‘I suspect these fables are born from the dread that perhaps, if one takes time to peel back the skin of another, they will find an imposter, a machine, or stranger still, something like me’

For the Interprovincial Medical Institute, to grow is to survive. For hundreds of years they have done this by taking root in young minds, possessing them and shaping them into doctors, slowly replacing every human practitioner of medicine.

But now it appears they have competition. Following the mysterious death of one of their doctors in an isolated castle to the far north, a replacement is sent to investigate. Yet upon arrival they find not a simple cause of death for the doctor, but a parasite. And in the dark depths of the castle, already a pit of secrets and lies, it’s spreading.

With the other inhabitants trapped inside by the freezing winter winds, these two enemies will battle for ultimate control.

The question is not who will make it out alive, but what?

Leech by Hiron Ennes is an atmospheric Gothic triumph, perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.