For those who’ve felt the hollow hunger of ambition…
Set the table, sharpen your knives: it’s time to feast
Our Poetic Ruin
an adult horror by Lyndall Clipstone
At an exclusive writer’s retreat, the daughter of a famous poet will stop at nothing to feed the (literal) hunger of her ambition: even if she must sacrifice her rival—and lover—for the success she craves.
How far would you go for creative perfection?
Each summer four girls are handpicked to attend the Intensive—an exclusive retreat hosted by famed confessional poet Laurel Vernell. At her isolated Vermont estate known as Melusine, Laurel’s four “lambs” participate in experimental sessions to unlock their poetic talent.
For those who complete the three-week Intensive, endless possibilities await that most poets only dream of. But this summer, things will be different:
Laurel is dead, and the Intensive is in the hands of her daughter, twenty-one-year-old Orphea…
After a lifetime as her mother’s muse, Orphea finally has her chance to step out of Laurel’s shadow. But gaining the trust of the lambs isn’t easy… especially when one of them is Laurel’s former protégée— elegant and ambitious Proserpine Gale, whose rivalry with Orphea quickly turns to toxic desire.
As Orphea and Proserpine begin an obsessive romance, a strange illness spreads between the lambs. With no clear cause of symptoms, the psychogenic hysteria looks like sabotage—or darker forces at work—and Orphea’s control of the Intensive is under threat.
Desperate to keep the trust of her lambs and become a lauded poet in her own right, Orphea delves into the secrets of her past: including the ultimate, bloody fate of her mother’s former students, and the truth behind the ominous presence in the nearby forest.
There are monstrous appetites at Melusine, and the perfection Orphea desperately craves demands a high price...
To sate the (literal) hunger of her ambition, Orphea must decide what she will sacrifice, or consume, for her art—even if that sacrifice is the girl she loves.
Comparative Titles
Character profiles
Age: 21
Hometown: Melusine, Vermont
Orphea’s mysterious three-week disappearance into the Melusine woods inspired the award-winning collection of poems, Lachesis Night, which cemented Laurel Vernell’s reputation as the most talented confessional poet since Anne Sexton and gave Orphea a lifelong role as her mother’s muse.
Laurel’s sudden death gives Orphea the chance to step out from her mother’s shadow. Taking over the Intensive will finally allow her to be appreciated as a poet in her own right.
But Orphea’s ambition is a hungry thing, and she will go to ruthless lengths to keep it fed…
Orphea Vernell
Age: 21
Hometown: “too small to be on a map”, Indiana
Laurel’s former protégée, the only lamb to attend the Intensive two summers in a row. Bright, talented and ambitious, Proserpine is Orphea’s biggest rival… and her unavoidable romantic weakness.
Proserpine Gale
Age: 23
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Quiet and determined, Sloan recently withdrew from the prestigious Hartskill College in order to attend the Intensive. Her sweet nature hides a steel-sharp desire to succeed, and achieve perfection at all costs.
Sloan Beckett
Eudora Morrow
Age: 26
Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts
The oldest of the lambs, Eudora is introverted and serious. A former pianist whose studies at the Elder Conservatorium ended in mysterious circumstances, she is desperate to fill the creative void left behind after the loss of her musical career.
Playlist
Moodboard
About the author
Lyndall Clipstone is an erstwhile illustrator, and the critically acclaimed author of four books for young adults.
A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, in a hundred-year-old cottage with her partner, two children, and a shy black cat.
Her debut novel, Lakesedge, was a Dymocks, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble bestseller, nominated for the 2021 Book Shimmy Awards, and selected as one of Better Reading’s 2022 top 50 kids’ books. Her sophmore novel, Unholy Terrors, was featured in Teen Vogue, and chosen as a Kids’ Indie Next Pick for Nov/Dec 2023
Her most recent novel, Tenderly, I am Devoured received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, was chosen as a Kids’ Indie Next Pick for July/August 2025, was named a 2025 Most Anticipated Romantasy, Most Anticipated Book of Summer, and Best Book of the Week by Goodreads, was the #1 requested ARC in Teens & YA on netgalley, top 5 most requested in all netgalley categories, and adapted for audio by Spotify