Title: Mazywood
Author: Tananarive Due
Pages: 512
Release: September 22, 2026

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A haunting and layered creature feature that begins with an ill-conceived wish that reshapes the course of one family from Old Hollywood to today. As a child, Mazelle “Mazy” Washington makes a seemingly benign yet careless wish that alters the trajectory of her life and those of her descendants in unexpected ways.

Due constructs a riveting and believable backstory for Mazelle, a one-time child star, juxtaposed against her film director grandson visiting her cabin many decades later.

With the two timelines playing out in parallel, flashbacks to Mazelle’s life gradually add pieces to the puzzle of what’s transpiring in the present day and recontextualize what came before in a really satisfying way. There’s a real depth to Mazelle and her Old Hollywood trappings, growing up in the industry as a Black performer, as she rubs shoulders with everyone from Cary Grant to Lena Horne. I found these Old Hollywood sections fantastic while the present-day storyline felt a little lacking by comparison. Some of the contemporary action sequences feel overwritten and could have been tighter, as well.    

Even with some pacing issues in the present-day sections, this is a consistently compelling story. Due writes Mazelle with such depth and grace that her halo elevates the entire novel.

★★★¾

My thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.