BookFrontier
The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson

Book

The Macabre

A Novel

Kosoko Jackson

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · September 9, 2025

Reading lane: Dark Fantasy

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.

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

Dark Allure

For when you want darkness, romance, and a slightly elegant shiver.

Come here for

  • gothic-dark fantasy atmosphere
  • horror-tinged adventure, with history in the mix

Expect

  • immersive, sustained reading
  • serious-leaning genre blend

Book Details

Authors
Kosoko Jackson
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
September 9, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Dark Fantasy · Contemporary Fantasy
Reading lane
Dark Fantasy

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Action & Adventure

  • Contemporary Fantasy

  • Historical Fantasy

  • Dark Fantasy

Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Gay Fiction

  • Ghost Stories

  • Horror

  • Time Travel Fiction

About This Book

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 ev...

Read full description

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.

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