Althus is an anarchist, a Phantom Dragon. Vade is a Whisper―an Imperial agent.

Their love was never meant to survive.

In a world of magical empires and the anarchists that would tear them down, A Necessary Chaos is the story of Althus and Vade, assigned to spy on the other by opposing sides. But now that they've both caught feelings, where will their loyalties fall? They must each decide if they'll follow orders or find a way to make their romance thrive beyond the lies.

Part of the Neon Hemlock Novella Series.

Brent Lambert is a storyteller, a dreamer and a hopeless romantic who happens to like a lot of nerdy shit. He will never stop believing in the transformative power of speculative fiction across media formats. As a founding member of FIYAH Literary Magazine, he eventually found himself part of a Hugo Award winning team. He resides in San Diego but spent a lot of time moving around as a military brat. His family roots are in the Cajun country of Louisiana. Coming up, he will be part of the upcoming Black horror anthology All These Sunken Souls. Ask Brent his favorite members of the X-Men and you'll get different answers every time. Ask him his favorite Avatar and the answer is Kyoshi always!

"A Necessary Chaos is a modern epic of enemies-pretending-to-be-lovers with horrifically awesome magic and immaculate vibes. This Is How You Lose The Time War meets Rage Against the Machine." - Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun and The Servant Mage

"A Necessary Chaos is the gay 'spy versus spy' story that I've been waiting for. Short and sharp, this is a powerful jab of a novella: it'll leave you dazed and dizzy and a little bit in love." - C.L. Clark, author of The Unbroken and The Faithless

"Horny and heartbreaking, exhilarating and emotional, A Necessary Chaos is jam-packed with brilliant worldbuilding and stunning character work—heralding the arrival of a major new talent on the SF/F/H scene." - Sam J. Miller, author of Blackfish City and Boys, Beasts and Men

"Proudly anti-imperialist and unapologetically queer, A Necessary Chaos is a sensual action-packed fantasy that doesn't shy away from feelings. Amor vincit omnia—even empires." - Francesca Tacchi, author of Let the Mountains Be My Grave

"I couldn't put A Necessary Chaos down. There's sexiness, romance, action and intrigue; every page brings more surprises. A very fun read." - Eboni Dunbar, author of Stone and Steel