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Cover of Sub Rosa

Sub Rosa

Amber Dawn (2010)

SubgenreFantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingX
Pages320 (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age18+
Goodreads3.88/5 (669)

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentExplicit
LanguageStrong

Hero archetypes

Outcast / Loner

Heroine archetypes

Reluctant Heroine

Synopsis

In this stunning, Lambda Literary Award-winning debut novel, Amber Dawn subverts the classic hero's quest adventure to create a dark post-feminist vision. Sub Rosa's reluctant heroine is a teenaged runaway named "Little"; she stumbles upon an underground society of ghosts and magicians, missing girls and would-be johns: a place called Sub Rosa. Not long after she is initiated into this family of magical prostitutes, Little is called upon to lead them through a maze of feral darkness: a calling burdened with grotesque enemies, strange allies, and memories from a foggy past. Sub Rosa is a beautiful, gutsy, fantastical allegory of our times.

Tags

Literary FantasyDark FantasyMagical RealismUrban FictionFeminist Fantasy