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The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance
  • Published: 7 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781529953268
  • Imprint: Del Rey
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $34.99

The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance

Formats & editions
Tr. Paperback
7 July 2026
EBook
7 July 2026
Audiobook
7 July 2026
Hardback
7 Aug 2026
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An ambitious young scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer's inn – only to uncover a centuries-old secret in this cosy and poignant fantasy.

BEHIND EVERY HERO, THERE'S A HISTORIAN


Mount Vengeance is legendary, a monumental climb with a dragon at its peak.
For most, it’s an adventure, or a quest to prove themselves worthy of fame and glory.
For Ainsworth, it’s perfect thesis material.

Ainsworth Gladsly, ambitious young scholar, research fellow and up-and-coming historian is finally ready to make his mark on the world. So when his supervisor learns of a rustic inn at the foot of the legendary Mount Vengeance, she sends him to be the first to to document the exploits of the bold adventurers who face the perils of the mountain – and the dragon said to inhabit it.

But the inn is far from the sophisticated city life he’s grown to love, and even as he grudgingly warms to its rustic charm – and its lovely innkeeper, Honey – the mystery of the mountain refuses to reveal itself. Worse, Ainsworth can’t actually find evidence that anyone has ever undertaken the climb – every adventurer comes to the inn, stays for a single night, and then returns home.

And with Ainsworth’s reputation as an academic on the line, it’s a mystery he can’t allow to remain unsolved – even if he has to push the adventurers up the mountain himself.
  • Published: 7 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781529953268
  • Imprint: Del Rey
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $34.99

About the author

Chiara Bullen

Chiara Bullen is a Scottish writer and academic living in Glasgow. She spends most of her days researching literature and her evenings writing novels. When she isn’t exploring hills across Scotland, she can be found wandering the fictional mountains of D&D with her party.
CB

Praise for The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance

A book that feels like a don’t-leave-the-tavern D&D session. With a cast of fascinating, heart-warming characters and a mystery fuelled by the curiosity of an overstretched academic, The Inn At The Foot of Mount Vengeance is a beautifully written, thoughtful tale which wraps you in a warm blanket, gives you a hot drink and then asks if you’re ready to talk about academic corruption (always). Depth, warmth and impeccable world-building all at once.

Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

Charming and lovely, with a wonderful found family, THE INN AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT VENGEANCE is a heartfelt and heartwarming story about leaving a toxic relationship and finding your own peace.

Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance is a wonderful tale of found family, with impeccable character growth, romance, and a world readers will wish they could step into. Cosy fantasy at its best!

Annie Sumerlee, author of The Book of Blood and Roses

The perfect blend of magical academia and whimsical D&D flair, Bullen's debut brims with tender longing and heartfelt comfort. I will read anything she writes!

Nadia El-Fassi, author of Love at First Fright

What if a life’s ambition could never fulfill a heart’s desire? Set on the cozy side of a DnD style high fantasy world, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance will have readers questioning the true meaning of life and their definitions of happiness. This book pairs a languid, sweet tale that will warm the hearts of cozy fantasy readers along with a lovable cast of characters. There is no doubt everyone who reads The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance will want to linger for another night’s stay.

J. Penner, author of A Fellowship of Baker & Magic

Wrap yourself up in a blanket and have a warm cup of tea close at hand! This may be the coziest fantasy I’ve ever read.

Ry Herman, author of This Princess Kills Monsters

Wrapped in a gentle, intriguing mystery, with themes of found family and a sweet romance at its core, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance is a delightful curl-up-under-a-blanket read that will be right at home on any cozy fantasy lover's bookshelf.

Emily Krempholtz, USA Today bestselling author of Violet Thistlewaite is not a Villain Anymore