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Psychopomp & Circumstance
Ignyte and Mythopoeic Award-winning author Eden Royce pens a Southern Gothic historical fantasy story of a contentious funeral in her adult fiction debut.
Phee St. Margaret is a daughter of the Reconstruction, born to a family of free Black business owners in New Charleston. Coddled to within an inch of her life by a mother who refuses to let her daughter live a life other than the one she dictates, Phee yearns to demonstrate she's capable of more than simply marrying well.
When word arrives that her Aunt Cleo, long estranged from the family, has passed away, Phee risks her mother's wrath to step up and accept the role of pomp―the highly honored duty of planning the funeral service. Traveling alone to the town of Horizon and her aunt's unsettling home, Phee soon discovers that visions and shadows beckon from every reflective surface, and that some secrets transcend the borders of life and death.
Phee St. Margaret is a daughter of the Reconstruction, born to a family of free Black business owners in New Charleston. Coddled to within an inch of her life by a mother who refuses to let her daughter live a life other than the one she dictates, Phee yearns to demonstrate she's capable of more than simply marrying well.
When word arrives that her Aunt Cleo, long estranged from the family, has passed away, Phee risks her mother's wrath to step up and accept the role of pomp―the highly honored duty of planning the funeral service. Traveling alone to the town of Horizon and her aunt's unsettling home, Phee soon discovers that visions and shadows beckon from every reflective surface, and that some secrets transcend the borders of life and death.
163 pages, Hardcover
First published October 21, 2025
47 people are currently reading
8009 people want to read
About the author
Eden Royce
59 books372 followersEden Royce is a writer from Charleston, South Carolina now living in Southeast England. She’s a Shirley Jackson Award winner and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for her adult fiction, which has appeared in a variety of print and online publications.
Her books for young readers have received Walter Dean Myers Award Honors, and been recognized as a Bram Stoker Award winner, an Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, an Ignyte Award winner, and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner for outstanding children’s literature.
Find her on social media via her LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/edenroyce.
Sign up for her newsletter: https://edenroyce.eo.page/sbtyt
Her books for young readers have received Walter Dean Myers Award Honors, and been recognized as a Bram Stoker Award winner, an Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, an Ignyte Award winner, and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner for outstanding children’s literature.
Find her on social media via her LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/edenroyce.
Sign up for her newsletter: https://edenroyce.eo.page/sbtyt
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
August 21, 2025
This is a really strong novella. I’d give it 4.25/5 stars. I would love a full novel set in this world and in New Charleston.
From the name and description, I thought this would focus more on the actual planning and execution of the funeral for her aunt. However, this is more about Phee’s journey. Her journey with stepping out from under her parents, standing strong for her aunt, to honor her memory, all the while learning who she was and the life she led. Phee is also confronting uncomfortable truths about herself and her family.
Although this is speculative, I related so much to Phee’s relationship with her family, how scary it is to step out in your own, but the joy that comes with it.
I would have liked more about the town she was in, the townspeople, and the funeral planning services because it sounded really cool. But, that wasn’t the focus of this novella. It also wasn’t as spooky as I thought it would be—it was a little bit— but I thought it would be creepier. Still highly recommend it.
From the name and description, I thought this would focus more on the actual planning and execution of the funeral for her aunt. However, this is more about Phee’s journey. Her journey with stepping out from under her parents, standing strong for her aunt, to honor her memory, all the while learning who she was and the life she led. Phee is also confronting uncomfortable truths about herself and her family.
Although this is speculative, I related so much to Phee’s relationship with her family, how scary it is to step out in your own, but the joy that comes with it.
I would have liked more about the town she was in, the townspeople, and the funeral planning services because it sounded really cool. But, that wasn’t the focus of this novella. It also wasn’t as spooky as I thought it would be—it was a little bit— but I thought it would be creepier. Still highly recommend it.
October 27, 2025
Title/Author: Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce
Format Read: eBook purchased at Bookshop.org
Pub date: October 21st, 2025
Publisher: Tordotcom
Page Count: 176 (eBook was 160)
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125033...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Historical fiction/Gaslamp fantasy (post-Restoration era 1863-1877) "New Charleston"
- Tea books! (lots of tea drinking)
- Southern Gothic
- Death, funerals, burial rites & rituals, family
- Coming-of-age and coming-into-power
- Strong FMCs
__
Minor complaints:
- I wanted more descriptions of the setting--I wanted to *see* New Charleston and Horizon
- I think the psychopomp rituals and rites needed a bit more story time
Final recommendation: I love the main character, Phee St. Margaret. Her mother stifles and suffocates any kind of independence or agency so when the opportunity arises for her to lead the funeral preparations for a beloved aunt, Phee jumps at the chance to take on this extraordinary task. Phee meets a lot of interesting characters along the way. This is a novella, so our time with these characters is brief but lingers long enough to get a sense of why they're on the page. My favorite scenes are the ones where Phee is exploring her aunt's house and there is a pervasive sense of dread and mystery.
Mood, Aesthetics, and character-development are definitely at the forefront of this short work of art. I would love to read a longer novel in this universe with Phee--I hope Eden Royce explores this character further, especially given the ending...it felt like a beginning
Comps:
Psychopomp book: Vermillion by Molly Tanzer
This book gave me, Creatures of Rot & Ruin, vibes by Molly Tanzer
Other Gaslamp fantasy books: The Night Circus, Soulless, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Format Read: eBook purchased at Bookshop.org
Pub date: October 21st, 2025
Publisher: Tordotcom
Page Count: 176 (eBook was 160)
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125033...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Historical fiction/Gaslamp fantasy (post-Restoration era 1863-1877) "New Charleston"
- Tea books! (lots of tea drinking)
- Southern Gothic
- Death, funerals, burial rites & rituals, family
- Coming-of-age and coming-into-power
- Strong FMCs
__
Minor complaints:
- I wanted more descriptions of the setting--I wanted to *see* New Charleston and Horizon
- I think the psychopomp rituals and rites needed a bit more story time
Final recommendation: I love the main character, Phee St. Margaret. Her mother stifles and suffocates any kind of independence or agency so when the opportunity arises for her to lead the funeral preparations for a beloved aunt, Phee jumps at the chance to take on this extraordinary task. Phee meets a lot of interesting characters along the way. This is a novella, so our time with these characters is brief but lingers long enough to get a sense of why they're on the page. My favorite scenes are the ones where Phee is exploring her aunt's house and there is a pervasive sense of dread and mystery.
Mood, Aesthetics, and character-development are definitely at the forefront of this short work of art. I would love to read a longer novel in this universe with Phee--I hope Eden Royce explores this character further, especially given the ending...it felt like a beginning
Comps:
Psychopomp book: Vermillion by Molly Tanzer
This book gave me, Creatures of Rot & Ruin, vibes by Molly Tanzer
Other Gaslamp fantasy books: The Night Circus, Soulless, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
October 25, 2025
Psychopomp & Circumstance is a fantastic horror novella that see myself recommending to a lot of people. It's more spooky than scary for the most part, but it deals with grief in such an insightful way, while also weaving together a fascinating world and incredible atmosphere.
Set in a magical version of the Reconstruction-Era American South, it follows Phee, a young Black woman whose aunt has died unexpectedly. The aunt had been estranged from Phee's mother but against her mothers wishes she volunteers for the important duty of organizing the funeral service. She travels to her aunt's somewhat haunted home and begins the process, all the while dealing with spooky happenings and processing her own grief and sense of guilt. Truly what this book acomplishes in so few pages is impressive. It drew me in immediately with the story and didn't let me go. Highly recommend this one! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Set in a magical version of the Reconstruction-Era American South, it follows Phee, a young Black woman whose aunt has died unexpectedly. The aunt had been estranged from Phee's mother but against her mothers wishes she volunteers for the important duty of organizing the funeral service. She travels to her aunt's somewhat haunted home and begins the process, all the while dealing with spooky happenings and processing her own grief and sense of guilt. Truly what this book acomplishes in so few pages is impressive. It drew me in immediately with the story and didn't let me go. Highly recommend this one! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
November 9, 2025
Eden Royce’s debut novel for adults will test the patience of adult readers. Psychopomp and Circumstance is a fantasy novella that takes 150 pages to circle around 50 pages worth of ideas. To quote a distraught Milhouse Van Houten: “When are they gonna get to the fireworks factory (pomp)???”
Newly 21, Phee St. Margaret is tasked with preparing a pomp (a homegoing or funeral ritual) for her estranged Aunt Cleo, a woman who founded a town of freedpeople outside of "New Charleston" during the American Reconstruction era.
Phee spends the majority of this book berating herself about not having visited her aunt and agonizing about whether or not she can handle organizing the pomp. Royce shares only the thinnest sketch of what is included in this enormous task, so we have little understanding of what Phee is being asked to accomplish. Reading this story feels like half-listening to a coworker dithering about filing paperwork for a project you’re not involved in. When Phee is not reiterating and reiterating how guilty and challenged she feels, she is observing objects in her aunt's house.
Magical creatures are inserted into otherwise ordinary sentences like the author used “find and replace” in Microsoft Word. A carriage doesn’t have horses, it has hippocampi (horses with fins). Messages don’t arrive by pigeon, but by tyefrin (talking birds). We find out late in the game that some people can turn into animals.
Magic use is inconsistent and seems unnatural even to the characters. When experiencing a strange illusion after looking into her aunt’s mirror, Phee thinks the incident must be “her imagination”. Wouldn't someone in this world assume the mirror is a magical object like many other items in the house?
Behaving like a confused outsider is a hallmark trait of characters in young adult novels. Phee repetitively asks herself questions in a style that you usually see in YA, e.g.: Surely, she only imagined the door with no opening? Does the door with no opening exist? Is this mysterious key for the door with no opening? Etc. Royce does not trust her adult readers to follow the story without telling us what’s happening over and over again, and making sure all her character’s worries are underlined and repeated multiple times.
Psychopomp and Circumstance is not a Civil War story as it takes place in the Reconstruction era and references the end of slavery, but the addition of magic makes me wonder how it affected historical events as we know them. Spells exist, and are used to curse candy. Presumably they do other things. Spirits appear for the purpose of delivering closure to loved ones. Phee doesn't think about magic use in her life unless an object or creature is in front of her to describe to readers.
Did American history play out the same except it happened with spells and spirits and such? We will never know. So many questions to repeat (over and over and over).
Newly 21, Phee St. Margaret is tasked with preparing a pomp (a homegoing or funeral ritual) for her estranged Aunt Cleo, a woman who founded a town of freedpeople outside of "New Charleston" during the American Reconstruction era.
Phee spends the majority of this book berating herself about not having visited her aunt and agonizing about whether or not she can handle organizing the pomp. Royce shares only the thinnest sketch of what is included in this enormous task, so we have little understanding of what Phee is being asked to accomplish. Reading this story feels like half-listening to a coworker dithering about filing paperwork for a project you’re not involved in. When Phee is not reiterating and reiterating how guilty and challenged she feels, she is observing objects in her aunt's house.
Magical creatures are inserted into otherwise ordinary sentences like the author used “find and replace” in Microsoft Word. A carriage doesn’t have horses, it has hippocampi (horses with fins). Messages don’t arrive by pigeon, but by tyefrin (talking birds). We find out late in the game that some people can turn into animals.
Magic use is inconsistent and seems unnatural even to the characters. When experiencing a strange illusion after looking into her aunt’s mirror, Phee thinks the incident must be “her imagination”. Wouldn't someone in this world assume the mirror is a magical object like many other items in the house?
Behaving like a confused outsider is a hallmark trait of characters in young adult novels. Phee repetitively asks herself questions in a style that you usually see in YA, e.g.: Surely, she only imagined the door with no opening? Does the door with no opening exist? Is this mysterious key for the door with no opening? Etc. Royce does not trust her adult readers to follow the story without telling us what’s happening over and over again, and making sure all her character’s worries are underlined and repeated multiple times.
Psychopomp and Circumstance is not a Civil War story as it takes place in the Reconstruction era and references the end of slavery, but the addition of magic makes me wonder how it affected historical events as we know them. Spells exist, and are used to curse candy. Presumably they do other things. Spirits appear for the purpose of delivering closure to loved ones. Phee doesn't think about magic use in her life unless an object or creature is in front of her to describe to readers.
Did American history play out the same except it happened with spells and spirits and such? We will never know. So many questions to repeat (over and over and over).
October 17, 2025
3.5⭐️
Thank you @tordotcompub for the complimentary review copy ♡
This is a quickie little novella that drew me in from the first chapter, which felt a like a southern ball, regency-reconstruction era reimagined.
Phee (Phaedra St. Margaret) is 21 and unmarried to her family’s chagrin, but she wants more from life than becoming someone’s wife. No one in her family seems to see her, maybe other than her estranged Aunt Cleo.
When said aunt dies, Phee volunteers to perform her homegoing, to lay her spirit to rest. The second half was a little flatter, and I wanted a bit more from the plot.
Because of its length, certain things couldn’t be fully fleshed out. Such as how one puts a hex into a piece of peanut brittle, or the backstories of the many characters we meet in Horizon.
However, beautiful writing, can’t wait to discuss with my buddy reading group, and will look forward to whatever @edenroycebooks writes next.
Thank you @tordotcompub for the complimentary review copy ♡
This is a quickie little novella that drew me in from the first chapter, which felt a like a southern ball, regency-reconstruction era reimagined.
Phee (Phaedra St. Margaret) is 21 and unmarried to her family’s chagrin, but she wants more from life than becoming someone’s wife. No one in her family seems to see her, maybe other than her estranged Aunt Cleo.
When said aunt dies, Phee volunteers to perform her homegoing, to lay her spirit to rest. The second half was a little flatter, and I wanted a bit more from the plot.
Because of its length, certain things couldn’t be fully fleshed out. Such as how one puts a hex into a piece of peanut brittle, or the backstories of the many characters we meet in Horizon.
However, beautiful writing, can’t wait to discuss with my buddy reading group, and will look forward to whatever @edenroycebooks writes next.
August 19, 2024
The business of psychopomps is tricky, but it's trickier when it's a family business. Royce digs into the mire of the Reconstruction Era to spin supernatural intrigue like you've never read. This book is fresh and raw.
October 19, 2025
This novella, set in the post-US Civil War Reconstruction era, takes the reader into a story about loss, betrayal, and most, importantly, agency to make choices for ourselves and to believe in our instincts and intuition to forge our path.
The main character, 21-year-old Phee, was interesting and I would enjoy reading a full novel about her, her parents, and her recently deceased aunt.
This is billed as a horror read but it was not. It did have paranormal and fantasy aspects which added to the story. It was not scary or creepy which made this a great choice for me (and other non-gore, non-scary book lovers).
Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
The main character, 21-year-old Phee, was interesting and I would enjoy reading a full novel about her, her parents, and her recently deceased aunt.
This is billed as a horror read but it was not. It did have paranormal and fantasy aspects which added to the story. It was not scary or creepy which made this a great choice for me (and other non-gore, non-scary book lovers).
Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
October 24, 2025
lowkey living the dream (no husband, inherits house ???)
July 1, 2025
Royce is a wonderful author. Her prose were atmospheric and dreamy and really set the tone of the novel more than even the words on the page did. Every time I picked this up I was transformed into a reconstruction era patron. I felt like I lived in horizon.
Was this horror? No. I struggle to even call it paranormal or fantasy because so much of those elements were left up to the reader. I’m sad this was so short. I feel like there was so much more we could’ve done in this world.
I need a sequel where Cross and Phee get together.
Was this horror? No. I struggle to even call it paranormal or fantasy because so much of those elements were left up to the reader. I’m sad this was so short. I feel like there was so much more we could’ve done in this world.
I need a sequel where Cross and Phee get together.
October 21, 2025
This book was a struggle for me to get through.
It is a combination of historical fiction and fantasy that was clever in theory, but the execution left a lot to be desired. It takes place during reconstruction after the Civil War, but with magical creatures that I had never heard of, and were not really brought to life for me with much explanation of what they are. I did not expect this from the synopsis, and it was an unwelcome surprise.
Phee has never been allowed to do much of anything without her mother's overbearing presence, so such a complicated undertaking as what they call a homecoming is a huge deal for her.
So much of this book is Phee's repetitive thought process as she worries over whether she is up to the task of planning and executing a funeral worthy of Aunt Cleo, a woman she loved dearly but who had been ostracized from the family. There is also her guilt over not having visited her when she was alive. I mean, I get it. Don't keep telling me. In such a short novel, it is best to just get on with it rather than repeat the same things.
Then there is Aunt Cleo's house, which I was expecting to be spookier, and the writing style that I did not find appealing.
You may enjoy it more than I did, but this book was not for me.
My thanks to Tordotcom for the finished copy.
It is a combination of historical fiction and fantasy that was clever in theory, but the execution left a lot to be desired. It takes place during reconstruction after the Civil War, but with magical creatures that I had never heard of, and were not really brought to life for me with much explanation of what they are. I did not expect this from the synopsis, and it was an unwelcome surprise.
Phee has never been allowed to do much of anything without her mother's overbearing presence, so such a complicated undertaking as what they call a homecoming is a huge deal for her.
So much of this book is Phee's repetitive thought process as she worries over whether she is up to the task of planning and executing a funeral worthy of Aunt Cleo, a woman she loved dearly but who had been ostracized from the family. There is also her guilt over not having visited her when she was alive. I mean, I get it. Don't keep telling me. In such a short novel, it is best to just get on with it rather than repeat the same things.
Then there is Aunt Cleo's house, which I was expecting to be spookier, and the writing style that I did not find appealing.
You may enjoy it more than I did, but this book was not for me.
My thanks to Tordotcom for the finished copy.
September 10, 2025
Really my only and chief complaint is that this novella could have easily been longer. Eden Royce has built a rich world full of gothic magic and dark lore in such a short number of pages. I wanted to know more about every concept introduced. I hope we get a second book set in the same world.
The vibes are spot on :
- southern gothic
- funerals, bearing the deceased
- Magic, conjuring, otherworldly beings
- ghosts and haunting
- coming of age
- dark side characters
- family secrets
- delightful food descriptions, cozy tea, and spirits
- dust when there should be dust, damp when there should be dampness
- a spooky September mood
I can’t wait to see what this author writes next because I am sure to pick up anything she writes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy. This is sure to be a fave read of mine for this year.
The vibes are spot on :
- southern gothic
- funerals, bearing the deceased
- Magic, conjuring, otherworldly beings
- ghosts and haunting
- coming of age
- dark side characters
- family secrets
- delightful food descriptions, cozy tea, and spirits
- dust when there should be dust, damp when there should be dampness
- a spooky September mood
I can’t wait to see what this author writes next because I am sure to pick up anything she writes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy. This is sure to be a fave read of mine for this year.
November 1, 2025
“all good daughters were raised on fear.”
phee aspires to more than her mother’s idea of marrying well. when her estranged aunt unexpectedly passes away, she accepts the role of “pomp”—the person who plans a loved one’s funeral service—and travels to her aunt’s unfamiliar town to honor her memory. set in a fantastical version of the reconstruction-era south, psychopomp & circumstance is a coming-of-age novella about grief, guilt, and agency.
i requested an ARC on a whim and i am so glad i did. i devoured it in two sittings and i would have gladly read a 400 page novel set in this world. i will say that i wouldn’t personally consider this horror. it’s a lovely and at times haunting historical fantasy, but not horror. there’s also less focus on funeral planning than i expected; the heart of psychopomp & circumstance is phee and her journeys, both the physical journey from new charleston to horizon and her internal journey. i love how royce handled themes of family ties and independence, and the romantic subplot was chef’s kiss. i’m rooting for those two.
i received an ARC from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 4.0/5.0 stars
October 30, 2025
Jane Eyre but post-reconstruction magical south???? Sign me up
May 5, 2025
TL;DR: The vibes and the emotion of this were fantastic.
Source: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher!
Plot: Phee, attempting to find her own life and freedom, takes up the task of planning her Aunt’s funeral.
Characters: They were varied and interesting, almost lacking in how much I wanted more though.
Setting: A lovely small town. It felt like there was so much more we could have had. Not to mention the house itself.
Fantasy: The fantasy was so light, but I wanted SO much more if.
Thoughts:
My only complaint about Psychopomp & Circumstance is one I don’t often have about short work. I am usually quite satisfied with shorter stories, novellas. Yet here we are, and I wish we had so much more than what we were given.
The characters have a great start here! You can see the beginnings of what would be fantastic characters. We see Phee grow, meet fascinating other members of the community, and it shows so much potential. Yet we’re left wanting more, and to see where her life goes.
I also loved the setting and the magic. It was never explained, simply accepted in this Reconstruction era world that magic exists. Spirits roam, and the sea comes to talk. I need more.
So for this one I am left but pleased but wanting. Is there going to be another book in this world? I certainly hope so. Do I recommend reading this one - of course. But go in knowing it’s going to leave you a bit wanting.
Source: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher!
Plot: Phee, attempting to find her own life and freedom, takes up the task of planning her Aunt’s funeral.
Characters: They were varied and interesting, almost lacking in how much I wanted more though.
Setting: A lovely small town. It felt like there was so much more we could have had. Not to mention the house itself.
Fantasy: The fantasy was so light, but I wanted SO much more if.
Thoughts:
My only complaint about Psychopomp & Circumstance is one I don’t often have about short work. I am usually quite satisfied with shorter stories, novellas. Yet here we are, and I wish we had so much more than what we were given.
The characters have a great start here! You can see the beginnings of what would be fantastic characters. We see Phee grow, meet fascinating other members of the community, and it shows so much potential. Yet we’re left wanting more, and to see where her life goes.
I also loved the setting and the magic. It was never explained, simply accepted in this Reconstruction era world that magic exists. Spirits roam, and the sea comes to talk. I need more.
So for this one I am left but pleased but wanting. Is there going to be another book in this world? I certainly hope so. Do I recommend reading this one - of course. But go in knowing it’s going to leave you a bit wanting.
July 24, 2025
The amount of world building and character development Eden Royce managed to do in under 200 pages is genuinely magic. This was such a beautiful read!
September 30, 2025
Thank you @torbooks for this beautiful little book! Obsessed with the gorgeous cover and all the vibes it brings. This is a short novella that packs quite a punch. This is truly a coming-of-age story for Phee, our MC. She learns a lot in the few pages about standing up for oneself, the exploration of grief and righting of past wrongs.
This takes place in the Reconstruction era, and I think Royce could write a full-length novel about the town of New Charleston in and of itself. It was fascinating. This is full of gothic fantasy and a bit of magic. Perfect for someone wanting to celebrate spooky season without getting scared.
This takes place in the Reconstruction era, and I think Royce could write a full-length novel about the town of New Charleston in and of itself. It was fascinating. This is full of gothic fantasy and a bit of magic. Perfect for someone wanting to celebrate spooky season without getting scared.
November 22, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ It’s 1867, the Reconstruction period in our country, and thousands of the newly freed are in search of family, opportunities, or a place where they can feel safe. There are also many Black people who are doing well. They are businessmen, politicians, educators and others who are in the position to push our race forward and help those who need it. Phaedra, the main character in this story, belongs to the second group and has taken on the responsibility to pomp her recently deceased aunt. To pomp the deceased is a very important role. The failure to do it well could result in imprisonment. There’s a bit of family drama, some fantasy and spookiness, a romance, and a coming-of-age tale mixed together to make this novella an enjoyable read.
Bonus: The cover is beautiful.
Bonus: The cover is beautiful.
December 20, 2025
Omg, Eden! Review coming.
January 1, 2026
4.5 stars
December 10, 2025
Very good, but the ending was a bit abrupt. 5 ⭐
July 29, 2025
What a fascinating look into a young woman gaining independence for the first time and using it to get to know one of her loved ones who has passed. This was a quick read but one with a matching pace. It was lean and did not dawdle in its storytelling. The supernatural element was very interesting as well. I definitely plan to read more by this author.
November 11, 2025
I adored this story of a young woman who plans the funeral for her estranged aunt.
When word arrives in Reconstruction New Charleston at the home of the well-off St. Margaret family that her aunt Cleo has died, Phaedra “Phee” St. Margaret decides she will fulfill the role of pomp for her beloved aunt. Being pomp involves planning the entire service, from choosing the appropriate funeral director, choosing the clothing for the deceased, but also arranging the songs and anything else the deceased wanted to send them off.
Phee's mother Madelyn is opposed, as she cut Cleo out of the family, and Madelyn wants Phee to set her mind to marriage, specifically to Desmond, an eligible bachelor in town. Phee would instead prefer to work, and she has reservations about the man, as there are some unpleasant rumours about him.
Even though Madelyn remains opposed, Phee sets off to the town of Horizon, where Cleo lived. Phee finds Cleo's house beautiful, but a little strange and eerie.
She meets a quiet funeral director, Cross, who intrigues her, and while examining her aunt's home and things, discovers some unpleasant things about her family.
There are moments of spookiness in this novella, and they're nicely unsettling. But what is even more satisfying is the journey Phee goes on. She begins her by refusing to bow to Madelyn and making her own way to Horizon. She has no experience in managing something as complicated as a pomp, but chooses to, picking Cross as someone she feels has the necessary sensitivity to help her honour Cleo.
After Phee aids Cross with a delicate and tragic job, reflects on her memories of Cleo, arranges Cleo’s pomp, and learns what really broke the family apart, she makes tough decisions about who she wants to be and do with her life, rather than bowing down, yet again, to her parents' wants.
The writing is gorgeous, and I would love to return to this town and to Phee, or to this world with its prosperous Black business owners, ceremonies and cryptids.
When word arrives in Reconstruction New Charleston at the home of the well-off St. Margaret family that her aunt Cleo has died, Phaedra “Phee” St. Margaret decides she will fulfill the role of pomp for her beloved aunt. Being pomp involves planning the entire service, from choosing the appropriate funeral director, choosing the clothing for the deceased, but also arranging the songs and anything else the deceased wanted to send them off.
Phee's mother Madelyn is opposed, as she cut Cleo out of the family, and Madelyn wants Phee to set her mind to marriage, specifically to Desmond, an eligible bachelor in town. Phee would instead prefer to work, and she has reservations about the man, as there are some unpleasant rumours about him.
Even though Madelyn remains opposed, Phee sets off to the town of Horizon, where Cleo lived. Phee finds Cleo's house beautiful, but a little strange and eerie.
She meets a quiet funeral director, Cross, who intrigues her, and while examining her aunt's home and things, discovers some unpleasant things about her family.
There are moments of spookiness in this novella, and they're nicely unsettling. But what is even more satisfying is the journey Phee goes on. She begins her by refusing to bow to Madelyn and making her own way to Horizon. She has no experience in managing something as complicated as a pomp, but chooses to, picking Cross as someone she feels has the necessary sensitivity to help her honour Cleo.
After Phee aids Cross with a delicate and tragic job, reflects on her memories of Cleo, arranges Cleo’s pomp, and learns what really broke the family apart, she makes tough decisions about who she wants to be and do with her life, rather than bowing down, yet again, to her parents' wants.
The writing is gorgeous, and I would love to return to this town and to Phee, or to this world with its prosperous Black business owners, ceremonies and cryptids.
December 10, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up
First of all, can we have a moment for the cover? How stunning and evocative is she?!
Tor's editorial work always makes me so happy. The stories that they find...I don't know that I've ever read anything else like this! I remembered Eden Royce's name from Root Magic, the middle grade book they wrote, which I haven't read but have heard so many good things about. In Psychopomp and Circumstance, we experience a magical version of Reconstruction-era American South. Our protagonist, Phee, is a young Black woman whose aunt dies, an aunt her family is somewhat estranged from, and Phee signs up to plan her pomp, which is essentially a funeral/celebration of life. Phee goes to the small town her aunt helped found, a kind of island of misfit toys (in my mind) for people who don't necessarily fit elsewhere in society, and discovers more than she expected. The vibes are IMMACULATE. I am a tiny little baby when it comes to spooky stuff and I definitely had to read this in daylight because it was haunting [complimentary].
My expectation was that this was going to be more about the process and worldbuilding of the kind of town and magic that exists, but it is more than anything a meditation on grief and complicated families, and even a somewhat coming of age for Phee. Which was a delightful and welcome surprise.
I often am wanting a novella that leaves me yearning for more of the world. I know that won't work for everyone, I know some people want novellas to be more contained, so your mileage may vary there. If I had a complaint, it would be that I think Royce was maybe trying to do one thing (or even half a thing) too many, and I wish we'd gotten a tiny smidgen more depth. But that didn't impact my experience enough to really do more than mention it. I would say for fans of Victor LaValle and P. Djeli Clark who are also doing some historical fantasy with a new lens.
First of all, can we have a moment for the cover? How stunning and evocative is she?!
Tor's editorial work always makes me so happy. The stories that they find...I don't know that I've ever read anything else like this! I remembered Eden Royce's name from Root Magic, the middle grade book they wrote, which I haven't read but have heard so many good things about. In Psychopomp and Circumstance, we experience a magical version of Reconstruction-era American South. Our protagonist, Phee, is a young Black woman whose aunt dies, an aunt her family is somewhat estranged from, and Phee signs up to plan her pomp, which is essentially a funeral/celebration of life. Phee goes to the small town her aunt helped found, a kind of island of misfit toys (in my mind) for people who don't necessarily fit elsewhere in society, and discovers more than she expected. The vibes are IMMACULATE. I am a tiny little baby when it comes to spooky stuff and I definitely had to read this in daylight because it was haunting [complimentary].
My expectation was that this was going to be more about the process and worldbuilding of the kind of town and magic that exists, but it is more than anything a meditation on grief and complicated families, and even a somewhat coming of age for Phee. Which was a delightful and welcome surprise.
I often am wanting a novella that leaves me yearning for more of the world. I know that won't work for everyone, I know some people want novellas to be more contained, so your mileage may vary there. If I had a complaint, it would be that I think Royce was maybe trying to do one thing (or even half a thing) too many, and I wish we'd gotten a tiny smidgen more depth. But that didn't impact my experience enough to really do more than mention it. I would say for fans of Victor LaValle and P. Djeli Clark who are also doing some historical fantasy with a new lens.
August 27, 2025
While there is a focus on grieving over the loss of a loved one in this story, this truly is about self discovery and the choices you make when stepping out on your own. For such a short book, there was so much magic built up in this book. There’s such a relatability to Phee’s character, through her naivety and the unraveling of family secrets as she works through the pomp for her aunt. You almost grow with her over the course of laying her aunt to rest. There’s so much heart in the authors prose. I could’ve read so much more from this and wish it were a little bit longer, just so we could have more time with Phee. While there were a few eerie moments in this, I expected a little more spooky scenes. Despite the lack of that element, this is a fantastic spooky season read and hope to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 8, 2025
3.5 stars
I enjoyed the themes set forth in this short tale. Royce tells the story of a young woman who grows up in a well-to-do family with a controlling mother to be wed to a controlling husband. But Phee saw the possibility for choice and freedom through her aunt's life.
So when her aunt passes and she chooses to lead the homegoing service, she truly gets to learn a little more about her aunt's life and, in doing this, learns her own limits. Though this deals with death and grief, Royce handled it softly and beautifully, highlighting the importance of laying loved ones to rest in a way to shepherd their souls lovingly and to ease the heartache of those left behind.
I felt this could have been longer, especially when pieces of the magic system were introduced throughout the book. More could have been developed in terms of Phee really breaking free and seeing if she could find a potential partner and employ.
I enjoyed the themes set forth in this short tale. Royce tells the story of a young woman who grows up in a well-to-do family with a controlling mother to be wed to a controlling husband. But Phee saw the possibility for choice and freedom through her aunt's life.
So when her aunt passes and she chooses to lead the homegoing service, she truly gets to learn a little more about her aunt's life and, in doing this, learns her own limits. Though this deals with death and grief, Royce handled it softly and beautifully, highlighting the importance of laying loved ones to rest in a way to shepherd their souls lovingly and to ease the heartache of those left behind.
I felt this could have been longer, especially when pieces of the magic system were introduced throughout the book. More could have been developed in terms of Phee really breaking free and seeing if she could find a potential partner and employ.
October 30, 2025
(3.75) really charming novella about the journey to self discovery and the importance of free choice, via the decision to strike out and help others despite reservations. Woven cleverly and feelingly with post-Thirteenth Amendment USA, and dotted with lots of really interesting little bits of fantastical worldbuilding (hippocampi-drawn carriages!) so it becomes a bit of an alternate history. It would be really nice to see some things expanded upon in more stories from this world, if Royce feels like it; certainly I think there's potential in doing more with Phee and Cross and their burgeoning partnership. Pretty pacy since it's less than 200 pages, but not rushed, and while I think from the premise I was expecting more of a societal or social story about wrangling funeral directors and hymnals, I also liked the more supernatural mystery of it and the sort of bildungsroman feel to Phee's story.
August 25, 2025
Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
Imagine if an artist announced their intention to depict, like, Mars, but they do so by drawing extremely detailed… trees. That’s what it felt like to read PSYCHOPOMP & CIRCUMSTANCE. Loved the idea, and I think there was a good message in here that will resonate with many young people, but the execution was severely hampered by questionable writing choices, as well as some significant continuity errors that I hope will be reviewed before publication.
21-year-old Phaedra “Phee” St. Margaret struggles to conform to her mother’s expectations of what her future should look like: marrying a successful man, starting a family, and giving up any notion of financial independence by engaging in work. When news arrives regarding her estranged aunt’s death, Phee seizes upon the opportunity to do the important task of arranging her funerary affairs on her own, despite her mother’s strong disapproval, her own self-doubts about whether or not she’s up to the task, and unfamiliar and overwhelming tasks set in a house that seems to have a mind of its own and resists her every move.
Good things first. What a creative world this is, set in the American South in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, except with gothic magic and all-Black characters. So we’ve got ballrooms hobnobbing with magical creatures, haunted houses rubbing elbows with carriage rides. The journey of self-discovery and growth that Phee undergoes will be instantly relatable to young adults, as well as those of us who remember the terrifying time of not fully trusting ourselves, yet feeling as if we want to draw away from our parents’ choices and values.
Unfortunately, the way that Royce chose to tell this story meant that its full potential wasn’t fully realized. First, it’s in the scenes and details she chooses to write about, and what she chooses to omit. For some reason, PSYCHOPOMP & CIRCUMSTANCE lingers over the most mundane scenes and conversations, while summarizing/skipping over arguably more interesting situations. So for instance, we get pages of Phee agonizing over her ability to arrange her aunt’s funeral while she’s by herself on a long carriage ride, while the actual tasks that Phee has to do for the pomp are totally skipped over. We have to read the least necessary conversations between characters (“Oh, I’m so sorry I haven’t invited you in yet! Where are my manners? Let me take your coat” etc), while, for some reason, the book does not go into any detail about the more interesting conversations that could be had (eg “She then talked her years-long friendship with Aunt Cleo”). Why does the book do this? I don’t know! It literally hammers home the most obvious information–mostly the repetitive thoughts Phee has about her own incompetence–while simply not giving the information that is more interesting and unique.
Which leads to my second problem with this book: the inconsistent and underdeveloped world-building. There are two strands here, the historical one and the fantastical one, and neither is sufficiently fleshed out. The story is set in 1868, and it is implied that the Civil War and the subsequent freeing of enslaved people happened along the same timeline as it happened in our world. So how, then, did Phee’s parents manage to live as freed Black people and amass enough money for her to grow up living in a mansion with about a dozen rooms, in a city called “New Charleston”? In one scene in Phee’s aunt’s house, Phee flicks a switch in the wall to turn on some lights, but I’m pretty sure that almost no one had electrical systems installed in their homes in the 1860s… and if this was because of a different way in which electricity was discovered and commercialized in the book’s world, it was never explained.
The fantastical elements in P&C are similarly underdeveloped. Any magical system has to have rules. This book’s problem is that it leads readers to believe that we have fully understood the boundaries of its magic system, and then introduces yet another magical element without any warning. And this doesn’t happen only once. So for the first 30% or so of the novella, we are led to believe that the only magic this world contains is the existence of some random magical creatures (each of which appears only once in the entire story). Then we have a haunted or magical house (although the reasons for its hauntedness or seeming displeasure are never explained). And then, in quick succession near the end of the book, we get: magic spells, sentient natural elements, a vaguely mysterious city, witchcraft and potions, and–finally, randomly–shapeshifters. Ummm, wut. It’s so much, and it’s never integrated in a way that was convincing to me.
And finally, we have the continuity errors. These are serious enough that I’m going to drop a private note to the publisher, so that hopefully someone (anyone, please) can check it before the book’s official publication date. Let’s just say that I wonder if this story had started as either a novel or a short story, and then was either chopped down/padded out, with the result that different parts of the story don’t line up.
So yeah. I was really looking forward to this story’s creativity, but while Phee undergoes an interesting journey of self-discovery, we see very little of the interesting and essential stops on her journey. I’d still be interested to see what Royce has for her readers next, but I’m going to need a lot more convincing before I’d feel comfortable recommending her works.
Imagine if an artist announced their intention to depict, like, Mars, but they do so by drawing extremely detailed… trees. That’s what it felt like to read PSYCHOPOMP & CIRCUMSTANCE. Loved the idea, and I think there was a good message in here that will resonate with many young people, but the execution was severely hampered by questionable writing choices, as well as some significant continuity errors that I hope will be reviewed before publication.
21-year-old Phaedra “Phee” St. Margaret struggles to conform to her mother’s expectations of what her future should look like: marrying a successful man, starting a family, and giving up any notion of financial independence by engaging in work. When news arrives regarding her estranged aunt’s death, Phee seizes upon the opportunity to do the important task of arranging her funerary affairs on her own, despite her mother’s strong disapproval, her own self-doubts about whether or not she’s up to the task, and unfamiliar and overwhelming tasks set in a house that seems to have a mind of its own and resists her every move.
Good things first. What a creative world this is, set in the American South in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, except with gothic magic and all-Black characters. So we’ve got ballrooms hobnobbing with magical creatures, haunted houses rubbing elbows with carriage rides. The journey of self-discovery and growth that Phee undergoes will be instantly relatable to young adults, as well as those of us who remember the terrifying time of not fully trusting ourselves, yet feeling as if we want to draw away from our parents’ choices and values.
Unfortunately, the way that Royce chose to tell this story meant that its full potential wasn’t fully realized. First, it’s in the scenes and details she chooses to write about, and what she chooses to omit. For some reason, PSYCHOPOMP & CIRCUMSTANCE lingers over the most mundane scenes and conversations, while summarizing/skipping over arguably more interesting situations. So for instance, we get pages of Phee agonizing over her ability to arrange her aunt’s funeral while she’s by herself on a long carriage ride, while the actual tasks that Phee has to do for the pomp are totally skipped over. We have to read the least necessary conversations between characters (“Oh, I’m so sorry I haven’t invited you in yet! Where are my manners? Let me take your coat” etc), while, for some reason, the book does not go into any detail about the more interesting conversations that could be had (eg “She then talked her years-long friendship with Aunt Cleo”). Why does the book do this? I don’t know! It literally hammers home the most obvious information–mostly the repetitive thoughts Phee has about her own incompetence–while simply not giving the information that is more interesting and unique.
Which leads to my second problem with this book: the inconsistent and underdeveloped world-building. There are two strands here, the historical one and the fantastical one, and neither is sufficiently fleshed out. The story is set in 1868, and it is implied that the Civil War and the subsequent freeing of enslaved people happened along the same timeline as it happened in our world. So how, then, did Phee’s parents manage to live as freed Black people and amass enough money for her to grow up living in a mansion with about a dozen rooms, in a city called “New Charleston”? In one scene in Phee’s aunt’s house, Phee flicks a switch in the wall to turn on some lights, but I’m pretty sure that almost no one had electrical systems installed in their homes in the 1860s… and if this was because of a different way in which electricity was discovered and commercialized in the book’s world, it was never explained.
The fantastical elements in P&C are similarly underdeveloped. Any magical system has to have rules. This book’s problem is that it leads readers to believe that we have fully understood the boundaries of its magic system, and then introduces yet another magical element without any warning. And this doesn’t happen only once. So for the first 30% or so of the novella, we are led to believe that the only magic this world contains is the existence of some random magical creatures (each of which appears only once in the entire story). Then we have a haunted or magical house (although the reasons for its hauntedness or seeming displeasure are never explained). And then, in quick succession near the end of the book, we get: magic spells, sentient natural elements, a vaguely mysterious city, witchcraft and potions, and–finally, randomly–shapeshifters. Ummm, wut. It’s so much, and it’s never integrated in a way that was convincing to me.
And finally, we have the continuity errors. These are serious enough that I’m going to drop a private note to the publisher, so that hopefully someone (anyone, please) can check it before the book’s official publication date. Let’s just say that I wonder if this story had started as either a novel or a short story, and then was either chopped down/padded out, with the result that different parts of the story don’t line up.
So yeah. I was really looking forward to this story’s creativity, but while Phee undergoes an interesting journey of self-discovery, we see very little of the interesting and essential stops on her journey. I’d still be interested to see what Royce has for her readers next, but I’m going to need a lot more convincing before I’d feel comfortable recommending her works.
January 2, 2026
Psychopomp and Circumstance was such a strong way to start my reading year. Eden Royce’s writing immediately pulled me in, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere, themes, and the way the story unfolded. It felt thoughtful, layered, and emotionally engaging in a quiet but powerful way.
That said, I wasn’t completely sold on the open ending. Certain events felt like they stopped just a bit too soon, and I would have loved a little more closure after everything that built up. It didn’t ruin the experience for me, but it did leave me wanting just a bit more resolution.
Overall, though, this was a great read and a solid first book for 2026. I’m really glad I picked it up and would absolutely recommend it to readers who enjoy speculative stories with depth, atmosphere, and heart.
That said, I wasn’t completely sold on the open ending. Certain events felt like they stopped just a bit too soon, and I would have loved a little more closure after everything that built up. It didn’t ruin the experience for me, but it did leave me wanting just a bit more resolution.
Overall, though, this was a great read and a solid first book for 2026. I’m really glad I picked it up and would absolutely recommend it to readers who enjoy speculative stories with depth, atmosphere, and heart.
December 31, 2025
3.5
This was a good little novella. I liked the concept of a gaslamp fantasy mixed with southern gothic vibes and there were aspects of that that were pulled off really well. It was a bit jarring to have magical creatures thrown into the mix and the sudden inclusion of things like magic and hexes when everything else felt like straightforward historical fiction, but that might just be me. I liked the main character, but for such a short book she spent a lot of time thinking in circles about the same few things.
Overall worth a read if you like southern gothic stories with spirits and family drama.
This was a good little novella. I liked the concept of a gaslamp fantasy mixed with southern gothic vibes and there were aspects of that that were pulled off really well. It was a bit jarring to have magical creatures thrown into the mix and the sudden inclusion of things like magic and hexes when everything else felt like straightforward historical fiction, but that might just be me. I liked the main character, but for such a short book she spent a lot of time thinking in circles about the same few things.
Overall worth a read if you like southern gothic stories with spirits and family drama.
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