Lemon Balm
Tales from the Night Garden, Vol. 1
A vampire and a werewolf walk into a church... (No. There's no punchline.)
Cypress Borne is 22 years old, a dashing young non-binary lad with a fairly easy life in New York City. That is — fairly easy until their routine is interrupted by a vicious dog attack on the way home from the gym. Their life turns upside down after that one singular event-- blackouts, unexplained fits of rage and lost time plague him. Two years of medical tests, therapy, and a life that's spiraling down the toilet later, they navigate their way through the panic attacks and the hopelessness to an old, derelict, and a seemingly abandoned church in the woods, away from the noise and the people. Little do they know, the church isn't abandoned but rather occupied by a vampire hoping to die and rotting in a coffin.
Acanthus Sylene believes that a fine wine should never have an age attached, and neither should a fine being. Nonbinary in such a way that gender is completely irrelevant, Acanthus has lived a very long life and is frankly exhausted by it. Embroiled deeply into the politics of the World of Shadows, they have abandoned their duties to The Night Garden, a refugee path that they forged. But, something changes when a lost, scared, ignorant werewolf shows up on their door step.
Both of these preternatural beings are looking for answers. Somehow, instead of finding their place in the world, they find each other. However, in the process of finding and growing with each other, they may have put their entire lives — and The Night Garden — at risk.
Book Preview
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Trigger Warning List
We want you to dive into the story, but we also know that it’s a dark fantasy. Please note that the story contains some difficult topics, and we want to make sure that you’re prepared for it while reading. The story has more lighthearted moments than not, but just in case it is an issue, here is a list of common triggers woven throughout the story:
- Mental health struggles, suicidal ideation, self-harm, self-neglect, and disordered eating
- Vicious animals
- Implied (off-page) past abuse
- (very slight) mentions of drug use
- (very slight) homophobia and transphobia
- (very slight) mentions of animal death
- (very slight) Mentions of sex work
- (very slight) mentions of child neglect
☼ WHERE TO BUY ☼
I try to sell slightly cheaper directly through me, and I always add a few extra goodies to physical sales! You can buy directly through me on the Website, Ko-Fi, and Gumroad. Other platforms are listed below.
☼ REVIEWS ☼
Review on Lemon Balm
★★★★★
I backed this book via Backer Kit, and got the hardback as my pledge reward. I was extremely excited to back a couple of independent authors from my home state. The fact that it's urban fantasy with queer rep just made the project all the more appealing. It took me far too long to get to reading the book, thanks to work and ADHD conspiring against me. I'm so glad that I managed to make this the last book I read in 2025.
Both Acanthus and Cypress are fully realized characters, and I love the concept of the Night Garden as a sort of Underground Railroad for supernatural individuals. Given how Acanthus was turned, and the way they spent the first 60 years of their immortal life, I completely understood why providing a path to freedom would be important to them. The evolution of the relationship between Acanthus and Cypress was wonderfully organic, and I was very happy [... spoilers... ].
My heart hurt for them as they each worked through their self-doubt and uncertainty regarding their relationship. They both needed that care and support, but it's so incredibly hard to reach for those things when one has been hurt so much. Getting more insight into the Night Garden and how it operated was fascinating. Being a founder of the Night Garden, Acanthus's journey following it's path as a supplicant rather than a gardener was fraught and uncomfortable. However, it reconnected the vampire with the friends he'd left behind when he went into his self-imposed isolation.
In my opinion, this was invaluable in helping Acanthus rediscover his strengths. For Cypress, taking the path of the Night Garden was invaluable rediscovering their self-worth and self-confidence. He was also able to start rebuilding his faith in others, and discover a community that welcomed him with open arms. Without the Night Garden, I don't think Cypress would have learned to communicate their needs to Acanthus.
I'm incredibly excited for the next chapter in their story.
- Grey C.
Review on Lemon Balm
★★★★★
Pretty good, my first read in this genre. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
☼ MEET THE CHARACTERS ☼
Acanthus Sylene
They/He
A centuries old vampire who is frankly tired of life, and working to bounce back from a century of isolation and disordered eating. They're anxious, traumatized from their past, and they certainly didn't have any interest in the lost werewolf that found himself upon their doorstep. But, as they say, opportunities don't wait for you to be ready for them...
Acanthus is closest with Azalea, Corbin (one of their fledglings), and Esmeralda. After some time, they grow close to Cypress as well.
Azalea Barclay
She/Her
Azalea Barclay is the owner of The Yellow Rose Bed and Breakfast and one of Acanthus' best friends. She helps them out of a bit of a bind in the latter half of the story...
Azalea is closest to Acanthus.
Cypress Borne
He/They
Cypress is in his mid-twenties, and his life starts to spiral down the drain when he gets bit by a massive, mangy dog somewhere on the streets of Brooklyn. He starts suffering through blackouts and fits of rage, without any idea of what's happening to him. Therapy, experimental treatments, medical studies... Cypress tries anything and everything to get their life back on track, but nothing works. Two years later and out of options, Cypress buys a church in the middle of the woods, hoping to either fix himself or drop dead.
Cypress is closest to no one at first, but gets close to Azalea and Acanthus.
Nekane Diaz
She/Her
Nekane is the leader of the New York packs, and one of the head of five different territories called The Big Five. The Might of the East may seem like a formidable person to have on your side at first, but she smells something rotten whenever it comes to Acanthus...
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