NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SLATE
For fans of Anne Rice, The Historian, and The Night Circus, an astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London
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1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling โDoctor Knife.โ But the answer to her brotherโs disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England.
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In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fictionโs most dazzling talents.
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Praise for The Quick
โA suspenseful, gloriously atmospheric first novel, and a feast of gothic storytelling that is impossible to resist.โโKate Atkinson
โA cracking good read . . . Owen takes the gothic conventions of the vampire novel in a refreshing new direction.โโDeborah Harkness, author ofย A Discovery of Witchesย andย The Book of Life
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โA good old-fashioned vampire novel . . . What fun.โโThe New York Times Book Review (Editorโs Choice)
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โThe Quick is that rare book that reviewers and readers live for: both plot- and character-driven, a stay-up-all-night reading romp. . . . This is elegant, witty, force-of-nature writing.โโThe Dallas Morning News
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โThe bookโs energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a confident example of the โunputdownableโ novel.โโThe Economist
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โA seamless blend of Victorian London and rich imagination.โโTana French, author of In the Woods
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โA thrilling tale . . . This book will give you chills even on a hot day.โโMinneapolis Star Tribune
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โStylishly sinister . . . will have you sleeping with the lights on.โโO: The Oprah Magazine
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โA sly and glittering addition to the literature of the macabre.โโHilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall
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โA big, sly bucketful of the most tremendous fun . . . [Owen] weaves whatโs here with whatโs beyond as easily as J. K. Rowling does.โโSlate
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โ[An author of] prodigious gifts . . . Owen captures Dickensโs London with glee and produces a number of characters Dickens would be happy to call his own.โโPittsburgh Post-Gazette
Science fiction & fantasy