A Season of Monstrous Conceptions

An eldritch historical fantasy of midwifery, monstrosity, and the rending of the world, for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Death of Jane Lawrence.

In seventeenth-century London, unnatural babies are being born with eyes made for the dark and webbed digits suited to the sea.

Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness. Having fled her old life under suspicious circumstances to start over in the city as a midwife’s apprentice, she’d hoped to leave such uncanniness far behind. But with each new unnatural birth she attends, the greater the fear in London grows of the Devil’s work.

When the wealthy Lady Faith hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who want to use her power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.

©2023 Lina Rather (P)2023 Recorded Books

Amazing! Loved it!

I usually am not a fan of short stories or novellas because they leave me wanting more. I listen/read about 70 books a year and this so definitely one of my top 5 favorite and the year is over in a couple weeks. The story was detailed, had a great pace to keep you engaged and the characters were really interesting. It wrapped up really well without feeling like a rushed ending.

Lovely Lil Queer Fantasy

came (&stayed) for the 17th century uncanny baby boom, pleasantly surprised by a tender love story between 2 outcasts. an endearing, quick read for fantasy lovers.