VILE LADY VILLAINS (Adult, Horromantasy)
UK: April 02, Penguin Michael Joseph. US/CAN: May 12, Union Square & Co. Greece: June, Anubis.
A WORLD-BURNING HORROMANTASY, BRINGING TOGETHER LITERATURE’S MOST FAMOUS LADY VILLAINS, LADY MACBETH AND KLYTEMNESTRA . . . For fans of A Dowry of Blood, Clytemnestra, and Piranesi, Vile Lady Villains is an unforgettable ride into the realm of stories
Klytemnestra, queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking her a hostile spirit, Klytemnestra chases her away, getting them both trapped in that liminal realm.
Hunted by screaming wraiths and unable to find their way home, literature’s most vile lady villains form an uneasy, daggers-to-the-throat alliance to survive. But nothing in this world is what it seems. The realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, holds the keys to all storydoors—which can release the two women, and all the realm’s trapped characters, into new stories of their choosing.
As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction, they have a choice: remain within the confines of their stories … or burn down the world to pen a new one, together.
Praise for Vile Lady Villains
“Part classical theatre compressed into a jewel-box of metafiction, part living painting: its palette supersaturated with passion, poetry, and portent. The familiar protagonists, Claret and Anassa, like two firebirds of blood and spirit, arise entwined from the wreckage of their own tragic narratives, pursued by fates, furies, and the chance at something better.” — C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death’s Daughter
“Vile Lady Villains is a dazzling, daring reimagining of two of literature’s most infamous women. Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra, long cast as monsters, murderers and cautionary tales, step out of the shadows to reclaim their stories, their hunger and their power. This beautifully told novel pushes the retelling genre into bold new territory. It asks, what happens when women denied the role of hero seize the stage for themselves? In a world that punishes female ambition, their battle for survival – and for their voices to be heard – feels more urgent than ever. Vile Lady Villains asks not whether women can own their darkness, but what brilliance is born when they finally do.”
—Kim Curran, author of The Morrigan and Brigid
“Brilliantly clever and wickedly tender, this is a delightful feast for anyone who adores literature. Christopoulou weaves a masterful tapestry of iconic stories, while challenging both characters and readers to imagine a new ending entirely, changing them from a tragedy to a comedy.” — Lauren Dedroog, author of A Curse of Crows & A Dance of Serpents
“Christopoulou not only shakes up the canon but dissects it, respins it and weaves it into a stunning tale of vengeance and redemption with unapologetically emotional women at its forefront. Reassessing the role of female characters in some of our most established stories and examining the act of storytelling itself, Vile Lady Villains is here to reclaim the narrative. I loved it!” — Bea Fitzgerald, Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen and The End Crowns All
“Lyrical and lush with a dagger-sharp edge, VILE LADY VILLAINS is an ode to feminism and autonomy we all so desperately crave. Christopoulou’s braided narrative heightens suspense and tautens yearning in a way that will leave readers breathless. A triumph of a debut! ” —Taylor Grothe, author of Lethal Kiss
“In confident, luscious prose, Christopoulou creates an enthralling liminal quest, where two of literature’s most infamous female villains reclaim their stories—and fall irrevocably in love. I was spellbound from the very first page and could hardly breathe as the ending neared. Heart-rending, atmospheric and unmissable.” — Kika Hatzopoulou, Sunday Times bestselling author of Threads That Bind
“A richly intertextual narrative about writing your own story rather than the one that is written for you, Vile Lady Villains reimagines the powerful women of literature and myth. Christopoulou brings two iconic characters together for an adventure that will delight, inspire, and surprise. Teeming with queer tension and sparking with anger and joy in equal measure, this is a rare and exciting work of feminist literature.” — Elyse John, author of Orphia and Eurydicius
“A rollicking ride through time and space, drawing together two women from very different worlds. With prose as sharp as a blade and as rich as blood, Christopoulou has created a deeply satisfying story.” — Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros
“Vile Lady Villains is a stunningly original novel, dense and dark and overwhelmingly magical. It’s a daring blend of borrowed stories, recreating characters we thought we knew, and giving them the full, unfettered life they deserve. Lovers of Shakespeare and Greek myth will be enchanted.” — Louisa Morgan, author of The Faerie Morgana
“I was mesmerized from the beginning of Vile Lady Villains by the enchanting prose and the vivid characters who jumped out of the page and grabbed my attention with their complicated personalities. This is a story about defying identities and redefining what it means to follow one’s destiny. Christopoulou challenges our perceptions about Clytemnestra and Lady Macbeth and shakes to the core the underlying misogynist narratives that have permeated their stories for centuries. And in the centre of it all, you find a magical love story” — Ioanna Papadopoulou, author of Winter Harvest
“Cathartic and deeply romantic, Vile Lady Villains is the iconic queen crossover of my dreams! Claret and Anassa’s empowering journey through harrowing trials, innovative dreamscapes, and murky choices builds like a fever breaking into a celebration of vicious women, second chances, and taking control of your story.” — Leanne Schwartz, author of A Prayer for Vengeance & To a Darker Shore
“A magnificently written sapphic quest through the haunting world of stories, where two of our most fascinating characters finally get to be fleshed out and gain some agency, happiness, and maybe even love! ” —Emma Sterner-Radley, author of Snowblooded
“I was enthralled from the first lush sentence to the final page. Blending familiar stories into new and wondrous forms, Vile Lady Villains is a powerful sapphic love story—and also an action-packed romp that theater nerds will find an utter delight. With spellbinding prose and deftly written, deeply compelling characters, this is a love letter to the classics that finally gives two of literature’s most notorious queens the stories they deserve.” — M. Stevenson, author of Behooved
“Vile Lady Villains is a powerful love letter to all the vilified women in literature and a charming romp through a liminal world with an unforgettable sapphic couple at its heart. Danai is a compelling Greek voice.” — Eugenia Triantafyllou, Hugo nominated author of Loneliness Universe