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False Doctrine #1
From All False Doctrine
Toronto, 1925: An ancient manuscript and a modern cult promise the secret to personal metamorphosis. An atheist graduate student falls in love with a priest. A shiftless musician jilts his fiancée and disappears. From All False Doctrine is a metaphysical mystery wrapped in a 1920s comedy of manners.
Thrown together when their best friends fall in love, Elsa Nordqvist and Kit Underhill don’t think they have much in common. But when Kit’s friend Peachy drops off the face of the earth, and the manuscript that Elsa wanted to write her thesis on seems to have something to do with it, Elsa and Kit become unlikely allies. The question is, can their combined resources of Classical scholarship and Anglo-Catholic liturgy save a man from himself?
Thrown together when their best friends fall in love, Elsa Nordqvist and Kit Underhill don’t think they have much in common. But when Kit’s friend Peachy drops off the face of the earth, and the manuscript that Elsa wanted to write her thesis on seems to have something to do with it, Elsa and Kit become unlikely allies. The question is, can their combined resources of Classical scholarship and Anglo-Catholic liturgy save a man from himself?
526 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2014
7 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
About the author
Alice Degan
11 books35 followersAlice Degan is an academic and novelist (who also sometimes writes short stories). She studies and teaches medieval literature, and writes urban fantasy and something she likes to call metaphysical romance. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 22, 2022
I absolutely loved this extremely individual book!
May 21, 2020
There are times when I really do not know how to write a review about a particular book. This is one of those times. From All False Doctrine is just really hard to describe.
So I’ll start by saying: Ten out of ten. Alice Degan absolutely knocked it out of the park when she wrote this one. Which was her debut, so wow. If it doesn’t wind up right at the top of my list for the year, I’ll be astonished.
At times it’s useful to do comparisons, right? So, sure, let me try to do that. From All False Doctrine is like … it’s kind of like … okay, it’s sort of like a cross between a Wodehouse novel and In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. But with demonology.
You may be familiar with the technical distinction between a “novel” and a “romance,” where a novel is a story that is really about the protagonist’s interior journey, while a romance is any story in any genre that emphasizes the external adventure. If you wanted to use those categories here, I think you’d conclude that From All False Doctrine is a novel, with romance. If you’d prefer to stick to ordinary genre categories and use “romance” in that sense, then From All False Doctrine is a historical fantasy novel, with romance. If you wanted to pull out its defining characteristics, you might say it’s a story about personal growth wrapped in a comedy of manners, with romance. Oh, and demonology.
There are two primary protagonists and two important secondary characters. We meet them all in the opening scene, which takes place on a hot August afternoon on a beach in the Toronto area. I don’t recall quite when, but between the two wars, in there somewhere, so call it 1920 or thereabouts. You may recall that recent discussion about opening with a burst of action or more quietly? Well, this one opens quietly, with dialogue, and nothing at all important happens except that Elsa and Harriet meet Kit and Peachy. (Yes, calling a character “Peachy” did bother me a bit. I have very low tolerance for silly character names no matter how good the book is.)
Elsa and Harriet are students, attending the university. Elsa is a few years the elder. Raised by a revival-style preacher in a farm family, Elsa is a rationalist, a materialist, and an atheist. She is studying Classical languages. Harriet is much the wealthier and decidedly more conventional. She is studying economics. They are very good friends.
Kit, the natural child of a university professor and an unconventional woman, is an Anglican priest. Peachy, from a wealthier and more conventional family, is a dilettante songwriter who has never settled to anything. They are very good friends.
So on this day on that beach, these four people meet. The reader does not need to be astute to realize that these four characters are going to become two couples; that happens at once. However, if the reader does happen to be astute, they may at this point guess that dialogue is going to be central to this novel because practically nothing happens during this opening scene other than casual conversation between these people. We do hear about the central problem, but we only hear about it and it’s not introduced as a problem. In fact, it’s going to be some time before anything “happens” in the ordinary sense. The dialogue is extremely well done, and I fell in love with this novel right here.
During this meeting on the beach, the four characters happen to chat about a manuscript Elsa wants to work with for her Master’s degree. This is a manuscript that was found in Egypt and contains details about a cult based on the Orpheus myth. The beliefs described in this manuscript have to do with descending to a metaphysical plane and remaking the self through the pure power of the mind. Spoiler: there is more to this than any of the main characters suspect. Extra-spoiler: the metaphysics that are actually true in the book are perhaps not what the reader initially suspects either, given the Orpheus cult. Keep in mind that the story strongly reminded me of In This House of Brede. The actual heart of the story – I don’t think I’m giving too much away, I think this is pretty clear to the reader from early on – is Elsa’s internal movement from atheism to faith.
I think that’s all I want to say about that. Except I kinda fell in love with Kit too.
Let me see, other things to mention. All right:
Pace: Slow in general, but there are certainly moments.
Reading speed: I read this book very, very slowly, a few chapters a day. That’s almost never how I read books, but first, the writing was so good I wanted to savor it, and second, I kept wanting to take my time thinking about things that had just happened in the story and where I thought it might be going.
Shocking reveals: At least two.
Daring rescues: In general, characters do a pretty good job rescuing themselves. But there are moments.
Tension: Astonishingly high at times, considering anybody can see the story is moving toward a happy ending.
Flaws: It’s possible Kit might strike some readers as a little too good to be true. Also, right at the beginning Elsa was somewhat unbelievably ready to talk openly about herself with a young man she’d just met, though, granted, Kit was being very easy to talk to. Also: Peachy, really? Plus the ending was possibly a tiny bit over the top, though I think that element of the plot has grown on me.
Who should read this book: Anybody who rolls their eyes at the typical facile or incorrect presentation of religion in genre novels should absolutely try this book. I’m not an expert in theology or anything, but I don’t think those readers would be disappointed. Also, anybody who likes both Wodehouse and modern fantasy, seriously.
Sequels: Yes, there’s one sequel. I picked it up immediately after finishing the first book, but it may be a while before I read it. I’m going to want something lighter before I read another book with as much, how should I put this, as much deep reverberation, as From All False Doctrine.
So I’ll start by saying: Ten out of ten. Alice Degan absolutely knocked it out of the park when she wrote this one. Which was her debut, so wow. If it doesn’t wind up right at the top of my list for the year, I’ll be astonished.
At times it’s useful to do comparisons, right? So, sure, let me try to do that. From All False Doctrine is like … it’s kind of like … okay, it’s sort of like a cross between a Wodehouse novel and In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. But with demonology.
You may be familiar with the technical distinction between a “novel” and a “romance,” where a novel is a story that is really about the protagonist’s interior journey, while a romance is any story in any genre that emphasizes the external adventure. If you wanted to use those categories here, I think you’d conclude that From All False Doctrine is a novel, with romance. If you’d prefer to stick to ordinary genre categories and use “romance” in that sense, then From All False Doctrine is a historical fantasy novel, with romance. If you wanted to pull out its defining characteristics, you might say it’s a story about personal growth wrapped in a comedy of manners, with romance. Oh, and demonology.
There are two primary protagonists and two important secondary characters. We meet them all in the opening scene, which takes place on a hot August afternoon on a beach in the Toronto area. I don’t recall quite when, but between the two wars, in there somewhere, so call it 1920 or thereabouts. You may recall that recent discussion about opening with a burst of action or more quietly? Well, this one opens quietly, with dialogue, and nothing at all important happens except that Elsa and Harriet meet Kit and Peachy. (Yes, calling a character “Peachy” did bother me a bit. I have very low tolerance for silly character names no matter how good the book is.)
Elsa and Harriet are students, attending the university. Elsa is a few years the elder. Raised by a revival-style preacher in a farm family, Elsa is a rationalist, a materialist, and an atheist. She is studying Classical languages. Harriet is much the wealthier and decidedly more conventional. She is studying economics. They are very good friends.
Kit, the natural child of a university professor and an unconventional woman, is an Anglican priest. Peachy, from a wealthier and more conventional family, is a dilettante songwriter who has never settled to anything. They are very good friends.
So on this day on that beach, these four people meet. The reader does not need to be astute to realize that these four characters are going to become two couples; that happens at once. However, if the reader does happen to be astute, they may at this point guess that dialogue is going to be central to this novel because practically nothing happens during this opening scene other than casual conversation between these people. We do hear about the central problem, but we only hear about it and it’s not introduced as a problem. In fact, it’s going to be some time before anything “happens” in the ordinary sense. The dialogue is extremely well done, and I fell in love with this novel right here.
During this meeting on the beach, the four characters happen to chat about a manuscript Elsa wants to work with for her Master’s degree. This is a manuscript that was found in Egypt and contains details about a cult based on the Orpheus myth. The beliefs described in this manuscript have to do with descending to a metaphysical plane and remaking the self through the pure power of the mind. Spoiler: there is more to this than any of the main characters suspect. Extra-spoiler: the metaphysics that are actually true in the book are perhaps not what the reader initially suspects either, given the Orpheus cult. Keep in mind that the story strongly reminded me of In This House of Brede. The actual heart of the story – I don’t think I’m giving too much away, I think this is pretty clear to the reader from early on – is Elsa’s internal movement from atheism to faith.
I think that’s all I want to say about that. Except I kinda fell in love with Kit too.
Let me see, other things to mention. All right:
Pace: Slow in general, but there are certainly moments.
Reading speed: I read this book very, very slowly, a few chapters a day. That’s almost never how I read books, but first, the writing was so good I wanted to savor it, and second, I kept wanting to take my time thinking about things that had just happened in the story and where I thought it might be going.
Shocking reveals: At least two.
Daring rescues: In general, characters do a pretty good job rescuing themselves. But there are moments.
Tension: Astonishingly high at times, considering anybody can see the story is moving toward a happy ending.
Flaws: It’s possible Kit might strike some readers as a little too good to be true. Also, right at the beginning Elsa was somewhat unbelievably ready to talk openly about herself with a young man she’d just met, though, granted, Kit was being very easy to talk to. Also: Peachy, really? Plus the ending was possibly a tiny bit over the top, though I think that element of the plot has grown on me.
Who should read this book: Anybody who rolls their eyes at the typical facile or incorrect presentation of religion in genre novels should absolutely try this book. I’m not an expert in theology or anything, but I don’t think those readers would be disappointed. Also, anybody who likes both Wodehouse and modern fantasy, seriously.
Sequels: Yes, there’s one sequel. I picked it up immediately after finishing the first book, but it may be a while before I read it. I’m going to want something lighter before I read another book with as much, how should I put this, as much deep reverberation, as From All False Doctrine.
July 2, 2019
This is a difficult review to write.
So, I read this book because Something Human written by Alice Degan's alter ego A.S. Demas was one of my most favourite books, maybe the most favourite of last year (2018). If you haven't read that one, read it now - I urge you! I loved it so much!
This one here is difficult for me to rate because all the promise shines through. She is able to create such delightful characters and her dialogues are so, so good.
The editing is decent but if I were in my more viscious moods I'd cut out a couple of hundred pages if I were to edit this. But - if that's any consolation - I wouldn't off the top of my head know which ones.
Anyhow - really well written but later books are better (and that's really nice to know!). I end up with something between 3 to 4 stars.
So, I read this book because Something Human written by Alice Degan's alter ego A.S. Demas was one of my most favourite books, maybe the most favourite of last year (2018). If you haven't read that one, read it now - I urge you! I loved it so much!
This one here is difficult for me to rate because all the promise shines through. She is able to create such delightful characters and her dialogues are so, so good.
The editing is decent but if I were in my more viscious moods I'd cut out a couple of hundred pages if I were to edit this. But - if that's any consolation - I wouldn't off the top of my head know which ones.
Anyhow - really well written but later books are better (and that's really nice to know!). I end up with something between 3 to 4 stars.
February 2, 2016
I was almost reluctant to like this one. It played to all things familiar to me -- Anglo-Catholicism, the University of Toronto, Smoky Tom's (St Thomas's on Huron Street), and even my old haunt, Walmer Rd, made an appearance. So naturally I was inclined to be suspicious of what I perceived to be "Anglican fanfiction."
The book won me over, to the point where I obsessively read the last bit on the Kindle app on my phone during my lunch break (at an Anglican church in Halifax where I am Parish Admin.) And after looking up the author, I realized that she was one of the members of Smoky Tom's who was especially kind and welcoming to me during my summer in Toronto, where I was taking a summer Greek course, when I wandered into St Thomas's to ask about joining the choir. And we have mutual friends -- of course we do! This Anglican world is not so large.
From All False Doctrine starts a little slow, but I was delighted to find that it didn't go where I thought -- feared! -- it would, and even when it did, it did so in a way that completely undid my suspicions. Bravo, Alice! I hear there's a sequel, but that it deals with a minor character from this book (my money's on Charlie). I'll certainly be reading it!
The book won me over, to the point where I obsessively read the last bit on the Kindle app on my phone during my lunch break (at an Anglican church in Halifax where I am Parish Admin.) And after looking up the author, I realized that she was one of the members of Smoky Tom's who was especially kind and welcoming to me during my summer in Toronto, where I was taking a summer Greek course, when I wandered into St Thomas's to ask about joining the choir. And we have mutual friends -- of course we do! This Anglican world is not so large.
From All False Doctrine starts a little slow, but I was delighted to find that it didn't go where I thought -- feared! -- it would, and even when it did, it did so in a way that completely undid my suspicions. Bravo, Alice! I hear there's a sequel, but that it deals with a minor character from this book (my money's on Charlie). I'll certainly be reading it!
Read
November 21, 2023I’m a big fan of AJ Demas (her Sword Dance trilogy is one of my favourite comfort rereads) so followed her across to this book written under her real name. If you’d told me I’d be enthralled by an extremely slow burn romance with a priest as a hero and plenty of religious themes, I wouldn’t have believed you, but here we are :)
There’s something about her writing style, characters and dialogue that resonate deeply with me - it all pulls me along even while being more comforting than thrilling - and I loved the 1920s setting (it felt very authentic), and of course you can’t go wrong with a secretive club with cultish undertones.
There’s something about her writing style, characters and dialogue that resonate deeply with me - it all pulls me along even while being more comforting than thrilling - and I loved the 1920s setting (it felt very authentic), and of course you can’t go wrong with a secretive club with cultish undertones.
April 8, 2021
I picked this up expecting—and looking for—something entirely sillier and lighter. What a gift that it was not that novel.
August 9, 2025
Anglo-Catholicism, historical Toronto, great characters... right up my alley! I particularly like the way Degan switches perspectives between Kit and Elsa; it never felt disjointed or jarring. She's also great at writing dialogue.
Read
April 25, 2025Huh! I think I must have encountered this title while in a goodreads rabbit-hole (Degan also writes under A J Demas), and the premise certainly intrigued me: A mystery set in 1920s Toronto involving an orphic cult, a classical academic, and an Anglo-Catholic priest. The author herself is Anglo-Catholic, which is a branch of Anglicanism I'm not familiar with, but I appreciate fiction that deals in religion (somewhat relatedly, Maggie Steivater wrote this brilliant piece: https://www.goodreads.com/questions/2... ).
As for the story, it’s Gaudy Night with Connie Willis's sense of humor and shades of The Secret History. Victoria Goddard was named in the acknowledgments, which made a lot of sense to me (and warmed my heart). It also, though touching different genres, is I think best classified as a Christian romance? Which makes it the first I've read, though I do get the sense this is an outlier, to say the least. All that aside, I had enormous fun reading this book, and I hope to poke into more by this author.
As for the story, it’s Gaudy Night with Connie Willis's sense of humor and shades of The Secret History. Victoria Goddard was named in the acknowledgments, which made a lot of sense to me (and warmed my heart). It also, though touching different genres, is I think best classified as a Christian romance? Which makes it the first I've read, though I do get the sense this is an outlier, to say the least. All that aside, I had enormous fun reading this book, and I hope to poke into more by this author.
December 19, 2020
Set in 1920s Toronto. A love story, a metaphysical thriller, and a historical novel.
Elsa and Harriet are at the beach, talking about a newly discovered ancient Greek manuscript about an Orphic cult that Elsa might do her thesis on, when they meet two men who are looking for their boat, which a family took. They talk while waiting -- Peachy and Kit are "stepcousins" as Peachy puts it, and Peachy and Harriet strike it off, and Kit talks with Elsa -- she reads him Hesiod.
When it's time to put on street clothes, they are startled. Kit wears a cassock. And learning he's an Anglican does not alleviate it much; Elsa's an atheist.
She talks about the manuscript with her advisor and makes the mistake of admitting she thinks it was a single author, not a compilation.
Much happens. Peachy and Harriet are engaged, and Peachy breaks it off and vanishes in a welter of inconsistent stories, some blatant lies; selling engagement rings; Elsa's father's dreams; Kit's mother; a salon where they talk of the "Pure Plain" described in the manuscript and attempt the practices of the Orphic cult; Kit keeping the services going at his church; and more.
Elsa and Harriet are at the beach, talking about a newly discovered ancient Greek manuscript about an Orphic cult that Elsa might do her thesis on, when they meet two men who are looking for their boat, which a family took. They talk while waiting -- Peachy and Kit are "stepcousins" as Peachy puts it, and Peachy and Harriet strike it off, and Kit talks with Elsa -- she reads him Hesiod.
When it's time to put on street clothes, they are startled. Kit wears a cassock. And learning he's an Anglican does not alleviate it much; Elsa's an atheist.
She talks about the manuscript with her advisor and makes the mistake of admitting she thinks it was a single author, not a compilation.
Much happens. Peachy and Harriet are engaged, and Peachy breaks it off and vanishes in a welter of inconsistent stories, some blatant lies; selling engagement rings; Elsa's father's dreams; Kit's mother; a salon where they talk of the "Pure Plain" described in the manuscript and attempt the practices of the Orphic cult; Kit keeping the services going at his church; and more.
August 31, 2022
Apparently Alice Degan wrote this because it’s the type of book she wants to read more of herself. She likes supernatural thrillers with a Christian mystical twist. I… don’t. At least not as a rule.
Since reading this I have been puzzling over whether there is a version of Christian fantasy that I would like. (I mean explicitly Christian fantasy here, not Christian fantasy in the way that a lot of fantasy has Christan themes and undertones.) I remember liking Peace Like River more than ten years ago. That was contemporary magical realism, and maybe that’s a better genre for combining with Christianity. I guess the thing I like about religion in the real world is faith — an epistemology that leaves room for doubt in a way that full religious fantasy doesn’t.
It left a bad taste in my mouth that the atheist needed to convert to resolve the love between her and the priest (the kind that can marry). I get that there isn’t a good alternative societally at the time and place this novel was set, but then, the author chose those constraints too.
Basically I finished this book thinking, in this universe, do non-Christians go to hell? (At least, the ones that don’t get a special miraculous intervention? Or does the Jesus metaphor mean we ALL get a special miraculous intervention? It’s hard when the metaphor for Christianity is Christianity.) And since Christianity is real, is this author saying that in reality non-Christians go to hell? Rude.
The other thing about this book is that as it got weirdly Christian, it independently got kind of bad. The beginning is excellent. Very funny, well written dialogue, great insight into the experience of the characters. The time/place is well researched. The fantasy is murky and ambiguous (you know, like faith, and I’m not insulting faith here). All of this is why I am giving three stars instead of one or two. And then it just stops being funny and the plot unravels into a poorly constructed action scene followed by a very awkward anticlimax where a shitty person gets saved, and it’s all very implausible. (Did I mention the stakes in this book seem to be eternal damnation?)
Anyway, if you like Christian fantasy, you may still enjoy this book. And if you don’t, please don’t let my review prevent you from reading the author’s other works outside this series, which are all excellent. The ones she has written under her pen name A. J. Demas are among the best books I have read, period.
Since reading this I have been puzzling over whether there is a version of Christian fantasy that I would like. (I mean explicitly Christian fantasy here, not Christian fantasy in the way that a lot of fantasy has Christan themes and undertones.) I remember liking Peace Like River more than ten years ago. That was contemporary magical realism, and maybe that’s a better genre for combining with Christianity. I guess the thing I like about religion in the real world is faith — an epistemology that leaves room for doubt in a way that full religious fantasy doesn’t.
It left a bad taste in my mouth that the atheist needed to convert to resolve the love between her and the priest (the kind that can marry). I get that there isn’t a good alternative societally at the time and place this novel was set, but then, the author chose those constraints too.
Basically I finished this book thinking, in this universe, do non-Christians go to hell? (At least, the ones that don’t get a special miraculous intervention? Or does the Jesus metaphor mean we ALL get a special miraculous intervention? It’s hard when the metaphor for Christianity is Christianity.) And since Christianity is real, is this author saying that in reality non-Christians go to hell? Rude.
The other thing about this book is that as it got weirdly Christian, it independently got kind of bad. The beginning is excellent. Very funny, well written dialogue, great insight into the experience of the characters. The time/place is well researched. The fantasy is murky and ambiguous (you know, like faith, and I’m not insulting faith here). All of this is why I am giving three stars instead of one or two. And then it just stops being funny and the plot unravels into a poorly constructed action scene followed by a very awkward anticlimax where a shitty person gets saved, and it’s all very implausible. (Did I mention the stakes in this book seem to be eternal damnation?)
Anyway, if you like Christian fantasy, you may still enjoy this book. And if you don’t, please don’t let my review prevent you from reading the author’s other works outside this series, which are all excellent. The ones she has written under her pen name A. J. Demas are among the best books I have read, period.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2025
This one was recommended through Rachel Neumeier’s blog, and also indirectly via a rec for Degan’s pen name AJ Demas. Mixed feelings about this one again. On the one hand, I loved the first half of the novel. It’s set in 1925 Toronto, with lovely witty dialogue and characters written like a Vermeer painting, all grave illumination. It’s strongly in the line of Sayers’ Gaudy Night thematically and even prose-wise, and there is no higher praise. It has a little of Wodehouse and a little of Jo Walton’s Lent.
But. This was fundamentally a story about a character’s conversion to Anglicanism, as I realized abruptly halfway through. And the metaphysics of the world and even the villain were fundamentally religious. I’m an atheist and this made me deeply uncomfortable, for some of the same reasons sex scenes used to– the characters obviously feel this emotion very intensely and I don’t understand it at all. Also, there’s something about using actual Christian villains as your narrative villains– the writer seems to be relying on a religious background to make them sinister, but to me they’re like curiously unconvincing stage scenery. I have the same problem with Faust– Mephistopheles is remarkably unsinister as the Devil.
Ah well. This really was an excellent book. It has curiously sinister cults, classics majors, and an unconvincing secretary. Recommended with reservations. I’ll certainly be reading more of Degan, though.
But. This was fundamentally a story about a character’s conversion to Anglicanism, as I realized abruptly halfway through. And the metaphysics of the world and even the villain were fundamentally religious. I’m an atheist and this made me deeply uncomfortable, for some of the same reasons sex scenes used to– the characters obviously feel this emotion very intensely and I don’t understand it at all. Also, there’s something about using actual Christian villains as your narrative villains– the writer seems to be relying on a religious background to make them sinister, but to me they’re like curiously unconvincing stage scenery. I have the same problem with Faust– Mephistopheles is remarkably unsinister as the Devil.
Ah well. This really was an excellent book. It has curiously sinister cults, classics majors, and an unconvincing secretary. Recommended with reservations. I’ll certainly be reading more of Degan, though.
Read
October 18, 2016I love the combination of history, academia, mythology, theology, friendship, feminism, non-traditional families, and love.
May 16, 2021
A complete delight from start to finish! Tickled me pink. Absolutely smashing. (I have no idea whether those are authentic 1920's phrases, but whatever!)
Dorothy L. Sayers meets C.S. Lewis? This is how you do religion in fantasy.
Lots of thoughts; full review to come. (Or just read Rachel Neumeier's review; it's what convinced me, and I can just say ditto.)
Update: here's what I told my book club to convince them this should be our next book:
It's fantasy based on Christian beliefs and motifs, set in Toronto in the 1920s. Mostly it's a really funny and insightful romance between an atheist and an Anglican priest, with awesome characters you'll really love, and a bit of a mystery surrounding a group of occultists. (This next bit is only very slightly spoilery but I'll hide it anyway.) I thought the fantasy elements were really brilliantly woven in.
Will you enjoy this if you're not Christian? I have no idea: I enjoyed it and I'm not Anglican. (And I enjoy fantasy written by atheists.) Do you enjoy other fantasy books that have characters following religious rituals and having spiritual experiences? The fact that the author believes some of those experiences are real only makes them more vividly depicted. You might find it disappointing or too on-the-nose that . But I'd say the excellent dialog, the well-realized 1920's setting, the humour, the very interesting fantasy elements (I bet you won't be able to predict what happens!), the exploration of friendship, family, how to love without subsuming the self—all give this book wide appeal.
Dorothy L. Sayers meets C.S. Lewis? This is how you do religion in fantasy.
Lots of thoughts; full review to come. (Or just read Rachel Neumeier's review; it's what convinced me, and I can just say ditto.)
Update: here's what I told my book club to convince them this should be our next book:
It's fantasy based on Christian beliefs and motifs, set in Toronto in the 1920s. Mostly it's a really funny and insightful romance between an atheist and an Anglican priest, with awesome characters you'll really love, and a bit of a mystery surrounding a group of occultists. (This next bit is only very slightly spoilery but I'll hide it anyway.) I thought the fantasy elements were really brilliantly woven in.
Will you enjoy this if you're not Christian? I have no idea: I enjoyed it and I'm not Anglican. (And I enjoy fantasy written by atheists.) Do you enjoy other fantasy books that have characters following religious rituals and having spiritual experiences? The fact that the author believes some of those experiences are real only makes them more vividly depicted. You might find it disappointing or too on-the-nose that . But I'd say the excellent dialog, the well-realized 1920's setting, the humour, the very interesting fantasy elements (I bet you won't be able to predict what happens!), the exploration of friendship, family, how to love without subsuming the self—all give this book wide appeal.
August 7, 2022
So I've been super interested in religious figures in fantasy (and scifi, I suppose) who actually...practice their faith, I suppose. And for whom there is an element of *FAITH* to their belief, rather than serving a God who they treat like a miracle dispenser.
Also I've read Degan's writing under her pseudonym (which is less Anglo-Catholic, more Classical Greek) and enjoyed so here we are, reading about the process by which belief comes (back) into a person's life.
Also, like, a weird and wild story that is basically...okay imagine if Dorothy Sayers decide to write C.S. Lewis. It's kind of that. (Apparently he wrote a eulogy for her, a fact that I love.)
But what interests me is people talking about why they believe and I'm particularly fascinated by the role that aesthetics plays in both conversion stories we get. That it's not just belief and it's not that faith has trappings, but that the aesthetics that build up faith practices (what I'd call both minhag and hiddur mitzvah if I had to translate it into Jewish terms) are an integral part of what brings people to faith. And we lose and ignore it at our peril. The theological argument that this book is making, between the romance and the mystery of the disappearing fiance, is that matter matters in every sense.
Which makes it, of course, a deeply (Anglo-)Catholic book and also a fine addition to my "fantasticly faithful" collection.
Also I've read Degan's writing under her pseudonym (which is less Anglo-Catholic, more Classical Greek) and enjoyed so here we are, reading about the process by which belief comes (back) into a person's life.
Also, like, a weird and wild story that is basically...okay imagine if Dorothy Sayers decide to write C.S. Lewis. It's kind of that. (Apparently he wrote a eulogy for her, a fact that I love.)
But what interests me is people talking about why they believe and I'm particularly fascinated by the role that aesthetics plays in both conversion stories we get. That it's not just belief and it's not that faith has trappings, but that the aesthetics that build up faith practices (what I'd call both minhag and hiddur mitzvah if I had to translate it into Jewish terms) are an integral part of what brings people to faith. And we lose and ignore it at our peril. The theological argument that this book is making, between the romance and the mystery of the disappearing fiance, is that matter matters in every sense.
Which makes it, of course, a deeply (Anglo-)Catholic book and also a fine addition to my "fantasticly faithful" collection.
September 30, 2022
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/0...
A fantasy author I like was recommending this book, and since it’s described as “a metaphysical mystery wrapped up in a 1920s comedy of manners,” it seemed up my alley. And the first chunk was so good, I was so invested in the two main characters—an atheist woman graduate student, studying classics, and her love interest, who turns out to be a priest, but the kind that can get married—and their budding romance, and personal struggles, and their two best friends, who get engaged, but then one goes missing! I kept wondering when something magical would happen, since this was billed as a fantasy novel, but I was into it so kept on going, even as I started to suspect this book was … Christian? And eventually /supernatural/ things do get mentioned, but this is very much a story about Christians fighting the devil. Which is fine, but not what I had expected, and honestly I felt a bit misled. I also thought the ending was a bit saccharine, like once it leaned into being super Christian, it had to give some moral lessons. Not super appealing to this Jewish reader, such a bummer. B.
A fantasy author I like was recommending this book, and since it’s described as “a metaphysical mystery wrapped up in a 1920s comedy of manners,” it seemed up my alley. And the first chunk was so good, I was so invested in the two main characters—an atheist woman graduate student, studying classics, and her love interest, who turns out to be a priest, but the kind that can get married—and their budding romance, and personal struggles, and their two best friends, who get engaged, but then one goes missing! I kept wondering when something magical would happen, since this was billed as a fantasy novel, but I was into it so kept on going, even as I started to suspect this book was … Christian? And eventually /supernatural/ things do get mentioned, but this is very much a story about Christians fighting the devil. Which is fine, but not what I had expected, and honestly I felt a bit misled. I also thought the ending was a bit saccharine, like once it leaned into being super Christian, it had to give some moral lessons. Not super appealing to this Jewish reader, such a bummer. B.
August 17, 2021
I am weighing how high on my favorite books of all time this should go.
Set in 1925 Toronto, the story follows two sets of best friends: Elsa and Harriet, Kit and Peachy. They meet at the beach and there is instant chemistry. I really don't want to go beyond that because every twist and turn in the story is surprising and fascinating. I would strongly encourage folks to not even read the back cover.
It's a comedy of manners with a strong gothic horror undertow, and it is beautiful. Much of the beauty is in the small moments: Subtle jokes between the characters, and how the minor characters have depth and realism and most of all are just kind, loving people. There is so much in here that is just a model for Christians and Christendom. I love it.
Set in 1925 Toronto, the story follows two sets of best friends: Elsa and Harriet, Kit and Peachy. They meet at the beach and there is instant chemistry. I really don't want to go beyond that because every twist and turn in the story is surprising and fascinating. I would strongly encourage folks to not even read the back cover.
It's a comedy of manners with a strong gothic horror undertow, and it is beautiful. Much of the beauty is in the small moments: Subtle jokes between the characters, and how the minor characters have depth and realism and most of all are just kind, loving people. There is so much in here that is just a model for Christians and Christendom. I love it.
April 24, 2022
This is a remarkable book. It starts out with the Dorothy-Sayers-like dialogue and characters, which is enjoyable in itself. I found it dragged a bit in the middle, but when it moves toward its climax it takes unexpected and amazing twists and turns. It is identified as a "love story," which honestly is a bit off-putting to me. I realized the love story is not the relationship between the main characters, but between those characters and God, and it is a beautiful depiction of joyous faith.
September 23, 2025
I’ve put off this book for years bc it “looked” boring, and then it took me a while to get into it, but I ended up falling in love with the characters and their progressions through their relationships with each other and with God. That makes it sound more “churchy” than it was (even though one of the main characters is a priest). More of a journey through darkness into the light. I ended up really enjoying it!
August 20, 2024
This book is a little like Dorothy L Sayers and a little like Harper Fox’s Seven Summer Nights, but mostly it’s its own beautiful thing. I never doubted the romance would arrive at a satisfying conclusion, I was swept away by the stunning dialogue and description, and I was pleasantly surprised to be rooting for the healing power of faith.
June 22, 2019
Wonderful
Some of the best dialogue I’ve read in recent memory, and absolutely stunning characters. I was almost more impressed to find the theological arguments truly speaking to me. Wonderful work.
Some of the best dialogue I’ve read in recent memory, and absolutely stunning characters. I was almost more impressed to find the theological arguments truly speaking to me. Wonderful work.
July 8, 2023
At its core a very lovely romance about two young people finding themselves and each other in 1920s Toronto, with a little bit of eldritch horror that segues into classic Catholic-ish good vs. evil fighting. I'm not religious, so overall it felt just like a well-told modern romantic fantasy.
July 25, 2023
This book is incredibly specific but very much up my alley— tore through it!
May 29, 2025
i honestly can't believe i just inhaled a (i guess?) christian romance and loved it
April 5, 2023
I really liked this! This is sort of “what if Robertson Davies wrote a book and cranked the supernatural element up to 11?”
September 9, 2022
This book bowled me over, but that didn't start about halfway: at the beginning it looked like it tried too hard to be Gaudy Night, and later it tried too hard to be Charles Williams, but it rallied and became its own thing and I WANT TO LOVE IT FOREVER. It does still look like what would have happened if Charles Williams had actually written Gaudy Night.
I love Elsa and Kit, though they do suffer from the romance affliction of Failure To Communicate. I love it how everybody successfully debunked anything supernatural and then real supernatural things happened and the people just took it in stride.
I love Charlie, and Elsa's father, and indeed everybody.
I love Elsa and Kit, though they do suffer from the romance affliction of Failure To Communicate. I love it how everybody successfully debunked anything supernatural and then real supernatural things happened and the people just took it in stride.
I love Charlie, and Elsa's father, and indeed everybody.
January 22, 2024
An extremely smart book about academia, patriarchy, and religion.
Elsa is a graduate student hoping to prove her place in male-dominated academia with her brilliant interpretation of a classic text. Kit is a charming priest focused on his ministry and looking out for his flighty friend Peachy. The two are brought together when Peachy and Elsa’s best friend become engaged and again when Peachy disappears. The disappearance seems connected to Elsa’s field of research and the two team up to find him.
This is a slow burn, no heat romance that is so worth it to me. Both Elsa and Kit are charming and smart. The world is built well and has a lot to say about modern ideas.
This book also showcases the beauty of religion in a way that doesn’t often come through in romance books.
I highly recommend From All False Doctrine to romance readers with an interest in religion or academia.
Elsa is a graduate student hoping to prove her place in male-dominated academia with her brilliant interpretation of a classic text. Kit is a charming priest focused on his ministry and looking out for his flighty friend Peachy. The two are brought together when Peachy and Elsa’s best friend become engaged and again when Peachy disappears. The disappearance seems connected to Elsa’s field of research and the two team up to find him.
This is a slow burn, no heat romance that is so worth it to me. Both Elsa and Kit are charming and smart. The world is built well and has a lot to say about modern ideas.
This book also showcases the beauty of religion in a way that doesn’t often come through in romance books.
I highly recommend From All False Doctrine to romance readers with an interest in religion or academia.
November 11, 2022
This really is a love story at heart, but there are lots of supernatural/feminist/Christian/creepy bad things that made it much more interesting. I've read several books by this author, and one of the things I particularly like about her writing is that most (not all) of the main characters are good people who are trying to do the right thing. Kind of refreshing for a change.
July 11, 2016
4.5 stars - not sure how I felt about the end. Slightly stretched belief, but altogether pretty great.
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