Doncha just love free stuff?  Lilith Saintcrow is offering a free serial novel featuring characters from the übertastic Dante Valentine series.  Here’s the deets from Saintcrow’s latest email… 

Psst! Wanna read a free serial novel?

Readers of the Dante Valentine series will remember their favorite Nichtvren duo, Selene and Nikolai. Plenty of you wrote in wanting to know more about them. Well, back when I was writing for AnotherChapter.com, I did write a book about the deadly duo, illustrated by the awesome Andrzej Karwacki.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Orbit Books and I are offering the book for free in serial form. Chapters will be posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And did I mention it’s free?

Selene

Life isn’t easy for a sexwitch. Even your own body betrays you. It’s bad enough that Selene is part slave to Nikolai, the Prime Power of Saint City, but she’s got her brother Danny and she’s got her job at the college. In the postwar wreckage of an uncertain world, it’s pretty much all she’s ever allowed herself to want.

Then Danny ends up murdered, and Selene finds herself a pawn in a dangerous game. Indentured to a bloodsucking Nichtvren and helpless, told to stop trying to uncover the identity of her brother’s killer, Selene has nowhere to turn. If she’s a good girl, Nikolai will leave her a little bit of freedom. He’ll take care of her, and she’ll be safe–if she obeys.

But Selene hasn’t survived this long by being obedient to her cursed powers, or to the men who buy her time. Her brother was all she had, and now she’s ready to borrow, beg, lie, steal or kill–whatever it takes to avenge him.

And if Nikolai gets in the way, Selene will use every tool in her arsenal to make him regret it…

Enjoy! Comments on the chapters are turned off for obvious reasons, but there’s always the Saint City Street Fair, which has a forum just for Selene.

Enjoy!

This just in…

Lilith Saintcrow, Marjorie Liu, C.E. Murphy, and other urban fantasy/paranormal romance writers will be at the San Diego ComiCon tomorrow. Here’s who is going to be at an absolutely stupendous panel:

“…Lilith Saintcrow will be at Comicon in San Diego! She’ll be on the “Looking at Our World: Eye on the Present” panel along with Kelley Armstrong, L. A. Banks, Kate Brallier, Marjorie M. Liu, C. E. Murphy, Justine Musk, and moderator Samantha Sommersby ( Room 3). That’s a veritable who’s who of urban fantasy stars, so if you’re a fan this is a can’t miss event.”

Here’s the blurb from the ComiCon program:

Friday, July 25th, 1:00-2:00 Looking at Our World: Eye on the Present— Authors discuss how they use the supernatural in stories of contemporary society. Panelists include Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld), L. A. Banks (The Vampire Huntress Legend Series), Kate Brallier (The Boundless Deep), Marjorie M. Liu (The Iron Hunt), C. E. Murphy (The Negotiator Trilogy), Justine Musk (Lord of Bones), Lilith Saintcrow (The Dante Valentine Series), and moderator Samantha Sommersby (Forbidden: The Revolution). Room 3
Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

Read on for more news from Saintcrow’s newsletter (thanks for letting us repeat this, Lilith). Now to find my “I (heart) Japhrimel” t-shirt…

ComiCon!
You read that right, dear Reader: I am going to be at the San Diego ComiCon next week! I’ll be doing a panel on Friday and also signing at the Mysterious Galaxy booth. Then I’ll be wandering around and causing trouble.

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? Although I don’t know how much trouble I can get into…oh, wait. It’s me we’re talking about. I’ll be lucky to engage in a margarita-fueled ramble about publishing. I’m so boring.

New Website!
Come on over to the new website and see the awesomeness! The forum still has a few hiccups and burps, but we’re getting that ironed out too. It’s been a long wait, but I think the new site’s worth it.

Serafim
At ComiCon, I’m going to have a few copies of Serafim, Issues 1 & 2. While most of them are for marketing purposes (hey, I’ve got to keep Josh alive and eating long enough to finish both Serafim, and Steelflower, and a couple other projects), if you show up dressed like a character from one of my books OR wearing an I (Heart) Japhrimel T-shirt, you just might score a free signed comic book. How awesome is that?

Strange Angels
I’m pleased and proud to announce that I’ve sold a YA trilogy, Strange Angels, to Penguin/Razorbill. (Actually, it was my agent who sold it, if we’re being honest.) It means a lot of work this summer, but I’m thrilled to the gills to be working on something so awesome.

I’m also writing the fourth installment in the Jill Kismet series. Book 2, Hunter’s Prayer, will be out on September 1.Like I said, it’s going to be a busy summer. Stay cool out there, dear Readers!

Next stop, ComiCon!

T-Shirts
Speaking of T-shirts…there’s new I (Heart) Japhrimel T-shirts, and Oh, Sekhmet sa’es! shirts, now available through CafePress. The UnSullen One is even now working on some more hush-hush supercool designs, so further bulletins as events warrant.

Consider yourself flashed…

Liviania’s review of Hotter Than Hell by Tanya Huff, Marjorie M. Liu, Cheyenne McCray, L.A. Banks, Susan Krinard, Keri Arthur, Heidi Betts, Lilith Saintcrow, Susan Sizemore, Denise Little, Carrie Vaughn, Linda Winstead Jones, and Kim Harrison
Urban fantasy/paranormal romance anthology released by Harper 24 June 08

With Hotter than Hell, HarperCollins goes in a somewhat different direction from their previous Hell anthologies. These are erotic short stories rather than novellas. It’s worth picking up if you’re very fond of one of the authors or wish to experience several of the authors’ work before buying their series. While all of the stories are well-written and none are truly awful, many of the stories are forgettable or unsatisfying.

Music Hath Charms by Tanya Huff

Bedford Entertainment music executive Ali wants to sign the band NoMan before her longtime, more corporate rivals from Vital Records. But there’s more at stake than money, because NoMan’s frontmen possess a power that manifests in their music. This urban fantasy story is one of the best in the anthology, but some readers may be uncomfortable with the content. There are orgies, menage, and gay and bisexual characters.

Grade: B+

Minotaur in Stone by Marjorie M. Liu

Liu is an author that constantly almost wows me. She explores various intriguing themes in Minotaur in Stone and describes everything with beautiful imagery. However, the tantalizing short story is hampered by a sketchy heroine. Too little is known about her to really fall into her mind – her past is hinted at but never partially explained (which could explain, in turn, some of the story elements) and the description of her is so thin she doesn’t even have a name. It’s a sharp contrast to the detail given to the Minotaur’s story, especially given that this is her story.

Grade: C+

Demon Lover by Cheyenne McCray

Aedan the incubus comes to women at night, leaving them unsatisfied until they offer their souls to him. Now he has fallen in love with his latest victim Ericka. McCray is competent, but the story lacks originality.

Grade: C

Equinox by L. A. Banks

I’ve tried many times to enjoy Banks’ Vampire Hunter series, but never could. I didn’t expect to like this story, especially because it uses one of my least favorite set-ups. (Woman remains virgin for a long time and decides to give it up almost instantly upon meeting the right man.) Therefore I was very surprised to discover that this is my favorite story of the anthology. Greek goddess Artemis returns to present-day Earth, horrified by what humans are doing to the environment. As she and her nymphs teach various CEOs a lesson, the government dispatches a group of soldiers to stop the ecoterrorists. But Vincent and his men are about to discover something very strange. It’s slightly trippy but oh-so-good.

Grade: A-

Ride A Dark Horse by Susan Krinard

While recovering from her divorce on a ranch, Catalina literally meets the man from her dreams. But why is Andrés so interested? Ride A Dark Horse has a good atmosphere, slightly spooky and very Western. The heroine is a bit too willing to wander about unfamiliar woods at night, but it’s a decent story.

Grade: C

To Die For by Keri Arthur

Grace Rioli and Ethan Garrison, a wolf shifter and a werewolf, are dispatched to a small town to solve the murder of a couple of adolescent boys. It’s a good mystery until the author suddenly points out a flaw in the logic used to reach the solution at the end. It weakens the story and might not have if considered earlier by the characters.

Grade: B-

Curse of the Dragon’s Tears by Heidi Betts

Laura Tomescu dreams of the man her grandmother cursed. Now she has gone to Dougal McKay’s castle to free him. The story draws some of its inspiration from the Beauty and the Beast tale. Another enjoyable but largely forgettable entry.

Grade: C-

Brother’s Keeper by Lilith Saintcrow

Selene receives a call from Danny, her brother, that sends her running to his side only to find him murdered. Saintcrow quickly develops interesting characters and background, but then she drops the ball. There’s no resolution to the romance or to the mystery. Brother’s Keeper reads like the first chapters of a novel, not like a short story. Where’s the rest?

Grade: C-

(Like A) Virgin of the Spring by Susan Sizemore and Denise Little

Time travel, psychics, and the Matter of Britain all in one short story. Psychic Ginger’s team got lost in the past, but Bern’s team has come to the rescue. (Like A) Virgin of the Spring starts slow, but has some neat ideas and it’s fun to play spot-the-Arthurian-reference. Might not be for those who don’t have at least a cursory knowledge of the Matter of Britain.

Grade: C

Life is the Teacher by Carrie Vaughn

This story is the only one I completely forgot. The second time I read it I had to get several pages in before I remembered anything about it. Emma is a new vampire adjusting to her way of life as she encounters old boyfriend Chris. Vaughn’s writing is fine but the story is too slight, even for a short. I’m already forgetting Emma and her world again.

Grade: C-

Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison

I love Kim Harrison’s novels, but her novellas and short stories are far weaker. Dirty Magic follows Mia, a banshee (similar to a psychic vampire in the story), as she visits old lover Tom and seeks energy for her daughter. The ending has a nice twist that makes me like the story, but it could fit much better tonally.

Grade: B-

Overall grade: C

The Summary:

Beyond the boundaries of the everyday is an unseen realm where anything you imagine is possible. Your demon lover is waiting for you in the shadows, ready to fulfill your secret wishes and most dangerous fantasies. Here passion has a face and form both titillating and terrifying—and love has teeth and claws. Get ready to give in to your craving for something exquisitely dark . . . and different.

Hotter Than Hell gathers together a baker’s dozen of today’s boldest and best authors of supernatural fiction and paranormal romance in a breathtaking anthology that blends black magic with red-hot desire. From the tantalizing tale of a conflicted psychic vampire driven by a powerful, savage love to the strange saga of a Greek warrior woman battling to save the world, these are stories outside the limits, as hypnotic as the full moon . . . and hotter than the sun.

Gwen’s review of To Hell and Back (Dante Valentine, Book 5) by Lilith Saintcrow
Futuristic paranormal published 1 Jan 08 by Orbit

I hesitated to start this book. I knew it was the last in the series and I didn’t want the magic to end. I wanted my visit to Dante and Japhrimel’s worlds to go on and on. Well, I hesitated about half a day. I just had to see what happened next.

Reading this series has been a mixture of fun, creepiness, tears, and excitement. To say I liked it is not saying near enough. It’s one of those series of books that just stays with me. I’m not one to read a book twice unless it is stupendously interesting. I’ll make an exception for this series.

In these books, Saintcrow has created a world that is lavish in detail. It has history and mythos, technology that’s woven into the fabric of the story, all giving the world a rich taste, smell, and texture that I’ve only experienced before in Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. This is especially evident during the visceral descriptions of Dante’s fight scenes – you literally wince when something hurts her, like a demon, or hellhound, or ghost, or fellow necromance…

There are no simplistic resolutions to be found in this last book. Saintcrow ties off several plotlines and leaves some dangling. By telling the story from Dante’s point of view, the reader never knows more than Dante, and Danny is left with some still unanswered questions at the end. How it evolves, though, is fascinating. Dante, whom Japhrimel nicknamed “my curious” because she had to know everything, arrives at a certain peace with not knowing everything. And because she’s at peace with that, the reader is as well.

There isn’t much I can say about the book other than, “you must read it.” I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fiction, and particularly to anyone who likes urban, paranormal sci-fi. The romance between Dante and Japhrimel is surprising, tender, cruel, and loving – everything we know love can be at times. All of this is woven into a tremendous story. Don’t miss this series.

Grade: A

Blurb:

     Fifth and final book of the Dante Valentine series

     Plot. Counterplot. Betrayal. Intrigue. When you’re working for the Devil, it’s all par for the course. You just have to live with it. Right?
Wrong. When you’re Danny Valentine and the Devil double-crosses you one too many times, there’s only one thing to do. Fight back. No matter how hopeless it is. No matter how suicidal it is. No matter how far the game is rigged in the Devil’s favor.
Welcome to Hell.

     Read an excerpt.

Read my review of Book 3, The Devil’s Right Hand, here and my review of Book 4, Saint City Sinners, here.  Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Saint City Sinners (Dante Valentine, Book 4) by Lilith Saintcrow
Futuristic Urban Fantasy released by Orbit 1 Nov 07

It’s nearly impossible to review a Dante Valentine novel on its own.  Each of the now four books is dependent on the others.  I also recommend reading the glossary before you start.  Yes, the glossary and I heard some of you groaning out there. Remember, Saintcrow hasn’t created a small world here.  It’s complex and about 100 years in the future with magic, weres, nichtvren (vampires), demons, witches, psychics, humans, and myriad other beings all living together. This alternate world fits over what we know like a loose framework.  Like one of those crocheted ponchos you wore as a kid, you can see what’s underneath but you were still covered.  It’s truly fascinating and has some interesting political and religious differences. 

In this book, Dante continues on rocky footing with Japhrimel – her Fallen Demon.  They love each other, and Japh will do quite literally anything to keep Danny safe, including things that make her hate him.  I keep reminding myself that he’s demon not human, so his motivation is a mystery to an extent.  Toward the end of the book we find out more about why he must keep Dante alive. I’m still not sure if it’s because he loves her, or for selfish reasons, or both.  It’s a conundrum I hope is resolved in Book 5.

Saintcrow’s characters have lives of immense proportions.  They’re fighting life and death struggles every day, making small steps forward, bigger steps back.  For example, there’s a rebellion in Hell – or, what we think of as Hell since it’s Lucifer’s domain – and the politics of this has dragged Dante and Japh into a fight that is not their own, but one they cannot avoid. It must be dealt with if they’re to stay alive.

By the end of this book, Dante has had enough.  She burns for revenge.  Longs for it.  Lives for it.  She has reached the end of her patience and is ready to take the fight to her enemy(ies).  Just as she reaches critical mass, Lucifer brings her to him and says, “Come in, Dante.  Sit down. Let us better understand each other.”  Chills went up my spine when I read that.  And it’s the last line in the book.  Talk about a cliffhanger!

Saintcrow has penned another true piece of literature with Saint City Sinners.  I haven’t felt like this about a series since I read Herbert’s original Dune books.  I can not wait for the next and supposedly last (gosh I hope not) entry in this series, To Hell and Back (Book 5), releasing 1 Jan 08.  I’m going to re-read the series in order, just to get into the flow of the story again.  It is, quite simply, riveting.

Grade: A

Read my review of Book 3, The Devil’s Right Hand.

Blurb:

Saint City has always been Dante Valentine’s home. It’s where she grew up, it’s where her dead are buried, and it’s where she learned to hunt.

Now, one call from an old friend will bring her back to investigate a murder too close to home for anyone’s comfort. But the one person she trusted has just betrayed her.

Sometimes revenge is best served demon-hot…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of The Devil’s Right Hand (Dante Valentine, Book 3) by Lilith Saintcrow
Futuristic paranormal urban sci-fi so-not-your-normal-romance published 1 Sep 07 by Orbit

This series is not normal.  And I am BIG TIME glad it isn’t.  It combines science fiction, urban fantasy, futuristic, paranormal and romance all in one (or five) package.  The main character is a bounty hunter and necromancer named Dante Valentine.  She leads a dangerous life tracking down the bad guys and, sometimes, slicing them up. 

Dante, Danny to her friends, has fallen in love with a demon named Japhrimel, the Devil’s eldest child and his assassin.  Japh, thru his love of Dante, has “fallen” and lost some of his demon-ness.  At the same time, he made Dante a bit of a demon herself so that she could fight the bad guys and not be “damaged.”  These books are about Dante’s complicated personal and professional life, her unusual but so satisfying love affair with Japh, and acts as a primer on how to negotiate with the damned.  It’s an all around good time that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the genres (yay!).

We start this book with Dante and Japh living in a villa in what would be today’s Italy.  They live a quiet, peaceful life and are constantly in each other’s company.  What occurs in the first two novels is a large part of this book.  I wouldn’t recommend reading RIGHT HAND without reading the other books first.  Too much happens that sets up events for this book.

Saintcrow may as well be writing history books – her world-building is so complete you feel like it exists.  Her primary and secondary characters are full, complex, three-dimensional beings that stay true to their personalities.  The fight action sequences are so well written you’re there, watching it as if it were a movie.  The love affair between Dante and Japhrimel is intricate and gratifying, and you so want them to have it - they really complete each other.

This book is a “mid-story” book.  It covers an important part of the story, but you meet it and leave it mid-stream.  It’s critical to read if you’re interested in the series but not one I’d read on its own.  There were several times the love story brought tears to my eyes, and this was not the first time in this series.  The story is complex, rich in detail, and full of complicated emotions.  There is no happy ending, but it’s not a bummer either - it’s not your classic romance, though there is undoubtedly a romance.

I really love this series.  I am totally transported each time I read one of these books.  Thanks, Lilith!!

Grade: A

Blurb:

Dante Valentine is not a happy camper. She’s just signed away seven years of her life—and her partner’s—to hunt down four rogue demons that have escaped from hell. Maybe she’ll find them. Maybe they’ll find her. Nobody said it was easy being the Devil’s right hand.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series: