Bloodshot

by Cherie Priest

  PRAISE FOR CHERIE PRIEST’S

  BLOODSHOT

  “Witty, fast-paced, and fabulous, Bloodshot is a refreshing addition to the urban fantasy genre. Priest’s darkly hilarious tale will leave readers anxious for more adventures with the charmingly neurotic Raylene and her unlikely entourage. A vastly entertaining read!” —JEANIENE FROST,

  New York Times bestselling author of This Side of the Grave

  “With Bloodshot, Priest catapults the kick-ass urban fantasy heroine into the realm of the truly bad-ass. Raylene’s fascinating mix of the old ultra-violence with snark and self-deprecation had me riveted. The combination of such an interesting character with a plot that continually out-thunk me makes Bloodshot one of my favorite reads this year.” —NICOLE PEELER, author of Tempest’s Legacy

  “Cherie Priest’s urban fantasy debut is a fun, fast-paced adventure with a dash of romance and a heaping scoop of conspiracy. I’m looking forward to more, especially if Sister Rose is onstage.” —LUCY A. SNYDER, author of Shotgun Sorceress

  “Bloodshot is, hands down, my favorite urban fantasy book of 2010. By turns frightening, funny, and fabulous, it was a joy to read and damn near impossible to put down. It’s a ton of fun, brim-full of Cherie’s wonderful, quirky voice and deliciously twisted imagination. More, please!” —KAT RICHARDSON, author of Labyrinth

  “Cherie Priest delivers a fantastic urban fantasy that takes us back to the genre’s noir roots and proves there’s still new blood to be found in old tropes. The engrossing, complex mystery and smart, refreshing heroine makes this one a must-read for genre fans!” —KELLY MEDING, author of Another Kind of Dead

  AND FOR HER PREVIOUS NOVELS

  DREADNOUGHT

  “An intimate, well-crafted portrait of a nurse on a mission adds depth to this exceptional Civil War steampunk thriller.… The battles and intrigue are entertaining, but the real draw is Priest’s latest no-nonsense heroine, who comes equipped with a full measure of sharp judgment and brutal competence as well as a nurse’s kind (but not saintly) heart.” —Publishers Weekly, starred reivew

  CLEMENTINE

  “The moral complexity of the novel elevates it above pure escapism, and adds depth to the chase adventure.… Priest has once again constructed a fascinating and fun-as-hell narrative, a worthy addition to her Clockwork Century.” —SF Site

  “An intriguing yarn that is excellently paced … strong and compelling … Clementine will certainly appeal to fans of steampunk and alternate history, and the interesting characters might also attract casual readers.” —San Francisco Book Review

  “Piracy meets politics head-on in this steampunk thriller.… Explosive battle scenes, riveting action, and a sharp-eyed examination of the mistrust between Croggon’s all-black crew and very white, very Southern Maria play out in a desperate race against the clock.” —Publishers Weekly

  “An over-the-top romp driven by pirates, aerial battles, revenge, conspiracies, secret weapons, and a forced alliance between deadly enemies … There are cliffhangers aplenty, and the world Priest has set up is a promising one, but the book’s real attraction is the well-realized portrayal of [Maria Isabelle] Boyd, who is as resourceful, charming, and dangerous as she was in real life.” —Scifi Magazine

  “Effective on all counts, smart and strong and written at a breakneck pace, Clementine is the best kind of fun reading. Priest [also] gives readers … two memorable characters who are so incredibly above average and unique from standard tropes that one wonders why it has taken so long for anyone to write this kind of book.” —Bookslut

  “Manages to pack in all the steampunk goodness you could ask for. In its 200 action-packed pages it manages to cram in airships, pirates, Gatling guns, and an improbable super weapon. It’s fast moving and fun, with a fast-paced plot and endearing characters.” —SFRevu

  BONESHAKER

  “Maternal love faces formidable challenges in this stellar steampunk tale.… Intelligent, exceptionally well written and showcasing a phenomenal strong female protagonist who embodies the complexities inherent in motherhood, this yarn is a must-read for the discerning steampunk fan.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Priest has a knack for instantly creating quirky, likable, memorable characters that keep the goings-on interesting even when no one’s under fire or in danger of being eaten.… And setting the steampunk technology at the fringe of the American frontier gives a refreshing spin to a concept now being mined commercially for every possible nugget of bookstore gold.” —The Roanoke Times

  “Zombies, steam-powered technology, airships, pirates, and mad scientists—what more could you want? How about great storytelling, compelling characters, and an interesting plot? Priest combines all of these things and somehow even more.” —Library Journal

  “[Boneshaker gives] richly defined characters a real world to inhabit, no matter how fantastic the story. Add excellent characterization and a concept second to none, and Boneshaker proves to be one of 2009’s best novels and is not to be missed.” —Fantasy Magazine

  “The fast pace of the narrative with its memorable battle scenes and snappy, clever dialogue will keep you hooked and not wanting to put the book down, and once you have finished it you will certainly be left wanting more.” —The Book Zone (for Boys)

  “Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker is a veritable grab bag of subgenre tropes. But, fortunately, it’s far less about clockwork and brass than it is about human adaptability and the shifting nature of the American Dream.” —i09.com

  “Boneshaker is a cross-genre book that should be sought out by readers of fantasy and horror alike. It’s consistently inventive and entertaining. It’s also well written and a hell of a lot of fun to read.” —Chiaroscuro

  “A mash-up of action, history and science that is everything good about steampunk while maintaining a decidedly original Pacific Northwest twist. If you like the genre, you’ll love this and if you’ve been worried that it’s getting stale or trendy then you will be thrilled with Priest’s way of taking the formula and turning it inside out.… Give Cherie Priest fifteen minutes of your time, trust me—you won’t look back.” —Bookslut

  “A fast-moving story filled with cool steampunk technology and scary zombies. Fans of science fiction will find much to enjoy here. An impressive and auspicious genre-hopping adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews

  “Riveting adventure story; great characters; perfectly captures the flavors of the steampunk and zombie subgenres. [It’s got] a great hook; a steampunk/zombie mash-up is instantly appealing. The question is whether it can last the length of a novel. In short: absolutely. Boneshaker simply pulls you in and doesn’t let go.” —SF Signal

  “Think The Wild Wild West meets Fallout (a videogame series) meets George Romero.… The story was a lot of fun, the setting was creative, and I cared about the characters.… In short, I immensely enjoyed Boneshaker and can’t wait to read more books in the Clockwork Century series.” —Fantasy Book Critic

  “There are plenty of alternate Civil War novels, but none quite like Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker.… A fantastic whirlwind tour of an alternate history and a steampunk version of The Lord of the Flies.” —BookPage

  “If anyone can force steampunk into the mainstream reader’s consciousness, it is Cherie Priest.… This world’s texture is luscious and deep—and it will be interesting to see what happens in it next.” —Locus

  FATHOM

  “Equal parts horror, contemporary fantasy and apocalyptic thriller … Priest’s haunting lyricism and graceful narrative are complemented by the solemn, cynical thematic undercurrents with a tangible gravity and depth. This is arguably her most ambitious—and accomplished—work to date.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Priest masterfully weaves a complex t
apestry of interlocking plots, motivations, quests, character arcs and background stories to produce an exquisitely written novel with a rich and lush atmosphere.” —Montreal Gazette

  “Fathom is an odd gumbo of disparate ingredients, containing elements reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing comic and Stephen King’s most recent novel, Duma Key. It is, however, its own unique thing, an atmospheric war between elemental beings. Priest does a good job of coordinating the action sequences, making dangerously unstable Bernice and down-to-earth Nia a formidable set of antagonists.” —San Francisco Chronicle

  “[Priest’s] creative vision is unlike anything else in contemporary fantasy.” —Booklist

  “[Priest] again demonstrates her keen eye for detail and ambiance as she re-creates an enchanting part of America as the setting for a tale of horror of biblical proportions.” —Library Journal

  “Pleasantly offbeat, with plenty of vivid, compelling action sequences.” —Kirkus Reviews

  THOSE WHO WENT REMAIN THERE STILL

  “Priest’s tightly constructed novel qualifies as a ‘weird Western,’ in the tradition of Joe R. Lansdale’s early work, Nancy Collins’ Walking Wolf, George R.R. Martin’s Fevre Dream and Emma Bull’s Territory.… According to her introduction, the author’s mother refused to read this book because it was too strange and scary. That’s a good enough recommendation for me.” —Rocky Mountain News

  “Cherie Priest continues her exploration of place and America’s ghostly history. Her stories and novels are exquisite in the way they tap into our national consciousness.… Priest is not to be missed and this is certainly one of her best pieces of work to date.” —Bookslut

  DREADFUL SKIN

  “Dreadful Skin’s design is carefully crafted to evoke the penny dreadfuls and melodramas so popular in the nineteenth century, [but] Priest is tackling classic genre questions that feature prominently in such nineteenth-century speculative works as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus and Bram Stoker’s Dracula: What separates humans from monsters? How well can we control our beastly instincts? Like her genre forebears, Priest doesn’t offer any easy answers, and her work is all the more memorable as a result.” —Strange Horizons

  “While there is still no archetypal werewolf novel in the way Dracula serves for vampires, Dreadful Skin comes closer in my opinion to demonstrating just how seductive and soul-destroying lycanthropy could be.” —Weird Tales

  “[Priest] is already a strong voice in dark fantasy and could, with care, be a potent antidote for much of what is lacking elsewhere in the genre this decade.” —Rambles

  “A smash bang of a story; a tale that draws readers in from the very beginning and keeps you turning pages long into the night … This one crosses all the genre lines and soundly delivers on the promise of good storytelling. A reader could not ask for anything more from a fiction writer, and Cherie Priest, thankfully, has given us her best.” —Bookslut

  “A werewolf-hunting nun, characters portrayed with empathy and skill, Gorey-esque illustrations, high adventure, and pathos—there’s nothing to dislike about Dreadful Skin. Absolutely nothing.” —JESS NEVINS, author of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana

  “When one must become a monster in order to kill a monster, can the hunt still be justified? This book raises tantalizing philosophical questions about good and evil as well as the roles of hunter and prey.” —Publishers Weekly

  FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

  “Southern Gothic at its best. An absorbing mystery told with humour and bite.” —KELLEY ARMSTRONG, bestselling author of the Women of the Otherworld series

  “Cherie Priest has created a chilling page-turner in her debut novel. Her voice is rich, earthy, soulful, and deliciously southern as she weaves a disturbing yarn like a master! Awesome—gives you goosebumps!” —L.A. BANKS, bestselling author of the Vampire Huntress Legend series

  “Breathlessly readable, palpably atmospheric, and compellingly suspenseful, Four and Twenty Blackbirds is a considerable debut. It’s written with great control and fluency, and it looks like the start of quite a career.” —RAMSEY CAMPBELL, World Horror Grand Master

  “Spooky and engrossing, this revenge play is as sticky as a salmagundi made from blood and swamp dirt. Priest can write scenes that are jump-out-of-your-skin scary. This is the first installment in what I can only hope will be a long and terrifying friendship.” —CORY DOCTOROW, author of Makers

  “Fine writing, humor, thrills, real scares, the touch of the occult … had me from the first page. I read straight through. An absolutely wonderful debut, and a book not to be missed.” —HEATHER GRAHAM, New York Times bestselling author of the Bone Island trilogy

  “Wonderful. Enchanting. Amazing and original fiction that will satisfy that buttery Southern taste, as well as that biting aftertaste of the dark side. I loved it.” —JOE R. LANSDALE, Stoker and Edgar award-winning author of The Bottoms

  “Cherie Priest kicks ass! Four and Twenty Blackbirds is lush, rich, intense, and as dark and dangerous as a gator-ridden swamp.” —MAGGIE SHAYNE, New York Times bestselling author of Kiss me, Kill Me

  “A remarkably assured debut, a creepy modern-day Southern gothic that doesn’t rely on cliché but delivers an emotional, powerful tale of self-discovery and the supernatural.” —San Francisco Chronicle

  “Ghost stories are a dime a dozen, so it’s especially satisfying when one comes along that makes you forget all the others you’ve read, and sucks you into the narrative so completely that you’ll stay up all night finishing it because you can’t wait to find out what happens next—and because you’re too creeped out to go to sleep.… A stunning debut novel, one that displays the finely-honed prose and tightly-drawn characterizations of a master craftsman.” —Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show

  “What do you get when you weave together a ghost story, a voodoo mystery, a family curse, a sharp-tongued protective aunt, a murderous young man intent on doing ‘God’s Will,’ and a bullheaded young woman determined to learn her origins? The answer: Four and Twenty Blackbirds, a fantastic debut novel by Cherie Priest that leads the reader on a merry chase down a not-so-primrose path from her home in Tennessee to the desolation of a condemned insane asylum, and finally to a fetid swamp in Florida.… Close the doors, turn off the phone, get a glass of sweet tea and settle into your favorite reading chair. This is one you’re not going to want to put down.” —Black Gate magazine

  “Priest kills as a stylist. Debut novel? You could have fooled me. Four and Twenty Blackbirds feels like it was written by an author with the assurance and experience of already having many books under her belt.… The narrator’s voice is pitch-perfect, the cast wonderfully eccentric and realized, the plot suitably puzzling and steeped in mystery, and that setting.… In other words, the book has everything going for it and you should definitely pick up a copy to see for yourself.” —CHARLES DE LINT, Fantasy and Science Fiction

  “The classic Southern gothic gets an edgy modern makeover in Priest’s debut novel [and] Eden is a heroine for the aging Buffy crowd.” —Publishers Weekly

  WINGS TO THE KINGDOM

  “This is an excellent work, rich in local flavor, nicely steeped in goosebumps, and filled with characters you want to know more about. Well done.” —Bookgasm

  “The plot, which begins slowly by setting the stage, builds a roiling crescendo and climaxes in an explosive scene at the top of the tower at the battlefield’s edge. The flamboyant mix of ghosts, the preternatural Old Green Eyes, and murder keeps one on edge.” —Booklist

  “A consummately crafted novel that is neither fish nor fowl, but simply a wonderfully written tale of imagination, the supernatural all wrapped up in a deep south family saga … These Eden Moore books, put simply, rock” —The Agony Column

  “I’m more than ecstatic to have discovered Cherie Priest so early on. Ten years down the line when she’s got a handful of books out and everyone is tossi
ng her name around like she’s Stephen King’s holy granddaughter, I’ll gladly smile and nod, maybe throw out a ‘I knew her when.’ ” —Fantasy Book Spot

  NOT FLESH NOR FEATHERS

  “Chock-full of chilling details and soaked to the bone with suspense.” —Southern Living

  “This one has all the elements of a good ghost story: family secrets, mysterious disappearances and Tennessee River zombies attacking the town. Well-written, quick paced and detailed, every page is a shivering delight.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Priest’s tale crackles with action and occult thrills, especially in the scenes of the inundated city reeling under the double assault of Mother Nature and the supernatural. Fans will find this her most assured outing yet.” —BookPage

  ALSO BY CHERIE PRIEST