Emerson Popular Fiction Thesis Award
The Gates of Horn
Ambition. Strength. Discipline.
These are the qualities admired by the Lucan Empire, and these are the qualities Sisenna Regillensis, youngest daughter of the emperor, knows she lacks. Her failures led to her youngest brother's death, and she'll never live up to her parents’ expectations. Why, then, did she survive the assassins who killed her father and mother the night of her brother's memorial dinner?
Ousted from her seat of power, Sisenna is tossed into the streets with nothing but her loyal bodyguard and her own wits to protect her from her murderous uncle. Sisenna, vengeful and determined, hires a band of smugglers to sneak her across the continent in search of her eldest brother, hoping to warn him of their uncle’s treachery before he, too, meets his end on an assassin’s blade.
But when Sisenna learns her sister Ravilla survived the assassination by marrying their cousin—placing herself in direct line to become Empress—the last bond between sisters burns away. Sisenna is forced to consider whether she’s willing to destroy her sister to save not only her brother’s birthright, but the empire itself.
Even so, how does one mortal survive immortal chaos? Sisenna is simply a pawn in a political game played by bored and restless gods—and they’ll stop at nothing to win.
“All too often developing fantasy writers eschew nuanced characterization, vivid detail, and psychological complexity for a grand narrative arc or high-level world-building. In the winning Popular Fiction thesis, The Gates of Horn, the writer embraces all the elements of compelling fiction, carefully balancing character development with gripping narrative energy, weaving world-building specifics through scenes that expose character and drive the plot forward.”
— John Copenhaver, author of Hall of Mirrors
“In the time that I’ve been [At Emerson], I have not seen a thesis novel that was (1) as complete and (2) as well written as [the Gates of Horn]. It has successfully created characters that work in their own best interest, that are alive…This story has legs. This story can move.”
— Scott Johnson, horror novelist and Emerson College faculty