Terror at the Gates

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)