Exiled after her mother's mysterious death, young witch Elara survives the cruel winter by claw and spell, haunted by gnawing hunger and a vision: a cottage made of sweet bread, conjured from need and forbidden magic. But the gingerbread house she creates is more than shelter-it is a living snare, luring the desperate to her door.
When famine spreads and children vanish beneath the trees, two siblings-resourceful Gretel and gentle Hansel-stumble into Elara's world. Inside the enchanted walls, a battle of wits unfolds: predator versus prey, hunger versus hope, monster versus memory. As the line between salvation and damnation blurs, Elara must confront the monstrous force within her-and Gretel the awakening power inside herself.
A gothic reimagining steeped in terror and humanity, this is the story of what we'll sacrifice to survive, and what it means to become the thing we fear most.
Perfect for fans of dark fairy tales, psychological thrillers, and haunting explorations of power, loss, and transformation.
H.M. Jones grew up in the hills of Southern Appalachia, where stories were as much a part of life as front porch evenings and mountain air. A Kentucky native, she brings that love of storytelling-and the grit and heart of her Appalachian roots-into everything she writes.Her books cross genres but share a common thread: unforgettable characters facing impossible choices. From the laugh-out-loud superhero satire The Bureau of Unnecessary Heroics, to the chilling dystopian world of Coded for Silence, Jones' stories always circle back to resilience, hope, and the power of finding your voice.When she's not writing, she can usually be found with a cup of coffee, a stack of books, and a view of the mountains that remind her where she came from.
