Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, two of dark fantasy's most acclaimed talents, continue their Hidden Cities series in this magical examination of the secrets of Venice.
Archaeologist Dr. Geena Hodge is on the precipice of success: her team has found an entrance to an underground chamber while searching for the Petrarch's lost library. A documentarian is joining her team for the descent into the long-hidden structure and may be the key to extensive funding. Best of all, she is able to share the excitement of this momentous occasion with her assistant-slash-lover, Nico, whose psychic presence resonates in her own mind.
Within a strikingly preserved room unlike any Venetian excavation the team finds only one artifact: a small vessel that immediately mesmerizes Nico. While the team investigates a slab of granite inlaid in the floor, Nico becomes transfixed by the object, and before he can be stopped, he has the urn in his hands. Then, it is broken open on the ground. And with that, the impossibly withheld groundwater begins to fill the chamber...
In the clamor to escape the rapidly flooding room and save the found texts, the team is sent in all directions. And Nico's mind, always attuned to Geena's, seems to go quiet. His actions in the days after the incident feel unlike him, and his consciousness seems to dissolve beneath the weight of his experience with the artifact. What insidious force was within? And what can satisfy its restless will?
About the Authors
Christopher Golden is the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as Ararat,Snowblind, Tin Men, The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, and Of Saints and Shadows. He has also written books for teens and young adults, including Poison Ink, Soulless, and the thriller series Body of Evidence, honored by the New York Public Library and chosen as one of YALSA's Best Books for Young Readers.
Golden co-wrote the illustrated novel Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire with Mike Mignola, which became the launching pad for the cult favorite comics series Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, The New Dead , and The Monster's Corner , among others, and has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, a BBC radio play, the online animated series Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson), and a network television pilot.
Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the world.
Tim Lebbon is a New York Times - bestselling writer from South Wales. He's had over forty novels published to date, as well as hundreds of novellas and short stories. His latest novel is the supernatural thriller Relics. He has won numerous awards and seen his work adapted for the big screen.
Industry Reviews
"Golden and Lebbon have far outstripped their past efforts with this wonderfully creepy thriller of a ghost story."-Publishers Weekly starred review for The Map of Moments
"Golden and Lebbon vividly evoke the rich, enduring character of New Orleans, as well as spinning a compelling fantasy yarn that builds momentum as Max works his way through the city's history."-Booklist on The Map of Moments
"A new book by Golden means only one thing: the reader is in for a treat. His books are rich with texture and characters, always inventive, and totally addictive."-Charles de Lint, author of Promises to Keep
"Christopher Golden is one of the most hardworking, smartest, and talented writers of his generation, and his books are so good and so involving that they really ought to sell in huge numbers. Everything he writes glows with imagination."-Peter Straub, author of In the Night Room
"Tim Lebbon displays the sort of cool irony and uncanny mood-making that drives the best Twilight Zone stories."-New York Times Book Review
"Tim Lebbon is a master of fantasy and horror, and his visions make for disturbing and compelling reading."-Douglas Clegg, author of The Queen of Wolves
