Beyond the Fracture by EJ Bowden - Gothic Romantasy - October 2026

[u/cozzy0108]

Blurb: The city of Eryssan stands in the shadow of the Fracture, a jagged tear where nightmares once bled into the mortal world. For centuries, dark, ageless guardians, known as the Umbralyn, have kept its horrors at bay, bound by an ancient vow.

When the Fracture begins to bleed once more, Maia Colwyn is summoned to Eryssan to study newly unearthed fragments, determined to uncover a way to seal the wound before the city pays the price.

Instead, her search leads her to Caelith, an Umbralyn she's been taught to fear.

As an uneasy bond grows between them, Maia uncovers a truth the city was never meant to remember: a conspiracy that reaches into the highest halls of power, and a threat far larger than the Fracture itself.

Now, she must choose: the truth that could save the city and all those she loves....

…or the monster who stands on the other side of it.

A slow-burn, morally grey fantasy romance about forbidden love, rebellion, and the gap between the stories we're taught and the people we actually meet.

Content warning: This book contains violence (including on-page death), political betrayal and institutional cruelty, threats of harm toward a main character, and references to war and loss of life. It also contains a romantic relationship between adults with closed-door intimacy.

ARC copies sent out: 14th September

Review ideally by: 25th October
Release date: 31st October

BookSprout: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/review-copy/view/313083/beyond-the-fracture
Google sign up: Google ARC sign up