Shana Targosz
Shana Targosz
Writer of stories. Tea-a-holic. Crafter of beautiful things, scary things, magical things, fuzzy things. Book nerd, Zelda fan, board gamer, and lover of all things fantastical. Mom to a master Lego builder and future space explorer. Thank you for visiting!

I’m a New York Times bestselling fantasy author represented by Andrea Morrison of Writers House.


Books

Aladdin Books / Simon & Schuster

Cover illustration by Danlin Zhang. Book Design by Karin Paprocki

Where to Buy

THE UNDERWILD: RIVER OF SPIRITS

An instant New York Times bestseller!

A “dazzling debut” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.

Twelve-year-old Senka lives between the realm of the Living and the realm of the Dead. As ward to Charon, the Ferryer of the Underworld, Senka assists Charon in ferrying recently departed souls across the river and into their afterlife... But when a Living girl, Poppy, enters the Underworld begging for Senka’s help to find the soul of her brother, they’re both swept downriver, far from everything Senka has ever known. Lost in the Underwild, Senka and Poppy encounter malevolent spirits of lore and eccentric ghosts—and not all are willing to let souls slip through their grasp. Senka knows the Living can’t stay in the realm of the Dead for long, and if Poppy isn't returned home soon she'll risk becoming lost to the Underwild forever. But there is so much Charon never taught her, and as Senka travels deeper into the Underwild she slowly discovers how many secrets her guardian has kept from her. As Senka and Poppy dodge angry demigods, hungry wraiths, tricksy shape-shifters, and terrifying dragon chimera, Senka gets closer and closer to learning the truth of her own past. Soon, she won’t just need to save Poppy’s life—she’ll also need to save her own.

Spirited Away meets Hades in this MG contemporary fantasy. Set in the Underworld, this story explores themes of grief, found family, memory, and what it means to be mortal.

 

Aladdin Books / Simon & Schuster

Cover illustration by Danlin Zhang. Book Design by Karin Paprocki

Where to Buy

The Underwild: Relic of Thieves (March 26, 2026)

An ordinary girl’s longing to return to the way things were sets off a chain of events that lands her and her best friend in the Underwild in this second book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade fantasy series The Underwild—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan.

The best ways Anya knows how to cope with the struggles life throws her way is to keep her head down, stay invisible, and stick close to her best friend, Lizzie. Lizzie has been Anya’s rock since second grade. Together, they pretend the world away. But when Lizzie moves out of state, Anya is left adrift and desperately lonely.

One day, Anya follows a strange girl home from school and is shocked to see her go into the home of the woman who everyone in town swears is a witch. As Anya spies on the pair, she realizes the woman really does have magic—including a set of magical keys that can deliver you anywhere you want to go…keys that could reunite Anya with Lizzie. Anya has seen all she needs to; as soon as she has the chance, she steals the keys.

But magic always has a price. The keys do bring Anya to Lizzie, but then the girls are transported to the dark and chaotic world of the Underwild. Before long, Lizzie is snatched away by a terrible creature! Now wracked with guilt and paralyzed by fear, Anya has no choice but to trust the girl from school, Senka, when she unexpectedly shows up and offers to help. But can Anya find the bravery locked away deep inside herself in time to rescue her friend?

 

 

Accolades for River of Spirits

 
 

BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW

"The dazzling debut immediately subverts expectations by coupling a dark setting and occasionally creepy characters with a chatty tone and delightful details (Charon loves coffee and silly shirts, for starters). Figures from classical mythology are blended seamlessly into a beautifully built world, and death and grief are allowed to exist alongside deep love and frequent humor... it's a truly imaginative and inspiring exploration of the darkest and lightest parts of life." — Emily Graham


Kirkus Reviews

"Debut author Targosz offers readers a meaningful exploration of grief and its impact on those left behind. A beautiful, moving mythological adventure." — Kirkus Reviews


Publishers Weekly

"An action-packed journey through the Underworld centers grief and personal transformation in this fantasy adventure debut... Targosz's inventive setting proves a fertile backdrop for nuanced depictions of how loss can guide actions and shape memory. Employing a memorable cast that includes a cheerful psychopomp and a nonbinary shape-shifting fox child, Targosz touches on themes of friendship, loyalty, and love, making for an exciting and promising series launch." — Publishers Weekly


Additional Honors

📰 Debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List!

📚 A Kids’ Indie Next List Pick

📃 Featured on Kirkus’s Most Compelling Childrens’ Book Debuts List

✨ A Powell’s Pick of the Month for March 2025

🪶 On Barnes & Noble’s Best Kids’ Books of March 2025 List

❕ On Indigo’s Most Anticipated List

🖋️ On Book Riot’s 10 Great New Middle Grade Books of March List

🖤 NetGalley Review, “This was my most anticipated read of 2025 and it did not disappoint! … Themes of love and loss are threaded throughout Senka's journey that thrills and delights at every turn. This is a beautiful story that will touch you and leave its mark for a very long time.”