A Globe and Mail and New York Times Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book
An Amazon.ca Best Book
“An epic page-turner. Davidson’s writing is so vivid and graphic, it will give you the chills.”
—People
“There is an admirable clarity to his prose, a careful avoidance of the kind of turgid or melodramatic sentences one finds in lesser writers. . . . The Gargoyle does not disappoint. . . . Sweeping, intergenerational, wholly implausible, unapologetically melodramatic, and absolutely absorbing. . . . Impossible to put down."
—The Globe and Mail
“Following close behind David Wroblewski's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader, The Gargoyle is another in this summer's extraordinary series of million-dollar debuts from unknown writers that combine elements of mystery and mysticism. . . . I dare you to read this without flinching. It's as engrossing as it is gruesome, the kind of horror you watch with one eye closed.”
—The Washington Post
"Seductive. . . . The free-range erudition of books like Possession and The Name of the Rose come to mind. Mr. Davidson binds them together with vigorous and impressive narrative skill."
—The New York Times
"An extraordinary first novel. . . . The work of a talented and imaginative new writer."
—Daily Telegraph
"Captivating and romantic, The Gargoyle melds modern cynicism and swashbuckling history."
—The Denver Post
“You want to be lost in its pages, immersed in the unfolding tale of the human gargoyle and a flesh and blood wraith. In the final analysis, the real tragedy of this book is that it ends.”
—New York Daily News
"Utterly refreshing: Davidson set out to write an entertaining and unforgettable novel, undeterred by the withering biases of prize juries in this country, a novel that people—a lot of people—will want to read."
—Edmonton Journal
“Mr. Davidson paints an engaging if not scintillating tableau.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“It's wildly romantic, a la Diana Gabaldon, but anchored by a 21st-century sensibility that owes more to Chuck Palahniuk.”
—Winnipeg Free Press
“In the first 4 1/2 pages of The Gargoyle, it's clear that Davidson can spin an electrifying yarn.”
—The Vancouver Sun
“A wild page-turner and a boldly impudent work that flirts with the trappings of gothic romances, historical novels and fantasies while skirting their clichés and remaining defiantly unique.”
—Edmonton Sun
"Undeniably a hot book, one likely to ignite the passion of anyone who loves a mix of romance and the macabre. . . . A spectacularly imaginative journey."
—The Washington Post Book World
“Davidson’s debut is storytelling at its finest, featuring a lively assortment of characters and events that combine in a gripping drama that will keep readers’ attention through the very last page. An essential summer book; highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
"A truly wonderful read that reveals an extensive imagination and somehow manages to read like a modern, flowing sonnet, but remains accessible."
—The Independent Weekly
“[A] deliriously ambitious debut novel.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
"I was blown away by Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle. . . . A hypnotic, horrifying, astonishing novel that manages, against all odds, to be redemptive."
—Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants
“After 44 years of reading anything I could get my hands on, including Moby Dick, reading Andrew Davidson’s debut novel made me feel as if I were done. The Gargoyle had it all—all I’d ever wanted or needed from a book. . . . [The] characters are rich and knowing, the imagery breathtaking, the voice and rhythm unfailing.”
—The Raabe Review
