It will change you.' -Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal It is beautiful, all too real, and full of pain. ' Amberlough grabbed me from the first page. That dilemma will haunt them, as it haunts the reader.” - Kirkus Reviews The fascists may never be defeated but only escaped-if the characters are willing to abandon the people they love. “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….A sense of inevitable loss and futility permeates this rich drama.

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.” - Library Journal, starred review, Debut of the Month “Donnelly’s striking debut brings a complex world of politics, espionage, and cabaret life to full vision. As heartbreaking as it is satisfying.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review “Donnelly blends romance and tragedy, evoking gilded-age glamour and the thrill of a spy adventure, in this impressive debut. “Astonishing first novel!” -World Fantasy Award-winning author Ellen Kushner “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 “James Bond by way of Oscar Wilde.” -Holly Black

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.Īs 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. 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. By night, he moves drugs and refugees under the noses of crooked cops. The Smuggler: By day, Aristide Makricosta is the emcee for Amberlough City’s top nightclub. In Amberlough, amidst rising political tensions, three lives become intertwined with the fate of the city itself.

“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 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!

The amberlough dossier