Miller, S: Blade Between

"One of the best books I've read in 2020. Miller's prose is phenomenal.... Miller has crafted a mature, thoughtful, and challenging novel that tackles the problem of being ethical in the world.... While The Blade Between is full of hurt people who are struggling, it's far from grim. The observational clarity Miller brings to the page is unflinching but, somehow, kind. He gives all these characters grace without erasing their flaws.....

"Sam J. Miller's The Blade Between stands out for its heroes' plan to raise sinister supernatural forces in defense of their city." - CrimeReads

"[In] The Blade Between, the whole town of Hudson becomes a central character.... [A] sharp-edged novel... Stunning." - Locus

"Supernatural and uncomfortably human forces threaten to rip a failing town apart.... An unsettling and visceral journey: powerful, twisted, and grim but ultimately uplifting." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Miller expertly addresses the dark sides of gentrification.... All the characters in The Blade Between are three-dimensional (even the 'villain')." - Alma

"The best horror is always timely.... Enter Sam J. Miller's THE BLADE BETWEEN, a supernatural thriller that hinges on an eviction crisis. Miller's novel, which also touches on homophobia, income inequality, and America's refusal to come to terms with its history, feels like the most 2020 novel imaginable." - The Big Thrill

"Like Clive Barker, Miller has a great talent for creating interesting characters and building up quiet dread.... Timely and interesting." - San Francisco Chronicle

"The Blade Between is more than a dystopian sci-fi thriller with a dash of poetry; it's an explosive narrative about a small town caught between the decaying ghosts of the past, the shattered dreams and mediocre lives of its residents, and the monster of gentrification that threatens to erase it all under shiny new buildings and fancy coffee shops.

"A successful 'influencer' photographer returns to the gentrifying hometown that nearly broke him, and all hell breaks loose. The Blade Between is as addictive and brutal as it is smart and challenging. Miller unflinchingly confronts the sins of our past and present. The horrors here are rooted in there being no easy answers despite our individual and collective souls being ultimately at stake. Plus whales!" - Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song

"[A] gripping mashup of psychological suspense and horror....The novel lifts off toward an exciting conclusion. Insightful social commentary is a bonus. Thriller fans will welcome Miller as a fresh new voice." - Publishers Weekly

"The book is full of moments of slowly rising dread that end in shocking revelations, all of them building to a nightmarish town festival where the growing horror finally reveals its true face and intent." - Nightmare Magazine

"Miller's sprawling novel encapsulates the complex web of feelings brought on by witnessing the destruction of a town that made adolescence hell for a gay or trans teen.... Raw and volatile.... Highly recommended for anyone looking for a queer-themed, sea salt-laced dark fantasy." - Booklist (starred review)

"Miller (Destroy All Monsters) takes on cosmic horror with chillingly realistic results.... Filled with intense dread and unease.... This is a great example of how a century-old subgenre can still speak directly to today's readers." - Library Journal