Spring's Arcana

by Lilith Saintcrow

Overview

American Gods vs. Baba Yaga in this contemporary fantasy: Spring's Arcana, by New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow.

Nat Drozdova is desperate to save a life. Doctors can do little for her cancer-ridden mother, who insists there is only one cure—and that Nat must visit a skyscraper in Manhattan to get it.

Amid a snow-locked city, inside a sleek glass-walled office, Nat makes her plea and is whisked into a terrifying new world. For the skyscraper holds a hungry winter goddess who has the power to cure her mother…if Nat finds a stolen object of great power.

Now Nat must travel with a razor-wielding assassin across an American continent brimming with terror, wonder, and hungry divinities with every reason to consume a young woman. For her ailing mother is indeed suffering no ordinary illness, and Nat Drozdova is no ordinary girl. Blood calls to blood, magic to magic, and a daughter may indeed save what she loves...

…if it doesn’t consume her first.

This is the way to the Dead God’s Heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250791658
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Series:	The Dead God's Heart , #1
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	389,632
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Lilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, fell in love with writing during second grade, and has continued obsessively ever since. She currently resides in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her children, dogs, cat, and a library for wayward texts.

https://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/
Twitter: @lilithsaintcrow

Editorial Reviews

03/13/2023

Saintcrow (Rattlesnake Wind) posits that gods, heroes, and characters from myth and lore live in an invisible world alongside humans in this unfulfilling urban fantasy. Nat Drozdova’s cancer ridden mother insists she can be cured—but only if Nat seeks out a mysterious woman named Mrs. de Winter. Nat’s visit to de Winter’s Manhattan offices introduces her to a fantastical world she never knew existed, where cats talk and divinities live in magic and luxury. It’s a world her mother is apparently very familiar with, and if Nat wants to cure her, she must team up with Dmitri Konets, who makes it clear he wants her and her mother dead, to recover the artifact her mother stole from de Winter and then lost. Much of the story consists of minor fetch quests to uncover key items needed to complete the main quest, bogging the story down and providing little in the way of real action. Nat is a frustratingly passive character, and while brooding Dmitri seems like he’s being set up as a potential love interest, readers will have to wait for future installments for the payoff. Indeed, the novel ends abruptly on a “to be continued,” leaving few threads tied up. The result is underwhelming. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Spring’s Arcana

“This is a lush, sinister myth woven with modern thread, all the vicious magic of Baba Yaga mixed with the complex relationships between mother, grandmother, and daughter. A powerful fantasy with sharp teeth.”—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Skyhunter

“Lilith Saintcrow’s contemporary incarnations of Old World avatars glint, slice and snarl in a supernatural scavenger hunt, vying for possession of a hidden jewel at the heart of a mystery. Grab your popcorn and settle in for a scintillating ride!”—Jacqueline Carey

“An ice-cold contemporary reboot of Baba Yaga—some killer grannies are more lethal than others: pray she isn't yours!”—Charles Stross

“For readers who love the retelling of dark fairy tales, Saintcrow's series starter is a thrilling ride that will not disappoint.”—Booklist

“Saintcrow returns to her roots in this epic-tinged urban fantasy... in which Nat will find the roots of her heritage as she takes a dangerous foray into the mystic places where the Slavic myths such as Baba Yaga and the deathless Koschei still guard their secrets—and her own.”—Library Journal

“Spring’s Arcana is hard to put down, with twists and turns that take place along an incredible journey.”—Seattle Book Review, 5/5 stars

“Vividly atmospheric, with fascinating worldbuilding and compelling characters, Spring’s Arcana is an accomplished novel by a writer in peak form.”—Tor.com

Praise for Lilith Saintcrow

"Terrifying, rich, and expertly told, this conclusion to the Dead God's Heart duology should not be missed."—Booklist on The Salt-Black Tree

"Incredibly timely, well written and important.... A testament to Saintcrow's skill." -Los Angeles Times on Afterwar

"Saintcrow scores a hit... Genius and a rocking good time." –New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs on The Iron Wyrm Affair

"Saintcrow's rough, rawboned prose paints a world not on the edge, but already over it, revealing an alternate history of America that is achingly relevant to the America in which we live. Simply put, Saintcrow doesn't f*** around." -Chuck Wendig on Afterwar

“Saintcrow knows how to keep the pages turning” ­–Starburst on the Dante Valentine series

"Sensual writing, intricate plotting, and sympathetically quirky, satisfyingly competent characters make this series one to watch." –Publishers Weekly *starred review* on The Iron Wyrm Affair

"If anyone asks whether science fiction can be relevant, point them to Afterwar." -Kirkus

"Not a story for the faint of heart, Lilith Saintcrow's latest novel plays on the darkest elements of current American culture, and flashes an unmistakable warning about a potential future ruled by xenophobia and white supremacy.... Startlingly prescient." -RT Book Reviews on Afterwar

“Afterwar is a punch in the gut, nauseatingly compelling in its emotional realism. As well as compelling as a story: well-paced, strikingly well-characterised, and deftly written, Afterwar is a deeply accomplished novel.” –Tor.com

"Fast paced and full of plot twists, this is a lightweight summer read for fans of Gail Carriger and Meljean Brooks." –Booklist on The Iron Wyrm Affair

From the Publisher

03/01/2023

Nat Drozdova placates her dying mother by visiting Mrs. de Winter in New York City's Morrer-Pessel Memorial Tower, but she doesn't expect what she finds in the penthouse office of Y.A.G.A. Fine Arts and Antiquities. The mysterious de Winter claims to be her grandmother who's willing to save Nat's mother's life if Nat can retrieve a few items that her mother stole before she left the old country. Thus Nat launches on a mysterious, magical tour. Saintcrow (Duty) returns to her roots in this epic-tinged urban fantasy. It's a road-trip story, like Neil Gaiman's American Gods, in which Nat will find the roots of her heritage as she takes a dangerous foray into the mystic places where the Slavic myths such as Baba Yaga and the deathless Koschei still guard their secrets—and her own. VERDICT There's much to savor here for readers looking for a deeper dive into the same legends as those in The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, but in a more contemporary setting. Also a good choice for readers seeking stories imbued with the sensibilities of urban fantasy, like The Book of Night by Holly Black.—Marlene Harris

Library Journal