A dark, gorgeous reimagining about what happened to Captain Hook after Neverland from the bestselling author of Wendy, Darling – filled with eerie suspense and heart-breaking anguish

Once invited, always welcome.
Once invited, never free.

Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate of Neverland, has died a thousand times. Drowned, stabbed by Peter Pan’s sword, eaten by the beast swimming below the depths, yet James was resurrected every time by one boy’s dark imagination. Until he found a door in the sky, an escape. And he took the chance no matter the cost.

Now in London twenty-two years later, Peter Pan’s monster has found Captain Hook again, intent on revenge. But a chance encounter leads James to another survivor of Neverland. Wendy Darling, now a grown woman, is the only one who knows how dark a shadow Neverland casts, no matter how far you run. To vanquish Pan’s monster once and for all, Hook must play the villain one last time…

Exploring themes of grief, survivor's guilt and healing broken bonds, Hooked is a modern-day Peter Pan story, perfect for fans of retellings, Christina Henry and V.E. Schwab.

A.C. Wise's profile page

A.C. Wise is the author of Hooked and the bestselling Wendy, Darling. She also has two short story collections published by Lethe Press, Catfish Lullaby, a novella published by Broken Eye Books (2019), and The Ghost Sequences, a short story collection published by Undertow Books (2021), which was shortlisted for a 2021 Bram Stoker Award.

Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as twice being a finalist for the Nebula Award, twice being a finalist for the Sunburst Award, and being a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In addition to her fiction, she contributes semi-regular review columns to The Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Pennsylvania, US.

She tweets at @ac_wise.

"Hooked is an absolutely breathtaking accomplishment, and further proof that A.C. Wise is one of the most vital voices in fiction today. Her lush, beautiful prose draws you in and never lets you go... Be sure to put Hooked at the top of your reading list."
Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Reluctant Immortals

"Hooked will effortlessly pull readers back into Wise's dark, seductive, and mesmerizing version of Neverland – and into the equally compelling inner world of her characters. A beautifully written and psychologically astute sequel."
Leah Cypess, author of Thornwood and Glass Slippers

"Fans of creepy updated fairy tales... should snap this up."
Publishers Weekly

"Haunting and poetic imagery captures an emotional, original, and breathtaking perspective of Captain Hook with lush visuals that will resonate long after finishing the book." Seattle Book Review, 5 Stars

Praise for Wendy, Darling

"Feminist twists and creeping dread abound in this intriguing retelling of Peter Pan"
Library Journal

"Intelligent and deftly executed"
TOR.com

“This book hooked me immediately with Wendy’s voice and rage and longing... what Wise does with the Peter Pan mythos here is nothing short of astonishing”
Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award-winning author of Blackfish City

“Wendy, Darling is a daring, gothic re-envisioning of everything we think we know – and an important, vivid adventure”
Fran Wilde, two-time Nebula award-winning, World Fantasy finalist author of Updraft

"Richly imagined, surprisingly dark, and heartbreakingly beautiful"
Marian Womack, author of The Swimmers

"A dark and delightful retelling of Peter Pan. Wendy, Darling is a gorgeous achievement, and one you don't want to miss."
Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Boneset & Feathers

"Neverland is more nightmare than dream... This rich tale of memory and magic is sure to resonate with fans of reimagined children’s stories."
Publishers Weekly

"It's the horror-tinged feminist Peter Pan retelling I never knew I needed... a brilliant re-imagining of a classic boy's club story."
Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, author of 'Mantles' and 'Entanglement'

"A gorgeously imagined journey into the unfathomable depths of childhood myth."
Kelly Robson, author of Gods, Monsters and the Lucky Peach

"A well crafted retelling that gently explores a variety of themes including trauma, toxic masculinity, feminism, and sexuality. Fans of the original story will want to get to know the grown-up Wendy."
Booklist

"Magnificent... eloquently written and full of indelible characters, Wendy, Darling is a darkly beautiful story that proves to be as memorable as — and more meaningful than — its inspiration."
Locus

Praise for Catfish Lullaby

"This luscious, unsettling Louisiana horror novella from Wise boasts a contemporary, living-folklore aesthetic… visceral language conveys an experience of eerie magic that simultaneously lures and repels."
Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With a potent atmosphere, a formidable antagonist, and well-drawn, unforgettable characters, this book has definitely got it all.
An absolute must-read."
Gwendolyn Kiste, author of The Rust Maidens

"Catfish Lullaby seamlessly combines Southern folklore with cosmic horror. There's an elegiac undertone to this lullaby that's as deep and mysterious as the bayou where it takes place."
Craig Laurance Gidney, author of A Spectral Hue