The Animals We Became: A spellbinding Welsh mythology retelling from the author of The Wolf and His King perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon and Madeline Miller
Nov 2026 · Hachette UK
Ebook
416
Pages
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Eligible
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infoThis book will become available on November 26, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
You exist because of a crime, because of a curse, and because of a trick.
Blodeuedd never asked to be made.
Created from flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet to marry a man cursed never to have a human wife, Blodeuedd has no knowledge of the world, no family outside the marriage, and no power to choose. But a caged animal still has claws, and Blodeuedd will find a way to be free, whatever the cost.
Gwydion knows what it is to be unmade.
Haunted by the years he served in animal form as punishment for his brother's crimes, Gwydion has turned his tricks to his nephew's happiness - and the making of Blodeuedd is the greatest trick of them all. But his creation asks questions he cannot answer and drags from the depths of the forest the past he has been trying so hard to forget. Now they both must face their unmaking.
From the author of The Wolf and His King comes a spellbinding new medieval fantasy standalone retelling the story of Blodeuedd from Welsh mythology in a profound exploration of cyclical trauma and transformation. As angry as it is hopeful, this visionary novel is unmissable for readers of Katherine Arden, Madeline Miller, and Samantha Shannon.
Blodeuedd never asked to be made.
Created from flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet to marry a man cursed never to have a human wife, Blodeuedd has no knowledge of the world, no family outside the marriage, and no power to choose. But a caged animal still has claws, and Blodeuedd will find a way to be free, whatever the cost.
Gwydion knows what it is to be unmade.
Haunted by the years he served in animal form as punishment for his brother's crimes, Gwydion has turned his tricks to his nephew's happiness - and the making of Blodeuedd is the greatest trick of them all. But his creation asks questions he cannot answer and drags from the depths of the forest the past he has been trying so hard to forget. Now they both must face their unmaking.
From the author of The Wolf and His King comes a spellbinding new medieval fantasy standalone retelling the story of Blodeuedd from Welsh mythology in a profound exploration of cyclical trauma and transformation. As angry as it is hopeful, this visionary novel is unmissable for readers of Katherine Arden, Madeline Miller, and Samantha Shannon.
PRAISE FOR THE WOLF AND HIS KING
'Howlingly good' THE BOOKSELLER
'Quiet, meditative, powerful' LOCUS
'A beautiful, lyrical tale of love, betrayal and above all, yearning' SFX
'With prose that flows off the page like honey' CRISTIN WILLIAMS
'Will sink its teeth into you' V. V. JAMES
'Filled with loyalty and betrayal, dark secrets, and oh, so much yearning' KIMBERLY BEA
'Finn Longman is a master of their craft' WREN JAMES
You exist because of a crime, because of a curse, and because of a trick.
Blodeuedd never asked to be made.
Created from flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet to marry a man cursed never to have a human wife, Blodeuedd has no knowledge of the world, no family outside the marriage, and no power...
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About the author
Finn Longman is an author and medievalist. They write young adult and adult fiction, with a particular interest in genre-bending stories about identity, friendship, and monstrosity - of the metaphorical or the literal sort. Finn is currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, researching friendship and affection in the late Ulster Cycle.
Finn Longman is an author and medievalist. They write young adult and adult fiction, with a particular interest in genre-bending stories about identity, friendship, and monstrosity - of the metaphorical or the literal sort. Finn is currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, researchi...
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