1984 meets The Handmaid's Tale meets Blade Runner 2049. That's the best mashup I can think of for this book.

I flew through The Infinite State and I barely know how I managed it. The pacing was breathless and tense and nonstop, I really like Swan's writing style! I will wholly admit this is my first book by him, but man... what a banger to start with. This was clearly a poignant project he was passionate about that involved processing a lot of things all at once. It took risks, it was fun, and the characters were all difficult people in an impossible situation.

I love when a book can engage in political commentary without it feeling overburdened and I felt like Swan did a great job. For me, it occasionally felt hamfisted at parts but that's because I am very aware (too aware) of political systems and how they work - that was a Me problem not a Richard problem. For someone who has no foreknowledge, I think the explanations of fascism and democracy are fantastic. He made them conversational and didn't bulldoze you with a billion explainers on theory, he just gave very accessible overviews of what different political systems are and the fact that none of them are perfect. These explainers were essential, too, which sometimes books can forget about when we get too deep in the weeds. He gave readers as much theory as they needed to understand the Empire's threat and the reasons Gabriel was an important project.

I loved the atmosphere Swan included in this book, too. The dreary landscapes of the Empire juxtaposed with the humid, colorful Gabriel was a great visual and even before he described Gabriel in such a way I was already seeing it in that palette. One thing he did well, though, which I think is both hard to do and uncommon to see is the threat of a concept. It's challenging to get the sense of threat in a fascist state translated into a fictional book - let alone a fictional space book - because there's no one singular threatening enemy. Books tend to crystalize around a clear enemy and a clear hero or heroes. I love when they manage to subvert that and turn either into something new, which Swan manages in The Infinite State. He makes the very concept of fascism the bad guy and shows you using the actions of his characters. From the Emperor to Cyprian to Droor to Morita to Morozov, Swan makes it hard to separate the idea of "bad guy" into any singular operator for the Decurion Empire. It isn't even the Decurion Empire that's the villain, necessarily, its the systems and antithetical mindsets that let the Empire exist in the first place.

Swan was very smart and thoughtful about how he leveraged human nature and how the Empire acts in conflict with what we have naturally evolved into. As someone who lovingly refers to myself as a defiant optimist - someone who refuses to stop believing in the best in things or people or situations - I felt very, very seen in this book. Swan believes in the inherent human desire to help and do good and the Empire beating and tormenting that out of people is turning its people into these twisted, abominable visages of humanity that are in direct conflict with one of our most important base instincts. It's the denial of agency and the discouragement of joy that sets the Empire's people to suffering. In their suffering, they're too tired and scared and cynical to do anything to oppose their fascist overlords.

He put so many different facets of what fascism does to people in here that I feel like I could talk about this for a dozen pages at least. One of my favorites was his demonstration of how the Empire's own worst enemy was... the Empire. Not the Free Nations, but itself. You can only stagnate and oppress your people for so long because you start to fall so far behind you create the tools for your own system to collapse. Denial of what human beings are and what we need at our core is a house of cards that always collapses in on itself, it's only ever been a matter of time.

His inclusion of the technology disparity was also very, very fun to watch. When Katherine gets out into the wider world (space, fine fine fine), she's blown away by how much of their suffering in the Empire is the Empire's choice. It's a decision that helps facilitate the repeated subjugation of their people by keeping them sick when they don't have to be, overworked when they don't have to be, poor when they don't have to be. It was a great way to show that the obligation of a government is to care for its people and its decay begins when it loses sight of that goal. When our basic needs aren't met and a government turns it into a flagellation of the people, a moralistic chiding that blames the people it was established to govern instead of itself, it begins to poison itself and heralds its own doom.

Somehow, in all of this, we also managed to fit one of my favorite topics to rant about and I will do my best to stay high level with it: the military industrial complex. I hate the military industrial complex and I got the impression Swan does, too, but he was much better about making The Infinite State informative as to why it's so damaging and terrible for a population to let military privateers run amok than I would have been. The Perpetual War Council from the get go gave me TMJ because, yeah. If you're engaged in perpetual warfare, you're probably in the wrong. He talked about the human canon fodder of their own children the Party members create, how the constant forced birthing and obsession with pregnancy is just a mechanism to feed the constant machine of interstellar war and has nothing to do with women's rights or family, the lack of technological improvement feeds their trumped up propaganda narrative about the nobility of these stupid wars, and how the distance of the people watching the footage of these endless wars keeps them removed from the true horror of them and thus continually in support of these "expansion efforts". The arms fair made my skin crawl, but Swan also was very smart about including why it's necessary to be armed when everyone else around you is armed. I appreciated that inclusion a lot because it's under discussed how when everyone around you has nukes, you need to be able to also defend yourself from nukes kind of thing. Smaller countries arm themselves up because everyone around them has armed themselves up. If they don't they just open themselves up to being overtaken under the guise of "protection" and then fully annexed against their will. Sounds remarkably like a very recent conflict occurring actively today, right?

Okay, I won't preach, I swear. As someone who loves political themes in books and believes fully that reading is political, books are political, and books are affected by the political climate of the era they were written in, this was a very bold story that directly faced down modern issues and conflicts most authors shy away from or leave room to pretend has nothing to do with modern day situations. I felt like Swan confronted complicated current events in a smart, accessible, thoughtful way that you could couch as a reader in terms of science fiction and places that don't exist. While the removal from the current day is there plainly and front and center (in my opinion), the way he bluntly addresses systems is very easily taken into our own world. Too often, authors rename fascism like "urblanagism" or "portoricianism" or give it some made up name that allows us to remove ourselves even farther from the concepts and pretend that's fully made up and not real and doesn't exist outside of the context of that story. Swan didn't. He called a spade a spade and I think in the era of surveillance states, flirting with fascism, and watching once-great governments forget that their priority is the wellbeing of the people they govern? This distinction is relevant, important, and will be a lens into the current state of the world to future readers.

Pater Delenda Est

Hi paid members! Just a reminder that this is the final week to help populate our monthly newsletter with all your cozy, creative joy. This month’s theme is: Cozy Summer🌱

I'd love to see how you're embracing a cozier summer this season! Feel free to share:

• Your favorite summer recipe or treat

• Your current vacation read or a summer book recommendation

• Your garden, porch, patio, or favorite outdoor reading spot

• A picnic, beach day, or cozy summer outing

• Summer-inspired artwork, crafts, or photography

Ready to submit? CLICK HERE to send in your photo, piece of writing, book rec, drawing, etc. by July 31st and I’ll include it.

I can’t wait to see what you submit!
Meg

This Tuesday delivers a big batch of new books. Here is a roundup of romances hitting shelves today that have a Rebel Ever After vibe. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement!

[This isn't an exhaustive list of every romance novel out today. If you are an author with a progressive romance coming out soon, please email brosandprose@gmail.com to get it on my radar!]

Out today 7/28:

Fossil Feud by Maggie North (Dell) — RIVAL PALEONTOLOGISTS! I DO NOT NEED TO SAY MORE.

Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (St. Martin's Griffin) — This Regency heroine writes for a radical newspaper that wants to take down the aristocracy. Must be awkward when she falls in love with a duke! 

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (Bramble) — Sarah Beth Durst’s fantasy books are so cozy and lovely. This is the third book in her Spellshop universe. I’m in conversation with her about Sea of Charms at Northport Books on August 12th. Come through! 

Second First Dates by Gabriella Gamez (Forever) — A new contemporary romance by the author of The Next Big Fling and Kiss Me, Maybe. I’ll buy it just to own that beautiful Olivia Dade cover.

Wild Goose Chase by Sarah Adler (Berkley) — Two antique dealers have to find and dispose of an illegal taxidermied goose. This line in the marketing copy killed me: “Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin?” Bonkers premise, I’m sold. 

Maggie and Arthur's Magic Moment by Leslie René (Ace) — Magical university professors have to share an office. Even in fantasy realms, those pesky budget cuts in academia, am I right? 

Breakup For Two by E.M. Wilson (Frayed Pages x Wattpad Books) — I’m curious about this imprint spearheaded by breakout Wattpad author Anna Todd. Breakup for Two is pitched for fans of Talia Hibbert, Jackie Lau, and Rachel Lynn Solomon.

New titles missed last week:

How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe — I forgot to include this new spooky Summerween YA romance in my last roundup. Jenny is a previous Rebel Ever After guest who writes fantastic fat representation. She just wrote on Instagram about why fat characters are disappearing from YA titles, and her analysis applies to adult romance, too.

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

Before we get to all of today's amazing Latine releases, a reminder that we begin reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook) on SATURDAY over on Discord! I can not wait to scream about this noir with you all!

How YOU can support Bien Leidos

We have a really short introduction this morning because I have TWO books I didn't include in the early exclusive newsletter for the month I wanted to cover. If you want to support the work I do AND receive an early, lengthier look at all these amazing Latine releases, a great way to do it is by supporting me at the Libritos or Lectores membership level. I'm in the process of planning some incredible Latinx Heritage Month content and your support would mean everything!

And now on to today's releases...

YOUNG ADULT NOVEL IN VERSE

Evamar by Margarita Engle

LITERARY FICTION

Beginning, Middle, and End by Valerie Luiselli (Audiobook)

ROMANCE

Second First Dates by Gabrielle Gamez (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED FICTON

The Winds of Maracaibo by Maria Elena Moran (Audiobook)

Five by César Aira and Translated by Chris Andrews

The Red Earth by Morgana Kretzmann and Translated by Daniel Hahn (Audiobook)

SCIENCE FANTASY

The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

Another fantastic night in The Land thanks to Suzanne and Mac's Backs! Proud to share the stage with an awesome nurse and doc, and to be supported by some of my oldest Cleveland friends. Happy to represent GV Art & Design's awesome C-Town Superman T and of course, finished the night at Tommy's next door.

And yes, that's me buying Paul Tremblay's book at my own signing.

Hi BGN Lit Lounge and Sanctuary Members!

Please excuse the double email, but this is an important one!

We're running a little behind this month after the whirlwind that was Comic-Con, so thank you for your patience. Now it's time to choose our August Book Club selection, and we need your help!

We'd love for each of you to nominate one or two books that you think would make a great read for our August selection. Whether it's fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance, graphic novels, or another genre that celebrates the nerdy stories we love, we want to see your picks.

Because we're on a tight timeline, please submit your nominations by Thursday, July 30.

We'll open voting to the Inner Circle members on August 1st, and the winning title will become our August Book Club selection!

We can't wait to see what books you're excited about. Happy nominating! 📖

Our first Black Girl Nerds Book Club selection, Sistah Samurai: A Champloo Novella, was a fun and memorable read that sparked great conversations among our members. Now we're excited to take the discussion one step further by giving our BGN Sanctuary members the opportunity to connect directly with author Tatiana Obey.

Join us for an exclusive Zoom conversation on Tuesday, August 26, at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT, where Tatiana will discuss the inspiration behind the novel, her creative process, and answer your questions about the book.

We're looking forward to sharing this special event with you!

Not a BGN Sanctuary member? Don't worry! We'll be recording the conversation and making it available at a later date so everyone can enjoy this insightful discussion.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87899056146

I'm back home!

After a long 8 days in Peru, I'm glad to finally be home and rested for a few days. The trip was incredible and I got to see my first wonder of the world, but nothing beats sleeping in your own bed... and AC!

Some updates: I'm about to start pitching my client's book! The first book I helped pitch is still out with editors, some passing and some haven't gotten back to me just yet. I'm both excited and nervous!! I'm still open to queries and hoping something amazing comes across my query box so I can sign another author for my list!

Reading update: I actually finished a couple of books (CRAZY)!! One will be featured in this week's western wednesday while the other... not so much. It was one of those books that you just have to finish even if you know you don't really like it. Oh well!

Post update: I'm editing parts of my dissertation for release on this platform periodically and I'm very excited about that. Hopefully y'all are, too!

Anyway, that's all for now! See you guys Wednesday!

xx ellen

SICKOOOOOOOS! Let me know the books you plan on reading this week in the comments and I'll share with you everything I got planned. Let's boogie!

READING

REVIEW

DEFIANCE: A MEMOIR OF AWAKENING, REBELLION, AND SURVIVAL IN SYRIA by LOUBNA MRIE (nonfiction memoir)

Progress: Finished

I feel like I've spent a month with this one with the stops and starts, but again, that was my fault starting too many books at the same time. The final half of this is A LOT, I mean there's some super heartbreaking stuff in here. There's so many angles to this one and I credit Mrie for exploring all of them without losing any of the energy it carried throughout. I kept a running log of notes so hopefully my full review will be coherent but one fact I'll highlight here is that apparently they put corn on pizza in Syria? What do y'all think of that?

STREETS OF LAREDO by LARRY MCMURTRY [Lonesome Dove - Pub Order #2/Chronological Order #4] (western fiction)

Progress: 427/538

Another bite taken out of this puppy and while most of the qualms I noted last week still stand, I am finding the story taking a path that is more gripping than it was in the first half. It's still not going to touch the genius of Lonesome Dove but that's a crazy bar to hit.

1177 B.C.: THE YEAR CIVILIZATION COLLAPSED by ERIC H. CLINE (nonfiction history)

Progress: 51/179

It lost out in the History Sickos vote but it's one I was gonna read anyway. I read this a long time ago but after having watched The Odyssey, I was pulled back to it for reasons that will become clear with this snippet from Barry Strauss' introduction:

PREVIEW/AUGUST BOOK CLUB PICKS

It'll be all about the book clubs for my next reads, and the winners are:

FICTION SICKOS BOOK CLUB: The Odyssey by Homer (any translation)

HISTORY SICKOS BOOK CLUB: Black Flag, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

EVERYTHING ELSE

• Publishing News: No formal announcement yet for our second acquisition but I can tell you that the other was revealed in our Discord like a Scooby Doo villain last week!

• Game of the Week: I'm fully addicted to Assassin's Creed Odyssey for the fourth time (playing as Kassandra, of course). I'm up to level 17 and am starting to hunt down these doggone cultists.

• Show of the Week: No idea tbh. Maybe Frieren S2?!

• Movie of the Week: We gotta figure out a Jurassic Park watch-along in the Discord I think.

• Content News: New YouTube is up! In this one I'm ranking the books the Fiction Sickos have read this year.

• I'll be on vacation next week so there won't be an update. It's the week before the wee emperor starts school again so I wanted to spend more quality time with him. I do have plenty of stuff to film (or clip out from YT) so you may not even notice other than the missing update.

Hello, Inner Circle!

I have been a busy, frazzled creature. How is everyone's summer going?

Hexes Go Well with Tequila is currently being recorded by Patricia Santomasso, who is an Earphones and Odyssey Award winning narrator and has recorded over 400 audiobooks.

She's recorded books for Riley Sager, T. Kingfisher, Frieda McFadden and many more incredible authors-so, I was delighted when I heard her reading an excerpt of Hexes Go Well with Tequila in audition.

As we gear up for the re-release of Hexes Go Well with Tequila in October, I am working on the fourth installment of The Lost Souls, something I wasn't sure that I would dive into for a while. But, alas, one of the characters came knocking in my brain so I had to start getting her story down.

Any guesses who this one is about?

I hope you all are doing well. I will be doing a cover reveal for Hay House Hexes Go Well with Tequila here first before it goes public, so stay tuned!

Magically,

Lee

I had an amazing time celebrating the release of A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan at The Ripped Bodice!

I fell in love with Nina and Patrick last year when I read A Forbidden Alchemy, and I think I’m even more obsessed with them now. This was an amazing sequel that I was lucky enough to read early, and I’m so happy it’s officially out in the world.

If you haven’t started The Artisan Trilogy yet, what are you waiting for?! Pick it up already!

Below is a link to a video of some snippets from the event, which is exclusive for my bindery subscribers for one week before it hits YouTube! I hope you enjoy!

https://youtu.be/yjGZUF3hCGg

Let's go chapter 2! I actually have a few chapters already written, I'm trying to get one done a week for this project at minimum give or take. I like this so far and I have a character in Book 2 conjured up that I am already so excited to get to. She's gonna be my favorite, honestly. Still. Gotta use this as a setup for the bigger breakout in the series. This is kinda fun, guys.

Chapter 2: Traitors

Castor stood outside the double doors to the throne room and took a long, steadying breath. The ritual he had perfected over the last ten years in service of his mortal enemy came so easily now. He breathed--slow and deep--and checked all the buckles and belts and fasteners on his armor. Counting as he went. Clearing his mind, smothering the fire that burned at the back of it as if the Dawn Emperor might see it someday. He touched the notches on the edges of his steel bracers - one for every member of his dead family, dead friends, dead court. One for every person he loved that the Dawn Emperor had taken from him. 

He prayed for their strength, lifted his head, and nodded to the guards. They opened the doors on terrible, silent hinges and the throne room painted across his vision. The walk, as always, felt interminable. He kept a lazy hand on his sword and a lazier grin on his face as he approached the man seated on the golden sunburst of a throne. The Emperor leaned on his hand, watching Castor approach through half-lidded pale blue eyes under tightly trimmed black hair. His thin mouth was set in a permanent partial smile, as if he always found something vaguely amusing or was plotting something unspeakably wicked. 

Castor usually found it was the latter. 

The Emperor raised a hand covered in golden rings, sweeping the dark blue of his robes along the pale stone floor. Castor took the invitation and kneeled, kissing the serpent signet ring of his liege and bowing his head. 

“Rise,” the emperor sighed. “Tell me of the north.”

He always sounded bored, which Castor assumed he must be. With two thirds of Moranthe now under the Dawn Empire, he was running out of places to conquer. He fought the urge to clench his hand into a fist and stood. He was no coward, despite what everyone said about him in the north. He looked the Emperor in the eyes when he spoke. 

“Small pockets of rebellion, nothing we aren’t accustomed to,” he clasped his hands behind his back to steady them. “Put down swiftly. The Forestmen are pillaging again, though. I believe the Ice Witches laid waste to some of their hunting grounds, the feral bitches. It’s forcing them through the Wastewood to pillage. I’ve got my men forming patrols and ending the bands when we find them.”

The Emperor hummed his approval, scanning his cold eyes up Castor’s body the way a lord might eye a good horse. That’s what he was to this man, really. A prized stallion. Proof that even the strongest-willed of his enemies could be broken and cowed to the point of becoming a beloved general in his army. Valasen rallied the world to help close the Tempest Gate and beat back the demon hordes that surged across Moranthe and the Dawn Emperor took the moment to spread his army out and occupy any throne left unguarded. His little cousin had saved the world and the world rewarded her with a dead family and dead allies. 

Castor was only a boy when he was taken into the emperor’s court as a ward. Eleven and frothing with rage, a wild creature all snapping teeth and raking claws. The Guard Captain was still missing half an ear. They had found him guarding the bodies of his murdered parents with a sword twice his size. The last living member of House Tartenna, ruling family of Valasen.

He wished they had killed him. 

The Emperor remarked to his miserable son without looking at the young man fixed slightly behind the left side of his obnoxious throne, “General Tartenna is our greatest asset in the north. He knows the people intimately and is the only one the Ice Witches will entreat with.”

“Yes, father,” the young man watched Castor through frigid glacial blue eyes. 

He took after his mother, the long-dead Empress Delia, thankfully. The only thing he inherited from his tyrant father were his eyes and his penchant for being an asshole. Prince Ciro was everything the court wanted from an heir. Just barely shorter than his father, an already towering man, he was broad-shouldered and carried himself with an easy confidence. Simple to do when you’re the future Emperor. He was sharp-jawed and high-boned as all good royal sons are, his thin silver circlet half hidden under a cornsilk forelock. 

Compared to Castor, though, he might as well have been a boy. They were two years apart in age, but impossibly different in stature and appearance. Castor was the hulking mass of war, built like a battleaxe with pale blond hair nearly silver, kept far too long in a mess of braids and tangles he knotted atop his head to keep out of his face. Cold, bright green eyes fixed on the prince from under a weary brow. Castor’s nose had been broken more than once, a scar slashed across it that added a dash of menace into the wild attraction of him. 

The two young men regarded each other with the disdain neither of them had ever bothered to hide. As boys, they had never made peace. As men, they interacted only as much as decorum demanded. Decorum, of course, being the Dawn Emperor. 

“I should like you to stay for the opening ceremony of the Games, General,” the Emperor waved a hand. “The additional guards will come from the ranks and they would be more receptive to you than the Captain, I believe.”

Castor agreed. For all his hatred of the Dawn Emperor and his Day Prince, he held the undying love and admiration of the soldiers. He had fought for his place in their ranks, chosen to start where everyone else did despite the Emperor’s offer of command. He wanted to earn it. More than that, he wanted to owe the Emperor who had destroyed his family as little as possible. 

It helped that he had a death wish and regularly threw himself in harm’s way during campaigns to save his men. He did it under the guise of honor and valor, but the truth was much simpler. He wanted someone to kill him. Whatever god had decided to make him their pet project, however, had not allowed for this. Instead, he found himself the center of many celebrations and a long and growing list of soldiers who owed him their lives. He couldn’t remember the last time he paid for a drink.

“Yes, your majesty,” Castor thumped a fist to his chest and bowed enough to satisfy. “Anything else I can offer you, my Emperor?”

“No,” he sighed and waved a hand, “you are dismissed. Attend the barracks and coordinate security with the Captain, please.”

He turned on his heel and stalked out, controlling his gait the way he always did. Not too fast, not too slow. Languid, as though he loved his role as the Traitor General. The wolfish grin he paid the guards bought their belief and they gave him one back, loving his role, too. 

***

Castor stared at himself in the mirror, leaning over the washbasin. Water dripped down his back in cool rivers, pooling and shifting and turning around the cords of muscle and scar. He marveled at how tired he looked. How tired he was. All of his sins weighed him down and he let himself have a moment to stop trying to hold them off. His back bowed and he was looking down in the still water at a distorted version of himself. 

Fitting, he mused. The warped version of his face mirrored how he felt under all the complicated layers of who he believed himself to be. 

He glanced at the small scroll of parchment, his reason for bathing and tidying as best he could. He had another role to play while he was here. A drowning, hedonistic role he let himself disappear to and pretend everything was fine. He would attend their parties, be marveled at like a hound, and accept their offers of beds and drugs and wine until he forgot his own name. 

How else was he supposed to cope with the knowledge of everything he was?

Traitor to his people, yes, but also the only thing keeping them safe. If he hadn’t let himself be cowed, if he hadn’t bent the knee and sworn his fealty, the Dawn Emperor was going to murder them all. They believed he was the last Tartenna left, that he carried their hope of liberation in his heart. Then he knelt and kissed the serpent ring and that hope had been snuffed out. All that remained of Valasen now was a corpse, bones picked clean by a cobbled-together council of low-House survivors too mealy to ever foment insurrection. 

Castor knew, though. Deep in his heart in the place where secret, soul-bound knowledge lived--Elara was alive. With every fiber of his being, he knew it. It was why he bent the knee, why he joined the army, why he went north when ordered and fought for glory under the Dawn Empire’s rising-sun banner. He was looking for his lost cousin, the true Princess of Valasen, the real Tartenna heir. 

She was out there and he would find her. They would restore the castle at Reyna and rally their conquered allies to her throne. They would beat back the Dawn Empire and undo the man who had destroyed them. He would find her. He would find her. 

***

Finn dropped his head to rest against the cold wood of his bedroom door. He hardly dared to breathe, to speak. His debt would be paid. By the end of this plan that was, in truth, absolute madness, he would be free of this life he did not want. He could go. He could join the Brothers of Death or become a silk merchant or open a fish stand and sell grilled hatya trout he caught in the Maga. After this, he was no longer a prisoner of violence to a man he hated. 

He just had to find a way to stomach being around Keelie fucking Sharp for two weeks. 

It didn’t matter. He would do it. She might have absolutely zero self control, but he did. He could hunker down and drag himself through any situation if it meant he could come here, pack his bags, and never look back. He went to the closet and pulled out a trunk, pushing the taste of freedom to the back of his tongue long enough to sort out what he would need. Suits and tunics and jerkins and jackets of the finest possible make Tobin could find, awash in what was to be his House colors of plum and silver. He tried not to cringe. He looked dreadful in plum. 

Of course, Keelie wouldn’t. Probably why Tobin chose them. He swallowed the bitter pill of Tobin’s affection for Keelie, misplaced as it might be. All of them, on some level, craved Tobin’s approval and only Keelie had managed to actually obtain it. How? He had no idea. He put it all out of his mind and loaded his things for travel, summoning one of the house servants to bring it down and ready it for the carriage. His second trunk he would take down himself. That one was full of all his tools he would need for his role. 

If it was spycraft he would be doing, it would be the best damned spycraft he had ever done in his life. Finn would leave nothing to chance. He was getting out of this life that never should have been his one way or another. When he finally lay down to sleep, he stared at the familiar crack in the plaster ceiling he had slowly watched bloom and grow over the years. He had no idea how it had started, only that it was there one day. It grew a little every year and Finn liked to imagine it as the road to his new life slowly inching closer to the door through which he would escape.

Gods willing and kind, this would be the last night he spent in this bed looking at that crack. 

***

Finneas tapped his foot on the marble floor of the foyer, glancing at the clock with a sigh. He looked to Whistler who lounged against the railing, “What could possibly be taking her so long? She already loaded three trunks into the carriage, it’s a miracle she has anything left to wear!”

Whistler just shrugged indifferently. No help, as usual. Finn approached the bottom of the stairs and shouted, “Will someone tell her highness that we have to leave?! Whatever she’s doing can wait!”

“I assure you it could not,” Keelie threw open the door to her room - the second largest, of course, justified by her unquenchable thirst for finery that bordered on pathological as far as he was concerned. 

She whirled in a flurry of pale yellow silk, the gown full skirted and laced tight up the back. He grimaced and considered the mechanics of fitting that, himself, and her litany of trunks into the carriage. Briefly, he considered asking Tobin to call up a second. It might be nice to enjoy his last hour of peace before he was stuck with her for two straight weeks. Her hair was long, falling nearly to her waist in artful waves and curls. She had secured it over one shoulder with a gold and peridot comb that matched the embroidery thread stitched into the bodice. Her face had been painted subtly, augmenting angles and drawing out the brightness in her green eyes. 

Saskia’s handiwork, no doubt. Much as she was an artist with a blade, it seemed to be the only medium in which she had any sort of finesse. Behold, Saskia appeared in her bedroom doorway frowning unpleasantly at the back of her head. She met Finn’s irritated gaze and rolled her eyes, her muscles shifting subtly in the language they had developed after so many years to communicate things Keelie would probably break their noses for. He concealed the twitch of a smile and motioned at Keelie to hurry. 

“Would you stop preening over yourself and come on? If we’re the last ones there, it’s harder to blend in. The entire point of this is to blend in,” he watched her stroll down the stairs, each step a pointed essay on sloth. He set his mouth in a firm line, “I’ll leave without you if you’re going to be petulant.”

He turned to make good on his threat and heard her sigh with no small amount of sulk in it. She refused his proffered arm with a sneer and shoved past him to be helped into the carriage. He took a moment to breathe. In, out, and in, out. Saskia broke his concentration. 

“Smuggle me back something from the castle,” she was grinning slyly at him, leaning over the railing. “Don’t get in trouble, stay safe, and talk to her as little as possible, Fins.”

He smiled at her, letting his affection be plain and unguarded on his face. He and Saskia had been fast friends, two people who ended up someplace they should not have. Kindred spirits in their displacement. He felt the twinge of regret in his heart knowing he would be free while she remained a captive princess in Tobin’s grimy tower. It made him ill to think how much he would have to pay for her freedom. 

He would, someday. They had made that promise years ago and whatever she felt about him now, Finn intended to keep it. He offered her a nod and sweeping bow befitting any full-blooded nobleman, “A trinket for the lady, so ordered.”

She rolled her eyes and grinned, waving him off, “Don’t get killed and don’t kill each other. Come back to me, Finneas Asper, and rescue me from my tower when you’re done.”

He blew her a kiss and didn’t wait to see what she did with it. Keelie waited sullenly, staring out the window at the curving drive and manicured gardens. He steeled himself and climbed into the carriage behind her. With a thump, they were off. Passengers in a prison of silence. 

He was counting the trees, watching them fade into estates, then well-made houses, then much nicer row houses. The capital passed them by in a blur of wealth through the Gilded Quarter, skirting the slums and the working Rose Quarter. Keelie traced shapes on the glass and stared at the prints she was leaving behind. 

“At the castle,” her tone was serious, which concerned him, “be smart. Not that you won’t be, before you take a tone about it. Just… be smart and be safe. I don’t like the Labyrinth Castle, it just… sits wrong in my head.”

Finn tilted his head in curiosity, staring at her, looking for the trap she was laying for him. Finding none felt worse, “You, too, Sharp. We’re walking a fine line with this job. Any of those noble Houses can finger us for frauds, if given sufficient motivation. Don’t give them any.”

“The only thing I plan to give them,” she looked at him and grinned, “is a sufficient beating at these asinine Games they love to pretend mean anything at all.”

He couldn’t resist grinning back, “Good. Do us slum dogs proud and let them lose that purse to rabble. Even if they’ll never know it, I will. If you succeed, I’ll even do you the favor of spreading that rumor all through the Rose.”

She feigned surprise, “Truly? You would do something so kind for me?”

“Let that be our deal, Keels,” he raised a hand and extended it to her. “We get through this, I get free, you get your purse, and if we can manage to be civil the whole time I’ll spread rumors of your greatness to the masses.”

She stared at his hand in suspicion, mulling it over for a long time. Finally, she reached out and shook, “Done.”

In her periphery, she tried not to look at the looming mass of the Labyrinth Castle that made a chill run down her spine.

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What if the objects we treasure remember the stories we've tried hardest to forget?

Some books invite you into a mystery. Others quietly wrap you in their atmosphere until you feel as though you've stepped onto the grounds of a sprawling English estate, listening for whispers hidden beneath the gardens. The Secret Thread by Eve Chase is firmly the latter. Blending historical fiction, family drama, gothic atmosphere, and slow-burning suspense, this novel delivers an emotionally layered mystery that asks whether the truth can ever truly stay buried.

For our book club, this wasn't simply a mystery to solve it was a conversation starter about family loyalty, social class, identity, ambition, and the weight of secrets carried across generations. Every chapter uncovered another thread connecting the past to the present, leaving us eager to compare theories before Eve Chase masterfully tied everything together.

Book Synopsis

In 2024, aspiring writer Jo O'Mara accepts what appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime: documenting the stories behind the treasured possessions of Mimi Mott, the legendary interior design icon preparing for a public auction after the death of her husband.

But Jo has a secret of her own.

As she begins cataloging Mimi's remarkable collection, she realizes every object carries pieces of a hidden past that reaches back to Rushwood, a magnificent English country estate where Mimi spent the transformative summer of 1969.

Growing up in the gardener's cottage alongside her quieter sister Pamela, young Mimi dreamed of escaping the limitations imposed by class and circumstance. When the wealthy Caswell family's adult children arrive for the summer, friendships blur into romance, privilege collides with ambition, and one glamorous evening ends in tragedy.

Decades later, Jo discovers that one priceless object and one important person have disappeared. Solving both mysteries means unraveling a lifetime of carefully guarded lies before time runs out.

What We Loved

A Beautifully Layered Dual Timeline

Dual-timeline novels can sometimes feel uneven, but Eve Chase balances both eras with remarkable skill. Rather than feeling like separate stories, each chapter in the past directly enriches the present-day investigation.

The gradual unveiling of Mimi's history keeps readers invested while allowing Jo's own emotional journey to develop naturally. Every revelation feels earned, making the final pieces especially satisfying.

Rushwood Steals the Show

If there were an award for Best Setting, Rushwood would deserve it.

The English country estate becomes more than scenery it becomes a living character. The lush gardens, elegant manor house, secluded cottages, and carefully maintained grounds all reinforce the divide between privilege and service.

Our book club loved discussing how the setting reflects each character's place within society. The beauty of Rushwood constantly contrasts with the emotional tension simmering beneath its polished exterior.

Rich Themes That Spark Discussion

One reason this novel works so well for book clubs is the depth of its themes.

Throughout the novel we discussed:

• The invisible barriers created by social class

• The pursuit of reinvention

• Family obligation versus personal ambition

• How memory changes over time

• The stories people choose to tell and the ones they intentionally leave behind

• Whether protecting someone from the truth is ever an act of love

These questions continued long after we finished reading.

Mimi Is an Unforgettable Character

Mimi may be one of Eve Chase's strongest protagonists.

As a teenager, she is intelligent, determined, and restless, desperate to build a life beyond the expectations placed upon her. As an older woman, she remains fascinating successful, guarded, and carrying decades of unresolved grief.

Watching both versions of Mimi slowly merge into one complete portrait made her journey especially compelling.

Jo Provides Emotional Balance

Jo's investigation isn't simply about uncovering history.

Her own personal connection adds emotional stakes that elevate the mystery beyond a traditional historical suspense novel. Rather than acting solely as an investigator, she becomes part of the story she's uncovering, making every discovery feel deeply personal.

Our Book Club Discussion

This novel inspired one of our longest discussions in recent months.

Some readers immediately sympathized with Mimi's determination to escape her circumstances, while others questioned the decisions she made along the way.

Several members admitted they completely changed their opinions about certain characters multiple times as new information surfaced. Those shifting perspectives became one of the novel's greatest strengths.

The pacing also generated thoughtful conversation. While readers expecting a fast-paced thriller may initially find the story more deliberate, most agreed the slower approach allowed the emotional weight of each revelation to land far more effectively.

Themes Worth Exploring

⭐ Class and Privilege

The contrast between the Caswell family and the estate workers shapes nearly every relationship throughout the novel.

⭐ Family Secrets

Generational silence becomes almost as powerful as the events themselves.

⭐ Identity and Reinvention

Can we truly leave our past behind, or does it always find a way back?

⭐ Memory and Storytelling

Whose version of history deserves to be believed?

Is The Secret Thread Right for Your Book Club?

We highly recommend this novel if your group enjoys:

• Historical fiction

• Gothic atmosphere

• Dual timelines

• Family sagas

• Character-driven mysteries

• Slow-burn suspense

• English country estate settings

• Emotional literary fiction with mystery elements

If your club prefers nonstop action or rapid-fire thrillers, this may feel slower than expected. However, readers who appreciate thoughtful storytelling and carefully constructed mysteries will likely find plenty to love.

Final Thoughts

The Secret Thread reminds us that every family has stories hidden beneath the surface. Some are tucked safely inside treasured heirlooms. Others linger in forgotten gardens, abandoned cottages, and memories too painful to revisit.

Eve Chase delivers an elegant blend of historical fiction and suspense that prioritizes atmosphere, emotion, and character over shocking twists. By the time the final secrets emerged, our book club wasn't simply interested in solving the mystery we were deeply invested in the people whose lives had been forever shaped by it.

It's the kind of novel that rewards patient readers, sparks meaningful discussion, and lingers long after the last page.

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Whether you're leading a lively book club discussion, reading alongside a friend, or enjoying a quiet solo reading escape, there's a kit designed to help you uncover every hidden thread in Eve Chase's unforgettable novel.

Book Club Question

If you discovered a family secret hidden inside an heirloom or treasured object, would you want to uncover the entire truth or leave the past where it belongs?

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I have been DYING to share the cover of the next book from our imprint, Cracks by Stoker Award winning author, Kristy Park Kulski.

This cover will not be released to the public until Wednesday at 12 pm EST! I would love it for your to help us make a big splash on Weds by posting the cover (anytime after 12 EST) with the preorder link to your IG STORIES and THREADS.

Here is the bookshop link: https://bookshop.org/a/99626/9781967967452

this is my affiliate link. Feel free to use your own!

Would love to start building preorders early (you guessed it! Our goal is 1000)

And now…. For the cover:

are we obsessed???