A Fiction of Demons

by Lorna Tedder

a Stand-alone Psychological Thriller in The Secret Lives of Librarians Universe

High‑Concept Tagline
Think: The Magicians meets Fringe meets Constantine in a race to protect humanity’s most dangerous books from falling into the wrong hands before the apocalypse.

Description
Lilah Burns is an expert at protecting forbidden knowledge, but she struggles to trust her own judgment after a lifetime of trauma. When a charismatic televangelist arrives at her occult library demanding access to a book that tracks demon possessions, she’s promised this will be routine research—but in a world where ancient gods sleep in the human brain and the apocalypse has a set date, nothing stays simple for long.

Someone’s been watching. Planning. Waiting to exploit Lilah’s empathic gifts and traumatic past. But as library colleagues begin violently attacking head archivist Dru St. Augustine, Lilah realizes the self-help guru has been programming his followers—and her traumatic past makes her the perfect weapon in his war for supernatural power.

As divine prophecy collides with human ambition, Lilah stands at the crossroads between the terrifying freedom of trusting herself and the seductive safety of letting someone else be in control.

Genre
Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal Suspense, Supernatural Mystery, Slow-Burn Romantic Fantasy

Tone
Atmospheric, psychologically complex, emotionally resonant, darkly humorous, quietly suspenseful

• Tropes
  Protective demon
• Slow burn romance
• Found family
• Secret magical society
• Magical library
• Empathic trauma survivor
• Morally gray characters
• Ancient conspiracy

Why You’ll Love It
Offers emotional resonance for readers who’ve experienced gaslighting, manipulation, or childhood trauma, while asking what it means to feel safe—and whether safety built on fear is really safety at all. A powerful story for anyone who’s ever wondered whether their coping mechanisms might also be their hidden strength.

Trigger / Sensitivity Warnings
Magical coercion, childhood trauma (kidnapping, captivity), psychological abuse and manipulation, self-harm and suicidal ideation, off-page sexual assault attempt, graphic violence, toxic family dynamics, gaslighting, religious and military trauma, hypnosis, attempted murder, supernatural death.
Note: All traumatic content serves character development and healing arcs. No gratuitous violence.