Bound and Unbound: A paranormal novella duology
Ali Hazelwood
Cabaret in Flames
by Hache Pueyo
About this book
- [x]
Hache Pueyo returns after But Not Too Bold with her new novella Cabaret in Flames, where Interview with the Vampire meets Certain Dark Things in an alternate-Brazil where brutal flesh-hungering Guls stalk the night streets and manipulate the government from their glittering cabaret
Guls can be brutal. Few know this better than Ariadne, who lost half her body to their appetites, but their brutality is a predictable constant amid Brazil’s political chaos. Now, she treats them in the specialized clinic she inherited from Erik Yurkov―the mentor who rescued her as a child, trained her in medicine, built her prostheses, and disappeared without a trace.
Ariadne’s routine is disturbed when Quaint knocks on her door: a charming, tattooed gul claiming to be Erik’s oldest friend. Quaint suspects foul play in Erik’s disappearance, and they soon discover Erik sought asylum at Cabaré, an infamous club in Rio de Janeiro frequented by the gul elite.
Together, Ariadne and Quaint will unravel the conspiracy behind their friend’s disappearance, navigate the labyrinthine world of Ariadne’s memories, and discover what Erik means to them―and what they are starting to mean to each other.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- 1250370450
Reader Reviews
March 24, 2026
3.5 stars A fascinating horror story with neo-noir vibes. What stood out most was how unique it felt, blending Brazilian folklore with high-tech elements like our main character’s synthetic limbs. Her tragic backstory was gripping and while the romance wasn’t super developed, it was still sweet. The overarching mystery kept me interested as well. What didn’t work for me was the lack of world-building and how rushed the ending felt. This is such an intriguing world, but the dynamics between guls...
March 18, 2026
Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this amazing opportunity. After LOVING But Not Too Bold, I was so ready for Cabaret in Flames. Set in an alternate Brazil, this story is definitely darker and grittier, and it really stuck with me. I loved how Pueyo handled the “Guls.” They get compared to vampires, but they aren’t exactly that. They have their own society and, like the vampires in Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler, they’re actually born instead of being “made,” and they grow...
May 19, 2026
I received a free early copy from the publisher. This is my honest review. Set in Brazil, this novella explores the dark and dangerous world of guls (a type of vampire). This was both impossible to put down and hard to read because of its subject matter. The two MCs are nuanced and complex, especially for a novella length story. While the plot is relatively straightforward (two characters search for a colleague/friend who mysteriously disappeared), the themes are anything but. I couldn’t stop...
April 3, 2026
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this after finishing it. I was very intrigued by the beginning when we first met Ariadne and Quaint. Guls are human-like flesh eaters, and although Ariadne lost most of her body to them, she's now their doctor. They're not really explained more than that. Once Ariadne and Quaint start on their journey is where I started to get a bit lost in the story. Quaint and Ariadne are growing closer while looking for Eric and uncovering the secrets of his past. This is...
March 22, 2026
So I kind of loved this super weird vampire \"romance\" novella set in modern day Brazil. I read Pueyo's But Not Too Bold last year, and she WENT THERE with a truly monstrous monster romance. Here, she takes on the vampire romance with her own take on vampire lore. Ariadne is a \"gul doctor\" who was rescued, raised, and trained by her mentor, Erik. But Erik disappeared a few years ago, right around the time the Brazilian government established a curfew and roving death squads took to the...
