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Cover of Lady Lazarus

Lady Lazarus

Michele Lang (2010)

SubgenreHigh Fantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG-13
Pages (Standard (250-400))
SeriesLady Lazarus #1
Setting
CSM age16
Goodreads3.09

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentMild
LanguageMild

Protagonist archetypes

Reluctant Hero

Synopsis

"Lang combines historical and urban fantasy to create a parallel world full of witches, vampires, angels, and demons on the eve of WWII. In Budapest, rebellious 20-year-old Magda is the last in the line of powerful Jewish Lazarus witches, but she has resisted her unique magical heritage, spending her time as assistant to one of the city's leading vampires. Younger sister Gisele may lack the family gift but is still a talented seer, and her visions of coming death and destruction set Magda off on a quest across Europe in the summer of 1939, racing to claim her family's lost Book of Raziel before it can be seized by the Nazi wizards. Lang even manages to weave in a romance story line as a desperate Magda does the unthinkable and summons the angel Raziel, only to discover he is much more human than anyone thought. By cleverly mixing her fantastical creations into real history, Lang crafts a creative and tense story as all of Europe awaits the September invasion of Poland. Lang is a writer to watch and is sure to have wide appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, and other urban-fantasy A-listers. An outstanding debut."--Jessica Moyer, Booklist, starred review.

Is Lady Lazarus appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 16 and up.

Parents should know this novel deals with WWII and the Nazi threat against Jewish people, including historical antisemitism and genocide. It contains moderate fantasy violence, supernatural threats, and a romance between a human witch and an angel.

What to know going in

This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include genocide, death, and antisemitism (see the full list above).

Who'll love this

Teens will be drawn to the high-stakes quest across 1939 Europe as a rebellious witch races to save a powerful magical artifact from Nazi wizards.

Tags

Historical FantasyUrban FantasyAlternate HistoryParanormal RomanceJewish Fantasy