Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce
Tordotcom (October 2025)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
Eden Royce, a Shirley Jackson Award winner, is a writer and member of the Gullah-Geechee nation from Charleston, South Carolina, who is now living in Southeast England. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including: Nightmare, Strange Horizons, The Horn Book Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and Western Colorado University. Her debut middle grade novel, ROOT MAGIC, is a Walter Award honoree, a Nebula Award finalist, a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner, and an Ignyte award winner for outstanding children’s literature. In 2024, Royce was the joint winner of the Middle Grade Bram Stoker Award for her third YA book, The Creepening of Dogwood House. Her debut adult fiction horror novella, Psychopomp & Circumstance, was released in October 2025.
Deep rooted in the author’s Gullah-Geechee heritage, Psychopomp & Circumstance is a southern gothic historical fantasy novella set in the fictional town of New Charleston, post-Civil War, during the Reconstruction era. This coming of age story follows Phaedra “Phee” St. Margaret, a free Black twenty-one year old who rediscovers her cultural identity when her estranged aunt, Cleo, passes away. As Phee plans for Cleo’s homegoing, she unexpectedly assumes the crucial role of pomp, guiding her aunt’s spirit into the afterlife. It is this special experience that breaks Phee away from the burdens and pressures of her controlling parents to marry well. In preparation for the funeral (and longing to discover more about her aunt and their family’s secrets), Phee travels alone to Cleo’s house in Horizon, where she spends time steeping herself in the rich ambiance. Though visions and shadows haunt Phee through reflective surfaces, Phee becomes closer to Cleo in death than in life.
In this short novella, Royce uses vivid, compelling language that will grip readers by the throat and leave them gasping for breath. The third-person narration allows the audience to witness Phee’s experience second-hand without putting readers directly into the character’s shoes. Royce welcomes her audience into this extensive world she’s created and educates as well as entertains them. Between the lenses of fantasy and magical realism, Royce explores grief, identity, family, freedom, and social hierarchy. With light elements of horror and the paranormal, the real magic is fully immersed in the community, the funeral rituals, and the food that is distinct to Southern Black culture.
For such a short book, there are many things to unpack. Psychopomp & Circumstance not only offers a small awareness of Gullah-Geechee customs, but offers a fresh perspective in the horror genre. Although Phee’s character is an adult, there are many themes that would be identifiable with teenagers as well, and the length of the book makes for a quick and bewitching read that is difficult to put down. Psychopomp & Circumstance is a reflective and profound piece of literature for the shelves of anyone who loves Reconstruction era history, southern gothic horror, learning about unique traditions, or longs to reconnect with their ancestors. Royce has a distinct and refreshing voice that crosses multiple genres, and she is sure to be a success for many years to come.
