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The Secret Market of the Dead
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Overview
An "enthralling" (Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library and Elusive) Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy about a young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town. Just beyond the waking edges of Lucer a, an 18th-century town in the kingdom of Naples, lies the Night: an enigmatic fiefdom governed by seven immortals and fueled by Moira, the power to reshape one's destiny. On this porous border separating Day from Night, Oriana spends her time fantasizing about becoming a smith in her father's forge and eavesdropping on whispered tales of beasts and men who roam the nocturnal realm. But in the Night, these stories come alive, as Oriana saw for herself after she inadvertently trespassed into the Secret Market of the Dead, where vendors hawk Moira to those desperate enough to accept its immeasurably steep price. Years later, when her father chooses her twin brother to succeed him, Oriana challenges her sibling to a series of trials to determine the forge's true heir. But as the twins' fierce competition escalates, with the town and her own family set firmly against her, Oriana realizes that to break free from the stifling confines of Day, she must once again embrace the Night--and, as always, everything comes with a cost.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9781668077368
- ISBN-10: 1668077361
- Publisher: S&s/Saga Press
- Publish Date: July 2025
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.43 x 1.26 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
- Page Count: 336
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Italian writer Giovanni de Feo makes his English language debut with The Secret Market of the Dead, a historical fantasy as much about facing the creatures of the night as it is about defying the power structures that rule the day.
In Luceria, a small 18th-century Italian town, the landscape constantly shifts between two realms: the Day, safe for everyday business and governed by logic, and the Night, a murky state between dream and waking habited by unruly deities called Nocturnals. Right from the beginning, de Feo’s mythology system reveals itself to be linguistically elaborate, full of names, titles and events to remember. The sheer quantity of mechanics can be overwhelming, but the book ultimately benefits from its deep entrenchment in its own lore.
The protagonist is Oriana, the daughter of a smith. Although she grows up in the Day with her twin brother, Oriano, she has always felt kin to the Night—through stories, through strange happenings, through glimpses out her bedroom window of what have to be the Nocturnals. At 8 years old, Oriana has her first true encounter with a Nocturnal, the fallout of which is explored in the first half of the novel. This early sequence is a delight of storytelling: In a “down the rabbit hole” manner, we follow Oriana through markets, real and dead, through dreams and dreams within dreams, as she tests her mettle and meets an oddball cast of characters.
The second half takes a more serious turn. Oriana is now a teenager vying for an apprenticeship at her father’s smithy. She still ruminates on her Night adventures, but her current existence is unbearably confined by patriarchal norms. Her mother schemes to marry her off, her desire to become a blacksmith is laughed at because of her gender—and her worst fear comes true when she is outright denied the chance to train as a smith in favor of Oriano. Oriana then begins a fight for her destiny, drawing on her allies and experiences from the Night as she challenges her brother for the smith position. It’s a compelling continuation of the possibilities the Night offers, and also a poignant commentary on patriarchy and the gains and losses of being the one to defy a system. Through the twins, we witness how privilege—or the lack of it—is a critical factor in shaping the personalities and potential of children.
Equal parts fantastical and inspirational, The Secret Market of the Dead is filled with myths and mythological creatures, but is also a myth itself, as it transforms a young girl into a legend.
Italian writer Giovanni de Feo makes his English language debut with The Secret Market of the Dead, a historical fantasy as much about facing the creatures of the night as it is about defying the power structures that rule the day.
In Luceria, a small 18th-century Italian town, the landscape constantly shifts between two realms: the Day, safe for everyday business and governed by logic, and the Night, a murky state between dream and waking habited by unruly deities called Nocturnals. Right from the beginning, de Feo’s mythology system reveals itself to be linguistically elaborate, full of names, titles and events to remember. The sheer quantity of mechanics can be overwhelming, but the book ultimately benefits from its deep entrenchment in its own lore.
The protagonist is Oriana, the daughter of a smith. Although she grows up in the Day with her twin brother, Oriano, she has always felt kin to the Night—through stories, through strange happenings, through glimpses out her bedroom window of what have to be the Nocturnals. At 8 years old, Oriana has her first true encounter with a Nocturnal, the fallout of which is explored in the first half of the novel. This early sequence is a delight of storytelling: In a “down the rabbit hole” manner, we follow Oriana through markets, real and dead, through dreams and dreams within dreams, as she tests her mettle and meets an oddball cast of characters.
The second half takes a more serious turn. Oriana is now a teenager vying for an apprenticeship at her father’s smithy. She still ruminates on her Night adventures, but her current existence is unbearably confined by patriarchal norms. Her mother schemes to marry her off, her desire to become a blacksmith is laughed at because of her gender—and her worst fear comes true when she is outright denied the chance to train as a smith in favor of Oriano. Oriana then begins a fight for her destiny, drawing on her allies and experiences from the Night as she challenges her brother for the smith position. It’s a compelling continuation of the possibilities the Night offers, and also a poignant commentary on patriarchy and the gains and losses of being the one to defy a system. Through the twins, we witness how privilege—or the lack of it—is a critical factor in shaping the personalities and potential of children.
Equal parts fantastical and inspirational, The Secret Market of the Dead is filled with myths and mythological creatures, but is also a myth itself, as it transforms a young girl into a legend.