This was a great little novella. The story was really interesting even if it wasn't exactly unique. I loved the main characters and the way Polk handled situations in this as well! This is definitely a book I would recommend.

Ten years ago, Helene lost her family in a car accident. She sold her soul and her death in ten years to a demon to bring back her brother. Death looming, Helene wants to spend the rest of her time with her love Edith. Then the demon comes back, wanting her to catch the White City Vampire. If she does, she gets her soul back. And since this is a request by a demon, nothing is as simple as discovering the killer's true identity.

This is beautifully written. I love how C.L. Polk creates a scene. The characters are impressively detailed in this short story. It's a well-crafted story that balances the characters and plot. The length was perfect for me. It did leave me wanting more in the universe, but that's true for any well-written book.

The narrator was okay. My personal quibble is that I was not too fond of the narrator's voice for Edith.

This review is based on the advanced copy of the audiobook provided through Netgalley.

When I tell you this is what I look for in EVERY book. A perfect genre mix (this is what we call an actual genre bender) of sapphic romance, fantasy, historical, and mystery, all with a horror-comedy overtone. In this 1930s mystery, our main character (who is a mage? Wizard? Witch? You get the idea) sets out to find a vampire who has been killing innocents. The plot thickens when she involves her girlfriend, but her girlfriend is not acting normally.

I loved this main character. She was strong and loyal without being self-righteous. She was self-deprecating without being self-destructive. I love to see it.

Rep: sapphic mc, sapphic li, Black sc, genderless scs.

This book is set in the 40s, so there is a lot of homophobia. Even mentions of conversion therapy (not to the main characters). There’s also murder. In that regard, its not a light read. It has a mix of light happy stuff and some darker and harsher themes. It also is a mix of genres, with some murder mystery and some paranormal/fantasy elements mixed in with historical fiction.

The novella starts off with Helen and Edith already in an established relationship, which was a nice change. Helen is such a strong woman. We really get to see how devoted she is to the people she loves. She would do whatever it takes to save them, even make a deal with a devil.

I’m usually wary of reading novellas, because I always have a feeling I either won’t be super connected to the characters, or I’ll just be starting to like them and it ends, leaving me wanting more. In this case it’s the latter. The middle and end start getting really interesting. I feel like it ends right where you're sucked into the story, leaving you wanting to read at least another 100 pages. It’s definitely still good. I would just love to read more about them.

It was cool to see genderless angels and demons.

The narrator did a good job.

Overall, an interesting quick read that leaves you on your toes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

What an amazing story! And amazing audiobook! Mixing a 1930s Chicago setting, noir, angels and demons and a sapphic love story, Even Though I Knew The End was some of the most fun I’ve had listening to an audiobook.

Helen is a private investigator, looking into magical crimes. She lost her soul when she made a bargain to save her brother’s life when they were involved in an auto accident, and so was thrown out of her magical brotherhood. She’s tasked with investigating a murder that appears to be magically ritualistic and committed by the White City Vampire. Aiding her in the investigation is Helen’s true love Edith. As the book goes on, events get darker and darker, until the tense and surprising conclusion.

But it want just the story that was captivating. The narrator January LaVoy, was absolutely outstanding. The way she narrated the story and how she voiced the different characters was nothing short of amazing.

Very highly recommended!

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to review this book, and thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

Even Though I Know the End is a sapphic historical fantasy novella with magic, angels, and demons. There was surprisingly great world-building with how short this story was and the characters were well-written and loveable. This is a quick read that I highly recommend!

Think magic, contemporary, LGBTQ, Vampires and deal with the Devil - that's coarsely what the book is!

This Novella is a magical detective story about hunting the white vampire that is creating havoc across the city. And solving it is our main protagonist: An exiled warlock, who made a deal with the Devil 😈 to save her brother's life.

The book was a decent read, considering that it was a novella that has wholesome aspects of plot, emotions and diversified characters. I do hope the author has plans to bring a series around this plot.

Genre: #fantasy #lgbtq #novella
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

Thank you for the digital ARC @netgalley @clpolk @recordedbooks

C. L. Polk book? Yes please!

Sapphic, murder, magic, noir, with secret queer bar? F*ck yes

Every time I pick up a C. L. Polk book I have a great time. The magic is always perfectly sprinkled on top of a gripping story with lovable characters.

The only negative thing about this book was that it’s a novella, so I didn’t want to leave this world!! That being said, this book told a complete story within 4 hours and the characters were surprisingly well developed.

January LaVoy did an amazing job narrating this book. I’ve read the Libba Bray Diviners series as an audiobook, and January is amazing in those, smashing the early 1900’s American accents, so when I heard her voice introduce the book I knew I was in good hands.


Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an audio eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novella. It’s a story I’d compare maybe to Dresden Files if Harry were a girl in love with a girl. Angels & demons in 1930’s Chicago. A supernatural mystery. A sapphic romance.

The private eye MC would do anything to keep her love safe so when things go south she steps up. There’s a subplot that deals with being LGBTQ+ in the ‘30’s.

I wish it were longer.

Is requested this on a whim after hearing it was short with a solid story. I’m happy to report that is absolutely correct.

NetGalley has really been providing some amazing reads for me lately and this one is definitely on that list! It’s short, sweet and to the point while still providing us with pretty solid word-building during an interesting storyline.

We get a little of everything packed into this short little novella. We get mystery, supernatural elements, family drama, romance and a pretty solid historical setting.

I really don’t have any complaints. It’s a great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even Though I Knew the End is a short, fast, and interesting ride. Helen sold her soul to the devil to save her brother ten years earlier. Due to selling her soul, she had a limited time to live and in three more days she is set to die to complete the transaction. That is until she is given a chance to get her soul back.

In such a short story there were so many twists and turns. Early on you find out more about Edith, Helen's love interest and I loved every minute of finding out who Edith is.

The book is a supernatural noir in Chicago during the 1930s. The setting fits the story perfectly and Polk’s writing will make you feel like you are in the middle of the city watching the story play out.

The narration by January LaVoy is above average and really helps you get into the story.

I was not familiar with C.L. Polk before this book and I want to check out more. I recommend this book.

This was ok. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I liked the plot and the characters, but the writing made it hard to connect with them.

Thank you for letting me have an early listen to this masterpiece!
First January Lavoy narrated this to perfection, She really did it justice. I was possessed the entire (almost) four hours I spent listening to this. Is this going to be a series? I would listen to anything like this again. I loved all the characters, the romance, and the setting. OMG I loved the setting. We have the late 1930s Chicago with magic, demons, and angels. Then we have two women who are madly deeply in love but they have secrets.
I will be looking forward to whatever C.L. Polk writes next.

This was a really fun way to spend 4 hours. The story was wound tight with enough information to pull you right along with it. I could obviously spend multiple more books with Helen and Edith, but a novella will do just fine. I loved that the characters were already established in a life that they were fighting to protect. In such a short time you care deeply for the characters as well as understand the stakes of this bargain and the magical world surrounding it - it's well done. I also loved that immortal creatures weren't homophobic, just people. I really didn't think I would enjoy the dialogue since the 1940's noir isn't normally my thing, but I sank right into the world and never looked back. January LaVoy was a great narrator and filled her performance with great timing and inflection. Listen to this when you have a free afternoon because you are not going to want to pause it.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the advance copy of the audiobook!

This title has been on my radar for a long time and I was really excited when I got approved. I devoured this immediately.

Even Though I Knew the End is a marvel of a story. The audiobook is a little less than 4 hours long and you would think the shortness compared to other books/stories would hurt this one in one way or another. I can tell you honestly that it absolutely doesn't. The writing is fantastic and drops you right in to a captivating story with characters you are going to love. Helen is a strong willed MC who works hard and puts her loved ones first in a world and time that would rather throw them away or lock them away for being "different" (aka LGBTQ).

This story is riveting from start to finish, like watching Constantine but different in all the right ways. Angels, Demons, soul bargains and twists around every corner. It's shortness fits it perfectly as nothing is pulled out or stretched longer than it needs to be. Everything happens in a linear motion with no lapse or lulls. 100% a title I would recommend, captivating and wonderful!

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Even Though I Knew the End” is a fantasy/historical fiction/mystery/noir novella set in 1940’s Chicago. The story follows Helen, a warlock detective, who sold her soul ten years ago to save her brother’s life. In three days, Helen’s bill will come due, and she will die and go to serve an eternity in hell. Or maybe not.

Helen is hired by the mysterious Marlowe to do one last job. At first, Helen turns the job down, but then Marlowe gives her an offer she can’t refuse: find the serial killer, the White City Vampire, and Helen will get her soul back. Helen could not only have a change to regain her soul; she could also be able to continue to grow her life with Edith, the woman she loves.

As the clock ticks down, Helen investigates the most difficult case of her life. Steeped in a mysterious magic, the murders are brutal and somehow ritualistic. Helen becomes immersed in the case, and soon both her brother and Edith are pulled into the escalating danger. Can Helen solve the case in time? Will the people she loves survive or become victims themselves? Helen has three days to find out.

This novella was absolutely amazing! The plot was excellent, original, and interesting. The story arc was seamless and paced well. The characters evolved beautifully throughout the storyline and were likeable and engaging. The author’s writing style was easy and absorbing, sucking me right into the story and never letting me go. Given that this is a novella, greatly limiting its scope, it was well-developed and perfectly executed. I adored this novella so much that I finished it in one sitting. I just could not walk away from the compelling story. The only issue I had with this novella was that it was too short! It was so good I just did not want it to end. I would absolutely love to see this developed into a larger novel or into a series.

My copy of this book was an audiobook, so I would like to also comment on January LaVoy, the narrator. I thought she did an overall amazing job. Her narrative voice and pacing were flawless, pulling me into the story and making me forget everything else around me. Her character voices were easily identifiable, unique, and appropriate. There were a few moments in the novella in which the male voices were not quite right, but they were few and far between. I would definitely listen to another story narrated by Ms. LaVoy.

Overall, this novella was brilliant! I cannot find any fault with the author, the story, the characters, or any other element of this book. It was impressively well-done. As I noted above, I simply wish the novella was longer because I did not want it to end! Based on this novella, I am already looking into this author’s back catalogue, eager to read all of their prior works! I recommend this book to both adult and young adult readers and fans of fantasy, noir, mystery, historical fiction, and general fiction books. I think it is a perfect introduction to this author’s works, and every booklover will enjoy being taken away by this magical story!

I loved this novella! Six stars.

I'm a sucker for noir, and 1940's magical queer noir Chicago is perfect. And it's winter, with all the coats and scarves and snow everywhere. And it's a love story, unlike every other noir. "Even Though I Knew the End" checks all of my boxes.

Helen is a detective with magic trying to make it to her date on time, only she has to photograph a crime scene for her client before she can meet up with the love of her life, Edith.

This sets off a chain of events involving magical photography, mysterious writing, demons, birds, estranged family, magical police, and murder. Everything I want in a book. I hope there are many more to come.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of this novella, read by January LaVoy. She voiced Helen amazingly and really showed the urgency of the pacing through her narration.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for access to an early audio version of this amazing book.

This was just so good! I will say I think I would have rather read this one rather than listened to it, but the narrator did an admirable job given this is a period-piece with male and female dialogue. For a murder mystery steeped in magic, this was a surprisingly sweet story of the power of love and the prices we pay for it. Be it love of a brother, a lover, or a God. Polk is a true artist in crafting a mystery - I didn't guess the ending at all and I never got bored in the clue hunting. This tale was well paced, the characters were real and nuanced, and the stakes were always high. If you're a fan of prohibition era style with a dash of Supernatural (think Castiel), this is the perfect little novella for you.

**Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the audio eARC**

A fantastical, 20th century, sapphic, detective noir style novella that reads like any old movie with some delightful demonic twists, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END kept me on my toes. C.L. Polk creates a fascinating world, weaving the historical with a solid sapphic relationship, magic, and deals with angels and demons. It wasn’t quite what I expected, and it’s not necessarily the most over-the-top piece of historical fantasy, but a fully formed story in and of itself. In my opinion, worth the few hours to read; and January LaVoy creates an incredibly immersive experience with her narration, evoking an old-timey radio mystery with distinctive voices that always felt fitting for the story.

This book is a lot of things, but I really enjoyed the love story aspects of it. Not even just the romantic aspects, although I loved the content love of the main character and her girlfriend, but also the kind of familial love that makes a deal with the devil because it’s so strong. The most understandable aspect of any fantastical story is what a person would do for someone they love, and this novella is a prime example of that.

Another aspect that I enjoyed is how full the story felt. There are of course aspects of the world and the plot that I would have loved to know more about, but there wasn’t any part of the story or the world that felt as if it was majorly missing something. I understood it and was immersed from the beginning, and continued to be that way all throughout.

All in all, this is a solid novella and like I said before, well worth the read if it sounds interesting. Who doesn’t love a little angelically evil ritual and deals with demons, after all?

Detective? Check!
Sapphic? Check!
Oops, I sold my soul? Check.
It's like this novella was written for me. But why couldn't it have been a full lenth novel? I wanted so much more.