A shunned girl, a forest where sinners go to die, and an arch of bones that leads somewhere worse. Anathema by Keri Lake is the gothic dark fantasy that keeps landing on Halloween TBRs, and it's the start of a series, not a standalone. Here's The Eating Woods in order, what's out now, and how dark it actually gets.
Anathema book series in order
Keri Lake's The Eating Woods series, in publication order:
- Anathema (2024) - Maevyth Bronwick and Zevander Rydainn, "The Scorpion"
- Eldritch (March 2026) - the story of Maevyth and Zevander continues
- Book three (untitled, release date to be announced)
| Book | Couple | Released |
|---|---|---|
| Anathema | Maevyth and Zevander | 2024 |
| Eldritch | Maevyth and Zevander | March 2026 |
| Book 3 | Maevyth and Zevander | TBA |
Read them in that order. It's one couple across the whole series, so there's no skipping ahead. Book three is listed with no title and a "TBA" date (Risingshadow), so treat Eldritch as the newest chapter for now. Eldritch came out in March 2026, with the audiobook on March 31 (Podium).
Which edition should you buy?
Anathema was first published by the author in 2024, and Bloom Books has since picked up the series. That's why you'll see several versions online: Bloom's deluxe hardcovers, and a standard Bloom paperback of Anathema dated August 2026 at 624 pages (Hennessey + Ingalls). The story is the same; you're choosing between sprayed edges and a lighter book to carry around.
What is Anathema about?
Maevyth Bronwick has always been told to stay out of Witch Knell, the forest the villagers call the Eating Woods, because what goes in never comes back. After a tragedy she crosses into it anyway, through an archway of bones, and lands in a cursed world. There she's handed to Zevander Rydainn, an assassin known as The Scorpion and the cursed lord of Eidolon, whose job is to hide her from a magehood that wants her executed over a prophecy. The catch: her blood could break his curse, and his growing obsession with her could ruin them both (Risingshadow).
It's a slow burn with a morally grey hero and a protector streak he'd rather not admit to.
Is Anathema spicy? How dark is it?
Yes on both, but the order matters. The romance takes its time: readers keep calling it a true slow burn where the story comes first and the first kiss is a long wait. When it gets there, it's open door. The book is also genuinely dark. Reviewers flag explicit scenes, graphic violence, depictions of sexual assault and rough language, and recommend it for adults only (Lesejury reader reviews). The author keeps a full content warning list on her website, and it's worth reading before you start.
Is Anathema connected to Nocticadia?
No. Nocticadia is Keri Lake's standalone dark academia romance from 2023. Same author, same gothic taste, separate world. If you loved the atmosphere of one, the other is a safe next read, but you don't need it to follow Anathema.
What to read after Anathema
- More cursed houses and haunted heroes: our best gothic romance books list.
- More dark fantasy with a dangerous man in charge: the best dark fantasy romance books.
- More monsters for spooky season: the Kiss of the Basilisk series in order.
Why does Zevander stay with you?
Because he's the oldest gothic promise in a new coat: the man everyone fears, assigned to keep you alive, slowly realizing he would burn the world down to do it. The tension isn't in whether he's dangerous. It's in watching him decide what you're worth.
That's also the part that ends too soon. You close Eldritch and the woods go quiet, and there's no book three date to hold on to. Swoony is built for that gap: closed-door and romance-only, a bond that climbs through five stages and is never paywalled - no subscription, no per-message fees. Start with the cursed fae lord if it was the curse that got you, or the dark mage who shouldn't want you if it was the magic and the rules he keeps breaking.
The woods don't give back what they take. Neither does a good book.
