Even Though I Knew the End
-
-
4.4 • 17 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
A USA Today Bestseller!
Winner of the Nebula Award!
Finalist for the Hugo Award!
Finalist for the World Fantasy Award!
A New York Times Best Romance of 2022!
C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.
“Eerie, sharp, and fiercely bittersweet.” —The New York Times
A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.
An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist—the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.
To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
World Fantasy Award winner Polk (The Midnight Bargain) does what they do best with this genre-bending fantasy noir novella that brings lofty magic to a grimy 1940s city and showcases queer love along the way. Ten years earlier, warlock and private investigator Elena Brandt made a deal with the devil, bargaining away her soul to save the most precious thing in the world to her. Now she has only three days left before her deal is up and she goes to Hell. She should be spending that precious time with Edith Jarosky, the love of her life, or Teddy, her estranged brother. Instead, her best client reveals herself to be a demon and makes Elena an offer she can't refuse: if Elena can track down a serial killer, she can have her soul back and live out her days in comfort with Edith. Simple enough—except the murders are gruesome human sacrifices used to invoke an ancient, evil, and terribly powerful magic. Though readers will wish they had more time to explore this shadowy world, Polk's focus on character development makes every interaction matter as they craft a layered exploration of love and power with genuine emotional stakes and a soaring, perfectly bittersweet payoff. It's another winner.
Customer Reviews
Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards!
“Even Though I Knew the End” is a 2022 Urban Fantasy novella by author C. L. Polk. It takes place in Chicago in 1941, but in this world there is magic, angels, and demons.
Our protagonist is Elena "Helen" Brandt who is a private detective and augur. She is convinced by one of her best clients to help pursue a serial killer. Little does she know that this case is about to become very personal.
This novella combines a number of different types of stories. It is a fantasy, it’s a noir detective story, and it’s a romance. It seems almost like a story from the silver screen of the period it’s set in. It has many poignant elements, but it’s overall a positive tale. It’s no wonder that it won the Nebula Award for Best Novella of 2022, and the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novella. That’s some impressive credentials!
Great short read
This book helped me get out of a reading slump!