The Salt-Black Tree: Book Two of the Dead God's Heart Duology

by Lilith Saintcrow

Overview

A Best SFF Books of the Month pick by Amazon!

What happens when you find a way to save your loved one… but the price might not be worth it—the stunning conclusion to New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow’s The Dead God’s Heart

Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother’s life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth—and that she’s been lied to all her young life.

The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it’s too late to back out now.

Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible choice: Save her mother’s very existence…

…or accept the consequences of her own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250791566
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Series:	The Dead God's Heart , #2
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	994,659
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.80(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.

Editorial Reviews

A Best SFF Books of the Month pick by Amazon!

Praise for The Salt-Black Tree

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

“An epic conclusion.”—Library Journal

Praise for the Dead God's Heart duology

“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

"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

07/01/2023

This novel begins in the precise moment where Spring's Arcana leaves off, with Nat Drozdova galloping through hell on a demon horse whispering truths that Nat must learn but never wanted to hear, while she's pursued by monsters determined to consume her. Nat is on the run, in a race for her life and so conditioned by her mother's machinations that she often seems incapable of grabbing for the power she needs to save herself and become the person and the divinity that she was always intended to be. This second book in "The Dead God's Heart" duology pulls together all of the painstaking worldbuilding of the slow-building first book and races with it toward an epic conclusion. This mixture of gods and monsters, manipulation and lies, reads like a version of American Gods by Neil Gaiman centered on the Slavic pantheon, but in this book, the reader is fully aware of the con from the beginning, and only the protagonist is flailing in the dark. VERDICT Fans of the first book will find this ending compelling, but it doesn't stand alone.—Marlene Harris

Library Journal