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Amberlough

by Lara Elena Donnelly

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Amberlough Dossier (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
5023246,891 (3.86)41
"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"--… (more)
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» See also 41 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 32 (next | show all)
Amberlough is such a goregous, lush book. I love, love the characters and the writing. (Aristide!) And I'm going to jump into the sequel as soon as possible. I will say its a good thing I went into this knowing it doesn't have a happy ending, and I'm glad I read it with the sequel already out--I need more resolution. ( )
  ajhackwith | Jan 3, 2023 |
Well, that was cheerful. ( )
  Jon_Hansen | Oct 23, 2022 |
This reminded me a lot of Mark Gatiss' Lucifer Box series, with more violence and less tongue-in-cheek humour. I agree with a lot of previous reviewers that it kind of starts in the middle of a conversation none of us were having - the writer casually drops names and places with no explanation or introduction. This would have been less of a problem if it took place in our own world, but it is set in a fictional city with elements drawn from New York or London in the 1920s and 30s. Think Bright Young Things gone spy thriller. It took me a couple of chapters to feel familiar enough with the setting to be interested and then I really got attached to Aristide and Cyril in a way that made the ending a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation. Now I eagerly await the sequel. ( )
  brittaniethekid | Jul 7, 2022 |
I was fascinated by this book from the moment I saw the cover. I found the story fast paced and enthralling. The characters were flamboyant, brooding, and understandable at their core. I saw an update on the author's website that there will be two more books. They will be added to my TBR the moment the titles are announced. ( )
  christyco125 | Jul 4, 2022 |
This was grimmer than I usually go for, so I couldn't get into it as much as the world-painting and ambiance deserved, although the very end took a sharp upturn, so I'll probably read the next book. Inexorable facist takeovers fueled by rising conservatism to crack down on queer people, the arts, and sex workers is a little too on the nose right now to be my preferred bed time reading. But I did love the atmosphere of the theatre scene, the glam cover on everything, and how the writing style flowed and created very clear sensory images. ( )
  Monj | Jan 7, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 32 (next | show all)
Donnelly blends romance and tragedy, evoking gilded-age glamour and the thrill of a spy adventure, in this impressive debut.
 
A tightly woven and diverse cast of spies, criminals, cabaret bohemians, and lovers struggles to save what matters to each of them against a tide of rising fascism and violence in Donnelly's debut novel, set in a vaguely 1920s milieu.
 

» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Lara Elena Donnellyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Collins, GregDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davies, RhysMap artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kowal, Mary RobinetteNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stafford-Hill, JamieCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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At the beginning of the workweek, most of Amberlough’s salary-folk crawled reluctantly from their bed—or someone else’s—and let the trolleys tow them, hung over and half asleep, to the office.
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"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"--

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