A queertrans retelling of Math fab Mathonwy, the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, to be published 26 November 2026 by Gollancz (UK) and summer 2027 by Erewhon (US).

“You exist because of a crime, because of a curse, and because of a trick…”

Blodeuedd never asked to be made.

Created from flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet to marry a man cursed never to have a human wife, Blodeuedd has no knowledge of the world, no family outside the marriage, and no power to choose. But a caged animal still has claws, and Blodeuedd will find a way to be free, whatever the cost.

Gwydion knows what it is to be unmade.

Haunted by the years he served in animal form as punishment for his brother’s crimes, Gwydion has turned his tricks to his nephew’s happiness – and the creation of Blodeuedd is the greatest trick of them all. But his creation asks questions he cannot answer and drags from the depths of the forest the past he has been trying so hard to forget. Now they both must face their unmaking.

From the author of The Wolf and His King comes a spellbinding new medieval fantasy standalone retelling the story of Blodeuedd from Welsh mythology in a profound exploration of cyclical trauma and transformation. As angry as it is hopeful, this visionary novel is unmissable for readers of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and Samantha Shannon.

The Animals We Became is available to pre-order now, but is only gradually filtering through to retailers in different formats. The hardback, ebook, and audiobook will be released in the UK on 26th November; this edition will also be available in other English-speaking territories like Ireland and Australia, as well as in English bookshops elsewhere. The North American edition will follow from Erewhon/Kensington Books in 2027.

I am adding links as they become available. I’m currently listing chains for convenience, but if you are an independent bookshop and would like to partner with me for pre-orders, please get in touch.

Pre-order (UK edition):

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Content notes

Math fab Mathonwy is a story about sexual violence, incest, and punishment. So, then, is this. While I would not describe it as graphic or hopeless or grimdark, the book is intended for adults and the tone is considerably darker than The Wolf and His King. While TWAHK sometimes gets shelved as romantasy, despite not having been intended for that category, this book emphatically would not belong to that space. The original story will provide greater context for the likely content, but please see below for more detailed content notes if needed.

Further details

• Sexual violence: There are on-page scenes of dubiously consensual sex within an unhappy arranged marriage. There are non-graphic but specific references throughout the book to a forceful rape which occurred before the novel began. There are flashbacks and references to a traumatic and dubiously consensual sexual relationship which occurred in animal form. There are implied consent issues within another marriage, not explored on-page. This is a central theme of the book.
• Incest: The married couple at the centre of this book is socially/magically incestuous (although not biologically). There are frequent references and flashbacks to a traumatic and dubiously consensual sexual relationship between two brothers which occurred in animal form and which resulted in three offspring. This is a central theme of the book, and frequently characterises relationships metaphorically even when not literally.
• Sex: As well as the above, there is on-page consensual sex. This is somewhat more explicit and detailed than in The Wolf and His King, although not graphic.
• Pregnancy: There are references to past pregnancies and the experience of childbirth, which was negative for the character in question. There are passing references to current pregnancies, though no viewpoint characters are pregnant.
• Dysphoria: The characters experience discomfort with the roles and embodied experiences they are currently living or have previously experienced. Some of this is about gender and/or sex; some of this is about species; some of this is about compulsory heterosexuality; etc.
• Violence: There is some other physical violence, of the mundane and of the magical sort. This does not form a major portion of the book (especially when compared to The Butterfly Assassin).
• Homophobia and misogyny: The setting is understood to be rigidly heteronormative, with same-sex relationships punished, although no direct instances of this are shown on the page and we encounter some of the exceptions to the rule. Women are socially disempowered and this shapes several characters’ lives considerably, even when they are exceptions to this rule.
• Religion: There is substantial engagement with a fictional polytheistic religion.
• Harm to children: There is some harm to children, mostly discussed in passing. There are references to parental neglect. The main characters are socially adults, though magical ageing means this may not be strictly true in the chronological sense. Teenagers are socially/legally understood as adults.
• Swearing: There is only very occasional use of profanity (twice in 110k words).
• Vomiting: There are very occasional references to vomiting.

Please let me know if there are any further content types you’d like me to discuss.