Cover of The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
FantasySweet

The Fox and the Devil

by Kiersten White

2025 · 358 pages

An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter's daughter in an immortal sapphic romance in this mesmerising new gothic fantasy from the bestselling author of Lucy Undying. Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing - doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires - up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. It soon becomes clear that her father isn't the only inexplicably dead body. So, obsessed with vengeance, and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. But, for reasons even she can't explain, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to her, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it. And the closer Anneke gets to her devil, the less sense the world makes. Could her father have been right all along? Could Diavola be something even more deadly than a serial killer? Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola's tragic past, she suspects there's still a heart somewhere in that undead body. A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

Enemies to LoversForbidden RomanceSlow Burn
Editor ReviewedAI-AssistedRomance Profile Available
Your rating:

About This Book

The Fox and the Devil is a fantasy romance novel by Kiersten White, first published in 2025 by Penguin Random House NZ. It runs 358 pages. Readers can expect enemies to lovers, forbidden romance; sweet heat; a slow burn and emotional tone.

At a glance

Genre
Fantasy
Trope
Enemies to Lovers
Heat
Sweet
Mood
Slow Burn
Published
2025
Length
358 pages

Where to read or listen

Get The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

These store links are affiliate links (Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm). As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Should I read this?

Why You May Love This Book

You may love this if…

  • The daughter of Abraham Van Helsing embarks on a dark, obsessive game of cat and mouse with the beautiful vampire who murdered her father.
  • Fans of gothic horror
  • Readers who enjoy dark sapphic romance
  • Intense
  • Features Enemies to Lovers

This may not be ideal if…

  • Readers seeking lighthearted romance
  • Readers sensitive to parental death
  • Readers who prefer high-heat contemporary romance
Romance Profile

The Romance

Tropes, dynamics, and the chemistry that drives this story.

Tropes

Enemies to LoversCat and MouseMutual ObsessionForbidden LoveVampire/HunterDark Romance

Relationship Dynamics

ObsessivePredator/PreyIntellectual EqualsStalker/Stalked

Details

Type: Gothic Romance

Pairing: F/F

Power balance: Imbalanced (Immortal Vampire vs. Mortal Human)

Slow BurnVery strong (75 out of 100)
Relationship TensionVery strong (95 out of 100)
Emotional IntimacyStrong (60 out of 100)

Age gap: Centuries (Immortal/Vampire vs. Young Adult)

Emotional Experience

How It Feels

The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.

High tension, high angst.

AngstVery strong (85 out of 100)
ComfortLow (20 out of 100)
HumorLow (15 out of 100)
TensionVery strong (90 out of 100)
DarknessVery strong (80 out of 100)
Emotional IntensityVery strong (85 out of 100)
Tear RatingStrong (50 out of 100)
Pacing: Suspenseful
Tone:GothicAtmosphericObsessiveMelancholyEerie
Heat & Explicitness

Heat Level

Based on available metadata and editorial review.

Explicitness: unknown
Heat information is based on available metadata and editorial review. Reader sensitivities vary.
Reader Fit

Who Is This Book For?

Best for

Fans of gothic horrorReaders who enjoy dark sapphic romanceFans of reimagined classic literatureFollowers of Kiersten White's adult gothic work

Reading mood

IntenseAtmosphericMysteriousDark

May not suit

Readers seeking lighthearted romanceReaders sensitive to parental deathReaders who prefer high-heat contemporary romance

Recommended audience: Adult

Content Guidance

Content Guidance

Story & Themes

The Story

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Anneke has spent her life in the shadow of her father’s madness and his obsession with vampires. When she finds him dead at the hands of a hauntingly beautiful woman, Anneke assembles a team of detectives to bring the killer to justice. However, a secret correspondence between Anneke and the mysterious 'Diavola' suggests that the hunter and the hunted are becoming inextricably linked. In this gothic fantasy, the line between scientist and monster blurs as Anneke discovers the beating heart within her father’s greatest enemy.

Central Conflict

Anneke's internal struggle between her duty to avenge her father and her growing, inexplicable obsession with his killer, Diavola.

Setting

A gothic, historical fantasy setting, likely Victorian-era inspired given the Van Helsing lineage.

Themes

Lucy UndyingKilling EveDraculaCarmillaDowry of BloodSapphic RomanceGothic HorrorVampiresEnemies to LoversDark Fantasy

Strengths

  • High-stakes psychological tension
  • Atmospheric gothic prose
  • Unique subversion of the Van Helsing mythos
  • Compelling cat-and-mouse dynamic

Consider before reading

  • Potential for a tragic or ambiguous ending
  • High angst levels may be heavy for some readers
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Book Club

Discussion Guide

Questions to deepen your reading experience or spark a book club conversation.

  1. 1

    How does the central conflict shape the relationship between the main characters?

  2. 2

    Which theme — Lucy Undying — resonated most strongly with you, and why?

  3. 3

    How does the setting influence the characters' decisions and their relationship?

  4. 4

    How do the relationship dynamics evolve throughout the story?

  5. 5

    Who would you most want to recommend this book to?

  6. 6

    How did the pacing affect your reading experience?

  7. 7

    Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling?

Questions are generated from approved book intelligence and may not reflect every reader's experience.
Trust & Transparency

How This Profile Was Created

Eikna uses book metadata and AI-assisted analysis to create structured romance profiles. Public profiles are reviewed and approved by an editor before publication.

Editor reviewed:
Yes
Last reviewed:
August 30, 2026
Confidence:
Moderate confidence
Profile version:
eikna-public-book-intelligence-v1
Meet the writer

About the Author

KW

Kiersten White

1 books
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What Readers Say

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Publication Details

Publisher
Penguin Random House NZ
Published
2025
Length
358 pages
Language
English
ISBN-13
9781529917710
ISBN-10
1529917719

The Fox and the Devil: quick answers

Who wrote The Fox and the Devil?
The Fox and the Devil was written by Kiersten White.
When was The Fox and the Devil published?
The Fox and the Devil was first published in 2025 by Penguin Random House NZ.
What genre is The Fox and the Devil?
The Fox and the Devil is a fantasy romance novel, with enemies to lovers, forbidden romance.
How many pages is The Fox and the Devil?
The Fox and the Devil is 358 pages long.
How spicy is The Fox and the Devil?
EIKNA rates The Fox and the Devil as sweet heat.

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Where to read or listen

Get The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

These store links are affiliate links (Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm). As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

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