Terror at the gates

Lilith, daughter of House Leviathan, was a sheltered child until she fled to Nineveh, a city of sinners, after her magic emerged, discovering that she could manipulate the sex drive of people who lusted for her. She uses her magic to bespell her targets until they relinquish whatever artifact attracts her--along with truths they didn't intend to share--and sells those artifacts for rent money. Unfortunately, the latest artifact she acquired, a gem-studded dagger, keeps returning to her. Plus, everyone who handles the dagger--everyone except her and Zahariev, head of the Zareth family--has died abruptly. Lilith attempts to navigate the dagger's mystery while securing a new job and trying, with various levels of success, to protect her friends from the ongoing intrigue and abusive clergy. She's also avoiding the arranged marriage her parents have planned to reassert their dominance and fighting the expectations of the patriarchy. This reinvention of Lilith's tale smoothly blends biblical lore, magic, and modern technology into a powerful beginning for St. Clair's (A Touch of Chaos, 2024) Blood of Lilith series.

In this sumptuous and steamy dark fantasy, bestseller St. Clair (A Touch of Chaos) reimagines Eden as an intensely patriarchal, über-religious society where men reign over women despite the fact that only women can use magic. Lilith, daughter of one of Eden's five ruling families, flees her father's district for Ninevah, the seedy entertainment district under the rule of Zahariev Zareth. Determined to make her own way, she relies on her power over men's desire to steal the things she needs--but, for some reason, gorgeous Zahariev is constantly in her path and swooping in to clean up her messes. Her exploits also draw dangerous attention from the Archbishop, who rules all of Eden with a corrupt fist. After Lilith steals a beautiful and mysterious dagger and people around her start dying, she begins to tune into the rumblings about church corruption and whispered stories of the old gods, all while finally facing her extreme childhood trauma at the hands of the church. A somewhat convoluted ending leaves many questions open for future books and the intense pain in Lilith's backstory makes this not for the faint of heart, but St. Clair's many fans will relish the introspective exploration of healing after sexual assault, living in life's gray areas, and women reclaiming both power and rage. It's a promising series launch. (July)