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The Face Within the Lute

About the Novel: Introduction

M.A. Álvarez

The Face Within the Lute is a short novel centered on the mystery of an enchanted instrument, within which lies a grotesque face. The story unfolds between the sixteenth century and the present day, blending historical elements with a mix of genres: horror, historical fantasy, and suspense.

It is told through three characters, each representing a different type of narrator: Julia, from an omniscient point of view; Luis, as a witness narrator; and the Minstrel, as the protagonist and first-person voice. However, there is a fourth presence that deserves special mention: the lute itself. Its eerie influence weaves through the entire narrative, and the supernatural element is ever-present in this unsettling tale. What truly lies within it?

Cover illustration by M.A. Álvarez

As for the story behind the book, I’d like to share that this novel has traveled a long path before its publication in English in 2025. The opening line, “In the summer of 2014,” marks the year I began writing this story, pouring into it many of the ideas I had at the time. In 2016, the first edition was published in Spanish by a local publisher. A second edition followed in 2018, this time self-published in both digital and print formats. In 2023, the third Spanish edition was released by LACUHE Ediciones, a New York-based publishing house now releasing this English edition.

In this time, the novel has been presented at various literary events in Spain and New York. For one of these events, held in 2019, I built a replica of the lute itself and documented the entire process on this website, in the section titled Bringing the Enchanted Lute Into Reality.

Prepare to discover what lies behind the strings of this enchanted instrument …