I, in the Shadows

Reviews / Votes

[G]enuine and believable; a thorough exploration of familial bonds underscores a creative, compelling narrative.
-Booklist

PRAISE FOR MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE:

MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE is a story that's as lush and gripping as a thorned rose--it gets its razor-sharp thorns in you and doesn't let go. Bovalino expertly balances heavy topics and the healing balm of folklore. I'm a huge fan.
-A. J. Hackwith, author of The Library of the Unwritten

A deliciously creepy, haunting exploration of love, hate, and what it means to forgive yourself.
-Kate Dylan, author of Mindwalker

Raw, brutal and heartbreaking in turn, Bovalino masterfully weaves deliciously sinister horror with unflinching, complex themes. I am in awe.
-Kat Dunn, author of Bitterthorn and Dangerous Remedy

I sat down to read a few pages, and before I knew it, I was ten chapters in. Propulsive, original, and deeply compelling, My Throat An Open Grave whisked me straight into the dark and mysterious realm of the Lord of the Wood, where nothing was quite what I expected. A fascinating blend of folk horror and fairytale, just as I've come to expect from the talented Bovalino.
-Erica Waters, author of The River Has Teeth

Sweet as honey and brutal as a knife-Bovalino has crafted a parable of self-forgiveness and community power fearsome enough to drive men and gods, alike, to their knees. If only all vengeance could be so lush.
-GennaRose Nethercott, author of Thistlefoot

In this darkly atmospheric tale of folk horror, Bovalino [...] employs sophisticated prose to perceptively examine the town's unspecified oppressive religious institutions and how its tenets keep the young women of Winston from achieving their full potential or pursuing happiness.
-Publishers Weekly

Bovalino [...] is proving to be a master of atmosphere, mining the insularity of a small town to maximize tension while still emphasizing the unnatural elements in the seemingly more welcoming but still unsettling village in the woods.
-BCCB

Whimsical, dark, and acutely painful. This is a story that will reach into your soul, pull taut, and make itself at home there.
-M.K. Lobb, author of the Seven Faceless Saints duology

PRAISE FOR NOT GOOD FOR MAIDENS:

Bovalino doesn't shy away from the market's gory horrors but never lingers, successfully balancing grisly depictions of butchered bodies with Lou's poignant contemplation on her role in the world and her family in this swift-moving and enticing work of horror.
-Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

With equal measures of terror and tenderness, Tori Bovalino crafts a vivid story as alluring as the taste of goblin fruit.
-Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Forestfall

A spellbinding dark fantasy of generational magic and mischief. With haunting prose, this riveting tale will hold you captive like the call of the Goblin Market itself.
-Rosiee Thor, author of Life is Strange: Steph's Story, Fire Becomes Her and Tarnished are the Stars

I was sucked in by that gorgeous cover, and the book did not disappoint [...] Even though I know the Goblin Market is full of human body parts, I still wanna visit! Not Good for Maidens was a compelling read and I would love another book set in this world.
-Erica Waters, author of The River Has Teeth and The Restless Dark

Intricate, beautiful and unsettling! Perfect for fans of Holly Black. It was so easy to love these characters and get sucked into all the dark and twisty happenings.
-Circe Moskiwitz, author of Creatures of Kings and Reclaim the Stars

A beautifully imagined examination of the bonds that tie sisters, friends, families, and lovers, [Not Good for Maidens] is bursting with empowered women [...] A violent and voluptuous adventure.
-Kirkus Reviews

Bovalino constantly keeps you wanting more, drawing you into this blood-drenched world where every action has consequences and everything has its price. Her writing is stunning in every way. It is evocative, descriptive and endlessly gorgeous, but tinged with such darkness. It resembles the market in the way it shines, but that shine is a veneer of bright promises to conceal the horrific underbelly. The pacing is immaculate, keeping the pages flowing past you. For me, the reading experience was transportive, compelling and utterly enrapturing. Time flew past as the pages flowed and the blood spilt [...].
-The Nerd Daily

Not Good for Maidens is a violent and magical coming of age tale.
-Paste Magazine

PRAISE FOR THE DEVIL MAKES THREE:

Bovalino delivers an ink-splattered love letter to old books and dark academia. Wicked and sharp as a pen stroke, this is a delight for library goths-me included. If you ever wished your school library had a forbidden wing, then you need to read this book immediately.
-AJ Hackwith, author of The Library of the Unwritten

A glorious, darkly atmospheric journey into the disturbing power of books, ink and the horrors that live inside them.
-Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

A spine-tingling, entrancing read. The Devil Makes Three is the perfect blend of supernatural horror and contemporary gothic, with each page as heart-pounding as the next. Tori Bovalino is an absolute master at atmosphere.
-Chloe Gong, New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights

A perfect blend of gothic terror, slow-burn romance, and irreverent humor--this novel is a must read. I loved every page and paragraph of it.
-Joshua Phillip Johnson, author of The Forever Sea

Grimoires, demons, and a creepy school library make this Dark Academia sure to keep readers up at night. I couldn't put this book down.
-Kristen Ciccarelli, internationally bestselling author of The Last Namsara

Quietly horrifying and compulsively readable, The Devil Makes Three is as chilling as it is compelling. A recipe for nightmares Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy

Bovalino's debut crackles. Dripping with dark atmosphere, The Devil Makes Three is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. Make sure to read this with the lights on!
-Erin A. Craig, New York Times-bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

With its magical library, brooding British boy, and haunted heroine, The Devil Makes Three is as darkly compelling as the grimoires of Jessop. A thrilling debut that cast a spell on me from page one!
-Mara Rutherford, author of Crown of Coral and Pearl

With demonic wit and a wholly human heart, Tori Bovalino's debut will grab your hand on the very first page-and you won't let go. The Devil Makes Three is imaginative, original, and a genuine delight. Read this book, and tell your friends the devil made you do it
-Hannah Capin, author of The Dead Queens Club and Foul is Fair