Children of Madness

Best Fantasy Novel of 2024 — American Writing Awards "An unflinching, riveting quest with plucky kid heroes and exhilaration at every turn." — Kirkus Reviews "Children of Madness is an addictive epic fantasy that tugs at readers' emotions, makes us question our own prejudices, and reminds us that all cultures and peoples are worthy of simple compassion... epic fantasy readers will want to make sure this book is placed at the top of their to-be-read piles." — Reedsy Discovery "Stranger Things meets Lord of the Rings in a new generation's classic fantasy epic… feels like it could be read straight from a leather-bound book with gold leaf edges and all. Timeless." — Independent Book Review For a world gone crazy, only those raised among madness can help. The Imperator of Quaan restlessly awaits the centennial arrival of the Snail-Gods to cure the Gloomtide, a shadow of melancholy blanketing the Titian Empire. But when the Supreme Helices finally make landfall, they do so just out of reach of the distressed monarch, beyond a poisonous grove that separates man from messiah. Fincher Bugg leads the Sour Flower Gang, the preeminent child harvesters of the Stenches, a town of outcasts condemned to diminished lives toiling away in toxic conditions. As Fincher and his four friends endure external abuse from outsiders, internally they also suffer, watching as their parents slowly succumb to the Maddening. Despite the solace of unbreakable friendship, life is unrelenting. When a desperate king makes a seemingly magnanimous offer to a hopeless population, the Sour Flower Gang sets out on a harrowing expedition to find God for the very people who cast them aside. During a journey in which the children encounter the unimaginable—both beautiful and nightmarish—a terrifying question takes shape. Are the Snail-Gods here to once more save mankind, or is the Gloomtide that has enveloped Quaan a precursor to humanity's deserved end?