Even Though I Knew the End

Written by C. L. Polk

Narrated by January LaVoy

C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.

A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago’s divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled auspex who sold her soul to save her brother’s life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can’t resist—the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago’s most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705051825

C. L. Polk

C. L. Polk is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning novel Witchmark, the first novel of the Kingston Cycle, and the Nebula Award winning novella, Even Though I Knew The End. After leaving high school early, they have worked as a film extra, sold vegetables on the street, and identified exotic insect species for a vast collection of lepidoptera before settling down to write fantasy novels. Polk lives near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, in a tiny apartment with too many books and a yarn stash that could last a decade. They spend too much time on Bluesky.

Reviews for Even Though I Knew the End

[Whatthedickinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

January La Voy is a treasure, all audiobooks from this era should be voiced by her. Lovely, queer, mysterious, swoony.

[Aella Q. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew I had read the blurb in the past but starting this book I had amost no recollection of it except it had queer rep. So I went into the book almost blind and what a delight it was!
A blend of historical paranormal and noir mystery with a established lesbian couple, this book had everything I could have asked for. It was fast-paced, moody and dark but also romantic and hopeful. I had such a great time but I wouldn't have minded a full-lenght novel tough.
January LaVoy was also excellent as narrator.

[tuusannuuska-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't usually much care for stories set in the early half of the 20th century, but this one really won me over by the end!

[Danielle Driscoll · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

STUNNING. CL Polk wrote an incredible story, and matched it with January Lavoy, who is an incredible narrator

[Finaya · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love when the last sentence has u going like "ooooh"

[Malin WvW · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great novella with excellent narration! Reminded me a bit of Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark.

[needmoreshelves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nobody is doing novellas as well as tordotcom right now, and if you haven't jumped into their catalogue you should. This is a little bit like Raymond Chandler meets the tv show Supernatural....and while that sounds like a mess, C.L. Polk makes it come together beautfully. A truly high-stakes mystery, a heartwarming romance, and a perfectly pitched bittersweet ending. Polk packs this novella with everything a reader could want. Highly recommended.

[Abigail Palad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This audiobook deserves a solid five-star rating! I absolutely adored the story and found myself emotionally invested in it from the very beginning; I couldn't put it down!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

C.L. Polk's descriptive writing is not only enthralling but also remarkably easy to follow for a fantasy noir setting. They have skillfully crafted a magical world set in 1940s Chicago, and their incorporation of humor is nothing short of outstanding. And January LaVoy's narration, I believe, made this already-amazing work even more remarkable.

LaVoy is a new-to-me audiobook narrator, and I really must say she did a spectacular job with this novella. Her narration was spot-on, and her vocal versatility allowed her to portray each character so vividly. I became an instant fan!

With Polk's writing and LaVoy's narration, the romance between Elena "Helen" Brandt—a magical private investigator who made a pact with a demon to save her brother's life—and Edith Jarosky resonated deeply with me. Their love for each other felt incredibly authentic and tender.

Furthermore, the mystery and suspense within Polk's intricately woven world of spells, charms, divination, demons, and angels did not fall short of enthralling either. I also appreciated that Polk managed to shed significant light on the struggles of living a queer life during these old days.

In essence, 'Even Though I Knew the End' is a novella that offers a full-course experience. It's heartwarming, humorous, chilling, and thoroughly complex and riveting from beginning to end. Lastly, I whole-heartedly believe that Helen and Edith's love story is, indeed, a romance—regardless of me knowing how it is going to end. I adore them and this story with all my heart! ?

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Helen Brandt has one last job, and then she's ready to die, leaving behind her lover, Edith, and her brother, Ted - who isn't talking to her anyway, not since she sold her soul ten years ago. But then this job of finding the ritual killer nicknamed the White City Vampire gets sweetened: she can get her soul back if she finds the perpetrator before they come for her.Polk creates an alternate historical world just a tad different from ours believable and intricate in a very short space. It's masterful, really. And then Helen is a great narrator, worldly wise and a magic wielder who wants to be able to live her life with the people she loves. In some ways, it was like reading a Supernatural episode, but it's a story all its own.

[Jude · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For such a short read (or listen in my case), Even Though I Knew the End packs a punch. The worldbuilding is remarkable, the mood enthralling, the story captivating and brimming with twists. It starts three days before Helen Brandt is scheduled to die, having sold her soul ten years ago to save her brother’s life. One last job – going after the White City Vampire – could keep her out of hell and allow her to grow old with Edith, the love of her life.

Set in a magical version of Chicago in the 1940s, this audiobook, beautifully narrated by January LaVoy, has romance, mystery, demons and angels, sapphic love, family trouble, and so much more. It’s gritty and dark and gloriously heart-wrenching. The cover first caught my eye and now that I know what the story is about, I couldn’t imagine a better one for it. Honestly, everything about this novella is outstanding.