Kalyna the Soothsayer is Out!
Photo: Jack Cavicchi
It really happened! Only a month short of ten years from when I started writing it, Kalyna the Soothsayer is actually, finally, out in the world.
Order Kalyna the Soothsayer if You Haven't Yet
You could say that supply chain issues caused by the intersection of COVID-19 with the unrealistic expectations of global capitalism delayed my debut novel. Or you could say that I got to do two launch events!
The first, back at the beginning of August, was at the amazing new NYC bookstore P&T Knitwear, with my friend of many years Mattie Lubchansky. It was a lot of fun, and it was my first time getting to sign books like... well, like some kind of big shot.
Photo: Jack Cavicchi
Mattie's graphic novel, Boys Weekend, doesn't come out until next summer, but I've seen an early version and it fucking rules. | Pre-Order Boys Weekend
My second launch was done virtually with the fine folks at Seattle's Third Place Books, and I got to spend it talking to Victor Manibo! Victor is an absolute delight, and last month he kept me sane at my first Worldcon. You can watch the talk on YouTube, and hear how out of my mind I was after a day of fasting (Yom Kippur had ended two hours before).
Victor's debut, The Sleepless, is a near-future noir mystery about capitalist exploitation (and also hookup apps), so of course it's great. | Order The Sleepless
NPR Review of Soothsayer
Since I was born and raised in Berkeley—the promised land of crunchy liberal college professors—I didn't truly feel I'd made it until I got a glowing review from NPR. This is the approval I crave.
Fantasy grifter 'Kalyna the Soothsayer' will charm her way into your heart
Like any encounter with a fortuneteller, it's best to put your trust in Kalyna's hands and let her build a story around the two of you. Parts of it will speak to your own specific fears and desires; other aspects will be entertaining fictions, until you discover the devastating shard of truth within.
Thank you, Natalie Zutter. You've made my parents very, very proud.
Essays and AMA
Two of the essays I wrote for Soothsayer have been published so far:
Five Things I Learned Writing Kalyna the Soothsayer | Among other things, I got to write about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, sickle fighting, and learning I was queer.
When I began the book (again, a decade ago), I made my main character bisexual because I thought, “Obviously being bisexual is just the best: everyone knows that. I wish I was bi! It’s too bad I’m definitely straight.”
To be clear: if you ever see me in person, you will immediately know that I’m not straight.
My Favorite Bit: Elijah Kinch Spector Talks About KALYNA THE SOOTHSAYER
This chapter shows both characters at their worst, and yet I still find it wildly satisfying every time I reread it. Maybe that’s my own brokenness talking.
Finally, you can also read the Reddit AMA I did! I got to discuss The Prisoner of Zenda, my most recent D&D character, the haphazard way I "plot" a book, and so much more. It was a blast to do.
That's it for now, but there should be more Soothsayer stuff coming, such as (I think) three more essays. Additionally, I will only say that the sequel—tentatively titled Kalyna the Cutthroat*—is... *moving.
Now, I'm off to feel the spirit of the season by reading some M. R. James ghost stories and those bizarre James Blish novellas about demons.
Elijah