It’s no secret that my fellow Nerdist folks and I love The Dark Crystal, the beautifully creepy cult film from 1982. The Jim Henson film sparked a love of stop-motion, creature design, and the macabre, which has happily haunted us to this day. So when we were offered the chance to preview a new The Dark Crystal prequel series, we leapt at the opportunity like Fizzgig losing his dang, fluffy mind.

Shadows of the Dark Crystal is the first book in a new prequel series set in the world of the Skeksis and Mystics, and is actually the result of Grosset & Dunlap and The Jim Henson Company’s 2013 competition, The Dark Crystal Author Quest. Author J.M. Lee’s winning story was chosen out of nearly 500 submissions, and features cover art by the film’s original creature designer and beloved fantasy artist Brian Froud, as well as illustrations by Cory Godbey. The prequel takes place years before the events of The Dark Crystal and follows the journey of a young Gelfling woman who leaves her secluded home to uncover the truth surrounding the disappearance of her brother, who has been accused of treason by the sinister Skeksis Lords.

And because we love you, we’ve got the first TWO chapters of Shadow of the Dark Crystal (plus gorgeous cover art and illustrations from the book in the gallery below) right here on Nerdist:

I don’t know about you, but we’re already hooked. Luckily, Shadows of the Dark Crystal is hitting bookstores/the internet soon… on June 28! Help us pass the time and let us know in the comments what other types of stories you’d like to see in The Dark Crystal universe.

Rachel Heine is Nerdist’s Editor-in-Chief and resident Queen of Halloween. Chat with her about spooky stuff on Twitter @RachelHeine.