Published in: July-August 2011 issue.
Sub Rosa
by Amber Dawn
Arsenal Pulp Press. 316 pages, $19.95
THE TITLE of this haunting first novel by Amber Dawn literally means “beneath the rose,” usually applied to a secret meeting. In this case, Sub Rosa is an actual neighborhood that exists in its own dimension in a city that resembles Vancouver, Canada. It’s a luxurious haven for sex workers who have literally paid their dues by serving an apprenticeship in a dangerous place called “the Dark.”