Offered: signed copy of Desideria
Offered: a signed copy of my first novel, Desideria.
Booklist says: Kornher-Stace’s exceptionally well-crafted debut plays out in a byzantine milieu of madhouses and melodramatic theater in an unnamed seventeenth-century European metropolis. When a woman is found lying outside a burning building, her memory mislaid, and her lips sewn shut, her only recourse for shelter is the church-run Amaranth asylum. Protected from abusive wardens by a resourceful fellow inmate, she slowly recaptures her identity as Ange St. Loup, a rising actress in one of the city’s less-reputable theaters. As her life in the colorful Lady Minerva troupe comes back to her, however, Ange must grapple with the accusation that she is both insane and a murderess. Yet her greatest challenge awaits her in the person of Lady Minerva’s unseen puppet master, a shadowy criminal mastermind known only as the Specialist, who subtly manipulates Ange’s environment in a scheme bent on molding her into the city’s greatest actress. In richly textured, atmospheric prose, Kornher-Stace delivers a spellbinding tale of deception, betrayal, and the darker possibilities of playacting.
Realms of Fantasy says: A relatively new writer whose short fiction has been reprinted by Best American Fantasy, among others, Nicole Kornher-Stace tends toward the experimental, which is great for fantasy fans looking for something a little different. With her first novel, Desideria, she’s created an intriguing, sometimes overlong mystery/psychological drama in which a woman named Ange St Loup wakes up in a madhouse, her memory in ruins. Her face is mutilated and she was found beside a burning building. Is she a murderer? Is she insane? As she tries to regain control of her life, she must find out what happened that night, the implications of which become broader and broader. Kornher-Stace tells the story in often hallucinogenic prose, including asides that sing with true poetry. The setting is an imaginary city, but in a more contemporary/realistic mode than in most fantasies. It’s unlikely you’ll read a more unusual novel this year.
Locus says: Desideria … turns out to be peculiar, both flawed and eloquent, maddening yet haunting, sharply observant of its characters even if they melt into the fever dreams of hallucination, madness, or something truly alien.
Contact: nicolekornherstace (at) gmail (etc etc).
Delivery: I'll ship it via Priority Mail so you don't have to wait a month to check it out. Shipping is on me (at least for US addresses -- will discuss with international bidders).
Minimum bid: $10. (The cover price is $17.95.)
Booklist says: Kornher-Stace’s exceptionally well-crafted debut plays out in a byzantine milieu of madhouses and melodramatic theater in an unnamed seventeenth-century European metropolis. When a woman is found lying outside a burning building, her memory mislaid, and her lips sewn shut, her only recourse for shelter is the church-run Amaranth asylum. Protected from abusive wardens by a resourceful fellow inmate, she slowly recaptures her identity as Ange St. Loup, a rising actress in one of the city’s less-reputable theaters. As her life in the colorful Lady Minerva troupe comes back to her, however, Ange must grapple with the accusation that she is both insane and a murderess. Yet her greatest challenge awaits her in the person of Lady Minerva’s unseen puppet master, a shadowy criminal mastermind known only as the Specialist, who subtly manipulates Ange’s environment in a scheme bent on molding her into the city’s greatest actress. In richly textured, atmospheric prose, Kornher-Stace delivers a spellbinding tale of deception, betrayal, and the darker possibilities of playacting.
Realms of Fantasy says: A relatively new writer whose short fiction has been reprinted by Best American Fantasy, among others, Nicole Kornher-Stace tends toward the experimental, which is great for fantasy fans looking for something a little different. With her first novel, Desideria, she’s created an intriguing, sometimes overlong mystery/psychological drama in which a woman named Ange St Loup wakes up in a madhouse, her memory in ruins. Her face is mutilated and she was found beside a burning building. Is she a murderer? Is she insane? As she tries to regain control of her life, she must find out what happened that night, the implications of which become broader and broader. Kornher-Stace tells the story in often hallucinogenic prose, including asides that sing with true poetry. The setting is an imaginary city, but in a more contemporary/realistic mode than in most fantasies. It’s unlikely you’ll read a more unusual novel this year.
Locus says: Desideria … turns out to be peculiar, both flawed and eloquent, maddening yet haunting, sharply observant of its characters even if they melt into the fever dreams of hallucination, madness, or something truly alien.
Contact: nicolekornherstace (at) gmail (etc etc).
Delivery: I'll ship it via Priority Mail so you don't have to wait a month to check it out. Shipping is on me (at least for US addresses -- will discuss with international bidders).
Minimum bid: $10. (The cover price is $17.95.)