The Night Library of Sternendach: A Vampire Opera in Verse

by Jessica L vai

Overview

Kunigunde is destined to become the next in a long line of Heller clan vampire hunters—but her soul is drawn to books, poetry, and the vampire Graf. Set in 1960s Europe, The Night Library of Sternendach is an unabashedly melodramatic opera-in-sonnets that weaves a sweeping, suspenseful tale readers won't be able to put down.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941360514
Publisher:	Lanternfish Press
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Jessica Lévai has loved stories and storytellers for as long as she can remember. After a PhD in Egyptology and eight years as a professor of Anthropology, she dedicated herself to writing full time. She lives near Boston with her husband and two kids.

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2021

Lévai debuts with a lush, modern take on the trope of supernaturally star-crossed lovers, told entirely through sonnets. When Kunigunde “Kinge” Heller’s mother takes Kinge, as a child, to meet the vampire Graf of Sternendach, Kinge is immediately struck by his countenance and the elaborate library in his castle. The Graf gives Kinge a book of fairy tales and she grows up thinking fondly of him. By the time she’s 19, that fondness becomes something more. But Kinge is heir to a line of vampire hunters, and though the Graf and Kinge’s family have agreed to a fragile truce, the love that grows between Kinge and the Graf is still forbidden—and even more so as the Graf is already married to another vampire, the Gräfin. This operatic love story caters to many beloved tropes while providing a fresh perspective and building toward an unusual, bittersweet ending that explores “how love costs more than it seems.” Readers looking for something different among the crowded field of vampire love stories will appreciate the poetry and language of this brief tale as much as the sweet romance. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Revel in every turn of phrase in this lyrical, classical romance of Kunigunde Heller, trapped between her family and tradition, and her own desires kindled under the starry sky in The Night Library of Sternendach.” — Margaret S. McGraw, co-editor of Lawless Lands and Predators in Petticoats

"Lévai debuts with a lush, modern take on the trope of supernaturally star-crossed lovers . . . This operatic love story caters to many beloved tropes while providing a fresh perspective and building toward an unusual, bittersweet ending that explores 'how love costs more than it seems.'"—Publishers Weekly 

"A stunning achievement in storytelling and the poetic form. . . . I can't wait to read more."—Emily Leverett, editor of Predators in Petticoats 

"A triumph of modern supernatural fiction as well as supernatural romance."—Nik Leasure, bookseller at The Book Loft (Columbus, OH) 

"Expertly crafted and brilliantly conceived . . . perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, poetry, or classics."—Jamie Southern, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)

From the Publisher