Heart of Stone in The Works of Johannes T. Evans | World Anvil

Heart of Stone

The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex.   The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met.  
'Heart of Stone' is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other's.   Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer's presence.   Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled.  

Cast of Characters

  • Henry Coffey (Protagonist, POV Character)
  • Theophilus Essex (Protagonist, POV Character)
  • Joseph Jones (Supporting Character)
  • Gráinne ní hEachthighearna (Supporting Character)
  • Bartholomew Dufresne (Supporting Character)
  • Genesius (Supporting Character)
  • Marcellus (Supporting Character)
  • Hawise Ashdown (Antagonist, Off-Screen)
  • Charles Henry Greenwich (Antagonist, Off-Screen)
  • Ambrose Woodrow Junior (Supporting Character)
  • Ambrose Woodrow Senior (Minor Character)
  • Hanna Woodbury (Supporting Character)
  • Matthew Landrake (Minor Character)
  • Isaac Judge (Minor Character)
  • Hadrian Quays and Edith Quays (Minor Characters)
  • Katherine Dubelle (Mentioned)
  • Maximillien de Fonblanque (Mentioned)
  • Maurice Alderman (Mentioned)
  • Astaroth (Cat)

Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

    (Coming soon.)

Novel

Ao3-Style Tags

Rated M for mature. Published July 30th 2020. Approximately 93,000 words.   Setting: 18th Century. Birmingham, England.   Genre & Tone: Slow Burn, Romance, Magical Realism, Humour, Banter, Slow Romance   Themes: Complicated Relationships, Period-Typical Homophobia, Autism, ADHD, Shyness, Social Anxiety, Emotional Repression, Self-Exploration   Content: Vampires, Sexual Tension, Boss/Employee Relationship, Secretaries, Power Dynamics, Canon Autistic Character, Canon ADHD Character, Pining, Magic Revealed, Art & Artists, Epistolary, Letter-Writing   Kinks: Mouth Kink, Vampire Bites, Biting, Teeth   Content Warnings: Mentions of Period-Typical Homophobia, Self-Esteem Issues.
 

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