A standalone novella set in 1940s Chicago, CL Polk’s Even Though I Knew the End is a beautiful little story of magic, mystery, demons and angels, and the lengths someone will go for love – both familial and romantic. Kicked out of the Brotherhood of the Compass after selling her soul to the devil in order to save the life of her brother, Helen Brandt is now relegated to scraping a living as a magical private eye. When she takes a commission to photograph a particularly violent crime scene, Helen tells herself she won’t get involved beyond the initial job, but it’s not long before she’s on the trail of the horrifying White City Vampire. Her reward, should she complete her task, is to have her soul returned to her, allowing her the life with her girlfriend that she never thought she’d get. If she survives that long, of course.
An alternative, shadow-soaked ‘40s Chicago comes to vibrant, brilliantly-observed life here with noirish staples – dapper suits, chain-smoked Chestertons, underground speakeasies – effortlessly rubbing shoulders with occult rituals, secret societies and horrific magical murders. Factor in a queer romance between Helen and her elegant, subtly mysterious girlfriend Edith, the two of them facing both the casual, everyday sexism and deeply-rooted gender power imbalance of the period, and you’ve got a heady blend of hardboiled sapphic fantasy that doesn’t pull any punches and gets dark quickly. The terms of Helen’s devil’s bargain will see her dead within days if she doesn’t pull off this job, so things are really stacked against her, only made more complicated by the unhappy presence of her distant brother and his role in the Brotherhood that long ago exiled her. Told in a classic noirish first person, slightly cynical and full of rough edges, it’s instantly engaging and with a comfortable, enjoyable feel despite the darkness.
In spite of its short word count there’s a lot going on here, and while it understandably can’t delve too deep into any of its themes or intriguing elements of world building (the magic that Helen uses is explained in only the vaguest of terms for example, just enough to entice) the various threads all combine beautifully. The pace rockets along right from the start, and if a few of the narrative beats come across pretty much as you’d expect, there are plenty more which take the story in unexpected directions. The magical investigation provides both danger and momentum while the realities of Helen and Edith’s relationship offer plenty in the way of stakes, with the spectre of Helen’s devil’s bargain hanging over everything and, in the end, providing the crux of the story. Equal parts bleak and stylish, with as much emphasis on love and pain as magical mayhem and angelic lore, all told this is a gripping and brilliantly told story that will last long in the memory.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Even Though I Knew the End is published by Tordotcom Publishing on the 8th November 2022 – check out the links below to pre-order your copy:
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