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Imago: A Dystopian Gothic Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 23 ratings

Forsake the world that hates you. Embrace its monster.

Tresor Institute accepts only the worthy, and Ada Călinescu is anything but. Intractable, mannish, a child of convicted terrorists, she can at best hope to be overlooked. Yet somehow the Institute accepts her application for transfer. Her ticket to the polar town of Heilung, home of the Institute, arrives free of charge.

Her only chance to forge a brighter future.

Except Heilung welcomes Ada with news of a brutal murder. Militiamen stalk the town, keen to fill their arrest quotas—and Ada knows she could make an easy scapegoat. At every turn the bloody conspiracy follows her, from the halls of Tresor to the arms of a stranger she yearns to make hers. What starts as a dalliance risks putting Ada at odds with the Bureau itself.

And then expulsion will be the least of her concerns.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Easily one of my top five reads of the year."—FanFiAddict

"Atmospheric, brooding, and culturally specific—this is a
dark academia gothic like no other."—Benjanun Sriduangkaew, author of And Shall Machines Surrender

"An
unforgettable story of transition and trust, of knowledge and loss, of authority; of the limits of these things, and how they might be broken."—Alyson Greaves, author of Welcome to Dorley Hall

"A
masterpiece of dark academia"—Goodreads

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CN3L8N1F
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ M Zakharuk
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: #900,920 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 23 ratings

About the author

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M Zakharuk
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M Zakharuk (she/her) writes lesbian fiction with a focus on the monstrous, the dreadful, and the thrilling. She's lived in Chernivtsi, Kyiv, and Dublin, and can be found @mzakharuk on Bsky.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
23 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
    I didn’t know what I was getting into when I agreed to read this book, but I don’t regret the decision one bit.

    The world described is stark and unforgiving. The Authority, aptly named, attempts to control every aspect of its citizens’ lives; how they dress, the news media, social interactions, and basic necessities like heat and power. Anyone deemed problematic is summarily removed. Some are rumored to be relocated, others disappear, seemingly without a trace. And the Militiamen tasked to ensure citizens comply with the law are harsh and often brutal during their interrogations.

    At the core of the story is spellcraft, the force used to power the Authority’s buildings, their weapons, and more. Spellcraft is based on combinations of different glyphs; specific types and combinations result in certain effects. The main character, Ada, is a student of the Institute, where she studies spellcraft—before she’s caught up in the conspiracy the synopsis describes.

    Beyond the Institute, Ada is also striving to find herself—in defiance of the Authority’s laws regarding gender norms. When she meets Nikola, a kindred spirit in many ways, she’s instantly intrigued. Nikola is enigmatic and evasive, a mystery Ada is determined to unravel.

    Then there’s the conspiracy itself. I don’t want to give any of the plot away, but I’ll say this: I could not have predicted how this story unfolded if I’d tried. It was done really well, giving just enough away to make me wonder without revealing the answers until the very end.

    And the writing style of this book was nothing short of captivating. It’s written in beautifully haunting, literary prose that by itself made me want to read more. That the story was so fascinating only made it that much better.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2025
    Its heavy. Very heavy.
    The writing is dense like a brick and I loved it, but it is a lot. The horror elements are very subtle early on, more about the atmosphere, but when it drops the mic, it goes HARD.
    Really, really loved it. Absolutely worth reading for fans of psychological horrors and fantasy-world building.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
    This bleak and artic gothic dystopian story was so intense and such a ride! The glyph magic system was so interesting and I loved how we learned through brain melting eldrich scenarios. The relationship with Nikola and the blooming of Ada's coming to terms with her love of the vile, is just stunning. At times this is very dense and could have been shortened a bit but it didn't affect the overall feeling of the book. It was just a bit heavy on the prose, even if they were lovely.

    I am a huge fan of this author and was truly excited to see an entire novel, well done!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
    Very creative and creepy! Awesome book!

Top reviews from other countries

  • Aster
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great lesbian monstrous story
    Reviewed in France on January 31, 2024
    Great story, Zakharuk's writing is atmospheric and Ada is a protagonist you can't forget. The setting is original (polar town) controlled by authoritarian government and its militia. If you liked Babel you should give this one a try
  • Charmaine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read this year
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2024
    A fantastic book with a dark mystery and the truest representation of lesbian love. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

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