Author event with Thomas Kent West

We are thrilled to host Thomas Kent West for an event featuring his debut book: City of Iron and Ivy. The event will feature a conversation and audience Q&A, with an author meet & greet and book signing to follow.

When: Friday, April 24th at 6:00 pm (doors open at 5:45 pm)

Where: Three Avenues Bookshop - 3009 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Copies of will be available for purchase during the event, and participants will have the opportunity to get their books signed by Thomas Kent West.

This beguiling historical romantasy debut blends dark academia with the glamour of Bridgerton, as a scholar of magic investigates her sister’s M**der—perfect for fans of Heather Fawcett and H. G. Parry.

In an alternate London alive with botanical magic, Elswyth Elderwood is a thorn among roses: a bristly, scarred scholar in a world of socialites. Her sister Persephone is the opposite: a graceful debutante seeking a marriage that will save their family from ruin. At least, until Persephone is murdered.

Suddenly the last scion of her house, Elswyth must abandon her studies and find a wealthy husband. She is thrust into a London fueled by floromancy: hedge witches sprout nightshade from their fingertips, high-born ladies weave gowns from wildflowers… and a serial killer called the Reaper transforms his victims into plant-human hybrids.

When clues suggest the Reaper is a powerful nobleman, Elswyth’s search for her sister’s killer and her hunt for a husband become one and the same. But she is drawn to bastard-born archaeologist Silas Blackthorn—who may have dark, twisted secrets of his own.

Elswyth must determine friend from foe and lover from liar—or suffer the same fate as her sister.

Thomas Kent West is an American author who creates stories filled with intricate magic, imperfect heroes, and richly imagined worlds. His experience as a biology teacher and wilderness guide in Grand Teton National Park inspired him to write a book set in a fantastical place but based on real-world botany. That novel became City of Iron and Ivy, which received the Book Pipeline Grand Prize in Science Fiction and Fantasy. You can read more of his work, receive bonus scenes and short stories, and sign up for his newsletter at thomaskentwest.com.

Three Avenues Bookshop's goal is to be a safe, accessible, and inclusive space for all. Please email us at [email protected] to let us know if you need any accommodations for this event, and we'll do our best to meet them. Accommodations can include but are not limited to the following: space for a wheelchair or other mobility device, masks, answering questions about the space over the phone or email ahead of time, etc.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Three Avenues Bookshop, 3009 North Southport Avenue, Chicago, United States

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