'As stunning as it is unsettling. A contemporary gothic masterpiece' KATY HAYS
'A beautiful and haunting examination of toxic friendships' HEATHER DARWENT
'Darkly glamorous'Guardian
A DAILY MAIL BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2025
In the hallowed halls of Cambridge, a dangerous obsession takes hold…
When a young man arrives in Cambridge as a first-year student, he finds himself an outsider. There’s the punting and the politics, the wine and the waistcoats, all seemingly familiar to everyone but him. Then he falls under the spell of Bryn Cavendish.
A notorious party boy and skilled magician, Bryn is magnetic. To be in his circle is to revel in clouds of ecstasy, untouched by the rules. To be exiled is to haunt the peripheries of campus life like a ghost.
As the academic year intensifies and Bryn’s magic tricks become more sinister, one question lingers. Is Bryn’s charisma the source of his influence or does he wield a much darker and more dangerous power?
What readers are saying…
'I am forever searching for The Secret History-esque reads and this did not disappoint' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Everything I wanted and more. Reminded me of why I love dark academia!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you enjoyed The Secret History and Saltburn, you will love this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I have RAVED about this book to anyone who will listen. The most incredible first chapter I've ever read…' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the Author :
Kate van der Borgh grew up in Burnley and studied Music at Cambridge. Now an award-winning copywriter, Kate is also a graduate of Faber’s six-month Writing A Novel course and has had her short fiction published by The Fiction Desk. Kate lives in Leytonstone with her husband, Leo, and their unruly greyhound, Pongo.
Review :
‘A haunting campus novel about the perils of ambition. As stunning as it is unsettling. A contemporary gothic masterpiece’ Katy Hays, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
'A darkly glamorous debut' Guardian
'Dark academia with shades of Saltburn. A haunting, slow burn of a book' iNews
'A beautiful and haunting examination of toxic friendships' Heather Darwent, Sunday Times bestselling author The Things We Do to Our Friends
'A darkly intricate, disturbing novel wound tightly with infatuation, devotion and magic' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
‘Dark academia, outrageous posh boys, the occult … Kate van der Borgh’s debut novel And He Shall Appear is very on trend’ The Times
‘A powerful and unsettling book about identity, love and obsession. Der Borgh's skilfully observed friendships, utterly immersive setting and haunting insights make this a novel that can be appreciated on so many levels’ Fiona McPhillips, author of When We Were Silent
'This slowburn gothic thriller will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading' i Paper
'An eerie, deeply disturbing tale that is as mesmerizing as it is provocative' Starred Booklist Review
'A darkly glittering tale of longing, obsession, power and magic. Enthralling and genuinely unsettling, it transported me to beautiful, shadowy quads where nothing can be trusted' Hazel Barkworth, author of Heatstroke
'Beguiling and sensual. Left me giddy and mesmerised. Dark, disturbing and dazzling – I was completely under its spell' Emma van Straaten, author of This Immaculate Body
'A bacchanalian campus noir that will keep you up at night wondering what is a trick and what we choose not to see. Saltburn meets The Secret History with a wholly original splash of the occult' Aube Rey Lescure, author of River East, River West
'The dread creeps up like a spectre over your shoulder in this haunting debut that echoes notes of M. R. James down the shadowy halls of modern academia' Brian McAuley, author of Curse of the Reaper and Candy Cain Kills
