Heavy Metal Symphony

Listed in the Music category on Art In Fiction, Heavy Metal Symphony (2023) by A. K. Palombo is a novel of rock stars, ambition, and finding one’s voice.   Ava Tomei seems to have it all: she’s the lead singer of Buffalo-based symphonic metal band Handel’s Messiah and is in a committed relationship with the band’s keyboard player and brilliant lead composer Killian Sterling. But as the band hits the studio to record their fifth album, Ava and Killian can no longer hide the cracks in their relationship from their bandmates—or from themselves. What started as an artistic collaboration between Ava and Killian six years earlier quickly blooms into a passionate romance. Then, when the original lead singer of Handel’s Messiah—and Killian’s ex-girlfriend—leaves the band right in the middle of the band’s world tour, Killian calls on Ava to fill in. Ava is plunged into the pressures of stepping in to front one of metal’s biggest rising bands amidst fan disappointment, skepticism from her new bandmates, the physical demands of a world tour, and sexism in the metal scene. But she also has the chance to fulfill her wildest dreams, and to do it at the side of the man she loves. Still, as Ava’s desire to express her creativity comes to a head with Killian’s artistic dominance, they are forced to confront whether what they have can be repaired—and what will happen to their band if not. Alyssa Palombo lives and works in Buffalo, NY. She attended Canisius College in Buffalo, where she majored in English and creative writing with a minor in music. She’s a classically trained mezzo-soprano who also dabbles in playing piano. When not writing, she can usually be found reading, hanging out and laughing way too hard at nonsensical inside jokes with friends, traveling (or dreaming of her next travel destination), or at a concert.   Buy Now from Amazon Buy Now from Bookshop Find other novels by Alyssa Palombo on Art In Fiction.