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Daughters of Chaos – Hardback
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Synopsis
"Dazzling historical fantasy . . . Both the historical and fantastical elements come alive in Sylvie's suspenseful narration, which is interwoven with the text of the imaginary play. Fawkes wows with this wildly original tale." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A riot of lust, secrets, gods, and mythical creatures make this a thoroughly entertaining novel, rich in detail and lavish prose. Fawkes shines a light on women troublemakers through time in this dazzling feminist tale." --Kirkus Reviews
"Fawkes' genre-blending debut novel expertly examines how women have found and exerted their own power throughout history. Inspired by the real-life experiences of the exiled Civil War era 'public women,' Daughters of Chaos will appeal to readers and book clubs seeking to savor a layered, chaotic, feminist read." --Booklist
An epic novel about Civil War-era Nashville's "public women," an age-old secret society, and the earth-shaking power of the female
The year is 1862. After a tragedy at home, 22-year-old Sylvie Swift parts ways with her twin brother to trace the origins of an enigmatic playscript that's landed on their doorstep. This text leads her to Nashville, the Union Army's western headquarters, bustling with soldiers and saboteurs, partisans and powerful men--and powerful women.
Sylvie works on a translation of the playscript by day, but at night, under the direction of the Army's Secret Service Chief, she acts as a Union spy. Both endeavors acquaint her with a sisterhood whose members - including Hannah, a fiery revolutionary to whom Sylvie is increasingly drawn - possess uncanny, and potentially monstrous, powers. Sylvie soon becomes entangled in the Cult of Chaos, a mystical feminist society steadfast in its ancient mission to confront and eradicate the violence of men.
Daughters of Chaos weaves together "found" texts, sly humor, fabulism, and queer themes to question familiar notions of history and family, warfare and power. Inspired by both Aristophanes' Lysistrata and the true story of Nashville's attempt to exile its prostitutes during the Civil War, this debut novel journeys through Ancient Greece, Renaissance Venice, and a 19th-Century America torn apart by conflict.