Amberlough

Format:

Book

Title:

Amberlough

Author:

Donnelly, Lara Elena, 1990- author

ISBN:

9780765383815

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : Tor Books, 2017.

Physical Description:

397 pages ; 22 cm

Number in series:

General Note:

"A Tom Doherty Associates book."

Summary:

"Welcome to Amberlough City, the illustrious but corrupt cosmopolitan beacon of Gedda. The radical One State Party--nicknamed the Ospies--is gaining popular support to unite Gedda's four municipal governments under an ironclad, socially conservative vision. Not everyone agrees with the Ospies' philosophy, including master spy Cyril DePaul and his lover Aristide Makricosta, smuggler and emcee at the popular Bumble Bee Cabaret. When Cyril's cover is blown on a mission, however, he must become a turncoat in exchange for his life. Returning to Amberlough under the Ospies' watchful eye, Cyril enters a complex game of deception. One of his concerns is safeguarding Aristide, who refuses to let anyone--the crooked city police or the homophobic Ospies--dictate his life. Enter streetwise Cordelia Lehane, top dancer at the Bee and Aristide's runner, who could be the key to Cyril's plans--if she can be trusted. As the twinkling lights of nightclub marquees yield to the rising flames of a fascist revolution, these three will struggle to survive using whatever means--and people--necessary. Including each other"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject(s):

Imaginary places -- Fiction.

Totalitarianism -- Fiction.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Fiction.

Thrillers (Fiction)

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	FANTASY Donnelly, L.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	FANTASY DONNELLY	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A double-agent sacrifices all his ideals in order to save his smuggler lover before a government coup takes over their decadent city in Lara Elena Donnelly's glam spy thriller debut, now a Nebula finalist for Best Novel!

"Exploring the roots of hatred, nationalism, and fascism, while at the same time celebrating the diversity, love, romance, fashion, and joy the world is capable of producing." --Bookriot

In Amberlough, amidst rising political tensions, three lives become intertwined with the fate of the city itself.

The Smuggler: By day, Aristide Makricosta is the emcee for Amberlough City's top nightclub. By night, he moves drugs and refugees under the noses of crooked cops.

The Spy: Covert agent Cyril DePaul thinks he's good at keeping secrets, but after a disastrous mission abroad, he makes a dangerous choice to protect himself...and hopefully Aristide too.

The Dancer: Streetwise Cordelia Lehane, burlesque performer at the Bumble Bee Cabaret and Aristide's runner, could be the key to Cyril's plans--if she can be trusted.

As the twinkling marquees lights yield to the rising flames of a fascist revolution, these three will struggle to survive using whatever means -- and people -- necessary. Including each other.

"James Bond by way of Oscar Wilde." --Holly Black

"Sparkling with slang, full of riotous characters, and dripping with intrigue, Amberlough is a dazzling romp through a tumultuous, ravishing world." --Robert Jackson Bennett, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award and the Edgar Award

"Astonishing first novel!" --World Fantasy Award-winning author Ellen Kushner

Author Notes

LARA ELENA DONNELLY is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, as well as the Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers, where she now volunteers as on-site staff and publicity coordinator. In her meager spare time she cooks, draws, sings, and swing dances. After an idyllic, small-town Ohio childhood, spent time in Louisville, Kentucky. She currently resides in Harlem, in a tower named after Ella Fitzgerald. Amberlough is her debut novel.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Donnelly blends romance and tragedy, evoking gilded-age glamour and the thrill of a spy adventure, in this impressive debut. In an imagined multinational setting that owes much to pre-WWII Europe but has its own complicated politics, Cyril DePaul is a young man of privilege who's gotten in over his head as an agent for the Amberlough government. Cordelia Lehane is content to scrape out a living any way she can, whether by fabulous stage performances or black market dealings. Cyril is comfortable as a dilettante until a mission goes badly, putting his lover, burlesque performer Aristide Makricosta, at risk under a rising conservative regime that aims to consolidate the four diverse nation-states of Gedda into "one tightly controlled entity." Aristide recruits Cordelia's help without knowing the mortal danger Cyril has accepted in his effort to protect them both. Donnelly's masterly creation is richly imagined and moves at an unchecked pace, painting a layer of sumptuous indulgence over a society of corruption, vice, and oppression. The romance between Cyril and Aristide is presented matter-of-factly; the flaws, roughness, and sincerity are organic to the relationship rather than being the tropes of gay narratives. Cordelia is a singular character, beholden to nobody and far more capable than the supposedly stronger people who are enchanted by her beauty and hope to command her elusive loyalty. When goodness and virtue cannot endure, the characters are drawn inexorably to their limits in a conclusion that is as heartbreaking as it is satisfying. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

In the freewheeling and decadent city of Amberlough, Bumble Bee Cabaret emcee Aristide Makricosta and spy Cyril DePaul have formed a romantic attachment despite the fact that Cyril works for Amberlough's government while the more flamboyant Aristide thrives as an underworld crime lord. When Cyril is caught on a mission by agents of the ultraconservative One State Party, he chooses to repudiate Aristide and turn double agent to save them both. Cyril works to bring down Amberlough from within with the help of Cordelia Lehane, a dancer at the cabaret and one of Aristide's associates. But the totalitarian regime that Cyril has ushered in may end up shattering everything that makes Amberlough unique. With rich description and morally gray characters, Donnelly has created a debut novel steeped in 1920s atmosphere and intrigue. For fans of Cabaret, espionage, alternate history, genre blends, and narratives that bear an uncomfortable resemblance to current events.--Mickelsen, Anna Copyright 2017 Booklist

Library Journal Review

The Federated States of Gedda is a loosely connected group of four nation-states, but the tide is turning politically. The socially conservative One State Party, also known as the Ospies, is creeping its way into power. In a still-resistant Amberlough City (think Weimar Republic Berlin), Cyril DePaul works as a spy. But when he is outed during a mission against the Ospies, he either must collaborate with them or face execution. His decision to construct an elaborate deception endangers Aristide Makricossta, Cyril's outspoken lover and the flamboyant emcee of the Bumble Bee Cabaret, who is also a successful smuggler. Thrown into the mix is Cordelia Lehane, a dancer at the Bumble Bee and Ari's runner. The three risk being taken down by the corrupt police, the crooked government, or their own actions. VERDICT Donnelly's striking debut brings a complex world of politics, espionage, and cabaret life to full vision. The emotional journeys of the characters as they struggle to survive in a society under siege by dark forces will strike a chord with readers as they race to the story's conclusion.-KC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.