Novic

by Eugen Bacon

Discover the haunting origins of an immortal soul in Novic, a mesmerizing novelette by Eugen Bacon that serves as the "story-before-the-story" of the enigmatic Sayneth priest introduced in her acclaimed debut novel, Claiming T-Mo.

In Claiming T-Mo, Novic emerges as a figure of profound mystery—an immortal with eyes as ancient as Jacob and a visage that whispers of death itself. Novic's defiance of a matriarchal society’s conventions sets in motion a Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation of his son T-Mo that shapes his destiny along with the three women who love him.

But who is Novic? Where did he come from, and what forces forged his immortal path? This prequel novelette delves into Novic’s past—his trials, his transgressions, and the timeless burden of his existence.

As lyrical as it is dark. Novic is a must-read for fans of Claiming T-Mo and newcomers alike.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Laura]

3.5. A short story organized into very short chapters following Novic, a mysterious and seemingly immortal figure. The story follows the testing of Novic’s immortality as well as some of his time with his family. Bacon’s writing is gorgeous as always, and here she really strikes a good balance between letting Novic’s backstory unfold and not revealing too much too quickly.

I read this novelette without having read Claiming T-Mo, the novel in which the character Novic first appears. An excerpt of Claiming T-Mo is included with this novelette but I opted not to read it, as I intend to pick up and read the full novel at some point.

Content warnings: death, violence, pregnancy, death of a parent

Thank you to Meerkat Press, NetGalley, & the author for providing me an ARC to review.

[ArtRogueMel]

I read this on Netgally as an ARC.
It took me a few chapters to understand the narrative timeline. It's a short stories so I took the time to reread the first chapters. It's an interesting story. The main character is not really likable but I kept reading because I was intrigued about what was going to happen next to him.
This was an introduction of a character for another book that is already out. You get to read an excerp for that book with the ARC and it made me dislike the MC more.

[Charlie]

I went into this not having the read the novel it precedes but that didn’t matter. I was blown away by the transcendent prose and the subtle world-building. Will read the novel as soon as possible!
If you enjoyed Alix E. Harrow’s The Knight and the Butcherbird, I think you might love this one as well.

[Debbie]

I have read Novic by Eugen Bacon. I really enjoyed this book. It was a very unique writing style. This novelette explains Novic's existence and about his son T-Mo. I look forward to reading Claiming T- Mo. Very poetic.