The Secret Market of the Dead, Giovanni De Feo
The Secret Market of the Dead, Giovanni De Feo
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

The Secret Market of the Dead

Author: Giovanni De Feo

Narrator: Carlotta Brentan

Unabridged: 9 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/08/2025


Synopsis

An “enthralling” (Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library and Elusive) Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy about a young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town.

Just beyond the waking edges of Lucerìa, an 18th-century town in the kingdom of Naples, lies the Night: an enigmatic fiefdom governed by seven immortals and fueled by Moira, the power to reshape one’s destiny.

On this porous border separating Day from Night, Oriana spends her time fantasizing about becoming a smith in her father’s forge and eavesdropping on whispered tales of beasts and men who roam the nocturnal realm. But in the Night, these stories come alive, as Oriana saw for herself after she inadvertently trespassed into the Secret Market of the Dead, where vendors hawk Moira to those desperate enough to accept its immeasurably steep price.

Years later, when her father chooses her twin brother to succeed him, Oriana challenges her sibling to a series of trials to determine the forge’s true heir. But as the twins’ fierce competition escalates, with the town and her own family set firmly against her, Oriana realizes that to break free from the stifling confines of Day, she must once again embrace the Night—and, as always, everything comes with a cost.

About Giovanni De Feo

Giovanni De Feo is a fabulist, novelist, and comic book writer. He previously taught literature at International Baccalaureate schools in England and Holland. Currently, he lives in Bologna, Italy, where he is also a performing storyteller with a repertoire of Italian folktales.


Reviews

Goodreads review by DianaRose on March 19, 2025

full rtc closer to pub day, but basically one of my newest favorite reads that i’ll continuously recommend. read if you love the obscure studio ghibli movies 🤞🏼......more

Goodreads review by Gali on March 01, 2025

"The Secret Market of the Dead" by Giovanni De Feo is an original, Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy debut in which a young girl struggles to change her destiny—one denied to her due to her gender. Set in Lucerìa, an 18th-century town in the Kingdom of Naples, the story follows eight-year-ol......more

Goodreads review by Denise on July 08, 2025

I loved the idea of a historical fantasy set in Italy and indeed it was very good at setting a Studio Ghibli-like atmosphere, but it just wasn't the story I thought it was and in the end this just wasn't for me. The story follows our young heroine, Oriana, first at age 8 when she encounters the Nigh......more

Goodreads review by Jamedi on July 22, 2025

Review originally on JamReads The Secret Market of the Dead is a gothic dark fantasy novel, written by Giovanni de Feo, and published by Saga Press. A coming of age story that touches themes such as sibling dynamics, a feminist take on fighting patriarchal societies and defying expectations in a......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on March 21, 2025

4 stars This is a charming and imaginative fairy tale, a novel about fate and destiny that kept me invested throughout. The story follows Oriana, a young woman who wishes to join her twin brother as heir to her father’s forge, forced by opposition to her dream to turn to magical means from the Night......more


Quotes

"Carlotta Brentan rivets listeners with her bewitching voice as she spins the tale of Oriana, a girl who lives in magical Luceria, Italy, in the eighteenth century. As Brentan brings Oriana to life, listeners will find themselves whisked into a world where saints are nocturnal, girls dream of being blacksmiths, and men wear powdered wigs at court. Using an individualized voice for each character, Brentan creates personalities that go beyond the text. Her role is crucial, but listeners are so captivated that they forget she’s acting. For those looking to immerse themselves in a story, this narration checks every box."