Everyday life is political. Art is political. The relevancy of these two statements will hit home to a lot of people. At the same time, I love stories for their capability of producing compelling characters and asking nuanced questions that don’t fit neatly into any political category. And that’s why I adore Lara Elena Donnelly’s Amberlough, her debut novel about tumultuous times and complicated people who are far from perfect but feel nonetheless real.
But beyond that, Amberlough is stylish, evocative and provocative. And yes, you might feel a bit naughty reading it. The book follows master spy Cyril DePaul, who is forced to be a double-agent serving a fascist movement on the rise while trying to save his lover Aristide Makricosta. In the process, the street-wise dancer / drug runner Cordelia Lahane gets caught in mix. Though labeled as fantasy, Amberlough’s pitch-perfect aesthetics feels like the book takes place in an alternate pre-WWII Europe.
Tor.com will be posting new preview chapters every Wednesday before the book goes on-sale on February 7th, and you can get started right away with Chapters 1 and 2! After giving them a read, may you too be seduced by the allure of Amberlough…