For Immediate Release September 4th
Lexington, KY:
Apex Book Company is excited to announce the acquisition of Far More Than Feather and Bone by Catherine McCarthy. Pitched as blending the Faustian bargains and dark soul of The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs with the dreamlike otherworldliness of The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke, this novel is a mix of horror, fantasy, portal fiction, and Welsh folklore.
A hybrid, half tawny owl and half human baby, is reincarnated by the man he will come to call Father, a taxidermist turned carnival showman named Abel Cain. Housed in a bell jar, the hybrid is taught to turn tricks for an unsuspecting audience. Possessing the communication skills of an owl but the brain of a mature human, with clipped wings and no legs, the hybrid despairs that his life will forever be one of captivity and servitude.
Until he bonds with Claudette, the mute daughter of the carnival's fortune-teller. Together, the pair begin to unravel the secrets behind the traveling carnival and the man who runs it: Papa Dakis. They learn that each carnie has been gifted a magical talent; in return, they remain loyal to the carnival, and seal cosmic breaches occurring throughout the land.
Claudette and the hybrid discover that Papa Dakis sees all: he sees the hybrid longing for knowledge of his past, while Claudette, on the brink of womanhood, wonders if carnie life is for her. When Papa Dakis offers the hybrid a chance to save not only the world, but himself, the hybrid must decide: can he forsake Claudette for a chance to discover the truth?
Far More Than Feather and Bone is a hybrid in and of itself, blurring boundaries between the weird and the heartfelt. The novel explores found family, the concept of duty, and above all, the desire for autonomy in the context of disability and difference.
Catherine McCarthy is a Welsh, working-class writer and former English teacher who weaves dark tales on an ancient loom. Her longer works include Immortelle, Mosaic, A Moonlit Path of Madness and The House at the End of Lacelean Street, all of which were published through reputable indie presses. Her short fiction can be found in various publications including Gamut Magazine, Dark Matter Magazine and Haven Spec Magazine. Time away from the loom is spent hiking the Welsh coast path or huddled in an ancient graveyard reading Dylan Thomas or Arthur Machen. Find her at https://cmccarthywriter.substack.com/ or https://x.com/serialsemantic.
Far More Than Feather and Bone is scheduled for release in September 2027 and has distribution through IPG.
