Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
**A demon lurks at the heart of the Church in this classic fantasy of black magic set in Victorian England.** Canon Throcton is a brilliant scholar, but the men of the Church can’t bring themselves to trust him. His devoted study of Hebrew and Arabic has drawn him far from their intellectual center, and his interest in the obscure writings of the Middle East verges on heresy. Canon knows his brothers in the cathedral don’t take him seriously, but he doesn’t care. A great and terrible power hides within him, and he’ll unleash it even if it destroys the Church, the town, and everyone he holds dear. When a junior colleague is elevated above him, Canon reaches into his darkest volume of forbidden lore and tries his hand at black magic. It works better than he ever could have dreamed. His enemy is destroyed and Canon feels the tug of unimaginable power. He’s taken the first step along the road to damnation — and soon he’ll burn. *The Black Fox* is English gothic at its best, a story of weird fiction steeped in author H. F. Heard’s unparalleled knowledge of world religion.
Is The Black Fox appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
A Victorian gothic tale about a scholar who turns to black magic out of ambition and jealousy, with moderate violence, religious themes, and a protagonist's moral descent into damnation. No sexual content or strong language.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include murder, dark magic, and obsession (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teen readers who enjoy gothic horror and dark fantasy about the corrupting nature of power will be drawn to this atmospheric tale.