T.M. Blanchet
The Neath Trilogy
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"He caught sight of it then. The fog parted, the dim light illuminated the gloom, and the facade rose up in front of him like a soaring, breathing nightmare. And the moment he saw it, Ollie knew he had made a terrible, terrible mistake."
​
Ollie is trying. He really is.
He's trying to lose weight in the biscotti-and-bolognese wonderland of Boston's North End.
He's trying to recover from his mother's recent death.
Most of all, he's trying to battle the loneliness that comes with being 19, living in a shoebox, and working a dead-end job. No girlfriend, no parents, no friends.
Well, he does have one friend. Nell.
But she's gone missing.
At first, Ollie pretends that he hadn't noticed Nell's bruises and skittish behavior. Then, finally, he faces the facts: Nell is gone, and probably in danger. And he might be the only one who can help.
What he doesn't know--couldn't know--is that his journey to find her will take him far below the streets of the city into a dangerous, underground world: a place where magic spills like blood, humans are not quite human, and notions of justice and revenge are as murky as the cavern's brackish waters. And this time, trying just won't be enough.
BOOK 1 OF THE NEATH TRILOGY
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Praise for Herrick's End
“I get obsessed with a novel that grows its genre with surprise after original surprise—and that’s all in Blanchet’s astonishing YA fantasy debut. Herrick’s End is a knockout.”
- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You
“Droll, delightfully grotesque in the best Star Wars cantina tradition, sometimes terrifying, and always laugh-aloud funny, Herrick’s End is an inventive, edge-of-your-seat underworld adventure you’ll never forget.”
- Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Family and Woodrow on the Bench
“Every time you think you know what’s coming next, you round a corner and find out that you were wrong. Readers who follow the lovable and heroic Ollie Delgato down into the terrifying and fantastical land T.M. Blanchet has created will be coming back for more!”
- Joseph Moldover, author of Every Moment After
“Like the best tiramisu, Herrick’s End offers layer upon layer of deliciousness. An unlikely but lovable hero, a quest gone wrong, a vicious villain, a dark and richly-realized underworld, and a badass love interest. A true ‘pick-me-up.’ I want more.”
- Sarina Dahlan, Hugo Award-nominated author of Reset and Preset
"Something is rotten at the Neath’s core, and what began as Ollie’s earnest search for a friend turns into a quest for survival, justice, and acceptance. Blanchet’s debut is the first in a promising trilogy that examines the line between setting things right and exacting revenge in surprising ways. Set in a whimsical underworld full of dangers and wonders, this coming-of-age story develops Ollie’s sense of community and belonging while his internalized fatphobia, white-knight complex, and sense of self-worth are thoughtfully explored, questioned, and subverted... A thoughtful and empowering hero’s journey." -KIRKUS
Order Herrick's End, Herrick's Lie, and Herrick's Key at these links, or visit your favorite retailer!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Underground. Underwater. Out of time.
​
Ollie probably should have expected trouble. After all, “every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” right? He’d learned that in 10th grade physics. And Ollie’s actions at Herrick’s End had been seismic enough to cause tidal waves of catastrophe crashing from one end of the Neath to the other.
He’d only wanted to make things better. And he genuinely thought he had, until he sees the stark truth spelled out in black-and-white: His friends are in danger. Everyone is in danger, and it’s all his fault.
The good news is, there might be a solution. The less-good news? It’s hidden, apparently, at the bottom of the cavern’s deep, green lake, which churns with myriad fantastical creatures, unknowable perils, and immeasurable expanse—not to mention a distinct lack of oxygen. All in all, not a great set-up for humans. Leaping into that water, he knows, is a monstrously bad idea.
It’s also the only idea he’s got.
With so much on the line, Ollie might have no choice but to jump first and ask questions later. And there will be questions. Many, many questions. Because getting into the lake is one thing… Getting out will be something else altogether. And Ollie’s quest to right past wrongs is about to open up a whole new can of wormwalkers in the extraordinary underground world he now calls home.
BOOK 2 OF THE NEATH TRILOGY
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Praise for Herrick's Lie
"Herrick's Lie is a whirlwind romp through the depths of the Neath, filled with magic, mystery, and twists that will keep you breathless to the last page. This layered fantasy delivers both adventure and heart."
-Susan Bishop Crispell, author of The Holloway Girls, Dreaming in Chocolate, and The Secret Ingredient of Wishes
“Be prepared for high stakes, a uniquely crafted world, a view into history that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew, and a loveable, endearing hero in Ollie Delgato that will have you rooting for him from the start.”
-Edwin Hill, author of The Secrets We Share, Watch Her, The Missing Ones, and Little Comfort
"Fans of Neil Gaiman will love the Neath! This dark, compelling world practically vibrates off the page with flora and fauna and unravelling secrets, and the plot swoops and swirls in the best of ways. Most of all, though, it’s Blanchet's irresistible characters that make you care so deeply about every cavern and creature and narrow escape. She’s created an unforgettable hero with Ollie, and I can’t wait to find out what he does next."
-Gin Phillips, author of Fierce Kingdom, Family Law, and Come In and Cover Me
Order Herrick's End, Herrick's Lie, and Herrick's Key at these links, or visit your favorite retailer!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Be careful what you witch for.
​
Ollie is back on the Brickside, and he’s living on borrowed time.
He thought his mission was simple: Follow the clues and find the key. Fast.
But when the “clues” are enigmas written in blood and the “key” has been split into pieces and scattered around Boston, it doesn’t take long for that mission to crumble like a North End cookie.
The trail leads Ollie deep into the underbelly of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and beyond—all the way back to the place where the trouble began. Herrick’s home. The place of his sin.
Salem.
The answers are out there, somewhere. And Ollie intends to find them. But first, it seems, he’ll have to decipher codes, infiltrate the world’s most unlikely coven, survive brutal betrayals, see the unseen, solve riddles, commune with turtles, walk with ghosts, and maybe even learn to fly, all in an effort to uncover the clouded truths of the past.
Water, earth, air. Three points make one key.
The key, he knows, will open the door.
What he doesn’t yet know? Some doors should never be opened.
BOOK 3 OF THE NEATH TRILOGY
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I"I Will Always Be Yours," Ben Rector, 2018
I"I Did Something Bad," Taylor Swift, 2017
I"Somewhere Only We Know," Keane, 2002
“I was totally captivated by this twisting, turning, darkly funny adventure, where magic hides in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems. Fans of TJ Klune, Brandon Sanderson, and GennaRose Nethercott will devour Herrick's Key.”
-Jane Roper, The Society of Shame
Praise for Herrick's Key
“A satisfying end to a series that never failed to produce. The Neath Trilogy is a splash of Neverland, a scoop of Dante's Inferno, and sprinkle of Wonderland. It’s a world that you'll gladly get lost in.”
-Jon and Dayna McConnell, authors of The Time Trials series
“An action-packed package-turner that kept me under its spell from the first page to the last, HERRICK’S KEY is the satisfying final installment in a YA fantasy trilogy filled with heart, humor, and hope. Ollie Delgato is a hero for the ages, and his adventures through (and underneath!) the city of Boston and through witch-filled Salem will forever change how readers view and experience these iconic and historic New England landscapes. Can Ollie solve the puzzles, beat the ticking clock, talk to sea creatures, save the world from looming disaster – and get the girl? A quest worth devouring. Third time’s a charm.”
-Julie Gerstenblatt, Daughters of Nantucket