In Aviary, a young woman undertakes a terrifying journey and transformation in this genre-blending speculative suspense novel set in South Korea and the US, mixing fantasy, gothic vibes and queer longing, with a shot of feminist body horror.
Mark your calendars, LitStackers! Aviary by Maria Dong is in presale (the best time to buy a book), and ready to hit the bookshelf on Apr 7, 2026. Our anticipation is palpable. Published by Severn House, this novel is already making waves with early readers. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on the cover from the publisher’s official description to early reviews that will help you pre-order your copy ASAP. Let’s dive in!
In This Spotlight On Aviary
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About Aviary
Fairytales are for children.
Until the day we awaken in a place full of monsters,
being softly enveloped by the dark.
Nineteen-year-old undocumented immigrant Hee-Jin lies on the floor of her cramped Seoul apartment, listening for footsteps.
But the knock on the door isn’t the police finally coming to deport her to North Korea. Instead, sprawled on the doorstep is a disfigured, bird-like corpse—and it has her eyes. Her younger sister, artist Hee-Young, is meant to be on an art program in America, not dead of a strange overdose.
But in Hee-Young’s pocket is a plane ticket and US passport. Seeing her chance for freedom, Hee-Jin steals her sister’s identity and takes her place, determined to uncover what really happened to her.
But the deeper she dives into the program’s strange workings, the closer she gets to the monstrous secret at its heart.
A page-turner of a mystery filled with gorgeous, creepy Korean folklore and imagery, Aviary, written by critically acclaimed Korean American author Maria Dong, is also a story about power, violence, exploitation—and transformation. And, above all, it’s about the choices women make from within a system where all the available options are bad ones.
Praise for Aviary
“Mesmerizing . . . Fans of sharp, inventive fiction will be eager for Dong’s next.”—Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“Fascinating and psychologically complicated . . . From start to finish, this is a captivating story with dire puzzles that beg to be solved one chapter at a time.”—Booklist on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
[A] “vertiginous debut . . . once the mystery drops into gear, increasingly bonkers twists propel the story to a cogent, poignant close. A rabbit hole worth falling down.”—Kirkus Reviews on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“This fast-paced, surreal tale will hook from the beginning. A perfect fit for fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train.”—Library Journal on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“Clever, urgent, and deeply compassionate. This novel hooked its claws into me and didn’t let go.”—Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief, on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“Gorgeously written . . . This brilliant story is unlike anything I’ve ever read: provocative and unsettling, but grounded by a warm beating heart.”—Ashley Winstead, national bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me, on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“A masterful work of psychological suspense.”—Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of The Wolf And The Woodsman, on Liar, Dreamer, Thief
“A jam-packed, genre-bending story of murder, captivity, ghosts, monsters, and a harrowing escape to freedom . . . Exquisite descriptions of Hee-Jin’s isolation and loneliness are haunting, and the nods to Korean folklore add to the lush, almost dreamlike experience.”—Publishers Weekly
About Maria Dong, Author of Aviary
Maria Dong writes genre-bending suspense and is the author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief and Psychopomp. Her short fiction and essays have been published in dozens of magazines and anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Lightspeed, Augur, Nightmare, Khoreo, Fantasy, Apex, and Apparition, and her story, “In the Beginning of Me, I was a Bird”, was a finalist for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
Although she’s currently a computer programmer, in her previous lives, Maria’s held a variety of diverse careers, including property manager, English teacher, and occupational therapist. She lives with her partner in southwest Michigan in a centenarian saltbox house that is almost certainly haunted, watching K-dramas and drinking Bell’s beer.
You can connect with Maria Dong on her website.
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Severn House
ISBN Hardcover 9781448319473
Pub Date: April 7, 2026[author bio]
Other LitStack Spots
LitStack has also spotted other books that we want to add to our TBR list, including Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong, Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid, and Oddbody by Rose Keating
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