Cover Reveal: Rooted by Leopoldo Goût

Blurb

Author of Piñata, Leopoldo Goût’s latest horror novel Rooted is a “a blood reckoning” (Marlon James) where one woman’s return to Mexico City digs away the layers of her forgotten past and the Aztec gods she awakened.

There’s nothing wrong with Aurora.

A successful art lawyer, she has returned to Mexico to celebrate a recent campaign for the repatriation of stolen artifacts—in particular a mysterious statue of an Aztec god, The Flayed One.

But Mexico City isn’t as she remembered. Nothing is. Elements of her past hint at darkness and power, and reality begins to crack and warp the streets.

There’s nothing wrong with Aurora.

As Aurora’s sanity unravels, she must pry apart her family’s secrets and accept the simplest of truths: The Flayed One cannot stay buried.

“It wields all the destructive fury of a flayed god determined to avenge centuries’ worth of colonial devastation and greed..”–Cynthia Gómez, Ignyte-nominated author of Muñeca

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Praise for Rooted:

“Rooted is a horror novel, so here be monsters. But it’s also a blood reckoning with an unspeakable past, where evil is all too human, and the most powerful demons are behind or inside you. It’s about the indestructible bond of family through generations— even as family does the destroying. A canticle of love, hate and magic,Rooted is ultimately about the hope of the entire world resting in the hands of a woman whose same bloodline damned it in the first place. Dazzling.”—Marlon James, author of Black Leopard Red Wolf

“Opens with wonderfully, indelibly grotesque imagery, and then howls its way towards a deeply satisfying conclusion. Along its bloody path, the story soars through a cracking, rapidly crumbling Mexico City; along the drying canals of Xochimilco; and through the deeply broken heart of a family willing to protect their loved ones, no matter the cost; it wields all the destructive fury of a flayed god determined to avenge centuries’ worth of colonial devastation and greed. Rooted had me dreaming of glowing things beneath my skin.”–Cynthia Gómez, Ignyte-nominated author of The Nightmare Box and Other Stories and Muñeca

Praise for Pińata:

“Goût puts a unique twist on a classic possession story by incorporating Indigenous Mexican lore into the gory plot.” —Publishers Weekly

“With Piñata, Leopoldo Goût reminds us how Pre-Columbian Mexican magic is still present, and the only thing we have to do is to listen and tune into that frequency. Piñata is a magnificent novel and dances in a very original and Mexican way alongside the greats such as Stephen King or Let the Right OneIn by John Ajvide Lindqvist.” —Carlos Bardem, author of Badaq and Mongo Blanco

“Piñata is a fast-paced horror story that draws on history to give it a depth and sense of scale that similar stories often lack. And by incorporating real-world violence into the plot, Goût elevates the novel into something much more than it needs to be to succeed as a possession story.” —The Los Angeles Review of Books

“Goût succeeds in presenting a thought-provoking, violent, and immersive revenge-horror story and excels in restoring the rich history of an erased people.” —Library Journal

“This creepy, fast-paced read brings a fresh voice to horror…. Fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, and V Castro will devour this bloody tale of vengeful spirits and the dark legacy of colonialism.” —Booklist

“Piñata is a slow-burning story of corruption and cosmic revenge that makes a nice alternative to same old same old scuffles with crosses and holy water.”—Esquire

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About the Author

Leopoldo Goût is a multidisciplinary artist, internationally published author, and Emmy-nominated producer. Born in Mexico City and trained at London’s renowned Central Saint Martins School of Art, Goût is known for blending memory, cultural legacy, and speculative visions of the future in his deeply personal and globally resonant works. His critically acclaimed novels include the Genius trilogy, Ghost Radio, Monarca, and Piñata, which was named one of Esquire’s Top 10 Horror Novels of 2023.