Even Though I Knew the End

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C.L. Polk is a fantasy writer from Calgary. Their other books include Witchmark , Stormsong and The Midnight Bargain . Witchmark, their debut novel, won the 2019 World Fantasy Award for best novel. It was also nominated for a Nebula Award, Locus Award, Aurora Award and a Lambda Literary Award. The Midnight Bargain will be defended by Olympian and broadcaster Rosey Edeh on Canada Reads 2021. But C.L. Polk subverts the typical tropes by writing a main character who’s not only a woman, but a sapphic woman at that. In everything else, Helen stands by the conventions of the genre—she’s a down-and-out detective who doesn’t get along with law enforcement, she’s as brusque as she is charismatic, and while she might have a rough exterior, she also has a heart of gold. C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir. 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.

I’d read this book a dozen times, two dozen. I always held my breath, waiting for Daisy to come to him. Jay hoped every single time, and I hoped right along with him, even though I knew the end. I read this by accident. Or rather, I fully intended to read it, had a little speak at the first chapter and then it was a handful of hours later, I was crying, and I’d finished it. trigger + content warnings: a lot of mentions of homophobia, mention of conversion therapy, institutionalization, talk of loss of a loved one, mention of a car accident involving death, abduction, murder, gore, ritual killings, human sacrifice, a lot of blood depictions, self harm for blood for magic, possession, misogyny, brief mention of throwing up, gun violence involving cops, a lot of smoking + alcohol consumption. What’s your business here?” a man demanded, and then he made a disbelieving noise. “Christ, it’s a dame.” It's 1941, Elena "Helen" Brandt is a magical PI in Chicago with only a few days left to live. Ten years ago she sold her soul to a demon to save her brother's life with the condition that in exactly ten years the demon will come to collect her soul and due date is only three days away now.But even as the moment I had dreamed of turned into a nightmare, the gears in my skull kept turning. Teddy wasn’t in this alley by chance. They’d been watching the scene all along. Not cops. Not robbers. High magicians, and that was worse. and, oh god, what a tragically doomed romance they share. the book is short, but helen's adoration for edith shines brightly, is never questioned. i love reading about a couple who is effortlessly comfortable with one another, yet loves each other with such consistent passion. their whole love story is painfully bittersweet. Even Though I Knew the End follows the story of Helen Brandt in 1940's Chicago. Helen is a magical private eye hired by her (damn sexy) client, Marlowe, to find a serial killer known as the White City Vampire. Despite her initial hesitance, Helen takes the job for the enticing compensation she was promised by Marlowe. This job, doomed from the start, brings Helen more trouble than initially anticipated, and along the way, she uncovers many life-changing truths. With the deadline ending in 3 days, Helen hastily attempts to catch this cold-blooded murderer, all so she can keep those she loves safe. Does she find this White City Vampire? Is the reward enough for what she goes through? Will she be able to keep her family safe? Despite the patriarchal structure, women do dance and love and live; they hold good jobs and work magic, both figurative and literal. There are hints at what the world could be, were they all free to grow and shine beyond their world’s limitations, if they could claim their power—even though they know the end. World Fantasy Award winner C. L. Polk casts magic over mid-century Chicago in Even Though I Knew the End, an extraordinary fantasy noir—arriving November 8, 2022 with Tordotcom Publishing.

Another magazine slid into my camera, and I crouched to get the best frame on the markings along the north wall. Though I wouldn’t necessarily say there should be triggers warnings on this Even Though I Knew the End book review or the novel itself, I want to note that Polk keeps the story historically accurate. Helen and Edith meet in a queer speakeasy; they do not show affection in public and keep their relationship private for fear of harassment and retribution; religion and the Catholic Church plays a large role throughout the story, in part due to guilt and fear of going to Hell for leading a queer life. I loved that there was a little bit of everything in here: a noir sort of urban fantasy, a sweet because not overdrawn romance, many magical elements and some nice commentary on what has been done to homosexual people, such as conversion therapy (which, in some places, still is done, unfortunately). Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court (Light Novel) Vol. 2 (Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale ... Swap in the Maiden Court (Light Novel)) Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

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I love it so much. The writing is absolutely phenomenal and it fits the 1940s so perfectly. I was giggling at times with the funny nonchalant descriptions, cue “The space behind Mathilda’s eyes was for rent”. It was descriptive just the right amount, the action was so fluid, and the setting was nicely atmospheric. I love the way C.L. Polk expresses feelings and emotions with such directness. The characters were lovable, and I am desperately hoping and wishing for more Helen and Edith content. And Marlowe side story, I beg. LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB meets season five of Supernatural in this fantastical and sapphic noir. Atmospheric and enthralling, I finished it in one sitting! This is a romance for the ages, and a story I can't wait to read again and again!

And that is Polk’s gift to readers here, even more than their evocative prose and their mysterious tale of bargains and risks. Hope, the narrative seems to say. Despite everything, hope.

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Even Though I Knew the End won the Nebula Award for Best Novella of 2022, [1] and was a finalist for the 2023 World Fantasy Award—Novella, [2] the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novella, [3] and the 2023 Aurora Award for Best Novelette/Novella. [4] Publishers Weekly commended Polk for their "focus on character development [that] makes every interaction matter [in] a layered exploration of love and power with genuine emotional stakes and a soaring, perfectly bittersweet payoff", and judged that "readers will wish they had more time to explore [the world of the story]". [5] one of my favorite elements is how historical queer culture is represented in the book. helen and edith frequent a gay bar where they can be together openly, but otherwise they pretend to be close friends only. they also frequent a diner, where they put on fake wedding bands to help secure their ruse as two innocent hetero wives. these are simply the facts of life, their methods of survival.

Damn it. I’d been pinched, and it was my own fault. I had cast no wards at all. I wasn’t great with the invisibility glamour. I hadn’t even set up a trip line. I had been sloppy, and I deserved to get caught. I never realized how much I was a body until I didn’t have one, how deeply I was my conscious thought until it disappeared, and I was nothing and nowhere and not. And then I was, and that was when I became afraid.”After taking photographs of the crime scene of a horrific murder that she’s investigating, Helen brings her evidence to Marlowe, an underworld crime boss and bona fide femme fatale. Marlowe confirmes what Helen already suspects: The murder is the work of the White City Vampire, the most dangerous villian in the city. Marlowe wants Helen to find the vampire and is willing to pay handsomely. The prize? “A thousand dollars cash . . . and your soul.” As it turns out, Marlowe is a demon, and this job can give Helen the thing she thought she’d never have: salvation and a chance to live a full life with her lover, Edith. A magical detective dives into the affairs of monsters to secure a future with the love of her life… The flare of pride at my successful spell design dampened as I saw what the enchantment revealed. The crime scene was straight out of a nightmare. Blood painted the walls—not in obscene, frenzied splashes but in the cruel and deliberate lines of magical sigils. They covered the north and south walls, sprawling onto the asphalt to the east and west, and I comprehended some. But the rest?