Non Serviam

The Hypostasis of Dissent Book 1

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Book 1 of The Hypostasis of Dissent
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Pub Date 7 May 2024 | Archive Date 15 Jul 2024

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Description

Expressing emotion is prohibited by law in the city state of Vencenza. Beneath its tyrannical shadow, Giorgianna, a deranged former playwright turned political fugitive, flees a brothel to seek justice for the murder of a beloved friend. When the last remnants of her bloodline are reaped by the incorrigible Minister of Dominion, Giorgianna’s crooked path to retribution crosses with Vencenza’s Machiavellian revolutionary hellbent on regime overturn. All the while, the weight of unending tragedy erodes Giorgianna’s psyche into a vengeful bloodlust plagued by cabbalistic visions hinting at an ever-darker face of the violent Powers That Be.

The first in a grimdark political mystery duology with gothic fantasy undertones, NON SERVIAM is written with a unique, experimental style in the spirit of poetry, art cinema, and classics—suffused with visceral symbolism, lush, archaic-esque purple prose, and philosophical ponderings aimed at interrogating totalitarianism, colonial legacy, and state violence. Venice, Sardinia, and the Etruscan Civilisation inspire its vividly intricate, queernormative setting.

The paperback edition features 25 illustrations by the author, Sfarda L. Gül, as well as one illustration each by Ayşe-Mira Yaşın, Nadia Sampellegrini, and Sophia Arnaout.

Take note that this book is very heavy on worldbuilding and conlang (including footnotes and several POV types (1st person limited; 3rd person limited; 2nd person limited every other chapter for the first ~10% of the book; all past tense)), and features very dense prose, something which some readers may find detracts from immersion for them.

Content Warnings: government oppression, death, graphic gore, self-injury, mental illness, sex trafficking, sexual harassment, police brutality, violence against women and trans-identifying peoples, birth-related trauma, gun violence, religion, classism, discussions of sexual violence (humans, minors, corpses), child abuse, workplace violence, divorce, smoking (tobacco and opium), alcohol, mention of intravenous drug abuse, surgical procedures and needles (singular instance), fires and burns, strong language.

ALL ROYALTIES earned from the title are donated to Doctors Without Borders, the Kurdish Red Crescent, and All for Armenia.

Expressing emotion is prohibited by law in the city state of Vencenza. Beneath its tyrannical shadow, Giorgianna, a deranged former playwright turned political fugitive, flees a brothel to seek...


A Note From the Publisher

Please direct reviews to Goodreads and StoryGraph (linked). The narrative is relatively slow-burn starting off with very heavy worldbuilding and intentionally overdone, flowery poetic prose. The story is inherently a mystery and much is left obscure. If problematic or harmful representation presents itself in the narrative, please do not hesitate to contact the author or publisher (all links available).

Please direct reviews to Goodreads and StoryGraph (linked). The narrative is relatively slow-burn starting off with very heavy worldbuilding and intentionally overdone, flowery poetic prose. The...


Advance Praise

"NON SERVIAM isn't just a book; it's an immersive journey that gripped my soul. It's one of the most special books I've ever read, raw, and unflinchingly gruesome. "

"This novel isn’t for everyone, given not just its themes but its really—sometimes seemingly unnecessarily—dense, purple prose along with its branching, sometimes wandering plot. But it is filled with revolutionary philosophies and the minds that fuel them, a full meal to sink your teeth into, and has a lot to offer. Don’t go into the book expecting your hand to be held."

"Feels like a classic unearthed from about three hundred years ago, has all of the charm and sharp wit of [it]. If you love pirates, musketeers, fencing, playwrights, secret and dystopian societies, and top-notch worldbuilding, this [book] is absolutely for you."

"Something I haven't quite encountered before, which is a fiction narrative that feels more like art than a novel... The kind of story I have continued to think about ... a mark of how nuanced it is ... One of the most deliciously queer stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading."

"NON SERVIAM isn't just a book; it's an immersive journey that gripped my soul. It's one of the most special books I've ever read, raw, and unflinchingly gruesome. "

"This novel isn’t for everyone...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9780645875607
PRICE £12.55 (GBP)
PAGES 448

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