Rhiannon Hargadon’s Salem retelling tops Amazon’s women’s fantasy charts

Independent dark fantasy author Rhiannon Hargadon says her new novel, TALLOW AND BONE, has reached No. 1 New Release in Women’s Fantasy Fiction on Amazon. The Salem Witch Trials reimagining centers women’s trauma, unwanted pregnancy and postpartum depression, and is now available from major online retailers.

Why it matters: - TALLOW AND BONE pushes women’s trauma, assault, infertility and postpartum depression into a high-visibility fantasy release. - The book’s early Amazon ranking suggests Hargadon’s dark, emotionally charged retellings continue to find a strong audience. - The novel also underscores how indie authors are using fantasy to tackle real-world issues without losing commercial traction.

What happened: - Independent dark fantasy author Rhiannon Hargadon released TALLOW AND BONE on Oct. 8, 2026. - The book is a reimagining of the Salem Witch Trials. - The novel has already reached the No. 1 New Release spot in Women’s Fantasy Fiction on Amazon. - TALLOW AND BONE is available now through major online retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Ingram Spark.

The details: - TALLOW AND BONE follows Hargadon’s 2025 book BLOODY BLACK, which reimagined Blackbeard as a sexual assault survivor seeking revenge. - The new novel uses the Salem Witch Trials framework to explore unwanted pregnancy, the search for belonging and postpartum depression. - Hargadon says romantasy can examine trauma, social norms and politics under fantasy elements such as dragons and vampires. - Hargadon says the book gives readers a safe space to process real pain and offers catharsis along with a happily ever after. - Hargadon describes herself as a corporate executive with an engineering background and an MBA from Georgetown University. - Hargadon says women writing in the genre are often data scientists, lawyers, engineers, academics and marketing specialists.

Between the lines: - The release leans into a larger trend in romantasy: fantasy that is marketed as escapist but often carries explicit emotional and social themes. - Hargadon’s positioning suggests an audience that wants dark subject matter, genre conventions and a business-minded indie model all at once. - The book’s framing also shows how historical retellings can be used to reprocess contemporary conversations about women’s health and violence.

What’s next: - Hargadon is inviting review copies, interview requests and media inquiries through the contact information provided with the release. - The author is likely to keep building on the mix of dark fantasy and women-centered themes that powered BLOODY BLACK and now TALLOW AND BONE.

The bottom line: - TALLOW AND BONE is both a commercial launch and a continuation of Hargadon’s brand: dark fantasy built to confront trauma head-on.