Games

'A complex, beautiful coming-of-age novel...a love story unlike any I've ever read' Ali Hazelwood 'A soulful book about the politics of labor and submission' Raven Leilani When Lili Marwan, a brilliant economics graduate student, has an intense one-night stand with Aleksandr Petrov, a Wall Street banker two decades her senior, her restless mind finally goes calm. At twenty-two, Lili is opinionated beyond her years: whether it's astrology, democratic socialism, veganism, or the ravages of late-stage capitalism. But when a tall, dark stranger buys her a drink in a FiDi bar, she meets her match. Aleksandr is fiercely intelligent, and infuriatingly disarming. He's also two decades older than her, a Capricorn, a neoliberal capitalist, and a strong believer in free markets, having escaped the Soviet Union in its dying days. He challenges her at every turn. And she can't stay away. Over the course of a heady New York City summer, Lili and Aleksandr reach across the divide of their differences, discovering startlingly shared experiences. Their casual arrangement-rough sex, hours where Lili does not need to think-gives way fast to an unexpected intimacy, by turns breathtaking, then devastating. As Lili struggles to understand herself and the complicated threads of her ambition, pain, and desire, she will have to decide: is the risk of loss worth the chance of something more? READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH GAMES 'I was not prepared. This was addicting: tastefully sexy, raw and emotional' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Easily one of my favourite books not just of the year, but of my life. it's not the kind of story you just read and move on from, it sticks with you in a way that almost feels dangerous' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Heart-wrenching, achingly beautiful, and insanely sharp' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Lili and Aleksandr's story is my favourite love story of the year point blank' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A hit for me. I believe I've read it at the exact right time in my life, and I feel like it found something in me that I didn't know existed' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Equal parts a thoughtful and deeply detailed dive into the economics of the world, a literary classic worthy love story, and a deeply respectful and heartwrenching exploration of trauma, growth, and how falling in love can break down personal barriers' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anna Maria Volkova lives and works in New York City. Personal family histories from within the former Soviet Union and the Middle East inform her writing, as do her professional experiences. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, she studied history and political science. GAMES is her debut novel.