RING

Ring concludes Alexis's Quincunx series, which links five novels with a slanted take on a literary genre (pastoral, allegory, romance, noir, and quest) and a modern gaze at spirituality.

From their very first meeting, it would seem that Gwen and Tancred were made for one another. Like all good romances, Ring will bring them together. There is, of course, a wrinkle.

Gwenhwyfar's mother, Helen Odhiambo Lloyd, upon intuiting that her daughter is in love, gives her a ring. This ring has been passed down from endless generations of mothers to their daugh- ters. And maybe the ring is magic. It grants the bearer the oppor-
tunity to change three things about her beloved. Like all blessings, this may also be a curse. Complete with a long narrative poem about Aphrodite, Ring turns the literary romance upside down and shakes out its pockets. It's a playful meditation on the past, on magic, on honor, on faith, and yes, on love.

Following on the heels of Pastoral, Fifteen Dogs, The Hidden Keys, and Days by Moonlight, Ring completes Alexis's Quincunx, a group of five genre-bending, philosophically sophisticated, and utterly delightful novels.

ANDRÉ ALEXIS was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada. In 2017, he received the Windham-Campbell Prize for the body of his work.