"Egon Schiele's life is revealed through the eyes of the women around him. His single-minded pursuit of his art and his callous self-indulgence lead one of them to madness, another to self-mutilation and an early demise. Yet all pay tribute to his talent."--The New York Times Book Review
"Haydock's stunning debut captures the ecstatic shock of erotic art during the bohemian period of the Vienna Secession . . . Haydock's superb research captures the era's rich atmosphere. This assured effort will leave readers eager to see more from Haydock."
--Publishers Weekly, *starred review*
"Haydock's first novel is beautiful and haunting, breathing life into the stories of painter Egon Schiele and the women who supported him . . . Recommended for general and historical fiction readers." --Library Journal, *starred review*
"The novel is well-researched . . . and the author has an impressive knowledge of Schiele, his works and his milieu, both artistic and historical. It is an engaging read . . . a most impressive work of historical fiction."
--Historical Novels Review
"A glorious success . . . an impressive and highly enjoyable debut . . . an expansive novel of the gaze and the image."--Guardian
"Confident . . . urgent . . . illuminating."--Sunday Times
"Full of scandal, love, betrayal, and heartache."--Cosmopolitan UK
"Completely convincing and utterly compelling, The Flames gives vivid voice to four muses who refuse to be remembered as just that. Haydock is a writer to watch." --Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
"The Flames paints a history so detailed and vivid that we feel we were there in the flesh. A book to get lost in, a great feat of a debut."--DBC Pierre, author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Vernon God Little