SATURNALIA

''An intoxifying mix of genres... you enter Saturnalia feeling like it is a Bacchanalia dreamscape and exit in a similar fashion''
- SFBook Reviews 

'A heady mix of the most terrifying elements of our troubled past and inevitable future; an eerie, propulsive novel.'
- Carmen Maria Machado  

'Mesmeric and elegiac, Saturnalia hits like a good tarot reading: it raises the hairs on the back of your neck, and lingers for a long time afterward '
- Alix E. Harrow, NYT-bestselling author of Starling House  

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'Saturnalia was worth the wait. Feldman spins a web of intrigue and wonder across a city beset by dark powerbrokers, climate upheaval, deadly mosquitos, and lavishly costumed pagan social clubs marching down Broad Street in celebration of the winter solstice'
- Philadelphia Inquirer (Best New Books to Read in October) 

'Taking place over one evening, this book should be devoured quickly, like the sinful treat that it is'
- CrimeReads (Most Anticipated Books, Fall 2022) 

'Saturnalia is a near-future novel that breaks gender norms and harnesses fear as a therapeutic device... In rich, literary prose, Stephanie Feldman has created a vivid and strange universe, narrated by an unforgettable, if unlikely, heroine'
- Jody Keisner, Electric Literature 

'Feldman builds an engrossing, upsetting vision of the future that's at once grim and wondrous - a magical feat in and of itself'
- Vulture (The Best Fantasy Novels of 2022) 

''Perfect for the spooky season, Stephanie Feldman's Saturnalia delves into a world of secret societies, alchemy and monsters... reading Saturnalia compares to a feverish, dream-like state''
- The Publishing Post 

'If an elegy was a song of hope, it might be this book, and it's haunted me in all the best ways since I finished it'
- Hazel Beck, author of Small Town, Big Magic  

'Saturnalia quickly unfolds as a suspenseful supernatural tale, eventually involving ancient alchemy, a scrying mirror, a homunculus, an ominous masked stranger who seems to be stalking Nina, and a fearsome monster called a Mandragora';?? As much as we might find her overnight odyssey fraught with danger';??there are some generally scary moments and one disturbing bloodbath';??we';??re equally intrigued by Nina';??s backstory and her possible future. Saturnalia draws freely on traditions of horror, apocalyptic fiction, and alchemical fantasy in a way that makes us suspect those lines were never really there in the first place'
- Locus Magazine 

'Stephanie Feldman's Saturnalia achieves a lifetime in one night: The story is both a suspenseful thriller populated by magic and money, and a sharp look into the heart of young people coming of age in a slow apocalypse. Brilliant and fast paced, with enough beauty and hope to ease a troubled evening's passage.'
- Fran Wilde, double Nebula award-winning author of Updraft and Riverland  

'This short novel packs a powerful, fever-dreamy bite. On one hand, Feldman's striking novel is an unblinking side-eye at our apocalyptic near-future. On the other, it's a soaring dark fantastic romp full of alchemy, blood, and life. Pick up this book and party like it's Saturnalia.'
- Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Pallbearers Club  

'Saturnalia is a tense, supernatural tour through a magic-bent, paganized Philadelphia - that also manages to be heartfelt and beautifully written. I wolfed this down, and Feldman's talent left me spinning. Don't miss this.'
- Daryl Gregory, award-winning author of Spoonbenders  

'Saturnalia is a topsy turvy adventure of magic, science, and the lengths humanity will go to in order to obtain power and acceptance. There is so much mayhem and beauty in the pages of this intricately crafted novel. It feels like a carnival ride you'll keep coming back to, no matter the price. I devoured this book, enjoying every delicious, unsettling bite.'
- Christina Rosso owner of A Novel Idea Bookstore and author of Creole Conjure  

'Beautiful, rich, evocative. A lush, glittering mystery. Feldman's expertly rendered novel is brimming with magic, alchemy, and Philadelphia. Once you enter Saturnalia's world of masks, secret societies, and power, you'll find yourself holding your breath until the very end'
- Sarah Rose Etter, author of The Book of X  

'Nina is an unforgettable narrator, and I loved every twisty turn in her thrilling journey to find safety and meaning in a twilight future where everything might be lost, but some things still matter'
- Sam J Miller, Nebula Award winning author of BLACKFISH CITY and THE BLADE BETWEEN  

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- Lit Hub (A Most Anticipated Book of 2022) 

'Tense and suspenseful, Saturnalia features strong world building and a fully realized heroine. The down-on-her-luck protagonist navigating a system of secretive clubs will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House (2019), while the book may also draw in readers of climate horror such as Omar El Akkad's American War (2017) or Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy'
- Booklist 

'Bewitching . . . a thrill for readers . . . The novel's pacing is electric, its worldbuilding seamless, and the magic that slowly reveals itself feels truly strange and captivating-a considerable feat . . . A propulsive fantasy thriller about fortune-seeking at the end of the world that will leave you wanting more'
- Kirkus Reviews 

'The bacchanalian festival of Saturnalia-one of the most celebrated holidays in a near-future, climate change-ravaged world-provides the backdrop for this grim, bewitching fantasy thriller from Feldman... The story features moments of bizarre, distressing cruelty and occasional gore, but it's grounded in themes of belonging, friendship, and the potential costs of ambition. Feldman brings impressive richness and depth to both Nina's emotional evolution and the masterful worldbuilding. This is sure to win the author many fans'
- Publishers Weekly  

'Saturnalia is part The Chosen & The Beautiful and part Eyes Wide Shut, wonderfully weird and chaotic and sexy and tinged with magic. It's definitely a page-turner, and should be on the list for anyone who likes a little bit of romantic surrealism with their funhouse mirror dystopia'
- Tor (A Most Anticipated SFF Book of 2022)