SCARLET ASHES

In Fourie’s fantasy novel, a vampire hunter and her prey find their fates inexplicably, and undesirably, linked.

Twenty years ago, when Dominica Salvatore and her friend were just starting out as vampire hunters, they tried to make a name for themselves by breaking into a warehouse to root out some nesting bloodsuckers. Instead of getting intel that would have made them rising stars in the Vampire Hunter Association, they barely made it out alive, and Dominica was scarred by a fanged foe. Now, Dominica’s made a name for herself in the VHA and among her enemies; she’s so deadly to vampirekind that they now call her the Reaper. But there’s one vampire she can’t seem to kill, no matter how many times they meet: Xavier, the same creature of the night that bit and scarred her. Indeed, her apparent inability to kill him has made her higher-ups suspicious, due to her otherwise stellar kill rate. Meanwhile, a secret informant has been giving strange intel to the VHA, and when Dominica starts questioning it, it seems that some of her fellow agents want her dead. On the other side of town, Xavier is starting to have similar suspicions about members of his area coven. Soon, Xavier and Dominica find themselves on the same side as they attempt to take down those who are hunting their own. Over the course of this thrilling novel, the first installment in a new paranormal series, author Fourie delivers an offbeat enemies-to-lovers tale—or rather, it will be, if Dominica and Xavier manage to survive it. Throughout, Fourie offers readers complex but well-explained vampire and hunter lore, double crosses, and well-scripted fight scenes: “I smile wickedly and push the stake into his chest—slowly, oh so slowly—stopping just before piercing his heart, and he screams.” Overall, it’s an urban fantasy novel that’s sure to delight those readers who’ve been looking for a new Anita Blake–ish or Buffy the Vampire Slayer–style fix—and a cliffhanger will leave fans desperate for more.

A stunning monster tale with twists and turns that are sure to delight fans of paranormal fiction.