Dead Set: A Novel

The New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim series delivers a wonderful stand-alone dark fantasy in which a young girl is caught between the worlds of the living and the dead.

After her father's funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and life in the city is not so easy. Money is tight, and Zoe's only escape, as has always been the case, is in her dreams—a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her closest companion: her lost brother, Valentine.

But something or someone has entered their dreamworld uninvited. And a chance encounter at a used record store, where the vinyl holds not music but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. It's here that the shop's strange proprietor offers Zoe the chance to commune with her dead father. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then . . .

• A Supernatural Coming of Age: For Zoe, reeling from the loss of her father, navigating grief is as treacherous as navigating the world of the restless dead.
• Urban Fantasy Setting: Explore San Francisco’s gritty supernatural underground, from a record shop where vinyl holds lost souls to a mysterious portal to the afterlife.
• Dangerous Magic: A deal to speak with her dead father seems like a dream come true, but the price starts with a lock of hair and only gets more sinister from there.
• A World of Dreams and Ghosts: Zoe’s only refuge is a secret dreamworld she shares with her lost brother, Valentine—but an unwelcome visitor threatens her last safe space.

After her father's funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and money is tight. Zoe's only escape, as always, is in her dreams—a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her lost brother Valentine.

But something or someone has entered their dream world uninvited. And a chance encounter at a used-record store where the vinyl holds not music, but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. It's here that the shop's strange proprietor offers Zoe the chance to commune with her dead father. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then. . . .

“An intelligent stand-alone tale of quiet horror that should appeal to Kadrey’s many fans, as well as to lovers of more subtle shivers.” - Library Journal

“Fascinating characters populate a story that’s dark and individual, leavened with moments of humor, heart, and pure strangeness. ... Highly recommended.” - Fantasy & Science Fiction

“Kadrey again has painted a world that draws you in with its mysterious, yet frightening, beauty…The imagery is just phenomenal.” - Crimespree Magazine

“A tender, if terrifying, story of a lost teenager trying to find her way.” - Los Angeles Times

“If punk and underworld mythology got into the mosh pit, it would come out something like this book; spiky and pretty with lashings of black eyeliner and its heart tattooed on its sleeve.” - Lauren Beukes

“A dark and eerie world, a razor sharp plot, and a heroine worth rooting for make DEAD SET unforgettable.” - Kami Garcia

“A fantastic supernatural horror novel with deep punk roots ... Kadrey’s underworld is a gloomy mirror of the overworld with all its injustice and broken dreams, and Zoe’s battle with her fear and her honorable spirit put her in enough jeopardy for six novels. - Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

“This bittersweet and elegaic fantasy will appeal to both fantasy fans and mainstream readers.” - Publishers Weekly

“There’s plenty of Kadrey’s trademark humor, grit and art references, and the only complaint ... is that ... this trip to Iphigene didn’t last longer.” - RT Book Reviews