Book description
With Anna-Marie McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread,…
Why read it?
1 author picked Dark and Deepest Red as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I loved McLemore’s retelling of “The Red Shoes” because the novel felt uniquely historical and modern due to its dual timelines, with one storyline in 1518 and the other five centuries later. Despite being so far apart, the timelines were connected by the intriguing mystery of a dancing fever.
Another element I loved is that the 1518 timeline featured a queer romance with a trans character, which you don’t see often, even in queer retellings, and added another layer of richness to the story.
I’m a fan of everything McLemore writes because of their lush prose and compelling characters, but…
From Markelle's list on queer retellings that expertly subvert expectations.
If you love Dark and Deepest Red...
On the Horizon
Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this stunning work in verse for young readers.
On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were…
Want books like Dark and Deepest Red?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Dark and Deepest Red.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,395
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Dark and Deepest Red, you might also like...
Beyond the Cemetery Gate
"A haunting YA mystery. Touching on everything from police ineptitude and community solidarity to the endless frustration of being patronized as a young person, this paranormal thriller confidently combines timely and relatable themes within a page-turning storyline." - Self-Publishing Review
"Biel's writing is fast-paced and sharp!" - author Christy Wopat
…
The Gotten
No one knew about the doorbell until the news story of the boys’ mysterious disappearance. If certain people couldn’t own the doorbell or if it rejected them, they wanted to destroy it and the boys behind it, calling it a hoax.
Ivor and Inge Borg have been tracking Astrid Sims,…
