COMING APRIL 7, 2026
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From the acclaimed author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief comes a haunting psychological horror/suspense novel about survival, identity, and the monsters hiding behind gilded doors.

When Hee-Jin discovers her sister's body on her doorstep in Seoul, she barely recognizes her. Hee-Young's corpse is grotesquely transformed—covered in dark spines, teeth missing, eyes swollen beyond recognition. Among her belongings: an American passport and a plane ticket to Pittsburgh leaving in hours.

Desperate and undocumented, Hee-Jin makes a dangerous choice: assume her dead sister's identity and flee to America.

She arrives at the Petite Sea House, a prestigious artist residency in a gleaming white mansion crowned by a massive sculpture of a glass heart. But behind the beautiful façade lurks unspeakable cruelty.

Under the gaze of the program’s sinister head, Shepherd, young female artists undergo strange and horrifying bodily transformations.

As Hee-Jin’s body begins its own terrible metamorphosis, she must navigate the mansion's hidden passages and dark secrets before she's transformed completely—or added to Shepherd's collection of trophies.

A gothic nightmare dripping with dread, Aviary combines visceral horror with psychological suspense to create an unforgettable tale of survival and transformation. Perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and The Silent Patient.

About the Author

MARIA DONG

Maria Dong writes genre-bending suspense and is the author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief and Psychopomp. Her short fiction and essays have been published in dozens of magazines and anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Lightspeed, Augur, Nightmare, Khoreo, Fantasy, Apex, and Apparition, and her story, "In the Beginning of Me, I was a Bird", was a finalist for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.

Although she's currently a computer programmer, in her previous lives, Maria's held a variety of diverse careers, including property manager, English teacher, and occupational therapist. She lives with her partner in southwest Michigan in a centenarian saltbox house that is almost certainly haunted, watching K-dramas and drinking Bell's beer.

Author photo by Brea Oakes Photography

PRAISE FOR MARIA DONG

“Unlike anything I've ever read: provocative and unsettling, but grounded by a warm beating heart”

ASHLEY WINSTEAD

on Liar, Dreamer, Thief

“Clever, urgent, and deeply compassionate”

GRACE D. LI

on Liar, Dreamer, Thief

“A masterful work of psychological suspense”

AVA REID

on Liar, Dreamer, Thief

“Mesmerizing . . . Fans of sharp, inventive fiction will be eager for Dong's next”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

on Liar, Dreamer, Thief

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