The Progeny: A Novel (1) (Descendants of the House of Bathory)

New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee brings a modern twist to an ancient mystery surrounding Elizabeth Bathory, the most notorious female serial killer of all time.

Audra Ellison has no idea why she’s had her memory wiped clean, only that she chose to erase her past to protect someone else. But soon, a handsome stranger tells her she’s special. Unique. That she has the power to influence the minds of others. And that her life is in danger.

She soon discovers that she is the descendant of a serial killer, the infamous “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory, and that she, like all her relatives for generations, is being hunted for the sins of her ancestor. She also discovers that she erased her memory to forget something important—important not only to her, but to those who want to see the line of Bathory ended for good.

Reunited with others like her—young, powerful Progeny living defiantly on the edge of extinction in Europe’s underground—she is hounded by danger at every turn and driven deeper into the inner circles of two ancient orders intent on destroying one another with a weapon only Audra can find. And as those around her start disappearing, Audra realizes the only thing that can save them all is piecing together a past she no longer remembers.

As she works to unravel the web of secrets and lies, Audra is thrust into a world of faith and doubt, of truth and deceit, of life and immortality, and she must decide who to trust—and what to believe. What she ultimately uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about who she is and what her lineage means.

A kaleidoscopic thriller that brings the underground world of the ancient cities of Eastern Europe to life like never before, The Progeny is a taut, breathless story of centuries-old intrigue and modern love and forgiveness.