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From USA Today bestselling author, and Bram Stoker nominee, Philip Fracassi, comes a historical horror novel where three brothers go AWOL during one of the most violent battles of the Civil War, but find something much worse waiting in the woods.
Choosing to risk execution rather than be killed in a losing war, three brothers desert their posts and begin a long, arduous journey back home. After weeks of dealing with rough terrain while evading bandits and home guard soldiers—starving, injured, and exhausted—the brothers find a miracle deep in the dark woods. A home.
Living in a remote cabin is a beautiful woman, Sarafina, and her young son, Titus. Sarafina takes the soldiers in, cares for them, feeds them, offers them a place to rest. But the youngest of the brothers is wary—something is not what it seems. After discovering a mysterious creek and a strange underground cavern, he gets a strong sense that the cabin, and the fertile land surrounding it, might be harboring something nefarious, terrifying, and dangerous.
What ensues is a nightmare beyond imagination, an escalation of horrors that the brothers must somehow fight to survive. With tensions high, the country divided, and loyalties put to the test, Sarafina will take readers on an epic journey of modern horror.
Praise for Sarafina
“A stunningly haunting historical horror novel.” —Library Journal, STARRED Review
“Fracassi unfurls the revelations and horrors expertly in a novel steeped in atmosphere and suffused with dread. A fine piece of southern gothic literature.” —Financial Times
“A transportive, vivid book that’s very hard to put down, and reaffirms Fracassi’s place as one of horror’s essential modern storytellers.” —Bloody Disgusting
“A fairytale like no other, Fracassi has crafted a nightmarish story weaving together threads of mythology, history, fantasy, and horror that explores the bonds of brotherhood through a terrifying landscape of war, religion, and the supernatural.” —Scream Magazine
“Sarafina is a shape-shifting fever dream: part historical epic, part coming of age—but its horrors are one-hundred-proof: pure, potent, and wholly terrifying.” —Nick Cutter, author of Little Heaven
“Sarafina is the literary equivalent of a cannonball that’ll leave you bruised, bloody, and broken. A dark and unsettling novel that uses spiritual mythology, and the war America fought against itself, as the backdrop for a story that will twist your stomach and shred your nerves.” —Tyler Jones, author of Night of the Long Knives
“A delightful tapestry of evil, horror, fantasy, body horror, historical fiction and witchcraft.” —Chars Horror Corner
"Sarafina reads like a blood-tinged folk tale whispered sitting around a crackling fire...steeped in dread and inevitability.” —The Fandomentals
“Transcends the horror of war into something eternal which there is no escaping from. Sarafina is another meaningful entry into what is developing into the strongest back catalogues in modern horror fiction.” —Horror DNA
“An amplified version of one of the Brothers Grimm Fairytales…loved it.” —FanFiAddict
Praise for Philip Fracassi
“Old-school horror.” ―Stephen King
“Fracassi’s got his hand on the chisel going into your chest.” ―Stephen Graham Jones
“Fracassi makes terror read so damn beautifully.” ―Victor LaValle
“Fracassi...builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully...he's especially skillful at creating, and sustaining, suspense.” ―The New York Times
“This Fracassi guy is damn good.” ―Richard Chizmar
“Philip Fracassi’s fiction is a mix of old and new school horrors, chock full of frightening monsters, demons, and humans. I always look forward to what he’s going to do next.” ―Paul Tremblay
“Fracassi...brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise.” ―The Guardian
“Fracassi’s storytelling is...horror with a big, broken heart.” ―Esquire
“Put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris.” ―Signal Horizon
“Balances heart with terror.” ―Library Journal
“Fracassi is required reading for the genre and beyond.” ―Jonathan Edward Durham
Praise for The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
A Best Horror Book of 2025! (BookBub, Vulture, Men's Health)
“Fracassi blends the true-life horror of aging and society’s scorn for the elderly with an original slasher premise and reimagined Final Girl. Diabolically delightful.” ―Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory
“A well-paced, age-appropriate, kick-butt, final-girl story.” ―Booklist
“Rose isn’t your average final girl. She’s a woman and a survivor who you’ll cheer for every step of the way in this smart, fast-paced slasher.” ―Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse and The Haunting of Room 904
“A wholly original slasher novel with a uniquely strong and vulnerable heroine...Fans of the genre should put this on their must-read list.” ―Christina Henry, author of Alice and The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
“Fracassi sticks the knife in your heart and twists it. A tear-stained blood-soaked slasher for the ages.” ―Brian McAuley, author of Breathe In, Bleed Out
Praise for Boys in the Valley
An Esquire Best Horror Book of 2023!
“The most frightening novel of the year.” ―Esquire
“A sublimely chilling story.” ―Library Journal, STARRED review
“Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and terrifying.” ―Andy Davidson
“As poignant as it is chilling, with a fast-paced, unflinching ending.” ―Alma Katsu
“Harrowing and claustrophobic. One hell of a read from Philip Fracassi!” ―Christopher Golden
“A gothic, gory Lord of the Flies…Horror readers will be hooked.” ―Publishers Weekly
“The most unsettling novel I have read all year. Cold dread clings to every page.” ―Ronald Malfi