Three pieces of an ancient map. Made from the skin of plague victims. Scattered across the Borderlands for six hundred years. Now, someone is gathering them—and the Black Death could rise again.

When a medieval tomb is breached beneath the streets of London, Mapwalker Sienna Farren discovers that Shadow Cartographers have stolen the first piece of an ancient map—a map that leads to a plague island lost in the far Uncharted, where the Black Death was banished centuries ago by a secret order of knights.

Now that map could bring the plague back to Earthside.

Sienna has barely recovered from her last battle with the Borderlanders, the shadow magic she used still pulsing beneath her skin, calling her back to that dark world. But when the Ministry of Maps summons her team, she has no choice. The Shadow Cartographers will stop at nothing to find the remaining three pieces of the Map of Plagues, and if they succeed, millions will die.

But there's a complication.

Finn Page, the Borderlander warrior Sienna loves, is caught in an impossible trap. His infant niece is held hostage in the brutal Castle of the Shadow, condemned to die unless he delivers the map pieces to his warlord father. To save her, Finn must betray everything Sienna stands for—and lead the Shadow Cartographers to the very artifacts that could destroy her world.

As Sienna and her team race through the shifting landscapes of the Borderlands—from refugee beaches to forgotten plague islands—they must find the map pieces before the Shadow Cartographers do. But with Finn working against them, torn between love and family, trust becomes as dangerous as the plague itself.

A Dark Fantasy Thriller of Plague, Portals & Betrayal

Map of Plagues weaves medieval history with portal fantasy, exploring what happened to the Black Death when it vanished from Europe. In J.F. Penn's Borderlands, everything pushed off the edge of the map still exists—including the deadliest pandemic in human history.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

• Neil Gaiman's urban fantasy (Neverwhere, American Gods)
• Portal fantasy with dark historical elements
• Strong ensemble casts with complex relationships
• Medieval plague history reimagined
• Lev Grossman's The Magicians series
• V.E. Schwab's parallel London worlds (Shades of Magic)
• Naomi Novik's dark portal fantasy (Scholomance)
• Maps, cartography, and ancient artifacts
• Morally complex characters facing impossible choices
  

Series Information: Map of Plagues is Book 2 of the Mapwalker dark fantasy series. Each book is a complete adventure with its own contained threat, but characters and relationships develop across the series. While it can be read as a standalone, reading Map of Shadows (Book 1) first will enhance your experience.

About the Borderlands: The Borderlands is where forgotten things go—extinct creatures, lost civilizations, and yes, even plagues that once ravaged continents. It's a parallel world where blood magic still works, where Shadow Cartographers breed warriors to reclaim Earthside, and where time moves differently than in our world. Entry is through antique maps, but the cost is always shadow in your soul.

Themes & Content: Medieval plague history, parallel worlds, blood magic, maps and cartography, family loyalty vs. greater good, refugees and displacement, Gothic British settings (Bath and London), ensemble cast adventure, moral complexity, romantic tension.

Story Details:

• Genre: Dark fantasy, portal fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy
• Length: Approximately 70,000 words (300 pages)
• Reading time: 6-8 hours
• Mood: Dark, atmospheric, fast-paced, emotionally intense
• Setting: Bath and London (Earthside), The Borderlands, The Uncharted
• Series position: Book 2 (can be read standalone)
• Content note: Contains violence, plague imagery, adult themes

From the Author: "Map of Plagues explores one of history's darkest questions: what if the Black Death never really disappeared? What if it was simply pushed off the edge of the map? This book delves into medieval plague history, the knights who fought it, and what happens when ancient evil threatens to return." —J.F. Penn