Even Though I Knew the End

C.L. Polk

Historical Fantasy Fiction

A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago’s divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother’s life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can’t resist―the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago’s most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) A magical detective has sold her soul to save her brother’s life. Now, she is given the opportunity to get her soul back, something that is completely unheard of. To succeed, she has to do something no one has ever done before.

We follow Helen in the 1940’s as a private eye. She is tough and soft and very good at her job. She has 2 weaknesses, her brother and her partner. In such a short story, I was impressed by the character development.

The story is short but packed. The world building was fabulous, especially for the length. A lot happened and it moved along smoothly. I enjoyed getting to know the two main characters and adored their sweet romance. It was done well.

The setting was not ‘LGBTQ friendly” but the characters were real and honest. The relationship was sweet and very caring. I hated to see them hiding so much but I understood the time period. I loved that the brother and sister were together in the end.

And that ending! Bittersweet but beautiful too. I’m not normally into short stories/novellas as much but Polk did a great job in such a brief story. They were able to keep my attention well with the characters but also the unique setting.

General content summary: There is a F/F romance but there are no spicy scenes. There is some violence with blood but not many details. The time period is when people were trying to “cure” the homosexual right out of people or use controversial mental health methods. F words= 1, crime scene (blood, 2x), f/f relationship (kisses, sleeping in same bed), alcohol, cigarettes, car accident and deaths (some details), possession (referred to many times), aversion therapy for LGBTQ people, ECT therapy for a psych patient, gunshot injuries, physical violence (some blood, multiple), stabbing (blood, death), intimacy (reference, no details). 

Thank you to Tor.Com Publishing and Libro.FM for the gifted copies!

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

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