Los Nefilim (A Prequel) (#0.5)
In T. Frohock’s thrilling interconnected historical fantasies, Los Nefilim explores the fate of a family as Spain slides toward civil war…
In the autumn of 1931, Diago Alvarez finds Barcelona precarious enough without all his secrets thrown into the light. The streets are tense with political intrigue, and angel-born and daimon-born nefilim are aligning along different sides. Diago, with mixed heritage, wants only to keep out of the conflict. Neither court trusts him‚ and though his husband, Miquel, is second in command in the angelic Inner Guard, Diago knows from experience the damage an angel can do.
But when he returns to the apartment he shares with Miquel to find his husband gone and a strange summons waiting, Diago is thrust to the center of the struggle. An encounter he wanted only to forget has left him with a child, a six-year-old boy named Rafael. If Diago wants Miquel returned, he must trade Rafael to the daimons and secure a weapon for the impending war.
Instead, Diago swears to fight for both Miquel and Rafael by any means possible. And when he joins the Inner Guard, he accepts a mission that will change Europe forever…
Los Nefilim includes the three novellas In Midnight’s Silence, Without Light or Guide, and The Second Death, which have all been previously published individually and in omnibus editions. This omnibus edition has been edited for continuity and flow to read like one single novel.
Reviews
"This was joy to read. ... The best thing about this story is the writing. It's just excellent. Not overdone, not clunky, just fluid and assured. ... The story is very engaging, tension ratcheting up, the fantasy elements being revealed, and an exciting climax."Mark Lawrence, bestselling author of Prince of Thorns
"T. Frohock has a beautiful, enchanting handle of prose which is balanced by her imaginative storytelling. Both of these powerful narrative characteristics are on full display here in LOS NEFILIM. Recommended."
"A good novella writer needs to have the skill to create as much richness of atmosphere and depth of character as you’d get in a well-written full-length novel, only with far fewer words. And I’m happy to report that T. Frohock is a very good novella writer."
"This wonderful collection is a joy to read: each novella flows seamlessly into the next to form a well-rounded and well-plotted story in three beautifully-titled parts. ... Frohock writes with precision and balance, and the result is a faultless blend of beauty and brutality, cruelty and love, action and reaction forming a story that is pleasantly complex and satisfying. ... Her prose is wonderfully lyrical, yet functional. ... Teresa Frohock is a damn fine writer who uses damn fine prose to tell a damn fine story."
"LOS NEFILIM is a slow and dark burn, and that slow but steady rise to intensity makes you want to know more. ... An amazing story that’s like the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had – it was delicious and satisfying and amazing, and I want the opportunity to have to more of it."
"I’d be hard pressed to point to a single thing I disliked in any of these novellas. T. Frohock has created an outstanding world with even better characters. This book is one that’s filled with good, genuine people who all do their best to stand by one another even in impossible circumstances. I would recommend it to absolutely anyone."
"I loved the setting, the writing, the world-building, the awesome music-based magic (!), the twists, that even angels can’t be labeled as only good, and Diago’s character arc. But what I loved the most was the relationship between characters. ... This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I absolutely will make sure to look out for anything T. Frohock writes in the future."
"The worldbuilding, for one, is fantastic. The story is set in pre-WWII Barcelona and focused on angels, daimons, and nefilim, but it’s detailed and interesting and genuinely done well. I say nefilim, but really, they are more of a supernatural mafia. And the magic is based on music. What’s more, the main characters are one of the rare cases of an established couple – and that’s never questioned. It just is. And they raise a child together!"