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Isle of Teeth
Pub Date
Sep 29 2026
| Archive Date
Sep 29 2026
Description
For fans of FRANKENSTEIN and THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, Tessa Barbosa's ISLE OF TEETH is a poignant dark fantasy that centers on two remarkable individuals, each labelled a monster in their own right—their destinies divided by empire, their fates intertwined by Lady Death.
Lady Death always comes to collect.
Matiu Frankel joined the imperial military to escape his childhood: his father’s wretched creations, his witch-mother’s loyalty to Lady Death, and the haunting voice in his own head. With no choice in assignment, however, he returns home to Song—and to a waiting nightmare. A revenant attack waylays his mission and Matiu, being part-Songi, is accused of working with native insurgents. To remove the bounty on his head, Matiu must prove his loyalty to the Lyssian Empire by infiltrating the resistance and capturing the monster they’ve weaponized.
But Calyx is not a monster. A revenant pieced together from animals and dead Songi, yes. Abandoned by her makers to rot on the Isle of Teeth, yes. But not a monster. At least, not yet. Without medicine, Calyx and her siblings risk losing their humanity to Lady Death’s whispers.
Calyx has three weeks to find a cure. Matiu has even less time to clear his name. In their desperation to survive, they turn to each other, becoming entangled in each other’s stories—and in the larger story of empire and resistance. Amidst growing tensions and the echoing calls of the goddess of death, Matiu and Calyx’s relationship transforms into a dark fable about those who have spent their lives with a boot on their neck—and what they would sacrifice to stand tall once more.
For fans of FRANKENSTEIN and THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, Tessa Barbosa's ISLE OF TEETH is a poignant dark fantasy that centers on two remarkable individuals, each labelled a monster in their own...
Description
For fans of FRANKENSTEIN and THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, Tessa Barbosa's ISLE OF TEETH is a poignant dark fantasy that centers on two remarkable individuals, each labelled a monster in their own right—their destinies divided by empire, their fates intertwined by Lady Death.
Lady Death always comes to collect.
Matiu Frankel joined the imperial military to escape his childhood: his father’s wretched creations, his witch-mother’s loyalty to Lady Death, and the haunting voice in his own head. With no choice in assignment, however, he returns home to Song—and to a waiting nightmare. A revenant attack waylays his mission and Matiu, being part-Songi, is accused of working with native insurgents. To remove the bounty on his head, Matiu must prove his loyalty to the Lyssian Empire by infiltrating the resistance and capturing the monster they’ve weaponized.
But Calyx is not a monster. A revenant pieced together from animals and dead Songi, yes. Abandoned by her makers to rot on the Isle of Teeth, yes. But not a monster. At least, not yet. Without medicine, Calyx and her siblings risk losing their humanity to Lady Death’s whispers.
Calyx has three weeks to find a cure. Matiu has even less time to clear his name. In their desperation to survive, they turn to each other, becoming entangled in each other’s stories—and in the larger story of empire and resistance. Amidst growing tensions and the echoing calls of the goddess of death, Matiu and Calyx’s relationship transforms into a dark fable about those who have spent their lives with a boot on their neck—and what they would sacrifice to stand tall once more.
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9781668217184 |
| PRICE |
CA$19.99 (CAD)
|
| PAGES |
368
|
Available on NetGalley
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(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Available to Buy
Buy on BN.com
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*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Other Format |
| ISBN |
9781668217184 |
| PRICE |
CA$19.99 (CAD)
|
| PAGES |
368
|
Available on NetGalley
NetGalley Reader
(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Available to Buy
Buy on BN.com
Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Average rating from 1 member
Featured Reviews
Maeghan F, Reviewer
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for a chance to review this arc!
4.25✨
« You could never tell a monster from the outside. »
The isle of teeth is a dark fantasy that focusses on two older teens (17-18) that were branded as ‘monsters’… but weren’t the monsters the ones that created them?
I was immediately captivated by this story. The writing was really easy to fall for & the world was very unique. There’s a lot of focus on toxic family and how it can affect a child that was born into this. I really despised Matiu’s parents and how much they hurt him & the revenants. The parents didn’t have redemption arcs or something to soften the reader in their regards and I really appreciated that. I know some people come around but a lot of them don’t and I liked that the author didn’t shy away from that.
I also liked how the author demonstrated the feelings Matiu had when he would be confronted with loving families. He was longing for a home & the emotional aspect of it was really well done.
« Neither his mother nor father had ever been a parent to him. »
The pacing was a bit slow in the middle part & ending but it didn’t hinder my reading experience. I thought it moved fast at first, especially as the world was getting set up and I liked that. The main characters were well depicted, and so were their inner turmoils & traumas. The side characters were mostly present but they didn’t cover enough page time in my opinion, for the importance they had to the story.
This book also focusses on colonialism, genocide & cultural annihilation. With the Lyssians wanting the Songis to give up their entire cultures to ‘fit in’ with the conquerors. It’s sadly definitely reminiscent of a lot of past & present events from our world. There’s a lot of characters that share their experiences & the traumas they went through. There’s a lot of resilience in this story.
With the way the story ended, I thought it set up for a duology but I couldn’t find any information online. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or not… but if it is, it would be characterized as an open ending. I will update my review if I find more information about the continuity!
Overall, I highly recommend this. It was poignant, dark & very unique.
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Featured Reviews
Maeghan F, Reviewer
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for a chance to review this arc!
4.25✨
« You could never tell a monster from the outside. »
The isle of teeth is a dark fantasy that focusses on two older teens (17-18) that were branded as ‘monsters’… but weren’t the monsters the ones that created them?
I was immediately captivated by this story. The writing was really easy to fall for & the world was very unique. There’s a lot of focus on toxic family and how it can affect a child that was born into this. I really despised Matiu’s parents and how much they hurt him & the revenants. The parents didn’t have redemption arcs or something to soften the reader in their regards and I really appreciated that. I know some people come around but a lot of them don’t and I liked that the author didn’t shy away from that.
I also liked how the author demonstrated the feelings Matiu had when he would be confronted with loving families. He was longing for a home & the emotional aspect of it was really well done.
« Neither his mother nor father had ever been a parent to him. »
The pacing was a bit slow in the middle part & ending but it didn’t hinder my reading experience. I thought it moved fast at first, especially as the world was getting set up and I liked that. The main characters were well depicted, and so were their inner turmoils & traumas. The side characters were mostly present but they didn’t cover enough page time in my opinion, for the importance they had to the story.
This book also focusses on colonialism, genocide & cultural annihilation. With the Lyssians wanting the Songis to give up their entire cultures to ‘fit in’ with the conquerors. It’s sadly definitely reminiscent of a lot of past & present events from our world. There’s a lot of characters that share their experiences & the traumas they went through. There’s a lot of resilience in this story.
With the way the story ended, I thought it set up for a duology but I couldn’t find any information online. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or not… but if it is, it would be characterized as an open ending. I will update my review if I find more information about the continuity!
Overall, I highly recommend this. It was poignant, dark & very unique.
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
