Welcome to “First Chapters,” Cosmo’s column where we shine a spotlight on newer authors who you are definitely going to be obsessed with. And what better way for you to get to know them and their books than with an excerpt of their new release. This round, we’re highlighting Vaishnavi Patel's We Dance Upon Demons, a contemporary fantasy that that follows a burnt out healthcare workers who suddenly unlocks an ancient magic at an Indian art exhibit. In an stunning mix of politics and magic, Vaishnavi excellently balances both to create a story that is both timely and powerful. Here’s some more info from Saga Press:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi, a galvanizing stand-alone contemporary fantasy following a burnt-out reproductive health care worker as she fights back against escalating attacks on her clinic and the malevolent forces in hot pursuit of her newly acquired power.
As a reproductive health care worker in Chicago, Nisha is barely staying afloat in the ocean of abortion bans, screaming protestors, and her own all-consuming depression.
When she escapes to the Indian art exhibit at her favorite museum for a brief respite, Nisha suddenly finds herself bleeding, disoriented, and collapsed on the ground. The last thing she remembers is the statue that beckoned her to touch it. In the days that follow, Nisha feels a strange power coursing within her, one that attracts a host of dangerous and enigmatic characters who covet it for themselves.
Facing threats both otherworldly and distinctly human, Nisha must navigate uncertain alliances to piece together the centuries-old mystery of her odd and terrifying abilities. And as danger closes in on her loved ones, community, and the clinic she’s determined to protect, Nisha must make a choice about the life she wants—and fight all the demons standing in her way to get it.
And you can get a special look at this incredible book with a mesmerizing sneak peek below! Just make sure to pre-order We Dance Upon Demons so you can find out what happens next when it's released on May 12, 2026!
I used to be one of those kids, a weirdo with an unshakable belief in magic. I found these faux-scientific books about magic in the library, a whole series entitled Dragonology, Fairyology, and Demonology. The first two contained little gimmicks like “dragon scales” embedded into the pages that even my child-self dismissed. But Demonology was a different story. The book housed tales from around the world about demons, recontextualizing great historical acts as instances of magic. Demon magic. In India, the book claimed, the greatest rulers made deals with benevolent rakshasas and asuras to protect their people, their strength fueling armies, their foresight saving entire regions from ruin. Armed with this knowledge, I spent my childhood dreaming of magic, finding and devouring other books on the topic. At the time, we lived in an apartment complex in Rogers Park, so I was never without playmates. While other kids pretended to fly or teleport or turn invisible, I explained that there was no historically verified documentation of those abilities. Enhanced speed or strength, sure. The ability to bring rain or heal wounds, yes. Elemental magic, absolutely. Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t very popular. It didn’t bother me—I was more occupied with searching for a demon to grant me my own magic. Although the books all said they had died out, I still believed I could find one. Then one day, a playmate of mine laughed derisively at me for believing in demons. I remember asking Aai about it later, cheeks burning with shame. And though she spoke to me kindly, I could see the laughter in her eyes, too.
Maybe that was when the trajectory of my life changed, when I internalized, deep down, that the foundations of the world I lived in were shaky, that there was no special magic that could change that. And yet I want it to be real. I want to unlock some secret power, I want to believe that some sort of impossible magic is at my fingertips if only I can find it. Once Muya has left and I’ve texted Aai that I’m fine, I meditate. I try it on my own, using the breathing exercises Aai taught me, and when that fails, find the YouTube video she sent me and follow an older Indian man’s droning instructions. I take a brief break to email the potential volunteers signed up for training that we’ll be doing it remotely this evening instead, since there’s no way I’m trekking out to the clinic with everything going on. Then I fill up the bathtub and put on relaxing string music. It’s the first time I’ve used the tub since I moved in, and I immediately hate it. My skin itches and the part of me outside the water is cold. The bubbles have a cloying, fruity smell. I heave myself out of the tub. I’d pulled my hair up into a bun to avoid getting it wet in the bath, and when I catch my reflection in the mirror, I realize I always knew what I was going to have to do. From the moment Muya said I had to find my inner peace, there was only one option. I grab a simple kurta from my closet, tie my dupatta around one shoulder to the opposite hip, and let my body take over and do what it’s wanted to do for years.
From the moment I first danced Kathak, I was terrible, but I couldn’t stop. “Practice makes permanent,” my dance guru would always say. But my problem wasn’t that I didn’t know the steps. I was a bad dancer because I thought too much. And then, out of the blue, it all clicked for me. One moment I was continuing to struggle, and the next, just for five or ten seconds, my brain let go. I was immersed, my body flowing as emotions poured out of me—I didn’t remember what happened after. I loved it. It was my meditation. It’s why I haven’t danced in years, because I didn’t want to taint that joy.
But now, I discover the muscle memory hasn’t left me. From the moment my right foot steps forward to start the namaskaram for the session, my brain starts to let go. It’s awkward and imperfect, but I manage, the bol ringing in my head—ta thei thei tat aa thei thei tat—erasing all other thoughts. I push myself to perform one of my old technical pieces, a twenty-minute classical set of progressively more difficult compositions. And as I slip into my flow state, I meet a woman.
We Dance Upon Demons,by Vaishnavi Patel will be released on May 12, 2026 from Saga Press. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice:
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