The alchemy of moonlight

Title:

Author:

Ferraro, David, 1980- author.

Summary:

"Trapped in a world of straight expectations, queer marquis Emile longs for independence. So, when his aunt declares he must marry to produce an heir or be disowned, he runs away disguised as a servant until he can come of age and reclaim his inheritance. All Emile needs to do is keep his head down and bide his time, but he quickly stumbles into a mystery beyond his imagination. While working in the service of the intimidating Count Montoni and his family, Emile learns that they suffer from a strange affliction every full moon, which requires full sedation. And when he discovers a mangled corpse on the estate the same night as suspicious family arguments break out, he reports it. But Emile cannot guess what lengths Count Montoni is willing to go to to keep his family’s secrets safe. As Emile becomes more entangled in the household and its paranormal origins, his inquiries draw the attention of the handsome doctor, Bram, and the count’s charismatic nephew, Henri. But how can Emile earn the esteem of the earnest doctor, while keeping his own identity and desires a secret? And how can he trust―let alone love―Henri, a man as mercurial as the ever-changing moon? To find the love he deserves and survive the Montoni family, Emile will have to risk his title as well as his life." -- Amazon.com.

Physical Description:

377 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Subject Term:

Sexual minorities -- Fiction.

Secrecy -- Fiction.

Blessing and cursing -- Fiction.

Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Fiction.

Inheritance and succession -- Fiction.

Families -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Page Street YA,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781645679721

Publication Information:

Salem, MA : Page Street YA, 2023.

Call Number:

YA FERRARO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003608794	New Young Adult	FERRARO	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

When Emile's aunt declares he must marry or be disowned for being gay--he runs away to hide as a servant in Count Montoni's mansion. In their service, Emile tends to the family who all suffer a strange affliction on the full moon. And after overhearing suspicious family arguments, he finds a body on the estate, drawing the attention of a handsome doctor as well as the count's charismatic nephew, Henri. Before Emile can sort out his affections or unravel the growing Montoni family mystery, his identity is revealed and his aunt comes to collect him. When she arrives, Count Montoni forces everyone to depart to the remote Udolpho Castle--where there are no witnesses and no chance for escape. There, Emile realizes that he will have to risk his life to find the love he deserves--and survive the Montoni family.

Author Notes

David Ferraro won Library Journal's SELF-e Award for Best Fantasy in 2015. He currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Alchemy of Moonlight is his debut novel.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Debut author Ferraro reimagines The Mysteries of Udolpho in this ominous supernatural romance. Following his father's death in the summer of 1873, 17-year-old Emile St. Aubert's aunt offers him a choice: marry a woman and continue the St. Aubert line, or be stripped of his inheritance and thrown into an asylum for his attraction to men. Emile instead runs away from home and finds work as a servant for the affluent Montoni household at Chateau le Blanc. As he settles into his new working-class responsibilities, Emile is both thrilled and terrified when he catches the attention of handsome visiting doctor Bram Valancourt. Emile's growing feelings for Bram are complicated, however, when Emile starts developing an attraction to Montoni's nephew, Count Henri Morano. Romance gives way to horror when, after a series of violently dismembered corpses are discovered on the chateau grounds, Emile realizes that something sinister is afoot. Emile's sensitive and thoughtful first-person narration forms the core of this tale, which teems with heart-pounding moments both amorous and frightening. While the central mystery is predictable, Ferraro's handling of coercive power dynamics and conflicting desires, coupled with the intensely raw queer relationships, is fresh and impressive. Emile and Henri cue as white; Bram is Black. Ages 14--up. Agent: Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Literary. (May)