A wholly original Southern gothic unlike anything I've ever read! I love the Southern gothic subgenre; I'm even writing my own! So I truly enjoyed Royce's take and her worldbuilding. I write Southern gothic work rooted in North Carolina, so it was refreshing to read a novella set in South Carolina, a place I'm not too familiar with. Royce drops her readers straight into the world and its magic with little explanation; she does not seem like the type of writer to hold your hand, and while it was a little disorientating, it was fun. Phee was such a strong character, and I loved seeing her discover the concept of choice. This book is mired in the consequences of choices made and choices regretted, and it colors everything the characters go through. It literally shapes the world around Phee. I'm excited to see more of Royce's adult work; I loved this novella!

4.5 Stars rounded up.

The ability to deliver such an emotionally rich and layered story in so few pages truly amazes me—and Eden does just that in Psychopomp & Circumstance.

We’re introduced to Phee, the daughter of a rum tycoon, living in a newly reconstructed Charleston, South Carolina. Phee isn’t exactly meeting her family’s expectations—mainly, settling down with a suitable husband. When her favorite aunt passes away, Phee is asked to serve as the “pomp,” meaning she’s now solely responsible for her aunt’s homegoing service. The catch? If she doesn’t do it right, she could face jail time. On top of that, her aunt was long ago ostracized from the family, making this request feel even more complicated and unexpected.

From there, we follow Phee as she navigates her grief, family expectations, and a few magical surprises on her journey to honor her aunt. What stood out most to me was the beautiful attention paid to the tradition of homegoing services in Black culture. The question “*Who did the body?*” carries so much weight in our communities, and Eden weaves its importance seamlessly into the story’s core.

Some favorite quotes that stuck with me:

* “Choice. It came down to that in the end, really. The choices we make, the chances we have. Some of us have too little in order to make a life. Others have so much and still... still.”
* “Words of reflection on a life lost, one Phee had never truly gotten to know, and now the library of knowledge, of stories, of her aunt’s own personal tale of survival and triumph was closed forever.”
* “What are you going to say when people ask who did the body?”

The magical elements and the hints of Reconstruction-era history were a joy to read—I NEED more from this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. If you’re a fan of Southern Gothic tales steeped in cultural tradition and a touch of the supernatural, don’t miss this one.

I really enjoyed reading about Phee and her journey learning to take a stand for herself and taking care of the funeral service for her Aunt Cleo. I found the mystery of why her mom and aunt were estranged engaging and the overall world building and what seemed like a budding romance well done. However I do wish the book was just a handful of pages longer with a few more answers, like why are people sent to jail if they don't do a pomp properly (and how is that linked to the magical elements), or what the broader world around Phee looked like.

I definitely plan to read more from Eden Royce (as I LOVED The Creepening of Dogwood House) both her adult and kid's works.

This was an atmospheric read and I really enjoyed the storytelling. It drew me in and it felt so vivid and real. I don't feel like this was horror, but it did have a smidge of paranormal/fantasy elements. Phee has decided to take on the task of planning her aunt's funeral, after her mother refuses. What happens next, is an interesting journey with an array of characters. I'm very intrigued with Cross' character. There are so many ways the author can dive back into this world, and I truly hope she does. Because I’m not ready to say goodbye.

A very special thanks to Tordotcom + Netgalley for the gifted copy.

Royce is a wonderful author. Her prose were atmospheric and dreamy and really set the tone of the novel more than even the words on the page did. Every time I picked this up I was transformed into a reconstruction era patron. I felt like I lived in horizon.

Was this horror? No. I struggle to even call it paranormal or fantasy because so much of those elements were left up to the reader. I’m sad this was so short. I feel like there was so much more we could’ve done in this world.

I need a sequel where Cross and Phee get together.

In this story about self-discovery and some magic, Phee takes control of her path which is sometimes hard in a situation and family such as Pfee's. With a lot of great ideas to get what she wants done and to happen. I loved how the author portrayed everything. Beautiful and short Thank you, Tor Publishing and NetGalley for this Advanced copy in exchange for my honest review releases 10/21/2025

This was such a beautiful read. The world building and character building were both done so so well, especially when you consider the length of the book. I'll definitely be checking out more of Eden Royce's work in the future!

This is a glorious adult debut that more than lives up to not only Eden Royce's amazing children's/middle grade novels, but also that absolutely gorgeous cover! It's excellent, incisive horror and truly immersive historical fiction at the same time, all (somehow) in the short span of a novella.

4.5 stars


The atmosphere is ✨IMMACULATE✨

When Phaedra (Phee) unexpectedly loses her estranged aunt, she decides to step up and pomp for her when her family refuses. The short narrative is set in a high fantasy magical version of the Reconstruction Era, and, honestly, it feels like a beautiful introduction to a much more complex story than what is served in this 160 or so pages.

It absolutely left me feeling robbed of knowing more about magic system of the world, more about Phee, and more about where the story will lead.

I recommend this to people who love atmospheric storytelling and a glimpse into a pivotal moment of a characters life, but definitely prepare yourself to feel like you’ve only gotten the teaser trailer of a greater story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and TorDotCom for an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very quiet, aristocratic horror - excellent slow build on the brink of painful but does it deliver. Little tidbits of paranormal, touch of horror, ancestry, identity, independence.
I loved the complexity of gender - a young woman's limited choices, marriage options to cruel men, lack of independence.
Phee pushes back - creating her best future.

Imgur link goes to instagram graphic scheduled for Oct 20th
Blog post goes live October 14th
Will be covered in Friday Reads on May 9th
Amazon and B&N reviews will be posted when available


**TL;DR**: The vibes and the emotion of this were fantastic.
**Source**: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher!

**Plot**: Phee, attempting to find her own life and freedom, takes up the task of planning her Aunt’s funeral.
**Characters**: They were varied and interesting, almost lacking in how much I wanted more though.
**Setting:** A lovely small town. It felt like there was so much more we could have had. Not to mention the house itself.
**Fantasy:** The fantasy was so light, but I wanted SO much more if.

**Thoughts**:

My only complaint about Psychopomp & Circumstance is one I don’t often have about short work. I am usually quite satisfied with shorter stories, novellas. Yet here we are, and I wish we had so much more than what we were given.

The characters have a great start here! You can see the beginnings of what would be fantastic characters. We see Phee grow, meet fascinating other members of the community, and it shows so much potential. Yet we’re left wanting more, and to see where her life goes.

I also loved the setting and the magic. It was never explained, simply accepted in this Reconstruction era world that magic exists. Spirits roam, and the sea comes to talk. I need more.

So for this one I am left but pleased but wanting. Is there going to be another book in this world? I certainly hope so. Do I recommend reading this one - of course. But go in knowing it’s going to leave you a bit wanting.

Eden Royce leans into settings as well, whether it’s the Lowcountry of her middle-grade debut, Root Magic, or the mansions of New Charleston’s elite in her adult fiction debut, Psychopomp and Circumstance (out in October). The historical fantasy leans into a Southern Gothic atmosphere, as Phee, a woman who wants nothing more than to live her own life by aging out of the marriage market, takes on the role of pomp for her outcast aunt’s funeral. That means traveling to her aunt’s home and discovering the secrets that linger between life and death. “I often write about mystery and magic interacting in a real-world setting without exact and definitive explanation as to why it’s occurring,” she told Paste. “That may come from my love of folklore, fairy tales, and my people’s storytelling traditions, and doesn’t change from adult to kids.”


Though her adult work uses more literary devices, Royce is also very conscious of never dumbing down her work for middle graders. “Kids are pretty savvy about a lot of topics that adults don’t always give them credit for,” she says.

She went to bat for young readers with Root Magic after being told that the publisher didn’t use dialect in middle-grade novels. “I said that the book didn’t work without the Gullah and Geechee language and speech patterns,” Royce explained. “Thankfully, my editor took it upon himself to read up on the history of creolized languages and told me that he would trust me on this aspect of the book, and I’m glad he did. The reception for Root Magic broke down a lot of barriers to creolized language use in books for younger readers, and I’m delighted to see that.”

This book has kind of a mystical vibe, and I love that. Phee, the FMC, performs a labor of love by agreeing to perform the homegoing or pomp for her recently deceased aunt that has long been estranged from her family. For everything this book was trying to do, I felt it was too short. I wish there had been more world building and more magic system background.
3.5 stars

This book started a little slow for me but picked up half way through. It focuses on self discovery. Phee’s mother is focused on her daughter getting married which is different from what Phee wants for her own life. Phee wants to work and not be told what to do, when her aunt dies, Phee decides she will plan the funeral. Partly because her mother refused and then partly because she wants to get away. While planning, Phee is able to determine what makes her happy and what path is best for her. Overall the book was okay. I give it 3.5