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Even Though I Knew the End Hardcover – November 8, 2022

by C. L. Polk (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 476 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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Winner of the Nebula Award!

Finalist for the Hugo Award!

Finalist for the World Fantasy Award!
A New York Times Best Romance of 2022!

C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.

“Eerie, sharp and fiercely bittersweet.” ―The New York Times

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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tordotcom
  4. Publication date
    November 8, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5.6 x 0.65 x 8.55 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250849454
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250849458
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of the Nebula Award!

A World Fantasy Award Finalist!

A Locus Award Finalist!

An Ignyte Award Finalist!

A New York Times Best Romance!

An NPR Best Speculative Fiction Book!

“Eerie, sharp and fiercely bittersweet.” ―The New York Times

“Noir and fantasy often seem to go together, but those two elements seldom uplift each other quite as well as they do in Even Though I Knew the End” ―The Washington Post

“Bracing as a slug of bourbon, with a twist of pain on the drop―or is that hope? Polk’s back with a cold-eyed winner.” ―Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War

“Stylish supernatural noir with a heart and a thrumming pulse. I devoured it.” ―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author

“This is a must-read for those who like their queer fantasy with a little grit and a lot of soul (pun intended).” ―Booklist, starred review

“Even Though I Knew the End rockets along from the very first page, with the details of author C.L. Polk’s alternate Chicago revealing themselves exactly when required.” ―BookPage, starred review

“Powerful, emotional, stylish and smart, Polk proves themself yet again to be a talent not to be ignored.” ―Locus

“Even Though I Knew the End is Polk at the height of their considerable powers: romance, enchantment, tragedy, and courage to the bitter end.” ―Elizabeth Bear

“Readers who fell into recent Jazz Age urban fantasies...will love Polk's latest.” ―Library Journal, starred review

“C.L. Polk twists the hardboiled detective subgenre into something new and fresh and enticingly queer. …[Even Though I Knew the End is] a thrilling, charming novella.” ―Tor.com

“Vivid and charming with a touch of noir edge, but way more heart.” ―Rebecca Roanhorse

“A layered exploration of love and power with genuine emotional stakes and a soaring, perfectly bittersweet payoff. It’s another winner.” ―Publishers Weekly

About the Author

C. L. Polk is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning novel Witchmark, the first novel of the Kingston Cycle, and the Nebula Award winning novella, Even Though I Knew The End. After leaving high school early, they have worked as a film extra, sold vegetables on the street, and identified exotic insect species for a vast collection of lepidoptera before settling down to write fantasy novels. Polk lives near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, in a tiny apartment with too many books and a yarn stash that could last a decade. They spend too much time on Bluesky.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tordotcom (November 8, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250849454
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250849458
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.65 x 8.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 476 ratings

About the author

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C. L. Polk

C. L. Polk

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C. L. Polk wrote her first story in grade school and still hasn’t learned any better. After spending years in strange occupations and wandering western Canada, she settled in southern Alberta and is here to stay. She has a fondness for knitting, bicycles, and single estate coffee. C. L. has had short stories published in Baen’s UNIVERSE and Gothic.net, and contributed to the web serial Shadow Unit. She spends too much time on twitter at @clpolk.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
476 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

E. Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic but so sweet and loving
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Just what you will do for someone you love and how far you will go and if given the choice a 2nd time would you do it again? That’s the choice our MC has to delve into.

It’s a short book and it’s sad at times but I will gladly read it again.
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Austin C. Beeman
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun B-Movie Sapphic Urban Fantasy in Old Chicago
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
A Sapphic Urban Fantasy Noir set in 1930s Chicago.

The ‘White City Vampire’ is ritually killing and our magic protagonist is tempted into investigating.

Years ago, she sold her soul, but if she can solve this mystery it might be returned to her.

A pleasant enough “B-Movie” vibe, but didn’t feel like it should be an award contender. Hollywood should option it.
One person found this helpful
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Teresa Anzulovic
5.0 out of 5 stars Even though
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
You might go into this book knowing it's "just" a novella but you don't know how how much "just" doesn't apply. It doesn't take a long book to set up a fascinating world and compelling characters. I tore through the story, but i think it's going to stay in my head for a long time. I would love to read more in this world and why these characters.
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Belle Ellrich
3.0 out of 5 stars Not the book for me, but maybe for others!
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2022
Even Though I Knew the End was an unexpected read. Despite being a novella, there was a full story within C. L. Polk’s written pages.

I had a tough time getting into this story. Act One had terrible structure, to put it simply. There was no hook, and the intrigue was little to none. The pacing was undefined and ranged from quick to slow to decent over a span of multiple chapters. However, once past this first part, I found it much easier to get into reading and much more entertaining.

Polk went about character development in an interesting way. Being that this is a novella, there is little time for long-span character development. However, she did not let that deter them and took the length of the story to build upon each individual character that readers came across. Elena was an intriguing protagonist. Having lost something every human being should have, she is running on a ticking timer that is close to ringing. But due to the events in this story, she is given a second chance—shaping the decisions and choices she makes.

I found that I thoroughly enjoyed Elena and Edith’s relationship. Two women living in a society that is yet unwilling for change and acceptance, but they made it work and heard out each other’s thoughts and fears and desires. This story begins and continues after they were already a couple, but towards the end of the book, we do get a hint into their first meeting and beginning of their relationship.

The plot of this story was not my favorite. I feel like, even with it being a novella, readers could have been given a bit more development. This story tells more than it shows, and it became a lacking feature while reading. Despite this, I still enjoyed the last half of the novella. I thought the twist was well-done and well hidden, and I enjoyed the ending decisions and falling actions.

Overall, this was a fairly decent first read from C. L. Polk. I do not think I am quite the fit reader for their stories, but nonetheless, I did still like this novella. For that, I give Even Though I Knew the End a starred rating. There is opportunity for me to venture into Polk’s other works in the future, though I am still undecided if I will or not just yet.
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MeandMibooks
5.0 out of 5 stars many twists and turns
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book ending more than the beginning. Thankfully I kept reading . I look forward to reading more by this author.
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Hannah
4.0 out of 5 stars Magical, queer, amazing
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2023
This was lovely. So atmospheric! It took me a while to read for some reason and there were parts I had trouble following. But overall, a solid novella and would highly recommend!!
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SciFiMagpie
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, tragic, lush
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
A voicey noire tale of queer Chicago, this is an unmissably good story. Supernatural wishes it could do something this good. I have questions about the setting, so I hope another tale is told in this world. The magic system is good too. Pacing is top notch. But the prose sings deep in your soul, and I can't recommend it enough for that.

The bittersweet ending is wonderful, but don't go in expecting your heart to survive in one piece.
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Top reviews from other countries

Owen Blacker
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful and romantic sapphic noir
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2022
Verified Purchase
Despite its short length, this novella took me by surprise so many times. The noir plot and theme blended with the <em>Supernatural</em> urban fantasy seamlessly and the pre-Stonewall queerness reminded me pleasingly of both <em>Last Night at the Telegraph Club</em> and <em>Out of Time, Into You</em>.

Clearly I need to read a lot more of Mx Polk.
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