Set in the otherworldly megalopolis that is today’s Shanghai, Temple Drake’s suspenseful first novel blends the gothic, the erotic, and the supernatural as it charts an intense and dangerous affair.**
One night in 2012, executive Zhang Guo Xing takes a group of European clients to a fashionable nightclub in Shanghai. While there, he meets a strikingly beautiful young Western woman called Naemi Vieno Kuusela. The physical attraction between them proves irresistible, and they embark on an intoxicating affair. But Naemi is not what she appears to be…
To Zhang’s surprise, she veers between passion and wariness, conducting the relationship entirely on her own terms. He feels driven to find out more about her, and is swiftly drawn into a web of intrigue, mystery, and horror. Is she a ghost? A demon? Do the living dead walk the streets of twenty-first century Shanghai?
Written in spare, high-octane prose, NVK is the first in a series of dark, hypnotic novels that explore the roots of desire and the cruel costs of immortality. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of November 2019: In this debut, the pseudonymous Temple Drake combines cinematic and atmospheric writing with a sensual, supernatural story. Zhang Guo Xing sees the mysterious Naemi in a Shanghai nightclub and he is immediately drawn to her otherworldly beauty. Naemi, it seems, spotted Zhang first and was immediately attracted to him—a feeling she hasn’t experienced in decades—and they begin an all-consuming affair. What Zhang doesn’t realize is that Naemi is a creature outside of time, not-quite-human after seeing centuries go by in the blink of an eye. As their feelings for each other intensify, Zhang tries to uncover the mystery surrounding his lover’s past, while Naemi is both terrified and fascinated by her growing attraction to Zhang and what it means for her long-held secrets. This sleek, feminist take on the typical vampire story is a welcome respite from the usual supernatural fare and readers will find themselves, like Zhang, magnetically drawn to Naemi and her mysterious past. For fans of moody character studies with a gothic twist, NVK is a must read. —Alison Walker
Review
“[A] supercharged, genre-mixing first novel.” —BBC, Ten Books to Read in November
“An atmospheric and evocative tale buoyed by a sensual affair, Drake’s debut is a compelling read.” — Booklist
“A steamy affair turns supernatural…the ending subverts expectations and provides a perfect springboard for NVK’s next adventure.” — *Kirkus Reviews
“Seamlessly blending sophisticated gothic fantasy with a stylish, neon-lit allure, NVK is our sexy new obsession…Drake writes this thriller in a deliberately minimalist style that’s as spare and elegant as Scandinavian furniture…mysterious and bewitching.” —Apple Books, Top 10 Best Debut Novels of the Season
Description:
**HER SECRET MUST BE KEPT FOR ALL ETERNITY.
Set in the otherworldly megalopolis that is today’s Shanghai, Temple Drake’s suspenseful first novel blends the gothic, the erotic, and the supernatural as it charts an intense and dangerous affair.**
One night in 2012, executive Zhang Guo Xing takes a group of European clients to a fashionable nightclub in Shanghai. While there, he meets a strikingly beautiful young Western woman called Naemi Vieno Kuusela. The physical attraction between them proves irresistible, and they embark on an intoxicating affair. But Naemi is not what she appears to be…
To Zhang’s surprise, she veers between passion and wariness, conducting the relationship entirely on her own terms. He feels driven to find out more about her, and is swiftly drawn into a web of intrigue, mystery, and horror. Is she a ghost? A demon? Do the living dead walk the streets of twenty-first century Shanghai?
Written in spare, high-octane prose, NVK is the first in a series of dark, hypnotic novels that explore the roots of desire and the cruel costs of immortality. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of November 2019: In this debut, the pseudonymous Temple Drake combines cinematic and atmospheric writing with a sensual, supernatural story. Zhang Guo Xing sees the mysterious Naemi in a Shanghai nightclub and he is immediately drawn to her otherworldly beauty. Naemi, it seems, spotted Zhang first and was immediately attracted to him—a feeling she hasn’t experienced in decades—and they begin an all-consuming affair. What Zhang doesn’t realize is that Naemi is a creature outside of time, not-quite-human after seeing centuries go by in the blink of an eye. As their feelings for each other intensify, Zhang tries to uncover the mystery surrounding his lover’s past, while Naemi is both terrified and fascinated by her growing attraction to Zhang and what it means for her long-held secrets. This sleek, feminist take on the typical vampire story is a welcome respite from the usual supernatural fare and readers will find themselves, like Zhang, magnetically drawn to Naemi and her mysterious past. For fans of moody character studies with a gothic twist, NVK is a must read. —Alison Walker
Review
“[A] supercharged, genre-mixing first novel.” —BBC, Ten Books to Read in November
“An atmospheric and evocative tale buoyed by a sensual affair, Drake’s debut is a compelling read.” — Booklist
“A steamy affair turns supernatural…the ending subverts expectations and provides a perfect springboard for NVK’s next adventure.” — *Kirkus Reviews