The monster of Elendhaven

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Giesbrecht, Jennifer

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

159 pages ; 21 cm

General Note:

"A Tom Doherty Associates Book" --title page verso.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Summary:

The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean. Wracked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster's heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning. These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.

Subject Term:

Publication Info:

New York : Tor.com, 2019.

Subject:

Monsters -- Fiction.

Revenge -- Fiction

Magic -- Fiction

Wizards -- Fiction.

Horror tales

Fantasy fiction.

Freaks

Monsters, Double

Monstrosities

Enchanters

Sorcerers

Horror -- Fiction

Horror -- Juvenile fiction

Horror fiction

Horror stories

Horror tales -- Fiction

Horror tales -- Juvenile fiction

Scary stories

Scary tales

Tales, Horror

Terror -- Fiction

Terror -- Juvenile fiction

Terror tales

SAILS ISBN:

9781250225689

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	SF GIESBRECHT	SCIENCE FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mattapoisett Free Public Library	GIE	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Swansea Public Library	GIESBRECHT, J	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Westport Free Public Library	SF/F GIESBRECHT	SCIENCE FICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Debut author Jennifer Giesbrecht paints a darkly compelling fantasy of revenge in The Monster of Elendhaven , a dark fantasy about murder, a monster, and the magician who loves both.

Set against the backdrop of the plague-ridden city of Elendhaven, clinging to the edge of the ocean and stripped of all hope, you'll find a tale of retribution, magic, and the monstrous.

The city isn't the only one fighting against demise; lurking in the shadows dwells a monster. With a soul as icy as it is cunning, it weaves itself around throats, immune from the grips of death. A puppet to its fragile master who sends it on perilous errands, it becomes a weapon in a scheme too monstrous to name. As the bond between the master and the monster tightens, a catastrophic revenge plan is formed.

These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.

"A tight, perfectly crafted story about retribution and what monsters deserve; stylish, quirky, and weirdly sexy? I'm into it." --R. F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Full of foul, intoxicating odors and fouler characters, this disquieting short novel employs serial suicide and multiple homicides to offer criticism of its decadent setting. In vaguely Victorian, coal-grimed Elendhaven, Johann, a supernatural companion mistakenly summoned by sorcerer Florian Leickenbloom, becomes Florian's assistant in crafting a plan to reintroduce a deadly plague. Florian, last heir of the fallen Leickenbloom fortune, schemes to collapse Elendhaven's nouveau riche elites and take vengeance on the neighboring countries who profited on the devastation wrought by the previous plague outbreak. Opposing him and Johann is a Mage Hunter who's charged with removing either Florian's magic or his life. Giesbrecht tries for a sardonic tone in showing how societies deserve the monsters that they produce, but the imagery of pestilence and splattered bodily fluids tips the balance from picaresque to grotesque. Her work goes beyond grimdark to something more like grimglum, and few readers will be able to stick it out even for the brief length of this misery-marinated story. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

In her dark, atmospheric fantasy debut, Giesbrecht paints a tale of violence and revenge set against the chilling backdrop of a fictional Nordic town born of magic and industry, but now dying from disaster and greed. Johann is a monster, surviving by his own strength and wits in the unforgiving streets of Elendhaven. Florian is a different kind of monster: he is the last of his family, which has suffered greatly at the hand of the town and outside influences. Florian enlists Johann in a plot to take revenge on those that wronged him, and Johann, devoted to Florian, is eager to assist. Violent, visceral and a tad romantic, the book follows the two as they embark on a journey that will either destroy them or fulfill their destinies. The uncovering of secrets and the evolving relationship of Johann and Florian is a true delight and is supported by crisp dialogue and narration. With elements of gothic, horror, and fantasy, the story will appeal to readers who enjoy witty and dark tales smeared with blood and vengeance.--Craig Clark Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

DEBUT In this vicious bruise of a novel, a thing washes up on the shores of Elendhaven. He's small and short but grows and gives himself a name, Johann, gaining an identity at the same time, monster. Johann is something different in Elendhaven, a land where magic has died out. He can gruesomely hurt himself and heal quickly, over and over. He can harm others, and they won't recover. When Johann meets Florian, it's a match made in hell: Florian is a powerful sorcerer who hides in plain sight as an accountant. He also wants to watch his world destroyed in a plague of his own creation. There's an immediate attraction between them, but it's hard to find a quiet moment to explore it as they try to bring their city down. VERDICT Elendhaven is as fully formed as Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" series with truly repellent characters who don't possess a shred of moral fiber. Yet the right readers will still love them, as newcomer Giesbrecht is a fantasy writer to watch with a sure command of her world.--Jennifer Mills, Shorewood-Troy Lib., IL