The Secret Market of the Dead
core novel 2025 The Secret Market of the Dead
Record
| First published | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.58 (774 ratings, collected 2026-09-02) |
| Page count | 323 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781668077368 |
Synopsis
Set in an 18th-century Neapolitan town called Lucerìa, Oriana learns as a child that a supernatural Night realm exists just beyond the edges of her waking world, ruled by seven immortals who trade in Moira, the power to reshape one's own destiny, at a clandestine gathering called the Secret Market of the Dead. Drawn to her father's blacksmith trade, Oriana finds herself set aside by her family's patriarchal customs, which name her twin brother Oriano heir to the family forge instead. Rather than accept this, Oriana challenges Oriano to a series of trials meant to determine the forge's true heir, and as their rivalry escalates and both family and community turn against her, she comes to realize that her only path to the life she wants runs back through the dangerous Night she once stumbled into by accident.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Secret Market of the Dead
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Giovanni De Feo
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2026: nominated
Sources
- https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Secret-Market-of-the-Dead/Giovanni-De-Feo/9781668077368
- https://www.simonandschuster.net/books/The-Secret-Market-of-the-Dead/Giovanni-De-Feo/9781668077382
- https://reactormag.com/here-are-the-2026-world-fantasy-award-finalists/
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