Brazen pre-empts Monika Kim’s sapphic vampire ‘masterpiece’

Brazen has acquired What Hungers in the Dark by Monika Kim, author of the The Eyes Are the Best Part and Molka. A psychological horror novel about the rise in surveillance camera crimes in Korea, it will be published on 30th April 2026.

Romilly Morgan, publishing director, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Cathryn Summerhayes on behalf of Gráinne Fox at UTA. North American rights were sold in a “highly competitive” auction to Daphne Durham at Putnam.

What Hungers in the Dark is a sapphic vampire epic that spans centuries of Korean history. It follows a dual timeline alternating between modern day LA and Seoul and 19th-century Korea. In the novel, a young woman searching for her missing brother falls into the clutches of a dangerous family of three beautiful young women, and a young nobleman is cursed by his powerful father for eternity. 

Morgan said of the acquisition: “What Hungers in the Dark is a lust-filled, bloody, Gothic masterpiece. Monika Kim is back, and more carnivorous than ever.”

Kim commented: “What Hungers in the Dark is my love letter to anyone who has ever felt out of place in the world. It’s my most ambitious novel yet, and I’m thrilled to be working with Romilly and her incredible team at Brazen again. I can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together!”