Book Spotlight: Call Forth A Fox by Markelle Grabo

 

Title Of Book: Call Forth A Fox

Author: Markelle Grabo

Genres, Fantasy, Lesbian, Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Retellings, Cozy Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Romance

Summary

The western wood is where Ro’s father built their garden, taught her to forage, and told her tales of the faeries who live there—how to summon them, how to protect herself, and warnings of what they are capable of. Now, her father is gone, the garden has withered, and their family is struggling. Her mother and sister want to move into town, but Ro doesn't want to give up the memories of her father and his stories—or the charming village girl who shares Ro's love of the trees. And the forest isn’t ready to let her go either.

One winter night, on her way home from foraging, Ro encounters a fox being attacked by a bear. She fights the bear to save the fox’s life, only to see the bear turn into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow. When the boy wakes, he has no memory of who he is—all he knows is Ro’s name and that he has to kill the fox.

Ro never believed in the faeries from her father’s stories, but she can’t deny the magic surrounding her and that both the boy and the fox are victims of a faerie curse. She’ll have to remember everything her father taught her in order to extract herself from this deadly game and keep her precious fox out of harm’s way.

About Call Forth a Fox, trade reviews/recognition + purchase links: https://markellegrabo.com/books/call-forth-a-fox/  

Connect with the author: Goodreads  Instagram  Threads 

Short Bio

Markelle Grabo retells the fairy tales that frustrate her, which, based on that guideline, could include nearly all of them. Her debut YA novel, Call Forth a Fox, received a starred review from Shelf Awareness for its “beautifully layered construction of identity” and was selected for the Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorites List and the American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List. Her next YA, The Redwood Bargain, will publish in winter 2026. Markelle earned her master’s degree in creative writing for children and young adults from Hamline University and lives in the Greater Chicago Area with her husband and two cats, Matcha and Kava. 

Long Bio

Markelle Grabo retells the fairy tales that frustrate her, which, based on that guideline, could include nearly all of them. Her debut YA novel, Call Forth a Fox, received a starred review from Shelf Awareness for its “beautifully layered construction of identity” and was selected for the Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorites List and the American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List. Her next YA, The Redwood Bargain, will publish in winter 2026.

Markelle earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Loyola University Chicago and her master’s degree in creative writing for children and young adults from Hamline University. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, food adventures, and going to the movies. Whatever she’s doing, she’s usually listening to an audiobook or a podcast at the same time. Markelle lives in the Greater Chicago Area with her husband and two cats, Matcha and Kava. 

Name Pronunciation & Pronouns

mar-KELL GRAY-boh

she/her/hers