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Amberlough

(The Amberlough Dossier #1)

Lara Elena Donnelly (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 2,879 ratings · 787 reviews

Librarian note: an older cover for this edition can be found here.

A double-agent sacrifices all his ideals in order to save his smuggler lover before a government coup takes over their decadent city in Lara Elena Donnelly’s glam spy thriller debut, now a Nebula finalist for Best Novel!

Introducing…

The Smuggler: By day, Aristide Makricosta is the emcee for Amberlough City’s ...more

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Kindle Edition, 398 pages

Published April 2018 by Tor Books (first published February 7th 2017)

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· 2,879 ratings · 787 reviews

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Jul 25, 2018 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-relationships, gay-genre-fiction, sff-scifi-dystopias, favorite-characters, z-2018reads, y-2017releases, x-audiobook, 4-star, sff-high-fantasy, lgbtq

This was like watching a slow-motion train wreck, and I loved it.

Amberlough follows a city set in a world paralleling 1920s counterculture as it slowly falls under the power of a fascist sect. But rather than focusing on the power plays of that fascist movement, this novel goes a lot more in-depth; it focuses on just three of the characters affected by the new regime, and how they react to the disappearances, the burgeoning fear.

And I think this is the narrative choice that makes the whole book ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Philip rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-woman, 2017-releases

1.5ish stars.

I understand why authors choose to set their stories in alternate worlds with invented names and places. It makes their stories seem universal, like they could take place anywhere, at any time. However, this so obviously parallels the Weimar Republic that I couldn't think of it as being anything else. All of the confusing info dumps of cities and events could have been avoided by just using the word Nazi. I have a hard time with the branding of a book as fantasy when it takes place ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Samantha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I wasn’t sure I’d be into this at first (and I still got a bit lost with some of the political maneuvering at times) but the characters quickly pulled me in. That, and Mary Robinette Kowal’s audiobook performance is superb. The “noirpunk” gay spy cabaret story I didn’t know I needed.

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Feb 04, 2017 Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2017, lgbtqia, my-books, male-protag

Wow, what a read. I will have a whole video up on Monday (fingers crossed) but look for this release on Tuesday, the 7th! It is tense, sexy, complex, and definitely a super intriguing read.

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Jun 13, 2017 Althea Ann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read for book club.

An extremely impressive debut novel! Imagine if Ellen Kushner's 'Riverside' novels were set in an analogue of 1920's Germany?

I do think that all fans of Kushner's 'Swordspoint' &c. will love this book. It also does a great job of introducing its world and characters without unnecessarily driving home the parallels between the fantasy setting and that of the Weimar Republic and the impending rise of fascism. It's not a 1:1 correspondence; there are also elements of the Balkans ...more

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May 06, 2017 Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: boys-who-like-boys, torture, unicorns, historical, lgbtq, gay-lit, au

Stunning

True story. I chose this book because the blurb sounded like MMF with espionage and what's better than that? It is not MMF, just so you know. I think Amberlough should be categorized as gay lit which typically connotes to me a lack of romance. It's true, Amberlough doesn't focus on a romantic plotline per se, but the relationship between Cyril and Aristide is one of the most heartbreakingly romantic and timeless ones I've ever read. They're rarely together but tethered regardless of time ...more

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May 17, 2017 Lindsay rated it liked it · review of another edition

An interesting study in ambiguous characters of the nightclub scene in an alternate world similar to 1930s Europe as the Nazis come to power.

Cyril DePaul is an intelligence operative working for the Amberlough government. One of his roles is to investigate smuggling, which is a bit unfortunate because his lover, Aristide Makricosta, has a side job as a local kingpin in the smuggling racket. Aristide's other job is as a stripper and performer at the Busy Bee nightclub where he's a local celebrity An interesting study in ambiguous characters of the nightclub scene in an alternate world similar to 1930s Europe as the Nazis come to power.

Cyril DePaul is an intelligence operative working for the Amberlough government. One of his roles is to investigate smuggling, which is a bit unfortunate because his lover, Aristide Makricosta, has a side job as a local kingpin in the smuggling racket. Aristide's other job is as a stripper and performer at the Busy Bee nightclub where he's a local celebrity. Also at the Busy Bee is Cordelia Lehane, a stripper and drug-dealer who is sleeping with the owner of the Bee as well as the Bee's comedian.

The One State Party (referred to as the Ospies) have just risen to power in a neighboring country/state and clearly hope to come to power in Amberlough as well. The Ospies are ultra-conservative and their rise in Amberlough would make Aristide and Cyrl's relationship a problem and put Cordelia and the Busy Bees whole operation out of business. What follows is a careful study of what you do to survive, what you'll do to defend the things you love and ambiguity at all levels.

The prose is beautiful and the characters very interesting, but I really don't understand why this book exists. To be honest, I think it's because the actual real world features that this book draws on so heavily didn't all quite line up properly the way the author wanted to tell the story. The Ospies for instance, are so clearly Nazis that actually calling them Nazis wouldn't have felt out of place. They even have a symbol which is reminiscent of a swastika. The nightclub scene could be 30s Paris, although the language is New York or Chicago. There's even an analogue to Jewish people for the Ospies to hate. So it's a world that isn't our world, but is exactly like our world with no fantastic elements.

It kind of feels like the author had a story in mind for a hypothetical German 1930s nightclub epic but on researching couldn't find anything that matched the story she had in mind, so just decided to rename everything.

I can appreciate that it might be a good book, and it is an interesting story, but it really wasn't for me. ...more

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Feb 07, 2017 Seth Dickinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fascism's come to glittering cosmopolitan Amberlough, and as the One State Party looms over the city of long good nights, all the dancers and smugglers and politicians face a choice: bargain to survive, or fight and die?

Amberlough is a tryst between John le Carre's grey-coated spies and Cabaret's end-of-an-era seedy delights: the whole city's going to have one drink too many, because it doesn't want to go to sleep and face the jackboots tomorrow. Read this book if you love smugglers, strippers, Fascism's come to glittering cosmopolitan Amberlough, and as the One State Party looms over the city of long good nights, all the dancers and smugglers and politicians face a choice: bargain to survive, or fight and die?

Amberlough is a tryst between John le Carre's grey-coated spies and Cabaret's end-of-an-era seedy delights: the whole city's going to have one drink too many, because it doesn't want to go to sleep and face the jackboots tomorrow. Read this book if you love smugglers, strippers, spies and smoky bourbon in a city like Weimar Berlin, everyone desperately passionate and horribly hungover, all of them trying to keep their footing in a world that's changing too fast.

Cyril dePaul is a spy who's not just compromised but well and fully leveraged, thanks: caught between his duty to his masters in Amberlough, his affair with glamorous smuggler Aristide, and other, darker allegiances. Cyril's a fascinating dude, because he's caught right where every one of us would be if we realized fascism was coming - trying to protect his people, trying to be better than he is, tortured by the fear that he's giving his soul away to save his comforts, certain that he'll be destroyed in an instant if he makes one error. Cyril's lover Aristide's coworker at the Bumble Bee Cabaret - and maybe the key to Cyril's salvation - is Cordelia Lehane, a born-to-nothing dancer and drugrunner who wants more than she's got and knows how to use people to get it. As the cold creeps in, Aristide, Cyril, and Cordelia have to turn to - and against - each other to survive in the new regime.

Amberlough is a lush, lovely crawl through the high society parties, dockside dens and smoky headquarters of a city as real as yours - Donnelly's prose is (to steal from the jacket copy) ravishing. I never knew there were so many perfectly specific words for luxury! And under the glitz there's a steel bar of terror, a lever pushing everyone to the edge - because some people see Amberlough's effusive corrupt decadent liveliness as rot, and they won't stop cutting until the city and the nation are theirs.

Sit at the dark end of the bar, tip the tuxedoed woman who mixes your cocktail, and wait for your contact to pass you a brown envelope with the names of the friends you're going to betray tomorrow. Consider: which people on that list can you afford to save? And what's it going to cost you?

Read this book, look up, and think about what you'd do if you were Cyril or Cordelia. Pray you don't have to find out. ...more

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Jan 15, 2019 Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, 2019-shelf, fantasy

If I'm being honest, this is more of a 3.5 for me, not having all that much to do as a Fantasy except with changed names and places hiding the fact this may as well be Casablanca. What? Nazis, spy work, sharp, sometimes witty, dialogue? Yep.

I also enjoyed (and sometimes didn't) the deep immersion in the acting scene. For me, it was best when it was scathing quips and a bit boring when it seemed to drag the slow burn of this plot to rather nowhere places.

The fact is, this novel sinks or swims on ...more

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Aug 07, 2017 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

This had a slow beginning that took its time exploring the characters and building the plot. Then the second half hits and the world is on fire and it's beautiful and hurts. No happy ending. Can't wait for the sequel! ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Emily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

Fantastic! I have no idea where I heard about this book, but it was amazing. Think, "art-deco-era meets spy-thriller meets big-brother/1984." It's a fantasy book but no magic - set in a world that is could be ours, but isn't (corrupt elections, dirty government officials trying to make everyone conform to their moral standards, racism , etc.)

The book started out a bit confusing - a lot of names, geography and terms that are unfamiliar, but stick with it, it all comes together pretty quickly. By ...more

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Jun 18, 2018 BrokenTune added it · review of another edition

On the face of it, I should love this novel: spies, cabaret, a setting that is an alternative take on the Weimar Republic... What's not to love, right?

However, the book just isn't working for me. I've tried to read this several times, but just get lost in the endless names and descriptions that seem to lead nowhere.

This morning, I spent a good hour and a half trying one last time if there was a way to get into the story, but all I am left with is a hankering for some original1920s/30s literature ...more

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Oct 13, 2016 Book Riot Community added it · review of another edition

Shelves: swords-and-spaceships-recs

Even though this book isn’t coming out until next Winter, it needs to be on your “To Buy,” list ASAP! John Le Carre and Cabaret set in a secondary fantasy world, Donnelly’s debut novel is set in the decadent, whirlwind city of Amberlough, whose lifestyle of luxury and indulgence have fueled the fire of the One State Party (Ospies), a new radically conservative fascist faction on the rise, looking to pluck Amberlough’s sweetness away and reclaim the city for their nationalist vision. Cyril DePaul ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Nathan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: rated-5-star, author-female, read-2017, historical-fantasy

I was blessed with the oppurtunity to do a Q & A with Lara Elena Donnelly. She talks the timeliness of the story and inspirations among other things. Check it out!

Booknest

Both timely and timeless. Wonderful yet heartbreaking. Completely fucking awesome. Oh, and debut of the year.

A nationalist fervor has empowered the One State Party though they still lack the votes to control Amberlough City. Cyril DePaul once enjoyed the spy game but is now a man who doesn't quite want to admit he may be broke I was blessed with the oppurtunity to do a Q & A with Lara Elena Donnelly. She talks the timeliness of the story and inspirations among other things. Check it out!

Booknest

Both timely and timeless. Wonderful yet heartbreaking. Completely fucking awesome. Oh, and debut of the year.

A nationalist fervor has empowered the One State Party though they still lack the votes to control Amberlough City. Cyril DePaul once enjoyed the spy game but is now a man who doesn't quite want to admit he may be broken. Called back into field work he is sent to investigate the One State Party (better known as Ospies) and quickly finds himself way over his head. Soon enough he must make some tough decisions as the 'game' puts everything (and everyone) he cares about in danger.

Amberlough City sits on the cusp. At the Bumble Bee Cabaret Aristide Makricosta dances, flirts, and runs a small smuggling empire. His known relationship with Cyril will put them both in danger for many reasons; not the least of which is the Ospies lack of tolerance for their lifestyle. To provide cover Aristide helps introduce Cyril to fellow dancer Cordelia. All three start to play their own games; even as allies none dare share all of their cards. As Amberlough slides toward the fascist Ospie rule tough decisions are made. People are played, betrayed, and other wise used in a frantic attempt to survive in a changing world.

Think something like KJ Parker set in a cabaret club. Less fantasy than secondary world this is a spy thriller with strong characters and a heavy political influence. Also a cautionary tale, historical simile, and yet completely original. Nothing unique; many Ospie tactics are ripped straight from the history books. But original in set up and Amberlough City breaths its own life seen through the eyes of it's diverse cast of characters; spies and dancers, smugglers and police, revolutionaries and true believers.

The book is driven by the constant quest by those most quickly affected by lands quick decent to save something. Many are actually trying to save someone they love yet show no hesitation to throw someone else to the fire. One person's plan can get in the way of another; even if both have a similar end goal. And in the end it shows some of the true horror of a fascist landscape as people willingly engage in the worst in order to save their own (or themselves). In a totalitarian world life doesn't stop but fear takes over.

What makes Amberlough shine is in the way it weaves hope throughout a dreadful tale. At time it is false hope of course, but our main cast holds out that there is always an escape, or a way out, or one last chance to make a difference. That the reader is mostly left heartbroken is just a positive side effect.

Amberlough City stands strong right alongside the characters; setting and people holding equal billing in this robust world. Quickly enough the lands language and political differences become clear even if the characters motivations remained veiled. The Bumble Bee is a perfect setting; a natural place for characters to meet and plots to be hatched. It also sadly a volatile spot to watch during a drastic change; a free wheeling club of ill repute that is exactly everything the Ospies want out of society.

Debut of the year has already been stated and will be stood by, February release or no.

5 Stars

Copy for review provided by publisher. ...more

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Jul 23, 2020 Nomadic Reader (Baba Yaga) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, sf-and-fantasy, amazing-romance, adoro, the-gays-are-rising

4.5 stars

The more I think about this book, the more I struggle to believe it’s a debut novel.
Donnelly is an exceptionally talented author and does her best to make sure every single detail of her book is polished and carefully executed, to the point that I have a hard time understanding why this series isn’t more popular in the book community.

The world building is stunning. Amberlough is set in an alternate 1930s Germany that is, you guessed it, about to be taken over by an ultra-nationalist 4.5 stars

The more I think about this book, the more I struggle to believe it’s a debut novel.
Donnelly is an exceptionally talented author and does her best to make sure every single detail of her book is polished and carefully executed, to the point that I have a hard time understanding why this series isn’t more popular in the book community.

The world building is stunning. Amberlough is set in an alternate 1930s Germany that is, you guessed it, about to be taken over by an ultra-nationalist fascist party. The story takes place in the city of Amberlough, a bustling metropolis brimming with music, color, and criminal activity. Everything about it feels realistic to the point that I can almost picture what it would be like to walk its streets. I know how its people dress, what they eat, what they accents sound like (thank you, Mary Robinette Kowal, for being such an amazing audiobook narrator). I know where they work by day...and party by night. Speaking of which: if you’re a fan of Cabaret, you’re bound to fall in love with this book’s depiction of early 20th century nightlife and cabaret shows. They’re incredibly fun to read, so much so that I wish someone turned this story into a movie just so I could watch them on screen.
What impressed me the most, however, was how well developed the political aspect of this world was. Donnelly creates a complex landscape where each country’s social, political, and economic struggles influence the plot on both a large and small scale, impacting the characters’ lives and decisions.

The characters are fantastic. They’re all garbage people, and I love them for it.
Seriously though: if you want to learn how to write realistic character motivation, get your hands on this book. It’s so refreshing to read a fantasy where people act like real, actual human beings, rather than puppets in the hands of an author who moves them around to advance the plot or fulfill readers’ desires. (Reader, this book will not fulfill your desires. It will hurt you. Consider this a warning.) The three protagonists are chain-smoking, binge-drinking, sexually promiscuous nightlife lovers whose moral compass is more than a little skewed. Don’t worry, though — the villains are so horribly and realistically evil that you will inevitably find yourself cheering for the “good guys”. Also, one of them is a drag queen with a black belt in sarcasm. Need I say more?

The plot is mind-blowing. If there’s one thing that’s going to turn readers away from this book, it’s the plot. It’s incredibly intricate and at times hard to follow. This is, after all, a spy thriller whose main characters are constantly meddling with international politics and double-crossing each other. No matter how closely you try to follow the story, you will end up feeling confused at some point...and that’s okay. Even if you don’t grasp every single detail, things will still make sense in the end.

The writing is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy book that feels so sexy. Donnelly’s prose is rich, lush, and alluring; her descriptions are immersive, her dialogue is witty, and her clever turns of phrase made me smirk several times while reading. Even when the pacing was lagging or I couldn’t figure out what exactly was going on, I still had fun following the characters’ interactions and losing myself in this world. It’s hard to believe a 25-year-old wrote this, and I can’t wait to see how her craft is going to improve in the sequels. ...more

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Feb 03, 2017 Mel rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

From the very beginning this book was a struggle for me. Places, names, parties, countries are dropped in every other sentence without any explanation whatsoever. Even whole paragraphs like this are not a rare thing:

“Be serious, DePaul. The Ospies want Amberlough knocked down—they think we’re impeding trade, sacrificing Gedda for the sake of state interest. Pinegrove and Moritz have already endorsed Acherby, and intelligence out of both capitals says they won’t stop there. They want to impeach J

“Be serious, DePaul. The Ospies want Amberlough knocked down—they think we’re impeding trade, sacrificing Gedda for the sake of state interest. Pinegrove and Moritz have already endorsed Acherby, and intelligence out of both capitals says they won’t stop there. They want to impeach Josiah.”

And I didn’t understand anymore than you just did… Whom are they talking about? It’s just names with no meaning. Nothing is explained and the way it is done, world building doesn’t happen because all I’m left with are question marks. I found the first 10% especially tiring because of this.

After the 120 and something pages that I have read, I still have no idea what the world is like. How is the climate, for example? How do the buildings and streets look? Is there any green or parks? How does it smell? What clothes do people wear and what’s the food like?

The same superficial treatment can be found in the creation of the characters. At least concerning their inner perspective. They have nearly to no history. I don’t know what motivates them and their actions. I can’t get a grasp on the relationship between Cyril and Ari, either. Cordelia, while a promising, take-no-shit female character, so far remains obscure as well.

Now, the plot. I hear this book is a thrilling spy novel. It is not. It is a bore. There is absolutely nothing thrilling about it, reason being that the reader doesn’t know enough of what is going on to actually care about anything. It seems there is some political intrigue going on, but whatever… There are maybe three short scenes here that kept me going because I could glimpse a little bit of spark between the characters and after 25% it seemed that finally something was happening, but, alas, promises, promises…

It’s been an ordeal, a struggle, and I simply cannot bring myself to pick this book up again.

__________________________________
Genre: Spy Thriller, Romance
Tags: M/M Pairing, Gay Character, Bisexual Character, Heterosexual Character, Alternate Universe
Rating: dnf @34%
Blog: Review for Just Love
Disclosure: ARC for Review

...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Phee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

4.5 stars.

It has been such a terribly long time since I last fell so head over heels in love with a set of characters. Amberlough has taken me completely by surprise. It promised spy's, revolution, and a decadent era. On top of that I got espionage, steamy sex, sizzling romantic chemistry, dynamic characters, stage shows, thrilling action and political intrigue by the bucket load.

Amberlough is a fascinating book. At one time I would have devoured a book like this. But I savoured it and took my 4.5 stars.

It has been such a terribly long time since I last fell so head over heels in love with a set of characters. Amberlough has taken me completely by surprise. It promised spy's, revolution, and a decadent era. On top of that I got espionage, steamy sex, sizzling romantic chemistry, dynamic characters, stage shows, thrilling action and political intrigue by the bucket load.

Amberlough is a fascinating book. At one time I would have devoured a book like this. But I savoured it and took my time. I've been trying to break my book inhaling habits and take my time more. That and I truly didn't want this to end.

All three of our main cast offered something different. Cordelia is our dancer, but that's not all she is. She's also a feisty, no nonsense woman who isn't afraid of getting shit done. Her expletives made me laugh out loud and I wish I could bottle up her charisma and confidence. "Mother's tits" is a new personal favourite of mine.

Cyril is our spy. He's keeping tabs on persons of interest in the criminal underworld and having an affair with someone he shouldn't. I really felt for Cyril. He gets himself into some awful situations, that's the sort of work hazard his profession gets him I suppose. He just tries to protect the people he loves (even the one he won't admit he loves). But he also has a cold and merciless side to him. Something he does later in the book sent actual chills down my spine. He knows what he's doing and knows his line of work like the back of his hand. Though he is a little rusty in the field these days.

Aristide is also part of the same theatre trope as Cordelia, whilst also being a smuggler. He has become one of my favourite literary characters if all time. He is flamboyant, charming, and terrifically good at getting what he wants. The scenes of him on stage were so easy to imagine. His acting is perfection and he knows exactly how to play a managerie of characters. His chemistry with Cyril had me from the get go. These two know how to rile each other up and my god did I need to fan myself when they were in bed. He is an absolute queen and I love him to pieces.

As for actual plot... Well it's better you just let the show play out. It does get very political and to be honest the is the only reason that this book isn't a full 5 star read for me. I don't think that the politics are explained very well. You pretty much get thrown into the deep end with this one. Whilst I get the jist of it I would probably be unable to explain it to someone. But aside from that, I adored every moment of reading this book.
I loved the diversity in this. It was refreshing to read a book with gay characters and not have to wait for the characters to fall for one another. The relationship is already established at the novel's opening. It's not afraid to be rough and heavy either. As I mentioned earlier.... Those sex scenes.

I'll be ordering the sequel straight away and I really can't wait to see what happens to these characters next. They have been through so damn much already. All of them have had their lives turned on their heads in various different ways. I need to experience more of this world. I would highly recommend this book. I can't believe that this isn't talked about more. It deserves all the love I can give it and so much more. ...more

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Jun 14, 2018 Emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

THIS. IS. SO FUN.

It feels strange to say that about a book that chronicles the rise of a fascist regime, but it's true.

In this we follow three characters--a spy, a smuggler, and a cabaret dancer--and all of them are deeply, deeply flawed. I can see how that could be off-putting to some readings, but personally I think Donnelly hits it out of the park.

Aristides, the smuggler
Ari is a performer at heart, despite his underground empire in which he runs drugs, guns, and secrets. He's vain, arroga THIS. IS. SO FUN.

It feels strange to say that about a book that chronicles the rise of a fascist regime, but it's true.

In this we follow three characters--a spy, a smuggler, and a cabaret dancer--and all of them are deeply, deeply flawed. I can see how that could be off-putting to some readings, but personally I think Donnelly hits it out of the park.

Aristides, the smuggler
Ari is a performer at heart, despite his underground empire in which he runs drugs, guns, and secrets. He's vain, arrogant, and I love him.

Cyril DePaul, the spy
Cyril is a coward. He's the epitome of white boy cowardice. But he's still an incredibly compelling character!!! And his character arc... WHEW BOY! A problematic fave

Cordelia Lehane, the cabaret dancer
I LOVED Cordelia. like Cecil, she gets a GREAT character arc. As she becomes more involved in the seedier elements of the underground, we watch her succeed, but also make some rookie mistakes. Watching her learn was a delight to read. She's tenacious, stubborn, loyal, and my favorite.

One thing that felt missing to me: colonialism. This book draws heavily on German history, particularly wartime history. The most obvious comparison would be to the rise of Naziism, and the culture of Amberlough City felt very reminiscent of Weimar-era Berlin. The book also draws on late 19th century and WWI history, which is particularly obvious in the fascist party. Their main goal is the union of all of the states of Gedda (which seems to be a loose confederation of states that mirrors the German principalities of the Holy Roman Empire).

Seeing these comparisons, I would have expected Donnelly to engage more with ideas of German colonialism. We see bits of white supremacy, which makes sense given this book is about the beginnings of a fascist regime where often overt racism and fear of ethnic cleansing still seem far-fetched to most citizens (see Jewish newspapers from the 1930s). However, rhetoric around colonization, expansionism, etc. was very present during the rise of nationalism during the periods from which Donnelly draws inspiration. We don't see that in the book. Perhaps Donnelly will engage with this more in book two, but I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see it here given colonialism's ties to German nationalistic rhetoric and politics. ...more

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May 01, 2018 Acqua rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: db, love-polygons, adult, loved-it, mystery-th-su, best-mcs, q, qm, ymm

...I have a lot of feelings.
This was painful. And fun, but mostly painful.

Amberlough is the first book in The Amberlough Dossier, and it has three main PoVs: Aristide, who is a smuggler and emcee at the Bee Cabaret, Cyril, his lover, who is a double agent and spying on him, and Cordelia, a stripper at the Bee.

The beginning isn't exactly easy to get into - there's a lot information about politics, because this novel is about the rise of a fascist government - but after I understood what was happe ...more

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Jun 01, 2017 vicky. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars

Amberlough is an alternate vintage world with gender equality in which a gay spy has to protect his smuggler/cabaret performing lover while trying to stop a fascist group from taking over his country.

Read that sentence again.
I mean... THAT IS EXACTLY MY AESTHETIC OKAY.

Which is why I'm so disappointed. The writing is absolutely fantastic but in the first ten chapters the infodump is real. Names, places, conflicts, groups and more where constantly mentioned at an alarming rate.
If I hadn't ...more

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Apr 24, 2018 RG rated it liked it · review of another edition

1930s Europe, nazis, spys, deceit, ambiguity, sexuality. I guess this is what Donnelly had in mind when writing this book. Well written, slow plodding pace, a slow burn if you will but I felt it never got out of 3rd gear. Obviously not a historical account as this novel is a spy thriller/science fiction story, but very limited scifi. Its really just placed in a ficitional world because it wss easier to give the readers the authors viewpoint of what may have happened at that time. Not plot or cha ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Em Lost In Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, 3-star, 2010-19, stand-alone-read

3.5 stars.

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Mar 13, 2017 Crini rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-anti-hero-squad, diversity, totally-crash, ladies-kicking-ass, squad-goals, the-inner-conflict-express, most-precious-in-the-seven-seas, read-again-soon-and-often, my-precious-boys, protect-at-all-costs

I absolutely ADORED this book. Very close to a 5-star read!

While I'm usually not big on more political stories, this one totally got away with it because the characters are just the best (more of the "unlikable" and very flawed kind which made me love them all the more and OMG shipping it so hard, MY FEELS) and it's very character driven.

It's set in a fictional, historical world that was a bit confusing at first but that was SO easy to ignore because I was already in love with these characters f ...more

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Mar 19, 2018 Teleseparatist rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

In a country in which Ospies - Nazis - are taking over, three characters are finding out just what they are made of. Aristide, a self-made drag queen and smuggler, Cordelia, a dancer, and Cyril, a spy who'd much rather not do too much spying, see their paths cross in ways they couldn't have predicted.

I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. Coming in, I'd expected to enjoy the spying and star-crossed romance between the spy and his mark, and to be annoyed by the demimonde. Instead, I fo In a country in which Ospies - Nazis - are taking over, three characters are finding out just what they are made of. Aristide, a self-made drag queen and smuggler, Cordelia, a dancer, and Cyril, a spy who'd much rather not do too much spying, see their paths cross in ways they couldn't have predicted.

I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. Coming in, I'd expected to enjoy the spying and star-crossed romance between the spy and his mark, and to be annoyed by the demimonde. Instead, I found the demimonde compelling: well-written and emotionally believable. And the spying... incompetent, and annoying, and dependent on coincidence. The star-crossed romance would have been much better if I wasn't so put-off by Cyril. I really wanted to like him, I was sure I would: a spy with PTSD who fears for his life sounds like the definition of an interesting character for me. Alas, the novel failed to make me care about him at all; instead I wanted him to just grow a spine. (And I could talk a lot more about it, and about the ending in particular, but it would end up spoilerish in the extreme.)

I was in two minds about the worldbuilding. I think the choice to set this in an alternate world with Nazis who are not Nazis is understandable, but it should have occasioned more world-building detail. Why do the Ospies hate difference (why this particular type)? What is the sameness they want? What drives people to support them? When using Nazis, one gets the answers to those handed in by history (they are using post-WWI resentment to stir nationalism; antisemitism has a long history in this part of Europe; they have an ideology to sell and Lebensraum to covet and enemies to fight and construct). In Amberlough some of the answers are implied, but a little too vague, a little too same-y, without providing the world with depth beyond the two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs whose shapes are close enough to attach to real-world equivalents but can't stand on their own. The villains have no depth. And the beginning of the book was full of information I found difficult to retain; and yet, the world didn't really feel terribly lived in; I didn't get the feel of its history and politics.

Where the novel does excel is the micro level, the personal level. The scenes of Cordelia becoming angry; Ari putting on his make-up, or taking off his make-up; the morning in the city, with crowds walking to their jobs or from their lovers' places; Mueller making his choices; the smells and tastes and the cabaret. I wish the spy plot had been half as good as those elements, because I would have been all over that book.

I do recommend this novel, but not unreservedly; still, I am very happy to have the ARC of the sequel waiting for me. I really and truly want to know what happened next. ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 kari rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I'll try to review it when heartache stops, okay? ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Kaa marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: group-buddy-reads, queer-sff

DNF @ 62%. I may come back to this eventually. The story should be exciting, but I'm not feeling very invested. Also, I'm really struggling (view spoiler) I'm not saying it shouldn't be written about, but it's not the story for me right now. ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Elena (and the books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, but-make-it-gay

3.75/5

385 pages that will make you question your morality but also your knowledge of the English language

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Apr 30, 2020 Ann-Marie rated it liked it

I heard and read such wonderful things about this spec fic book, I really had high hopes. I am not sure what went wrong for me. I started out delighted to be immersed in the world Donnelly created, part 1920's/30's German cabaret society, part Hungary before Franz Ferdinand's assassination, part Oswald Mosley fascist Britain realized.
But it bogged down for me in the middle, and I am not sure why. Perhaps too much going on, too many extraneous characters? I lost the plot.
I found it again at the ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Jack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-bookshelf, nist, 2017-release

9/10

A story of love, politics, betrayal and spies. Gosh this was a thrilling ride. I can't say it was fun, at least not all of it, but I was hooked and loved every minute of it. From the vibrate setting of Amberlough, to the intrigue of the Foxhole, there wasn't much that I can say I disliked.

I can't wait to get started on Armistice. ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 Bridget Mckinney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

Amberlough is a brilliantly inventive and gorgeously accomplished first novel for Lara Elena Donnelly, who manages to both test the limits of the fantasy genre and craft a whip smart and timely political thriller at the same time. Comparisons to Cabaret and Le Carré are accurate enough (and certainly intriguing enough for marketing reasons), though I always think we do a disservice to fresh, original work by using such comparisons to shape reader expectations. Amberlough is a fine novel on its o ...more

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SciFi and Fantasy...: "Amberlough" by Lara Elena Donnelly (BR)	20	46	Jan 17, 2019 06:26AM

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About Lara Elena Donnelly

Lara Elena Donnelly

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The all-singing, all-dancing Lara Elena Donnelly is the author of AMBERLOUGH, a vintage-glam spy thriller, and a graduate of the Alpha and Clarion writers’ workshops. Her work has appeared in venues including Strange Horizons, Escape Pod, Nightmare, and Uncanny (forthcoming). A veteran of small town Ohio and the Derby City, Lara now lives in Manhattan. You can also find her online at @larazontally ...more