Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Wiswell’s grisly debut monster romance confronts familial abuse, otherness, and healing from trauma. Three human monster hunters surprise flesh-eating shape-shifter Shesheshen during her annual hibernation and poison her with a crossbow bolt soaked in rosemary before she can consume them. Weak from hunger and incomplete rest, Shesheshen—disguised as a human—hunts for food, as she must assimilate both organic and inorganic matter to maintain her body’s structures and function. After she is unmasked and driven off a cliff, human woman Homily finds her and treats her injuries without realizing that Shesheshen is a monster. Attracted to Homily’s selflessness, Shesheshen considers turning her savior into a self-sacrificing nest for her eggs. Both Shesheshen and Homily struggle with secrets they’re keeping from each other, but as their association brings them afoul of powerful enemies, their painful pasts catch up with them. There’s a potent emotional core to this blood-soaked tale, but the occasionally shaky worldbuilding muddles the message. Still, readers looking for dark and distinctive romantic fantasy will want to check this out. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc. (Apr.)