By Published On: November 24th, 2024183 words0.9 min read

In 2018, I wrote a short profile about L.S. Harvey and her love of writing. This fall, she published her novel, The Scaena Show. Harvey’s skill for building tension comes through on each page as she crafts dark characters with even darker intentions. The Scaena Show exhibits a theatrical quality filled with themes of universal humanity that balance the horrors of the story. Harvey paints with sharp contrasts as tyranny and structurally-induced naivete battle throughout the plot. The stakes are high at Scaena, and Harvey manages to add to them as the novel advances. Twists and turns keep the reader engaged while the duality of good and evil within each character fosters a savory uncertainty from chapter to chapter. Be prepared to be gleefully appalled as Harvey takes you down a path of deception and iniquity where no justice is welcome. “Normal is what you become used to,” says the book’s protagonist, Candidus. So if you’re looking for a new normal, you can be sure The Scaena Show will transport you there.

Follow L.S. on Instagram @l.s.harvey.