In 120 pages, Elisabeth Ebory tells us a poetic story, full of mysteries and enchantments, a fleeting moment of the encounter between two stars, Novae, which was published in April 2011 by Griffe d’Encre editions. Nice-Premium narrates a novella with the taste of stardust.
Alwaïd, in the depths of the flames sent into the seaside air by a fire-breather, perceives demons, ink black, sensing danger, the obscure. But the girl is not given time to learn more. She is locked in a glass tower, a padded prison, where nothing could turn Alwaïd’s visions into premonitions…
Along a beach, amidst a rising storm, Aphélie moves forward, bent and discrete. She resembles a golden doll, her skin bronzed, her hair gleaming gold. And a voice with the taste of blood, sharp as a thousand swords. She doesn’t want to speak anymore and it is in the mystery of her silence that Vincent the painter engages her. The golden star poses. But darkness looms…
This novella by Elisabeth Ebory is an enchanting tale where the beauty of beings contends with the darkness of shadows. By admiring the cover by Magali Villeneuve, one already falls into the ambient dreaminess which only continues to grow; into this story where suspense is expertly distilled, leaving behind the grand action scenes in favor of an oppressive closed-room atmosphere for our heroines and the reader.
By alternating the points of view of Alwaïd, in the first person, and Aphélie, in the third person, the author leaves the characters in suspense, an adept method to make one want to continue reading. We move through the story with fluidity, the style is here, beautiful, poetic, delicate, elevating Alwaïd and Aphélie like fleeting apparitions. But some aspects lack development, we don’t know everything, we don’t understand everything. Even at the end of the story, we remain in a certain blur, which we would like to see filled. For we know nothing about the place where the story takes place: it could be in France, or elsewhere. Just like the era, which is never specified, with barely a hint or two. This original story skillfully intertwines visions, destiny, demons, and magic; both lyrical and tragic.
Novae is a dream to read, a dream with the accents of One Thousand and One Nights, a dream flirting with a nightmare that will make you fall in love with Aphélie, “her skin is golden, like that of statues, like a glorious demon, and her hair has the hue of winter suns, and her gaze, the cold glint of stars” (page 13, Griffe d’Encre edition).
