This darkly funny, atmospheric folk horror is set in a small, isolated community in the woods and is full of unique and memorable characters, from the delightfully earnest narrator Jane and her mischievous grandmother, to a cheerful pastor with a bizarre obsession, some very peculiar neighbors, and two unsettling dolls.
The novella releases on February 18th, 2026, but you can grab your copy now from our Apex catalog with a special preorder discount of 30% off both the paperback and ebook editions.
For booksellers and reviewers, information for ordering ARCs or wholesale copies for your bookstore can be found below.
DESCRIPTION: The Cellar Below the Cellar by Ivy Grimes
A playfully dark, coming-of-age folk horror inspired by the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and the mythology around Frau Perchta, set under the blazing sky of endless auroras.
While Jane is visiting her grandmother's house in the woods, a wild solar storm wipes out all electronics, trapping her there indefinitely. Without the comfort of modern conveniences or her old friends, Jane must learn to live off-grid and become part of a small, isolated community.
However, there is something very strange about her new neighbors. And the longer she spends living under the eerie glow of the auroras, the more she feels her grandmother may be hiding unsettling secrets of her own.
To have any hope in this new life, Jane must find the courage to step into her power and claim her identity, but that would mean facing whatever is hiding in the cellar below the cellar, where something might be waiting for her.
This delightfully weird folk horror is full of off-kilter characters and wild surprises, and explores themes of female empowerment, spirituality, identity, and community. For fans of Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Olga Tokarczuk, Ottessa Moshfegh, Barbara Comyns, and Leonora Carrington.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ivy Grimes is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and currently lives in Virginia. She has an MFA from the University of Alabama. Her stories have appeared in The Baffler, Vastarien, hex, Maudlin House, ergot., Potomac Review, and elsewhere. She is the author of the collection Glass Stories (Grimscribe Press) and The Ghosts of Blaubart Mansion (Cemetery Gates). To learn more, please visit www.ivyivyivyivy.com.
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ISBN: 9781955765411
MSRP paperback: $18.95
MSRP ebook: $9.99
Page Count: 180
Trim: 8.5 x 5.5
Rights: U.S. & Canada
Distributor: Independent Publishers Group
