Even Though I Knew the End

core novella 2022 Even Though I Knew the End

Record

First published	2022
Original language	EN
Work type	novella
Canon status	core
Reader rating	3.79 (21,845 ratings, collected 2026-09-14)
Page count	136
First-edition ISBN	9781250375100
Internal chronology	1

Synopsis

Even Though I Knew the End is set in an alternate 1940s Chicago where magic operates openly alongside organized crime and ordinary city life. It follows Helen Brandt, an augur who was cast out of her magical order years earlier and who, in desperation to save her dying brother's life, sold her soul in exchange for his survival, leaving her with a fixed and fast-approaching date when she must descend into hell. As that deadline closes in, Helen is asked to take on one final investigation, a supernatural murder case that promises a substantial payday she hopes to leave behind for the people she loves, forcing her to balance her remaining time against the pull of one last job in a city where magic and crime are deeply intertwined.

Where it sits

• Universe: Even Though I Knew the End
• Series: Even Though I Knew the End core; position 1 of 1 in the series' recorded order
• Author: C. L. Polk

Awards (verified)

• Nebula Award (Best Novella), 2022: won; SFWA's own site files this under the 2022 award year (eligibility year); the award was presented at the 58th Annual Nebula Awards ceremony in 2023.

Notes

• From the series record (Even Though I Knew the End): Standalone novella; a 1940s Chicago noir in which a woman who sold her soul for a spell decades earlier is offered one last case that could save her from the deal's grim price. C.L. Polk's 2nd, unrelated universe in this canon, alongside the Kingston Cycle.

Sources

• SFWA Nebula Awards: 2022 Award Year
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Even_Though_I_Knew_the_End
• SFWA: Winners of the 58th Annual Nebula Awards

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