In this atmospheric horror novel, a teen with nowhere else to go is sent to a remote settlement out on the frontier and quickly learns that there is a monster eating the residents one by one.

“In this eerie, blood-splashed Western, Lish McBride invokes a frontier that is harsh, cruel, and practical . . . A damned enjoyable novel.”—Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns

“McBride embraces the wild and absurd here, and the resulting genre swirl of fantasy, mystery, horror, romance, and Western is all the better for it.”—BCCB

Out on the frontier, Faolan Kelly is leaving home. Following the death of her last living relative, the local authorities ship her off to a remote fort that offers shelter to those with nowhere else to go. With her, Faolan carries only a few possessions and a secret: She’s been dressing and passing as a young man for years.

Arriving at the Settlement, Faolan discovers a place rife with mysteries of its own. Under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard, the fort is kept afloat by suspicious wealth and run by a staff that offers unwavering devotion to Dillard—and severe punishment to the boarders who fall out of line. Riddled with questions and worried for her safety, Faolan contemplates her escape . . . only to discover the Settlement’s best-kept secret.

Ravenous and clawed, a predator of unknown provenance stalks the palisades at night, prowling in the dark and leaving a trail of death in its wake. Whether the creature is animal or something else entirely, Faolan isn’t sure. But as the Settlement boarders meet their fate, one by one, she’s certain of this: She must leave now, or she will be next.