Coming September 2026!
From the queen of genre-bending speculative fiction, comes the newest Sauútiverse offering, a mystery like no other, where the investigator is not a detective, but a sound scientist.
In a world where sound is a tangible force, Muso’mi is a maadiregi—an expert in the art of consuming it. At the prestigious Mahadum, she researches the language of silence, seeking to master the gift her mother calls theft. But academic intrigue turns to deadly peril when her friend vanishes after unearthing a hidden truth. Pursuing clues through pools of quietude across worlds, Muso’mi stumbles upon a horrifying discovery: a pattern of carnage left in fields of harvested silence. Now, the hunter becomes the hunted, as her unique expertise draws her into the orbit of a serial killer who understands the power of sound all too well.
Includes a glossary of Bantu, Afrocentric and made-up words from this cross-cultural tale written in gorgeous lyrical language packed with emotion.
PRAISE FOR CRIMSON IN QUIETUS
“Eugen Bacon has crafted a unique and utterly fearless literary mosaic that gleefully defies genre traditions and rejects all conventional standards of classification. Unflinching and written with such powerful poetry and lyricism, Crimson in Quietus is raw, intense, and captivating. One of the most extraordinary, mesmerizing, and magnetic novels I’ve ever had the honor of reading.” —Eric LaRocca , author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
“Eugen Bacon’s voice is that of a gifted storyteller. And it’s on fire with her novel, Crimson in Quietus. Rich with poetic prose. Layered with folk horror and mystery. Highly recommend.” —Cindy O’Quinn , Bram Stoker Award® winning author
Reading this book is like diving into a swirling ocean of sight, sound, and sensation. Bacon balances dashes of wit with visceral horror as her dynamic female heroines battle an unspeakable evil in a world where the study of science blends seamlessly with fantasy and magic. Add to that the African-inspired language, imagery, and mouth-watering descriptions of food, written in Bacon’s singular, rich cadence, and it’s like reading the creation story of a vibrant future.
—Tara Campbell , Philip K. Dick Award Finalist for City of Dancing Gargoyles
“Eugen Bacon’s Crimson in Quietus is an onomatopoeic thrumming of a novel about friendship, language, love and power, where the narrative shifts in drum beats, and hallucinogenic prose-poetry creates a uniquely African science-fantasy universe. The story is richly-detailed, fizzing with sensory description where technology, nature, and magic fit seamlessly into each other in a vibrant melange.” —CL Hellisen , author of The Shape of Monsters and Cast Long Shadows
