Will I love The Ritual?

Shantel Tessier’s The Ritual takes dark romance to its extremes.

Secret societies are always a powerful ingredient in any story, and this one inspired me, so I found it particularly interesting. But I also admired how Tessier uses transgression to build a world in which readers accept rules they would reject outside fiction, which I consider a significant literary achievement.

Much of the novel’s appeal lies in its ability to explore uncomfortable fantasies without turning its protagonists into role models. As a fellow author, I found that particularly thought-provoking.