Vesuvius
$19.99 USD
Hardcover
This limited First Edition hardcover includes metallic foil on the jacket and a hidden illustrated case!
An exploration of ambition and class, autonomy and religion, survival and love, Vesuvius combines the romantic angst of They Both Die at the End and the blended magic and history of The Song of Achilles to show readers that it is never too late to change your fate—or change the world.
Clever thief Felix slips from city to city to survive the present and escape a past he can’t remember. When Felix steals a divine artifact—Mercury's helmet—from a temple in Pompeii, pieces of his forgotten past begin to surface.
Loren, an ambitious temple attendant, has seen Felix in his apocalyptic nightmares for years. The last thing Loren expects is for his dream to stumble headfirst through his temple doors, moments after an earthquake rocks the city.
When Felix shows Loren the helmet, Loren sees the world coming to an end. He knows they have mere days to uncover Felix’s ties to the relic and to Loren’s visions if they have any hope of saving the city. But Ancient Rome is ruled by bloody politics and unstoppable destinies, and now that Loren and Felix are intertwined, their lives aren’t all they risk losing. When all has turned to ash and rubble, the boys will have to piece together their fates to make it out of a burning city alive.
Cass Biehn (they/them) writes messy queer characters in messier situations, usually with religious politics and always with angsty kissing. They hold a Master of Library Science from Aberystwyth University in rainy Wales and currently live in the Utah desert, where they split their time between cosplaying and wrangling their dogs. Learn more about them at cassbiehn.com or @cassbeewrites on Twitter and Instagram.
Debut author Biehn weaves political intrigue into impressively researched Roman history and mythology. Setting Felix and Loren's blossoming romance against the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius adds tension and suspense to a seismic queer love story that investigates themes of class, gender, and healing from trauma.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A heartfelt and absorbing historical adventure with light fantasy elements.
—Kirkus Reviews
Roman mythological connections are a draw for the Riordan crowd, as are the high stakes, modern-feeling characters, queer romance, and witty banter.
—Booklist
Delightful characters and a wonderful queer love story that explodes with heart.
—C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise
A beautiful tale of love and self-discovery set against the fall of Pompeii, Vesuvius is equal parts heart-wrenching and healing. Cass Biehn’s stunning debut is sure to cement itself in reader’s hearts for years to come.
—Pascale Lacelle, New York Times bestselling author of Curious Tides
Biehn has pulled off a tremendous feat: crafting a tumultuous and aching romance set in one of the most doomed places of the known world. Vesuvius is for every reader who loves bittersweet boys prying happiness out of the uncaring hands of fate.
—Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
ISBN: 9781682637326
384 pages
8.3 in H | 5.6 in W | 1.2 in T | 1 lb Wt
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