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Mothsblood by Lynn D. Jung
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Mothsblood

Author
Lynn D. Jung
Narrator
Ferdelle Capistrano
Publisher
Cornerstone
Publish Date
13 October 2026
Run Time
13 hours 33 minutes
Format
Audiobook
Genre
Dark fantasy, Contemporary fantasy / Low fantasy, Fiction: gothic, Magic, spells and alchemy

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What to expect

WELCOME TO UNIVERSITÉ MEURDRAC.
HOME TO BRILLIANT ALCHEMISTS.
THE HEART OF AN IMPOSSIBLE CRIME.

Step into the heart of Paris with this lush and thrilling dark academia fantasy that follows a young alchemist running from a dark past - perfect for fans of Babel, Ninth House and Blood Over Bright Haven.

When Larkspur Lee arrived in Paris, it was with nothing more than the ambition in her veins and the magic under her skin.

As a student of Meurdrac, one of the few remaining alchemical universities, she burns to prove herself; she must fight twice as hard - and be twice as cunning - if she wants to be considered worthy of immortality.

But after the shocking death of the university’s headmistress, the immortal Petronelle Flamel, she instead finds herself at the heart of an impossible crime - one where the only evidence whispers of Lark's past. Matters are further complicated when the mentor she crossed an ocean to escape re-enters her life, enticing her to his side once again while secretly wielding an agenda of his own.

As the mysterious investigator assigned to the case, Violaine, becomes convinced that more sinister works are responsible for the murder, Lark must wrestle with both the university's dark secrets and her own as the life she's meticulously built for herself begins to unravel.

And as everything around her delves into chaos, Lark has no choice but to decide if the power she desires is truly worth the price.

'A triumph of a debut.' CHLOE GONG, NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF IMMORTAL LONGINGS

'Deliciously dark, provokingly heart-wrenching, with teeth that cut like glass.' V. L. BOVALINO, AUTHOR OF THE SECOND DEATH OF LOCKE

'An absolutely captivating and lusciously vicious tale, Jung's debut is a must-read for lovers of complex protagonists and dark academia fantasy.' KIERSTEN WHITE, NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LUCY UNDYING

'This book is an intoxicating addition to the dark academia canon. In a word, extraordinary.' BRIGITTE KNIGHTLEY, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE IRRESISTIBLE URGE TO FALL FOR YOUR ENEMY

© Lynn D. Jung 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

  • Sinister, sexy, and in utter command over its own allure. MOTHSBLOOD carves to the innards of dark academia, landing every strike amid questions of knowledge, prestige, and belonging. A triumph of a debut.

    Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings

  • An absolutely captivating and lusciously vicious tale, Jung's debut is a must-read for lovers of complex protagonists and dark academia fantasy.

    Kiersten White, No.1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Lucy Undying

  • MOTHSBLOOD is dark academia in its truest sense - a world balanced on the knife-edge between magical old-world opulence and the grime, rot, and actual bones hidden beneath it. With prose so beautiful I wanted to underline every single line, Lynn D. Jung crafts a world that feels vividly, tangibly real and characters that feel even realer: flawed, full of longing, and wonderfully complex. MOTHSBLOOD is a gorgeous, haunting debut, perfect for readers who loved Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House.

    Bar Fridman-Tell, author of Honeysuckle

  • MOTHSBLOOD is literary alchemy - by turns a piercing interrogation of academia, a riveting mystery, and an intimate portrayal of the diasporic identity. In her brilliant debut, Jung claws off the varnish of prestigious institutions, laying bare the monstrous truths within, and the nuances of trauma, achievement, and survival. This is dark academia examined through its most illuminating and necessary lens. Jung is carving out a league of her own.

    K. M. Fajardo, author of Local Heavens

See more reviews

  • MOTHSBLOOD: a dark alchemy mingling The Secret History and Frankenstein. Jung writes with the precision of an entomology pin, achieving here a masterclass in sharp prose, tight plotting, and a low, slow horror that will seep into your bones.

    This book is an intoxicating addition to the dark academia canon. In a word, extraordinary.

    Brigitte Knightley, New York Times bestselling author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

  • Mothsblood is pure alchemy. With beautiful and incisive prose, a complex, ambitious protagonist, and a darkly seductive world where opulent façades hide grotesque truths, Lynn D. Jung creates a truly haunting debut. This is dark academia at its finest.

    Pascale Lacelle, New York Times bestselling author of Curious Tides

  • Mothsblood drew me into its dangerous world of dark academia, featuring a compelling heroine who is as fierce as she is cunning. Vivid and visceral, Jung's transformative debut will keep you guessing until the last page.

    Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Floating World

  • Mothsblood brings readers into a viciously cruel version of dark academia, where privilege and desire clash with ambition and desperation. Deliciously dark, provokingly heartwrenching, with teeth that cut like glass.

    V.L. Bovalino, author of The Second Death of Locke

  • Mesmerizing, lyrical, and perfectly paced, Mothsblood is a profound meditation on power, and the terrifying lengths one might go to possess it. Lynn D. Jung's brilliant dark academia debut is not to be missed.

    Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Sunday Times bestseller of The Principles of Moments

User Reviews

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Details
Author
Lynn D. Jung
Narrator
Ferdelle Capistrano
Duration
13 hours 33 minutes
Release Date
13 October 2026
ISBN
9781804961124
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Cornerstone
Genre
Dark fantasy, Contemporary fantasy / Low fantasy, Fiction: gothic, Magic, spells and alchemy

Synopsis

<p><b>WELCOME TO UNIVERSITÉ MEURDRAC.</b><Br><b>HOME TO BRILLIANT ALCHEMISTS.</b><Br><b>THE HEART OF AN IMPOSSIBLE CRIME.</b></p><p><b>Step into the heart of Paris with this lush and thrilling dark academia fantasy that follows a young alchemist running from a dark past - perfect for fans of Babel, Ninth House and Blood Over Bright Haven.</b></p><p><b>When Larkspur Lee arrived in Paris, it was with nothing more than the ambition in her veins and the magic under her skin.</b></p><p>As a student of Meurdrac, one of the few remaining alchemical universities, she burns to prove herself; she must fight twice as hard - and be twice as cunning - if she wants to be considered worthy of immortality.</p><p>But after the shocking death of the university’s headmistress, the immortal Petronelle Flamel, she instead finds herself at the heart of an impossible crime - one where the only evidence whispers of Lark's past. Matters are further complicated when the mentor she crossed an ocean to escape re-enters her life, enticing her to his side once again while secretly wielding an agenda of his own.</p><p>As the mysterious investigator assigned to the case, Violaine, becomes convinced that more sinister works are responsible for the murder, Lark must wrestle with both the university's dark secrets and her own as the life she's meticulously built for herself begins to unravel.</p><p><b>And as everything around her delves into chaos, Lark has no choice but to decide if the power she desires is truly worth the price.</b></p><p><b>'A triumph of a debut.' </b>CHLOE GONG, NO. 1 <i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF <i>IMMORTAL LONGINGS</i></p><p>'<b>Deliciously dark</b>, provokingly <b>heart-wrenching</b>, with <b>teeth that cut like glass</b>.' V. L. BOVALINO, AUTHOR OF <i>THE SECOND DEATH OF LOCKE</i></p><p><i>'</i>An <b>absolutely captivating and lusciously vicious</b> tale, Jung's debut is <b>a must-read </b>for lovers of complex protagonists and dark academia fantasy.' KIERSTEN WHITE, NO. 1 <i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF<i> LUCY UNDYING</i></p><p>'This book is an intoxicating addition to the dark academia canon. <b>In a word, extraordinary</b>.' BRIGITTE KNIGHTLEY, <i>NEW YORK TIMES</i> BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF <i>THE IRRESISTIBLE URGE TO FALL FOR YOUR ENEMY</i></p><p>© Lynn D. Jung 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026</p>

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