BOOK LAUNCH: THE HALLS OF THE DEAD by S. M. Hallow
About this Event
We're thrilled to welcome S.M. Hallow to The Twisted Spine in conversation with Nicholas Kaufmann (THE HUNGRY EARTH) on August 17!
About THE HALLS OF THE DEAD
London, December 1849
Irene Shallcross Haley has dedicated her life to necromancy, a forbidden, reviled art that is passed along through sentient grimoires bound in human skin. With her undead husband St. John—a marriage of kindred spirits and platonic convenience—she has been protecting the knowledge of generations of witches that came before her. Like any magic, it has come at a cost: her reputation, her relationship with her sister, and her soul. But when Irene’s love, Agnes, is hanged for witchcraft, Irene refuses to let Agnes be one more thing that is taken from her.
A true resurrection has not been achieved in two thousand years, but Irene is determined. With the help of St. John, Irene bangs on the doors of the Halls of the Dead, demanding the third part of their triumverate back…or did she? Because the Agnes that awakens comes with both a hunger for raw flesh and a malignant ghost tied to her soul.
Necromancy is the art of saying no—no, I won't let you go; no, I won't let you be destroyed—and Irene’s work is not yet done. She must find a way to bring Agnes back to her true self, she must navigate her feelings for her resurrected lover as well as St. John, and she must do all of this without catching the attention of Sir Silas Underhill, the man who sentenced Agnes to death.
Death is not the end of love. But Irene may realize it can actually be the beginning.
About the speakers:
S. M. Hallow is a speculative fiction author who loves history, fairy tales, and Frankenstein. Her short fiction has received various award nominations and has appeared in the anthology the Best of Fantasy, Volume 3. Her longer fiction includes the novella How to Survive This Fairytale—a finalist in 7 categories for the 2025 Indie Ink Awards—and The Halls of the Dead, her debut novel with Harper Voyager.
Nicholas Kaufmann has been a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Thriller Award, and the Dragon Award. Two of his novels, 100 Fathoms Below (co-written with Steven L. Kent) and The Hungry Earth, were Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestsellers. His latest book is the horror and weird-fiction collection Monuments in Darkness. He also co-hosts the strange-but-true science podcast Spooky Science Lab with author David Wellington. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Event guidelines:
Each ticket includes either a hardcover copy of THE HALLS OF THE DEAD or a $15 Twisted Spine gift card.
Limited additional copies of the books will be available for purchase at the event.
A signing will follow the discussion.
If you have any questions about the guidelines or to request accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 17.85 to USD 36.90
