#c. l. polk
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literary-illuminati · 1 year ago
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Book Review 43 - Even Though I Knew The End by C. L. Polk
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Oh this was fun. Never would have heard of it if it hadn’t been nominated for a Hugo, and devoured it in the course of a computer-less Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t exactly reaching for the stars, but it knew what it was about and it executed it well; there’s a real virtue to that. Also I adore slightly cheesy but self-serious noir and the early 20th century really is the ideal setting for classical urban fantasy.
The story follows Helen, a private investigator and warlock in 1930s Chicago. Ten years prior to the story, she sold her soul to a demon to resurrect her younger brother from a car crash that would have otherwise killed her entire family – for her trouble, she was cast out from the magical brotherhood training her as a mystic and forced to make a living as a cut-rate diviner and gumshoe in Chicago. The plot kicks off three days before the deal comes due and her soul’s forfeit, and she takes one last consulting job to add a bit more to the nest egg she’ll be leaving for her girlfriend Edith when she’s torn from the mortal coil. And then, of course, she finds out that a) her employer is a demon, b) the case she’s consulting on is someone ritually murdering other poor souls who’ve made deals, days before they come due, and c) if she solves it she’ll get her soul back, along with enough money to make to San Francisco with Edith and start a new life free and clear.
So this is not a book that sets out to surprise the reader. The storytelling is efficient and the foreshadowing is reasonably honest – you can guess just about every twist well ahead of time with even the slightest bit of effort. I’d say the book isn’t trying to break any new ground, but actually it’s the only example I can think off hand of this sort of genre emulation period piece that both has a queer protagonist and doesn’t either elide or edit out the homophobia of the their environment, so there is that. Anyway, ‘genre emulation’ is the right term I think – snappy, tightly written noir plot that doesn’t outlast its welcome (this was absolutely a novella-sized story).
I really don’t know the author or their work well enough to know how intentional it is, but the ending very much felt like a comment on the whole Bury Your Gays/Tragic Lesbian trope. Essentially, Edith gets herself heroically sacrificed saving Helen’s life in the climactic showdown. Then, once the dust has settled and Marlow (her demonic client) has given Helen her soul back she…immediately sells it again to bring her back. Better ten years of Californian bliss with her true love then an eternity in heaven (and besides, that brother she’d saved the first time had just killed an angel, so someone’s going to need to keep him company in hell). The book’s title is in no way subtle or metaphorical, it is a line of the protagonist’s internal monologue.
The story’s universe is a folk-Christian one, and it is absolutely imperative that when reading it you don’t poke at the underlying metaphysics at all. Angels and demons are real and magicians are the distant descendants of Nephilim and some of the Grigori still haunt the earth, and we have it on good authority that God doesn’t actually care about being gay and everyone seems very frightened of the idea of summoning the Archangel Michael to earth, but start asking any followup questions about angels and world events during the Roosevelt Administration and you’re ruin the story for yourself. Just don’t worry about it.
As a final note, I really did love Marlowe – or properly, she’s one of my favorite types of demons in these sorts of stories. Epitome of high class beauty, lives in a palatial penthouse waited upon handed and foot by layers of servants, eats the best food and wears the best clothes and has the best lovers, even a generous employer and creditor as long as you do what she wants and give her what she’s owed. The sort of demon who seems like falling out of heaven was worth it, and one you can imagine actually convincing someone to sell their soul. She’s fun!
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bookrecsforthegays · 7 days ago
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'Even though I knew the end' by C.L. Polk
A sapphic love story set in Chicago in the 1930's, its got magic and supernatural mysteries. Overall has a noir tone, which is fun to see noir be feminist instead of misogynistic.
I give this book 4/5 stars personally. My only hang up with it was the writing style, I felt that the author sometimes leaned to heavily into cliche phrases from that time. But that also added to the tone of the book and the fun of it, so I don't feel like it took away too much from the enjoyment.
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itsdappleagain · 25 days ago
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and what if i went insane about this book? what then?
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abigailspinach · 3 months ago
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Ysbets said. “I need you to teach the reading spell to me. In return, I shall encourage Ianthe’s pursuit of you.”
“Oh,” Beatrice said. “I see.” Ysbeta smiled and turned her attention to the shore.
“He is, as I am sure you know, an excellent match. You cannot hope to attract the attention of another who stands so high. You will ensure the prosperity and status of your family with his hand in marriage, and your sister will want for nothing when her own bargaining season comes. Will you teach me the spell?”
Any girl would fall over themselves for Ianthe Lavan. They would. Ysbeta’s pride in her brother was not arrogant, but earned, and it made sense that the daughter of an actuary would jump at the chance.
He was beyond even Father’s dreams for a son-in-law. Ianthe was more than he had hoped for. He was sophisticated, handsome, skilled in the gentlemanly arts, and no one had listened to Beatrice the way he had. If her portrait featured her with a rifle rather than a violon, he would have been intrigued.
An echo of shivering delight ghosted along her skin. She never knew a kiss could feel like that. She didn’t know that she had been asleep to such feelings, or how once awakened, they made her crave more. Ianthe was an ideal husband.
And if she chose him, she could never become a mage. She would never hope to gain the alliance of a spirit so powerful she couldn’t even imagine what she could do—what could she and a greater spirit of Fortune accomplish? Could she give all of that up, even for him?
Could she give him up, even for power?
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yourdailyqueer · 2 years ago
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C. L. Polk
Gender: Non binary (she/they)
Sexuality: Queer
DOB: Born 1969
Ethnicity: Afro Canadian
Occupation: Writer
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authorkarajorgensen · 8 months ago
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10 Books to Add to Your TBR 2024 Edition Part 1
Most years I put out a list of books I greatly enjoyed from the first half of the year some time in June. This year, I decided to do it early because, besides needing a blog for this week, I have read a lot of good books lately, so I’m thinking of making this something I do more than twice a year (and often forget to do in December). The books listed below are not in any order of favoritism, but…
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signal-failure · 2 years ago
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Sapphic & Supernatural in "Even Though I Knew The End"
Even Though I Knew The End, by C. L. Polk, is a sapphic romance and a supernatural thriller, all with a Chicago noir style. Helen is a freelance private investigator with certain supernatural skills, nearing the end of her secret countdown of her time left on earth. Edith, her girlfriend, is a choir singer with her own supernatural secrets. Helen wants to spend the rest of her time with Edith,…
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hectorthereader · 4 months ago
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A noir story in 1940's Chicago with magic and demonic paths? I'm in.
¿Una historia noir en el Chicago de los años cuarenta con magia y pactos demoníacos? Lo quiero.
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rhetoricandlogic · 2 years ago
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Even Though I Knew the End
By C. L. Polk 
C. L. Polk’s 2022 Even Though I Knew the End
is a stand-alone modern fantasy novel. 
Helen Brandt, disgraced sorcerer, formerly of the Brotherhood of the Compass, now ekes out a precarious living as an investigative warlock. A client asks her to investigate a murder scene, latest of the so-called White City Vampire serial killings. The scene reeks of powerful magic. Helen takes photos and prepares to leave, when she is interrupted by former colleagues from the Brotherhood of the Compass, who warn her away. 
Helen very much wants to please her client, Marlowe. The pay is lucrative and will add to the nest egg Helen plans to leave her girlfriend Edith. It will be a great help to Edith in her (planned) new life in San Francisco. But it will be a life without Helen. Helen knows she will die January 13, three days away. That’s something Edith doesn’t know.
Helen’s America is the America of 1941 (1), with all its virtues and prejudices intact. There’s one major difference: magic is real. Desperate people can bargain with infernal beings for favours, as Helen did: her brother’s life for her soul, to be collected ten years after the bargain was made (2).
Just because she will surely die once three days have passed does not mean that death cannot claim her before January 13. Death as wielded by the White City Vampire, who clearly commands some very dark magic. It might be a good idea to tell Marlowe that she cannot do the job and forfeit the pay. However, Marlowe is a demon who dangles an incentive Helen cannot turn down. Marlowe has acquired Helen’s spiritual IOU. Satisfy Marlowe, Helen’s soul won’t be collected, and she can enjoy as much bliss with Edith as they can arrange before the natural order of mortal life ends their time together. 
Bad cases have a way of turning out be much worse than expected once private investigators get in too deep to back out. 
~oOo~
This book won’t be out for a while. I probably shouldn’t be tantalizing my readers but … consider this a marshmallow test that I’ve failed. There’s no second marshmallow to be had, so why not enjoy myself by reading the book and writing a review while the book is fresh in my memory? (Yeah, I suppose I could write the review and then pigeonhole it until publication day. If I were sure I would remember to publish it …) 
Ignore footnote 1, because this novel isn’t billed as hard fantasy. It’s a PI story like The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon. Or perhaps the time that PI H.P. Lovecraft was hired to find a book called the Necronomicon. Read as such, it has everything one might want in such a story: 
a morally compromised but not that mortally compromised detective 
a client who left out certain important, need-to-know details
a love-interest who, as it happens, has some secrets of her own
authority figures who range from unhelpful to actively hostile
Points one and three made me somewhat pessimistic about Helen and Edith’s long-term prospects, what with their habit of not telling the other about stuff they think might upset their sweetheart. On the plus side, this is the sort of story in which it would be a huge win for the pair if they reached a point where long-term prospects would be a consideration at all.
I like fantasy; I like stories about PIs whose careers show what happens when you make terrible life choices from the best of motives. This book is both. It’s well-written and moves fast. I liked it a lot; you may like it too. 
Even Though I Knew the End is available for pre-order here (Amazon US), here (Amazon Canada), here (Amazon UK), here (Barnes & Noble), here (Book Depository), and here (Chapters-Indigo). Inexplicably, Chapters alone declines to show the book’s cover, which is of two women kissing.
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1: A digression on world-building and one reviewer’s unfair expectations pertaining to same. This is a world where 
mortals can (if they choose) poke a demon with a stick (not recommended);
magical rituals have a tangible, measurable effect that any scientist could easily verify. 
Religion in this setting is not entirely a matter of faith (although enough faith is demanded of adherents to drive the plot). It’s as undeniable as a stubbed toe. 
And yet … somehow the setting is 1941 America plus ancient magic. This is utterly implausible. The whole course of history would have been different! But a plausible history would be a lot of work to gin up, so the author just picks a historical period and adds magic! As de Bodard did with her Paris Despite Literal Angels Literally Falling Out of the Sky. And so many other books. Sigh.
2: ​“Well, so much for bargaining for eternal life,” I hear some of you say. Not so! People can bargain with demons for life eternal and get it. It’s just that most of it will involve being nipple-deep in bubbling tar while bored devils prod one with pitchforks.
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owilder · 4 months ago
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Rather funny this popping up when the next book I'm planning on reading this September is Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk. VAMPIRES, I shall mark you. Do let me know when Ice Upon a Pier is available in paperback, though. I'd love to slate it in for either this or next September.
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A fantasynoir novella about a morally gray lesbian hitman with ice magic that takes place in a reimagining of 70s/80s NYC, perfect for Sapphic September
ebook price is now $2.99
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literary-illuminati · 1 year ago
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It's also just kind of disorienting to go from
The Mountain in the Sea: the mere fact of owning a megacorporation is proof positive that this once in a generation genius is evil, as whatever her personal standards the logic of capitalism is such that subordinates and subsidiaries will cross them in pursuit and endless profit for her benefit
Even Though I Knew Thr End: the fact that Marlowe can throw around endless amounts of money despite doing nothing visible to acquire it, and lives in secluded luxury waited upon hand and foot by layers of servants, is an incredibly unsubtle way to signpost "THIS WOMAN IS A LITERAL ACTUAL DEMON"
To
The Spare Man: our heroine is a second generation telecom oligarch on an ultra-ultra-ultra lux honeymoon cruise, and the story is just resolutely not interested in exploring this one little bit.
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ratsreading · 6 months ago
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Did you enjoy A Marvellous Light, by Freya Marske?
Try Witchmark, by C.L. Polk!
Magic, murder mystery, fighting for what's right, uncovering secrets and plots, queerness.
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contracat25 · 2 years ago
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Alright as it is Trans Day of Visibility (Hi still not cis, still here etc.) and the final day of the extended Trans Rights Readathon I thought I would post about a few more of my favorite books by trans authors because hopefully everyone will be reading books by trans authors and about trans characters/topics all year round. Because to me this day is about supporting others in the community as much as anything else. The world is pretty on fire right now so if you can support a trans creator, artist, organization or friend today (and beyond) then do it!
So here are a bunch of shorter reads: books, graphic novels, novellas etc. I didn't really notice how many novellas I had been reading recently till making this list, but there is something about a wel- written short book that just really works for me. Also a lot of these just have really creative or lovely concepts and I am a sucker for those. Plus the characters in these are soooo good! Also a lot of these have lovely audiobooks or e-books, hence me not having a physical copy (yet). Many of these have trans characters as well, but not all of them. Though most have some form of queer rep because I don't read much that doesn't. I included muliple by some of the authors, including sequels because... I just really like them and couldn't pick just one. Most of these authors have other books that are also wonderful. And these are just a handful of examples, there are so many fabuluous books by and about people who are trans.
Six Months, Three Days, Five Others by Charlie Jane Anders
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
The Companion by EE Ottoman
The Barrow Will Send What It May by Margaret Killjoy
Taste of Marrow and River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Nimona by Nate Stevenson
Gender Queer by Mia Kobabe
The Seep by Chana Porter
Future Feelings by Joss Lake
Pet by Akwaeke Amezi
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
The Black Tides of Heaven; The Red Threads of Fortune; The Descent of Monsters; The Ascent to Godhood by Neon Yang
Finna and Defekt by Nino Cipri Coffee Boy and Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant
ID: Slide one has a stack of 10 books on a teal background. Slides two through four have a white background and four book covers and a boarder of books in the trans flag colors.
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betterbooksandthings · 2 years ago
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“If you swoon at the sight of queer dragons, werewolves, and robots, you have made it to the right place. The best queer SFF romance books not only have wonderful queer romance, but also the magic, mystery, and mayhem that accompany science fiction and fantasy. Are we here to wrestle with the meaning of humanity and love? Yes, of course we are. In my biased opinion, there is nothing better.
I want a forbidden love that is legitimately forbidden because if they fall in love an ancient magic rains hell upon the earth. Marriages of convenience simply work better when the two diverging kingdoms may destroy each other (with magic or robots) if your wedding doesn’t happen. Give me the introduction scene normal people receive when they learn about all the things that go bump in the night. I need all your secret societies that are actually vampires or werewolves or whatever else you want to throw at me.
I am a bit of a queer SFF romance fanatic. In general, if it has a romance with a ghost, reaper, werewolf, witch, robot, or spaceship, I want to read it. I love it all. Theoretically, I can read the same set of tropes and premises over and over, and I am not sure I will ever tire. I haven’t yet, and trust me when I say I could name 20 books about vampires and vampire hunters falling in love right now without breaking a sweat.“
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monochrome-sunsets · 5 months ago
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fellow wlw's, you MUST read even though i knew the end by c. l. polk
it's a fantasy noir detective novella set somewhere in the 1940s/50s chicago about a magical detective set to die in like 3 days. she's got a chance to change that and grow old with her lover, but she's gotta catch a serial killer first.
i was crying over these gays by page 18 it's FANTASTIC
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drowningparty · 2 years ago
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“Helen.” She reached out to caress my cheek. “Look at me.” It was a joy to look at her, and I never got used to the soft, loving shine in her eyes. “You’re wonderful, sweetheart. Don’t let anybody knock you down. To Hell with them all. Okay?” Edith, oh, Edith. She believed in me, and I could never let her know how badly I needed that. “Okay.”
C. L. Polk, Even Though I Knew the End.
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