Some years ago--never mind how long precisely--having little or no money in their purse, and nothing particular to interest them on shore, Alexis Hall thought they would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. Unfortunately the boat they were in sank with all hands, and they were rescued only by a passing whaler. They have since become a novelist.

Praise for Hell's Heart:

"Wow." - John Scalzi

"Hell's Heart is a startling, ferocious love letter to all the rawest emotions the human body can produce. Hall is a master of voice and scale, and this relentlessly gripping ode to the splendors and miseries of existence is no exception. I can't think of anyone else who could successfully pull off Moby Dick meets Treasure Planet by way of Fleabag -- an unbelievable accomplishment from a tremendous author." - Sarah Gailey, USA Today bestselling author of Spread Me and Just Like Home

"Fey, funny, and extremely metal." - Malka Older, author of The Mimicking of Known Successes

"A towering love song to both Melville and Joan D. Vinge, a marvelous, intricate, heart-shattering romp." - Lilith Saintcrow, author of the Dante Valentine series

"[A ] terrifying, fatally fascinating ride into the heart of Jupiter's blood-red hell." - Judith Tarr

"Hell's Heart goes like gangbusters and is entirely unhinged. I'll follow Alexis Hall anywhere."--Kelly Robson, author of High Times in the Low Parliament

"A gorgeously written science-fictional picaresque, full of blood and guts and foolhardy daring, sperm jokes, a gracious lot of fucking, pirates, and a cult dedicated to the god who will devour the universe whose prophet mutters cryptic quotation... I'll be thinking about it for a while. I recommend it: It feels real, and honest, and messily ambitious." - Locus

"An update to Melville by way of Wilde with a modern, frequently erotic sensibility. The narrative alternates between propulsive action, uncanny world-building, and the narrator's own soul-searching, but always maintains a constant seeking ferocity at its core... This catastrophic prophecy of humanity's spacefaring future marries with scenes of feverish beauty for an imaginative and unforgettable adventure." - Shelf Awareness

"[A] dazzling retelling of Moby Dick... Hall captures a breathtaking sense of adventure throughout. This thrills." - Publishers Weekly

"A fantastic space adventure that any fan of sf or even Earth-bound adventure novels will love." - Booklist, starred review

"Call me fangirl! This is Hall's best, weirdest, and most snarkily delightful book yet. Whether you like even-more-queer Moby Dick retellings, space whales, disaster bi drama, Jovian gaslamp science fiction, razor-sharp satire of capitalist theology, Locked-Tomb-style obscure jokes, Cthulhu cultist crew members, thematically-important infodumps about xenobiology - or better yet all of those things tied together in intricate perfection - this will be your jam." - Ruthanna Emrys, author of A Half-Built Garden

"Unlike Melville's Ishmael, Hall's protagonist has sexual relationships that are textual rather than subtextual and also pretty hot. The worldbuilding is strong and--as is the case in the most resonant science fiction--disturbingly plausible... a good old-fashioned space yarn." - Kirkus

Praise for Alexis Hall:

"Hall is a dizzyingly talented writer, one likely to spur envy in anyone who's ever picked up a pen."--Entertainment Weekly on Boyfriend Material

"Simply the best writer I've come across in years."--Laura Kinsale, New York Times bestselling author

"Absolutely delightful, like a chocolate box, full of unexpected and brilliant references, sparklingly witty."--Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library on The Affair of the Mysterious Letter

"An extended romp through a wild range of alternate universes with a bizarre cast of characters. Don't miss this fun, queer, clever intrigue!"--Malka Older, author of The Mimicking of Known Successes

"I haven't been so enchanted and delighted by a book in years... the most perfect blend of gentle humour, wild creativity and love."--Emma Newman, author of Atlas Alone

"Extraordinarily imaginative. This is the most fun I've had between two covers in a while!"--Lara Elena Donnelly, author of Amberlough

"Full of adventure, chaos, magic, and lust, this will enthrall Hall's fans and new readers alike."--Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Mortal Follies

"Utterly enchanting"--Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Confounding Oaths

"Thoroughly queer and extraordinary."--Kirkus, starred review, on Something Extraordinary

"Hall has a gift for humor but is also skilled at composing passages that evoke the deepest emotions, whether the ache of long-denied love, crushing grief or the relief and soulful joy of being accepted and adored as one's most authentic self."--Library Journal, starred review, on A Lady For a Duke

"Hall has hit it out of the park with this emotionally resonant, character-driven Regency romance... stellar."--Bookpage, starred review, on A Lady for a Duke

"Hall is a consistently beautiful writer."--Kirkus, starred review, on A Lady for a Duke

"The characters are charmingly flawed, with enough chemistry to see them through some serious ups and downs... full of poetry and honesty."--Publishers Weekly, starred review, on For Real

Publisher: Tor Books

Pub date: 2026-03-10

Length: 464 pages