The Works of Vermin
16 October 2025Synopsis
'An intriguing work of whimsi-grotesquerie'
OLIVIE BLAKE
He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.
Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, carved into the stump of an ancient tree. In its canopy, the pampered elite warp minds with toxic perfume; in its roots, gangs of exterminators hunt a colossal worm with an appetite for beauty.
In a complex, chaotic city, Guy Moulène has a simple goal: keep his sister out of debt. For her sake, he'll take on any job, no matter how vile.
As an exterminator, Guy hunts the uncanny pests that crawl up from the river. These vermin are all strange, and often dangerous. His latest quarry is different: a worm the size of a dragon with a deadly venom and a ravenous taste for artwork. As it digests Tiliard from the sewers to the opera houses, its toxin reshapes the future of the city. No sane person would hunt it, if they had the choice.
Guy doesn't have a choice.
'A lush and seductive story, rife with opulent horror and decaying decadence'
SUNYI DEAN
Details
16 October 2025
9781529073683Reviews
Hiron Ennes is a visionary creative who writes like no one else – their imagination is vibrant and seemingly dauntless. The Works of Vermin is an intriguing work of whimsi-grotesquerie that’s got it all: political intrigue, Wharton-esque manners, infectious disease, mysterious revenge and, of course, toxic bugsOlivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
A lush and seductive story, rife with opulent horror and decaying decadenceSunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters
Tiliard is a wonderfully gooey, oozy, rotting mess of a city, full of gnawing vermin and weaponized perfume, and the story of its revolution is a squicky blast. Fans of Max Gladstone or Seth Dickinson will love this oneDjango Wexler, author of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
In the space of two novels, Hiron Ennes has become one of the very few inhabitants of my Read-On-Sight list. The Works of Vermin isn’t for everyone; those in thrall to YA might run screaming from the room, and good riddance. But if you’re a fan of Mervyn Peake, Gene Wolfe, China Miéville – mammal, have I got a book for you. A book to be not so much read as wallowed and rolled around inPeter Watts, author of Blindsight and Echopraxia
