The Locked Tomb series—Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth, and Alecto the Ninth—is an epic science fantasy that blends necromantic theory and thrilling swordplay with a wicked, sacrilegious sense of humor; a modern mix of Dune, Riddick, and Gormenghast.

Two best friends grow up together, fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. But what about the one where the girl gets friend-zoned after an awkward attempt at making a move on her best friend? That’s my story. More than a decade has passed, and while our platonic relationship somehow survived, I still cringe when I think about it. Like now. I’m supposed to be getting my hotel ready for all the guests from the St.Patrick's Day parades, but instead, I’m staring at my best friend while he repairs one of my sinks. The memory and sting of his polite rejection years ago usually helps get my head on straight, but it’s not working this time. Not when there’s been an obvious shift in the air. And definitely not when he just grabbed onto my hips, growled in my ear, and told me to run.

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore. His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing. Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.