The Alchemy of Moonlight
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- 8,99 €
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- 8,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
In this queer gothic romance, a young marquis caught between freedom and passion, honor and love will have to unravel a centuries-old curse to find his own happy ending.
Trapped in a world of straight expectations, queer marquis Emile longs for independence. So, when his aunt declares he must marry to produce an heir or be disowned, he runs away disguised as a servant until he can come of age and reclaim his inheritance.
All Emile needs to do is keep his head down and bide his time, but he quickly stumbles into a mystery beyond his imagination. While working in the service of the intimidating Count Montoni and his family, Emile learns that they suffer from a strange affliction every full moon, which requires full sedation. And when he discovers a mangled corpse on the estate the same night as suspicious family arguments break out, he reports it. But Emile cannot guess what lengths Count Montoni is willing to go to to keep his family’s secrets safe. As Emile becomes more entangled in the household and its paranormal origins, his inquiries draw the attention of the handsome doctor, Bram, and the count’s charismatic nephew, Henri.
But how can Emile earn the esteem of the earnest doctor, while keeping his own identity and desires a secret? And how can he trust—let alone love—Henri, a man as mercurial as the ever-changing moon? To find the love he deserves and survive the Montoni family, Emile will have to risk his title as well as his life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Ferraro reimagines The Mysteries of Udolpho in this ominous supernatural romance. Following his father's death in the summer of 1873, 17-year-old Emile St. Aubert's aunt offers him a choice: marry a woman and continue the St. Aubert line, or be stripped of his inheritance and thrown into an asylum for his attraction to men. Emile instead runs away from home and finds work as a servant for the affluent Montoni household at Chateau le Blanc. As he settles into his new working-class responsibilities, Emile is both thrilled and terrified when he catches the attention of handsome visiting doctor Bram Valancourt. Emile's growing feelings for Bram are complicated, however, when Emile starts developing an attraction to Montoni's nephew, Count Henri Morano. Romance gives way to horror when, after a series of violently dismembered corpses are discovered on the chateau grounds, Emile realizes that something sinister is afoot. Emile's sensitive and thoughtful first-person narration forms the core of this tale, which teems with heart-pounding moments both amorous and frightening. While the central mystery is predictable, Ferraro's handling of coercive power dynamics and conflicting desires, coupled with the intensely raw queer relationships, is fresh and impressive. Emile and Henri cue as white; Bram is Black. Ages 14–up.