The Macabre (Deluxe Limited Edition) - A Novel

Pre-order now to receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION-- only available on the first printing while supplies last! The collector''s hardcover features stenciled edges, a stamped case, a reversible jacket that readers can color in and make their own, and endpapers featuring two more paintings from the book! From award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Kosoko Jackson comes his adult fantasy debut, a stand-alone novel blending of art history, time- and globe-hopping adventure, and dark horror and fantasy about ten cursed paintings and the lengths people will go to collect them, destroy them...or be destroyed. A picture is worth a thousand nightmares. A struggling painter, Lewis Dixon is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. While he''s always felt there''s something powerful about what he puts on canvas, he also felt there was something disturbing just under the surface--especially as he was compelled to make a painting of a painting--one that he has a connection to: the object of his art is one of the ten paintings his great-grandfather created over a hundred years ago. Only Lewis''s version is surreal...and maybe just a touch horrific. Still, he accepts the invitation, only to find not a curated show, but a test: to see if he not only has the magic necessary to enter the paintings, but also the strength to escape them. Because unbeknownst to Lewis, there is power in his art, just as the ten paintings carry with them both immense eldritch abilities and a terrible curse--making them, perhaps, the most valuable works of art in the world. And Lewis has been asked to destroy them all. With orders from a mysterious museum official, Evangeline, and partnered with an alluring agent in her employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must plunge into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and unspeakable terror to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own, and to hopefully locate the tenth painting in the series, long missing, the powers of which are suspected to be most devastating of all... ...

About the author

Kosoko Jackson is the Lambda Literary Award–winning author of the USA Today bestseller The Forest Demands Its Due. When not writing, he’s trying to watch one hundred movies a year, working on his MBA homework, or juggling teaching responsibilities. He lives in New Jersey with his golden retriever, Artemis.

Summary

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION features red sprayed edges, a reversible jacket that readers can color in and make their own, and endpapers featuring two more paintings from the book! Available for a limited time while supplies last.
From award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Kosoko Jackson comes his adult speculative debut, a stand-alone novel blending time travel and globe-hopping adventure, art history, and dark fantasy about magical paintings and the lengths people will go to collect them, destroy them…or be destroyed.
A picture is worth a thousand nightmares.
Art has always been an escape for struggling painter Lewis Dixon. But other than his mom, who has recently passed away, no one has ever praised his work. If he is being honest, there’s really no one in his life. So he is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. This is his chance to show the world what he’s capable of…he just has no idea that he might also be saving the world at the same time.
As Lewis soon learns, he has not been invited to participate in a curated show, but rather a test: to see if the fugue-like exhilaration he experiences when painting is actually magic, a power that allows him to enter nine very special paintings—paintings made by his great-grandfather. Spread across the globe, these paintings have unbelievable eldritch abilities…and not necessarily beneficial ones. In terms of power, these are the most valuable works of art in the world, and there are those out there who would do anything to possess just one.
And Lewis, upon passing the test, has been asked to destroy them all.
Partnered with an alluring agent in museum’s employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must travel to Japan, Australia, Nigeria—and the past—plunging himself into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and cursed objects to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own—or to free the world from those who would misuse the power of the paintings. In doing so, he will need to discover if he has what it takes to truly be an artist, the confidence to finally open himself up to someone who could give his lonely life meaning, and the strength to enter and navigate a reality where magic is everywhere.

Report

"Kosoko Jackson storms into the horror genre with The Macabre-a thrilling and chilling story that explores the power of art... in all its wonder and terror."

- Rob Hart, USA Today bestselling author of Assassins Anonymous
"Evocative, eerie, and beguiling. The Macabre expertly blends the best of both horror and fantasy. I loved this read." - Alexis Henderson, author of An Academy for Liars and The Year of Witching
"A page-turning, continent-spanning adventure that combines elements of psychological horror and gore with dark humor and a queer romance between Lewis and Noah, whose businesslike demeanor hides a complex and tragic past. Horror and fantasy fans alike will embrace Jackson as an exciting new voice." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An absolutely captivating and electrifying novel, layered in rich meaning and brimming with lush prose. In Kosoko Jackson's The Macabre we are confronted with magic and art, painting and meaning. I am completely under its spell."
- Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Vanishing Daughters
"The Macabre is tensely written, dripping with menace and mystery. Jackson paints each page with themes of grief and the difficulties in letting go, revealing the darkest places these emotions can lead." - - Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
"The Macabre is an expert blend of the sublime and horror, told in a way that entices both art lovers and those prone to ghoulish flights of fancy. And if you're both--look out! Jackson weaves this tale with a crucial precision not unlike the brush in a painter's hand. You'll never feel more breathless after reading this book." - Vincent Tirado, author of We Came to Welcome You
"I'm so honored that my Unseen World books were an inspiration for Kosoko Jackson's The Macabre. Readers who crave sharp and vivid magic that explores the uncanny connection between eldritch horror and great art will be captivated by this layered and imaginative novel." - Kat Howard, Alex Award-winning author of An Unkindness of Magicians
"Kosoko Jackson pulls you into this vividly written mashup of horror and fantasy and doesn't let you go. Wonderfully executed, three-dimensional characters take you on an emotional journey, unraveling the mystery of living art page by page, painting by painting." - Charlie N. Holmberg, Wall Street Journal bestselling author
"The Macabre is a feast of dark artistry. Fast-paced. Luscious world-building. Jackson wields emotional depth, tight plotting, and genuine terror, to craft a masterpiece." - Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal

Product details

• Authors: Kosoko Jackson
• Publisher: Harper Voyager US
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 09.09.2025
• EAN: 9780063394469
• ISBN: 978-0-06-339446-9
• No. of pages: 400
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 29 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy; FICTION: Ghost, FICTION: Action & Adventure, FICTION: African American & Black / Mystery & Detective, FICTION: Fantasy / Contemporary, FICTION: Magical Realism, FICTION: Fantasy / Historical, FICTION: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, FICTION: LGBTQ+ / Gay, FICTION: Horror / General, FICTION: Time Travel