In the heart of Venice, a woman is sacrificed to a forgotten god,
sparking a mystery lost for thousands of years.”
The Da Vinci Code meets Discovery of Witches in this story of murder and magic
About the Book
Welcome to The Immortal City, book 1 in the Magicians of Venice series
The Magicians of Venice is a fresh and exciting new treasure hunt series featuring magic, mystery, and romance in an exhilarating blend of history and dark magic. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful city of Venice, fans of Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon will find a new favorite in Dr. Penelope Bryne, an anxiety-riddled academic. She’s fascinated with the city of Atlantis, much to the chagrin of her father and the academic community, and has devoted her life’s study to unlocking its secrets.
In The Immortal City, book one in the series, an ancient and mysterious script is found at a murder site with possible clues to the lost city of Atlantis. Determined to learn more, she agrees to help the police before the killer strikes again, and she heads to Venice in search of answers.
There she meets the enigmatic Alexis Donato, who challenges everything she thought she ever knew about Atlantis. As Alexis draws her into a dark and seductive world of magic and murder, Penelope will have to use her heart as well as her head to find the answers she seeks. With Carnivale in full swing, and time running out, Alexis and Penelope must work together to stop the killer and prevent a dark magic from pulling Venice into the sea.
DIGITAL ARCS OF THE IMMORTAL CITY:
Book reviewers and bloggers interested in reviewing the book may request a digital ARC of The Immortal City. ARCs are available through NetGalley and at the publisher’s website.
Title: The Immortal City
Series: The Magicians of Venice, Book 1
Author: Amy Kuivalainen
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/Adventure
Publication date: September 19, 2019
Publisher: BHC Press
Available Formats:
Hardcover, 978-1-947727-77-9, $26.95, 324 pages
Trade Softcover, 978-1-947727-79-3, $15.95, 324 pages
Ebook, 978-1-947727-78-6, $7.99
LCCN: 2018948478
The Immortal City releases on September 19, 2019 in hardcover, trade softcover, and ebook. Preorder is currently available from select retailers.
The Inspiration Behind the Magicians of Venice Series With Author Amy Kuivalainen
The Magicians of Venice is a three-book series and is the culmination of many weird pieces of ancient history and personal passions finally coming together.
I’ve always loved characters like Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon, but I wanted to write a story that turned the adventurer archaeologist trope on its head. It was important to me to create a female character that is not an oversexualised, badass Lara Croft figure. My character, Penelope Bryne, is an anxiety-ridden academic refusing to give up on the impossible dream of discovering Atlantis and who continues to be brave despite her failings.
I’ve always loved the legends and theories behind Atlantis and continue to this day to follow any new discoveries that might pertain to it. I wanted to play with some of the legends and mash them up with my own ideas and love of magicians, creating a story about survivors who become close to immortal because of the powerful blast that destroyed the island kingdom.
If there was ever a place that is so impossible and beautiful and could make you believe it was founded by magicians, it’s Venice. Even though my Venice obviously has many fantasy aspects, I wanted to ensure current issues were correctly portrayed especially concerning global warming, the MOSE project, the problem with cruise ships, and the impact that tourism has on the city.
While The Immortal City (book one) is mainly a magical, murder mystery, Sea of the Dead (book two) and The King’s Seal (book three) have a treasure hunt feel. As a student of ancient history, I’ve studied the Dead Sea Scrolls, and I knew about the discovery of a new cave in 2017 and was determined to write it into my book. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding the scrolls, and I wanted to play into that while incorporating my own magical twist and theories of why the Essenes vanished.
I grew up on fairy tales and mythology, and wanted to not only write about a famous relic that I’ve always been fascinated with, but also one that mainstream entertainment hasn’t plundered. Like Atlantis, the ring of King Solomon has been the centre of many legends, especially from those found within the pages of One Thousand and One Nights, and it was a natural fit to a story about defeating a demon prince.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amy Kuivalainen is a Finnish-Australian writer who is obsessed with magical wardrobes, doors, auroras and burial mounds that might offer her a way into another realm. Until that happens, she plans to write about monsters, magic, mythology and fairy tales because that’s the next best thing. Amy is the author of The Firebird Fairytales Trilogy and The Blood Lake Chronicles series that mash up traditional tales and mythology in new and interesting ways.
EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL CONTENT!
Be sure to visit The Immortal City’s publicity page to download free exclusive digital content, including posters, phone wallpapers and more!
Thank you, BHC Press for the chance to do a cover real on such a great sounding novel!
Anything with Venice involved is always a yes, anything with Atlantis involved is always a yes, which means this is indeed a double yes from me and you can bet I’ll be reading this ASAP.
