Inside the grimoire is a faded stamp that reads Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis (“Royal Library of Munich”), which made me wonder, what would a handbook of necromancy be doing in a royal library? Necromancy was a forbidden practice during the 15th century and the centuries that followed, and most of these books were burned by the church upon discovery. Writers of medieval necromancy handbooks were usually clerics—priests or other minor church figures—and late medieval necromancy was more or less a product of a “clerical underworld.”
Because of this, the spells and conjuring instructions in necromancy handbooks were written in Latin (assuming the necromancer’s familiarity with the Vulgate Bible) and reflect bits of Catholic liturgy, Christian prayers and snippets of scripture. What I found even more fascinating is that these conjurers truly believed that if they were humble enough, God would provide “divine aid” and give them power over the demons they called!
Of course, demons tend to be hard to control—which is why we see in the grimoire the conjurer continually entreating the spirits to appear in a non-threatening, calm form. I made sure Ellison’s spirits acted and required the same. The grimoire also mentions that while necromancers need to repeat each ritual exactly, even if they’re performing the same spell over and over, they may eventually be able to convince the demons to appear on command—just as Ellison does, despite her surprise at being able to do so.
Now, while it’s thought that the earliest versions of the Cinderella story originated in classical antiquity, I tried to pay most tribute to the German version, the Brothers Grimm’s Aschenputtel, with a few nods to Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. In the Grimm tale, there is no fairy godmother, and instead Cinderella receives help from a magical bird who calls to her from a hazel tree beside her mother’s grave. From Perrault, we learn that Cinderella’s mother was “the best creature in the world”—talk about having a lot to live up to! And while only one sister is ever given a name—Charlotte, found in the French version—there are many other little details from both versions that I hid within the story.
You can find these originals online from any number of great websites. I recommend Sur La Lune Fairy Tales (www.surlalunefairytales.com).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I love reading acknowledgements pages. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the thrill of scanning the pages for names I recognize, maybe it’s the affirmation of the truth that there are many, many people whose effort and inspiration goes into taking a story from idea to finished book. I know I always get a little excited when I see an author thanking another author whose work I love—it’s this feeling of “Oh, wow! This awesome person knows that awesome person! It’s awesomeness multiplied!!!” Also, it’s just plain cool to see that people whose work you enjoy are friends with each other.
So, if you’re reading this and feeling the same way, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you!
And now, on with the show. If I forget someone, I’m sorry in advance. Next time we hang out, I’ll buy you a cookie! For reals.
First, thank you to my tireless agent, Bill Contardi, whose professionalism knows no bounds. To Georgia McBride, for taking a chance on my strange, dark story, and to the entire team at Month9Books who had a hand in bringing my book to life. I know that each of your contributions was essential and I couldn’t have done this without your hard work and dedication to the process.
Also to E.K. Johnston, for the writing sessions all those years ago, even though I think we did more yapping about books and episodes of Stargate SG-1 than actual writing. It’s also because of her that I wrote this book, though she doesn’t know that yet. Surprise! And to Emily Zeran, for always believing in me and providing encouragement at just the right times. And to the rest of the G.O.D.S., for meet-ups and marathon TV/movie watching when I needed it the most.
Thanks to Brian Henry, during whose workshop I read the first few chapters of this story out loud. The moment I stopped reading and looked around the room was the moment this strange idea became a real thing. Thanks to Chandra Rooney, whose pep talk made me believe again when I’d lost faith.
Thanks to Richard Kieckhefer for his in-depth research and works on the late Middle Ages which shaped many of the ideas found within this book. Thanks to Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Disney for keeping the story of Cinderella alive in the contemporary collective consciousness!
Thanks to the Wrimosaurs for being a constant source of encouragement and inspiration. Thanks to Holly Lisle, whose writing workshops & courses helped shape me on my journey.
Thanks to the 2017 Debuts and the Class of 2K17 Books crew for their constant support. 2017ers, we made it!!!
Thanks to my parents, who never told me I couldn’t, and to my siblings, who always told me I could. To my husband, who never stops saying I can. And to God, because without Him, I wouldn’t even be.
F. M. BOUGHAN
F. M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Cinderella, Necromancer: Historical Notes
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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