' Observer

In a world devastated by antimicrobial resistance, two survivors are thrown into crisis when a woman washes ashore on the remote island where they live

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Years after complete antibiotic resistance has resulted in the loss of most human life on earth, Kit and Crevan eke out an existence on a remote island. Under a collapsing castle, they spend their days in an underground bunker packed with emergency stores, venturing out only at night. They are safe.

One evening a woman washes ashore, nearly drowned. Crevan wants to keep her alive, but Kit isn’t so sure.

The new arrival will implode Kit and Crevan’s world with dire and fatal consequences, churning up the waters of the past and unearthing secrets they have kept from each other and from themselves. Who is really in control – and what are they both capable of doing to protect their haven?

Gripping, treacherous and visceral, Whether Violent or Natural is an unforgettably dark and strikingly original work by a major new talent.

'Sly, sharp, and utterly captivating' Rory Power, New York Times-bestselling author of Wilder Girls

'Hits you like a shot of the very good stuff ... Dark-hearted, complex, and accomplished' C. A. Fletcher, author of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

"Intelligent and refreshing ... The prose is intoxicating – dark, heady, lyrical" - DAILY TELEGRAPH

"Intimate, evocative, darkly unsettling ... With an undeniable strange power" - GUARDIAN

"A terrifying and inventive tale ... The twists come thick and fast and Calder keeps us guessing until the final pages" - OBSERVER

"An intensely lyrical writer ... Calder is excellent at conjuring an eerie atmosphere, with Gothic undertones and a creeping sense of unease" - IRISH TIMES

"A powerfully told debut" - SFX MAGAZINE

"Hugely impressive" - SFX