The palace of shadows
Paris in the Sixties. Nathan, a thirty-something puppeteer, learns of his father’s sudden death. The two had beenestranged for more than twenty years. The late, successful but temperamental novelist has left his son The Palace of Shadows, a house with a sinister reputation (all of its owners have died in curious circumstances), and acontract signed in blood, a document that a fiendish publisher uses to force Nathan to retrieve and hand over amanuscript he has never heard of.
So the young man – who has so far led a rather dull life – sets out on an improbable, ominous quest to find themuch-coveted manuscript. His search plunges him into a world of shadows, where he learns of dark familysecrets dating back to the dreadful days of the Nazi Occupation. Yes, The Palace of Shadows is more than just ahouse. It is a labyrinth of illusions and snares that Nathan must overcome to discover his true identity.
Maxence Fermine, author of the bestselling Neige (Snow),writes extraordinary books that mingle poetry withfiction. After a successful foray into youth literature with a trilogy entitled La Petite Marchande de rêves (TheLittle Dream Seller), he has now returned with an ambitious, bewitching novel.
Publication date: October 2014
Pages: 368
Rights sold: Italy
