The Blood Serpent

About this book

In “The Blood Serpent”, three young women—Adeline, Juliette, and Charlotte—navigate a world of cruelty and repression in 19th-century Paris. Adeline, the abused daughter of a morally bankrupt magistrate, Juliette, a sharp-witted scholar, and Charlotte, a timid soul tormented by her mother’s atrocities, bond over their shared homosexuality and defiance of societal norms. Their fragile camaraderie culminates in a nightmarish trap at the Villemarette Suites, where they are imprisoned in a sealed dining chamber by forces tied to Adeline’s father. Stripped of hope, the trio confronts their grim fate through philosophical discourse, a symbolic same-sex marriage, and ultimately, mutual suicide. The aftermath leaves investigators baffled, with no clear perpetrator, underscoring the systemic oppression that doomed the women. A harrowing tale of trauma, rebellion, and tragic solidarity.

--- **“The Blood Serpent” © 2021 by Thomas Vancura is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.**

Subjects

  • feminist literature
  • gothic
  • lgbtq historical fiction
  • lgbtq short stories
  • literary fiction
  • psychological horror
  • psychological thriller
  • short story