The Midnight Hour

For fans of portal fantasies like Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor, Colin Meloy's Wildwood, and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, and unlike so many other fantasies that introduce readers to a world of enchantment and wonder, The Midnight Hour is one filled with beasts and monsters for readers looking to shine their flashlights under the covers.

When strange late-night letters start arriving at home, Emily's parents set off to investigate. But when her parents disappear completely and Emily is left home alone to face the weird strangers that begin to appear at her door, she takes all of the clues at her disposal and makes for the place where the letters came from -- the mysterious Night Post. What she'll discover is the secret world of the Midnight Hour -- a Victorian London frozen in time, full of magic and monsters.

Kept safe by an age-old agreement, the Night Folk have been exiled to a parallel world that can only be accessed by a selected few, including the mail carriers of the infamous Night Post that operate between the two worlds. Emily's parents are key players in keeping the Night Folk safe, but when the division of the two worlds is threatened, Emily must search for her parents while navigating this dark and unknown version of London.

Armed only with a packed lunch, her very sleepy pocket hedgehog, and her infamously big argumentative mouth, she must escape bloodthirsty creatures of the night, figure out her own family secrets, and maybe just save the world. This is a frightening and enchanting story, a world built out of creatures from our worst fears who become relatable, fully formed characters unlike any we've seen as these strangers of parallel worlds band together to save the day.

Benjamin Read tells stories, whether they’re novels, comics, or films. He wrote the multi-award-nominated graphic novel series, Porcelain, and a host of other comics including Briar, Butterfly Gate, True Grit, and Super 8. He is one of the founder members of the Improper Books comics studio, and is fueled by tea. He is currently working on the next book of The Midnight Hour series, and developing a number of his projects for TV and film.
Laura Trinder is a creator of stories and illustrations. She's one half of the creative duo Trindles & Read and cofounder of the indie comics studio, Improper Books. Laura is the co-author and illustrator of the bestselling middle grade novel The Midnight Hour and is currently working on a sequel. She was a bookseller for 11 years and will give you book recommendations, whether or not you asked for them.