Thoughts Be Bloody

Auden Patrick

$45

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

DAW Books
15 September 2026

Fantasy

A struggling student, a resident golden boy, and the curse that will bring them together- this queer, trans retelling is Hamlet as you've never read it before

Exploring classism, identity, and the true meaning of revolution, this dark academia novel is perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang's Babel and S. T. Gibson's An Education in Malice

A struggling student, a resident golden boy, and the curse that will bring them together- this queer, trans retelling is Hamlet as you've never read it before

Exploring classism, identity, and the true meaning of revolution, this dark academia novel is perfect for fans of R. F. Kuang's Babel and S. T. Gibson's An Education in Malice

The summer before his sophomore year, Horatio Bithersea walks into the university library to find Carson Hamlett, resident golden boy and master magician, cradling his father's dead body. Life at Elsinore, one of the most prestigious universities in the secretive magical world, simply goes on when the professor's death is ruled an accident-despite the mysterious circumstances and the bloody scene.

A year later, Horatio is keeping his head down, attempting to graduate without his out-of-control magic harming his classmates. That changes when the ghost of Hamlett's father appears and places a curse on Horatio and Hamlett- avenge his death by destroying Elsinore and its heart, lest the ghost robs them of their minds, memories, and their very souls.

Elsinore has given Horatio everything-knowledge of his magical ability, an escape from his abusive family, and freedom to pursue his life as a transgender man-and now he's to be its doom. As the two uncover more of Elsinore's secrets Horatio finds himself becoming more and more ensnared in Hamlett's dark but charismatic web.

The question is not if Horatio will manage to destroy Elsinore. The question is if Hamlett will destroy him first.

By: Auden Patrick
Imprint: DAW Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780756420475
ISBN 10: 0756420474
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 15 September 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Auden Patrick, author of Thoughts Be Bloody, is a late-20s queer and trans author who most frequently writes about fear, love, and monsters. He was a student at Cat Rambo's inaugural Wayward Wormhole Workshop in 2023, and his work has appeared in Apparition Lit, Beaver Magazine, among others. When he is not writing, he can be found knitting, obsessing over planner supplies, or haunting the local library.