Alexandra Wendt
Writer of historically inspired fantasy with grit and hope.
About
Alexandra
Alexandra writes fantasy novels inspired by historical settings. After graduating with a BA in English and art history, she made it to Florence, Italy. There, she pursued her MA in Italian Renaissance art with a focus on fifteenth-century Siena and Florence and pictorial representations of sainthood and mysticism. She now uses her degree to influence her stories. She lives in northern Italy with her husband and son.
Her debut novel, Of Constellations and Clockwork (The Stelnove Saga 1), is available to read in part on Substack in preparation for its re-release and the release of the sequel, Of Ruins and Repentance. Learn more about this clockpunk fantasy inspired by Renaissance Italy below.
Of
Constellations
& Clockwork
“Wendt’s “clockpunk” (an offshoot of the steampunk genre) novel introduces a world of whirling gears, mechanical owls, and political intrigue where the Renaissance never ended….Clemenza’s hatred of the nobility and desperation to restore her family’s status makes for a deeply conflicted and compelling hero.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
Follow the pre-launch page for the Kickstarter for special edition covers of books 1 and 2 of The Stelnove Saga before it goes live in June!
Cover pictured above is the retail cover. Special edition covers to come. :) Graphic by Brianna de Man, character art by Meileen.
A team doomed to fail their heist and betray each other.
A city on the verge of tearing itself apart from the inside.
The System of Values that once guided society—gone.
Book 1 of The Stelnove Saga follows Clemenza Giudice, a noble-turned-clockmaker who is hired to steal illicit experiments for a chance to regain her family’s nobility. Joining her is a group at odds—her rival clockmaker, a smuggler and his compatriots, and a handsome but insufferable architect with secrets of his own. Their Dantesque journey forces them to reckon with their wrongs and the very values their society rejected in the Raids long ago.
Now, in Book 2, civil war is stirring. Clemenza, Gianpaolo, and their unexpected friends are in more danger than ever since their mission. But threats won't stop them from uniting under the Values and with each other to stop Ludovico, save Selvascura, and finally submit to doing what’s right.
The story will continue in books 3 and 4…
Some of you might know that Of Constellations and Clockwork was successfully funded here with my old publisher, Story-weaver Publishing. When the publisher suddenly shut down, book two’s Kickstarter campaign did too. Until now!
Like the crumbling ruins of Selvascura, this is a project that merits rebuilding, and thanks to you this is possible. I am choosing to embark on an indie publishing journey, and by backing this Kickstarter you are helping me take the book through developmental edits, line edits, proofreading, formatting, cover design, copyright registration, and of course paying the incredible artists I’m collaborating with on rewards. For the new edition, Book 1 will also receive a new cover and feature some minor content changes from my formatter.
Unique to this campaign too are special edition hardcover versions of Books 1 and 2 with illustrated endpaper and printed edges.
Including Book 1 in this campaign highlights the reversion of its rights from my old publisher to me, keeps the series and its covers unified, and gives a deserved, fresh start to The Stelnove Saga!
More about Of Constellations and Clockwork...
A city-state crumbling into ruins.
An ancient system of values torn down.
The noble families who upheld it, erased.
Clemenza Giudice, a dispossessed noble-turned-clockmaker, has one goal: do whatever it takes to regain her family’s social status. Even if it costs her soul. So when she is asked to steal an illicit piece of technology for the man who took everything from her, Clemenza negotiates in hopes of saving her family from utter ruin.
But people are harder to control than clocks. And now she’s stuck on a journey into the heart of a dangerous capital rumored to hide illegal experiments with corrupted aether. Her companions include her rival clockmaker, an ostentatious smuggler, his sister enslaved at a pleasure house, his apprenticed thief, and a handsome architect who harbors many secrets.
The true cost of helping her family might mean becoming like the man who ruined them, no matter the guilt she may feel. In an Italian Renaissance-inspired world, Clemenza and her companions must pursue their own interests—or protect their broken society, where betrayal, theft, and murder flourish.
Interested in more content?
check out my Substack below:
A home for those seeking true joy through authenticity...who seek the light in even the darkest moments...who want the fulfillment of truth, beauty, and goodness.
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