Aviary by Dong, Maria

Aviary

A young woman undertakes a terrifying journey--and a terrifying transformation--in this genre-blending speculative suspense novel set in...
$47.34 USD
$89.99 USD
$47.34 USD
Please hurry! Only 434 left in stock
Author: Maria Dong
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $47.34
Aviary by Dong, Maria

Aviary

$89.99 $47.34

Aviary

$89.99 $47.34
Author: Maria Dong
Format: Hardcover
Language: English

A young woman undertakes a terrifying journey--and a terrifying transformation--in this genre-blending speculative suspense novel set in South Korea and the US which mixes fantasy, gothic vibes and queer longing, with a shot of feminist body horror.

Fairytales are for children.
Until the day we awaken in a place full of monsters,
being softly enveloped by the dark.

Nineteen-year-old undocumented immigrant Hee-Jin lies on the floor of her cramped Seoul apartment, listening for footsteps.

But the knock on the door isn't the police finally coming to deport her to North Korea. Instead, sprawled on the doorstep is a disfigured, bird-like corpse--and it has her eyes. Her younger sister, artist Hee-Young, is meant to be on an art program in America, not dead of a strange overdose.

But in Hee-Young's pocket is a plane ticket and US passport. Seeing her chance for freedom, Hee-Jin steals her sister's identity and takes her place, determined to uncover what really happened to her.

But the deeper she dives into the program's strange workings, the closer she gets to the monstrous secret at its heart.

A page-turner of a mystery filled with gorgeous, creepy Korean folklore and imagery, Aviary, written by critically acclaimed Korean American author Maria Dong, is also a story about power, violence, exploitation--and transformation. And, above all, it's about the choices women make from within a system where all the available options are bad ones.

Author: Maria Dong
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.70w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9781448319473


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/09/2026

About the Author
Dong, Maria: -

Maria Dong writes genre-bending suspense and is the author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief and Psychopomp. Her short fiction and essays have been published in dozens of magazines and anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Lightspeed, Augur, Nightmare, Khoreo, Fantasy, Apex, and Apparition, and her story, "In the Beginning of Me, I was a Bird", was a finalist for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.

Although she's currently a computer programmer, in her previous lives, Maria's held a variety of diverse careers, including property manager, English teacher, and occupational therapist. She lives with her partner in southwest Michigan in a centenarian saltbox house that is almost certainly haunted, watching K-dramas and drinking Bell's beer.

She is represented by Amy Bishop-Wysick at Trellis Literary. For film inquiries, please reach out to Addison Duffy and Orly Greenberg at United Talent Agency.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.