The cover of The Blight of Blackridge by R.P.Dunwater, a purple cottage door with a strange sigil written in blood surrounded by thick ivy.

The Blight of Blackridge is a YA dark fantasy novel featuring warring gods, powerful priestesses, clean sapphic romance, and heart-wrenching stakes.

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All Eleanor Payne wants is to live her life in peace.

But a war between the gods has cracked the world in two, and the Payne family pledged to the losing side.

The village of Blackridge has labeled them traitors. They’ve fallen far from grace and lost nearly everything.

With her mother desperate to convert to preserve the little they have left and her great-grandmother forbidding it, Eleanor has no choice but to pick a side.

She would rather starve than surrender.

On the hunt for another path, Eleanor uncovers powerful secrets that the Payne matriarchs buried in their past. And a condemning truth about the dark history of Blackridge. The more she uncovers, the more desperate the village becomes to silence her.

But Eleanor has come too far to turn back now. And when faced with the dangerous consequences of digging too deep, she unlocks a terrifying power within herself.

A power that will make Blackridge wish they hadn’t pushed her so far.

Trigger Warnings

Though nothing is explicitly described (published as YA), The Blight of Blackridge comes with a few trigger warnings:

  • Bullying

  • Death

  • Religious trauma

  • Religious Persecution

  • Animal sacrifice

    **What we DO NOT have is any bullying, persecution, or hate based on a character’s sexual orientation. Our worlds will always be queer normative.

  • "I went in to this book completely blind and then was blindsided! It’s different from my usual reads and I’m quite glad "I took the time to read it! Excited for more."

    Erin on Amazon

  • “Eleanor is morally ambiguous at times, but it's always clear what drives her, which makes her a very engaging protagonist. Throughout the book, her confidence and strength grow, but the authors didn't make her overly powerful. Nell stays realistic and relatable, despite the darkness she has to deal with.”

    Judith, on Goodreads

  • "This book left me gutted. I felt sadness, anguish, excitement, anger, devastation, and shock. Basically, the whole gamut of emotions."

    Susan, on Goodreads

  • "The Blight of Blackridge is a hugely enjoyable read. It has me hooked from the first page. Full of rich detail and well developed characters, the Book of Payne delivers a mesmerising first instalment of the trilogy."

    Erica, on Goodreads

  • "In my opinion, this novel is one of the best at having its main character make realistic decisions, not just ones that advance the plot. And with that, the decisions that Nell has to make pain her. It was **chef's kiss**."

    Bryant, on Amazon

  • "This book was an excellent debut. Something a bit different in the fantasy book world than I've read before."

    Lou, on Goodreads

  • "The Blight of Blackridge does with a Coming-of-Age story what it often feels like so many others don't quite attain. Often, it seems authors forget the mercurial, inpulsive nature of teenagers, or how quickly feelings can shift without losing depth or intensity. The co-authors here haven't forgotten that at all, and it's part of what makes Nell an incredibly frustrating, and also lovable, protagonist."

    Vincent, on Amazon