A Scattering of Jades

The great fire of 1835 burned most of New York City's wooden downtown and, like many others, Archie Prescott thinks he's lost all that's dear to him. His home is a smoldering ruin and his wife is dead--and next to her body is a child's corpse he assumes was his daughter. It seems as though it's the end of everything... But it is only the beginning. In the midst of ancient magic, murderous conspiracies, and a crafty Mesoamerican demon-god who is plotting the end of humanity, Archie finds himself with the power to save the worldor drown it in sacrificial blood.

Alexander Irvine is a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan. His extraordinary stories have appeared in such places as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Starlight 3. He is a descendant of P T. Barnum and once worked as a roller-skating waiter. He currently resides in New England with his wife and twins.

“A strange, dark, and wonderful novel... This one’s a keeper.”--Charles de Lint

“Complexly crafted, dark, sometimes gruesome... totally convincing and chilling.”--Booklist

“This is not merely a stunning debut novel; it is one of the best magic historicals I have ever read.”--James Patrick Kelly, author of Think Like a Dinosaur