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The Shape of Monsters

By CL Hellisen
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Brief Description
The Shape of Monsters is a treasure trove of dark magic and family secrets, where betrayals linger and power corrupts. Power is their birthright. But will magic bind them, save them or set them free? In a world where power is everything, Aleks and Vaira Kercheval... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3800
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Releases 1st December 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "The Shape of Monsters" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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In a world where power is everything, Aleks and Vaira Kercheval ran from their magical heritage . . . An exhilarating, fantastical tale of power, rivalry and darkness lurking in a Gothic mansion.

A lost heir inherits her House's wild magic, but will it break her heart? Her feckless brother inherits nothing, and will this break their world?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Shape of Monsters is a treasure trove of dark magic and family secrets, where betrayals linger and power corrupts.

Power is their birthright. But will magic bind them, save them or set them free?

In a world where power is everything, Aleks and Vaira Kercheval rejected their heritage. A magical fire destroyed their family as children, they escaped to safety, and the siblings hadn't seen each other for years.

Then Vaira inherits Aubrey House, their ancestral home. Forming a reluctant truce, brother and sister travel to the abandoned mansion. But crossing the threshold plunges them into a world of ancient feuds, magic and monsters.

The siblings are drawn deep into a war between rival mages—one Vaira is determined to win. Yet the powerless Aleks accidentally summons and binds a monstrous prince from the Void—a creature of immense power. As the lines between human and monster blur, the siblings must decide how far they'll go to survive. Magic shattered their family. Now power demands their souls.

Shortlisted for the Speakies Award, science fiction and fantasy category and in the Best of Audible list for science fiction and fantasy 2025.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781037401206

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 September 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Macmillan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 238.0mm

Weight: 512g

Pages: 416

Collections

CL Hellisen Coming Soon in Fiction Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Pre-order Books Pre-Order Science Fiction & Fantasy Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Sci-Fi & Fantasy

About the Author

CL Hellisen lives somewhere between Scotland and the Hypnagog. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, their stories are influenced by the border places between waking and dreaming, urban and rural, myth and superstition, land and water. Their stories and poems have appeared in The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Tor.com, Apex, Shimmer, Daily Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Shoreline of Infinity and others, and their work has been shortlisted for multiple awards. When they're not writing, CL Hellisen makes art, and throws themself repeatedly at a large block of ice for fun as a figure skater and ice dancer. They like exploring rivers in cities, and finding new pubs, especially ones with crows carved into the beams and pictures of saints who don't exist on the walls.

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