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The first full-length novel from the Slaughterverse!
On Sale October 13, 2026

Welcome to the dark.
It has very sharp teeth.

Something is Killing the Children

Based on the internationally bestselling comic series, with millions of copies in print,​ the first full-length novel from the terrifying world of Something Is Killing the Children—a stunning collaboration between Eisner-winning co-creator James Tynion IV and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White

As a Black Mask, Erica Slaughter has a very straightforward job: find the monster, kill the monster, then do it all again. But when she arrives in Badwater, Idaho, nothing is simple. She can’t determine whether the horrific killer of a twelve-year-old was a bear, a person, or something much worse. Complicating matters is the charismatic doomsday preacher who is quickly leading the small town to the verge of hysteria. If Erica wants to save the surviving children, she has to figure out which kid’s fears might have summoned a monster—and fast. Erica must get to the truth before the Order and the town come to the same conclusion: to stop the monster, you have to kill the girl.

Hope Is a Knife is a chilling, original tale in SIKTC lore, where monsters are real and only the hunters of the Order of St. George are equipped to challenge them. Whether or not you’ve already devoured the Eisner Award–winning comics, this standalone vision of supernatural horror is a thrill ride of the highest order.

James Tynion IV
Photo: © Nicholas Nichols

James Tynion IV

James Tynion IV is an Eisner Award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer and publisher of comic books. He is best known for co-creating hit horror comics series like Something Is Killing the Children, The Nice House on the Lake, and The Department of Truth. He is also the writer of young adult adventure series like multiple GLAAD Media Award-nominated Wynd and the GLAAD Media Award winner The Woods. He spent ten years writing various Batman titles at DC Comics, where he co-created exciting new characters like Punchline and Ghost-Maker. He lives and works in Brooklyn.

Kiersten White
Photo: © Noah White

Kiersten White

Kiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning, and critically acclaimed author of dozens of books for readers of all ages, including The House of Quiet, the And I Darken trilogy, Star Wars: Padawan, Lucy Undying, and The Fox and the Devil, as well as Hide and Mister Magic and their graphic novel adaptations. She lives in San Diego with her family and their surly tortoise, Kimberly.

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