From debut author Emily Yu-Xuan Qin comes a snarky urban fantasy novel inspired by Chinese and First Nation mythology and bursting with wit, compelling characters, and LGBTQIA+ representation. We’re thrilled to share the cover of Aunt Tigress—available March 18, 2025 from DAW Books
Publisher Betsy Wollheim pulled this novel straight from the slush pile four years ago and then worked tirelessly to find Emily an agent; she was absolutely determined to make sure this special story found its readership.
Tam hasn’t eaten anyone in years.
She is now Mama’s soft-spoken, vegan daughter—everything dangerous about her is cut out.
But when Tam’s estranged Aunt Tigress is found murdered and skinned, Tam inherits an undead fox in a shoebox, and an ensemble of old enemies.
The demons, the ghosts, the gods running coffee shops by the river? Fine. The tentacled thing stalking Tam across the city? Absolutely not. And when Tam realizes the girl she’s falling in love with might be yet another loose end from her past? That’s just the brassy, beautiful cherry on top.Because no matter how quietly she lives, Tam can’t hide from her voracious upbringing, nor the suffering she caused. As she navigates romance, redemption, and the end of the world, she can’t help but wonder…
Do monsters even deserve happy endings?

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Aunt Tigress
Emily Yu-Xuan Qin has a Master of Arts from the University of Calgary. She is a first-generation immigrant to Canada. As a child, she was sluggish in learning English—until she picked up her first Animorphs book. She can be found online at EmilyQin.com or @EyxQin on Twitter.