He Burns By The River — Khalia Moreau

The Dead Live In Sapo. And They Will Claim A Soul, Come Hell Or High Water.When sixteen-year-old Roran's saintly and light-skinned older brother falls ill in 1963 Trinidad, people in his village, Sapo, blame obeah. Blaming dark sorcery, the same kind believed to have sunk the southern half of Sapo thirty years prior, is ludicrous to Roran. He's a boy of science and his brother is just ill, albeit the doctors aren't quite sure with what.But when Roran hears the cries of those who died in southern Sapo, he seeks out Father Basdeo, a man rumored to have eyes that can see the living and the dead. Father Basdeo explains to Roran that Roran has the eyes on him, too, and only Roran can save his brother by communing with the spirits. He just needs to put his jealousy aside and risk the one thing most people in his village would never dare risk—having his soul trapped in Sapo's sunken side.A Cain And Abel retelling and historical horror fantasy set in post-colonial Trinidad, He Burns By The River explores themes of colorism and racism while incorporating folklore and culture unique to the Caribbean.Come wade in the murky waters of Sapo, if you dare.