by P. C. Cast
First published 2013
Emily Wheiler lives in Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair. At sixteen, she runs Wheiler House after her mother's death. Her father, a bank president, demands she host his parties and manage their mansion. Emily dreams of love and freedom when a young man shows interest at one of these gatherings. Her father forbids the relationship and reveals a violent nature that terrifies her. With no escape from his abuse, Emily receives the Mark of a vampyre. She enters the Chicago House of Night to begin her supernatural transformation. As she grows stronger and gains new powers, Emily adopts the name Neferet. Her past wounds drive her toward revenge against the man who should have protected her. This origin story traces her evolution from helpless victim to powerful High Priestess.
Genres: historical-fiction, abuse, 19th-century, gothic
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, origin-story, revenge
Setting: Chicago, Chicago House of Night
Period: 1893
147 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, physical-abuse