Defy or Defend: A Delightfully Deadly Novel

A vampire hive descending into madness. A beautiful spy with a sparkly plan. And the bodyguard who must keep them from killing each other.

New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Gail Carriger brings you a charming story of love, espionage, and Gothic makeovers set in her popular Parasolverse.

SPY

Dimity Plumleigh-Teignmott, code name Honey Bee, is the War Office's best and most decorative fixer. She's sweet and chipper, but oddly stealthy, and surprisingly effective given the right incentives.

VERSUS KNIGHT

Sir Crispin Bontwee was knighted for his military service, but instead of retiring, he secretly went to work for the War Office. Mostly he enjoys his job, except when he must safeguard the Honey Bee.

Neither one is a vampire expert, but when the Nottingham Hive goes badly Goth, only Dimity can stop their darkness from turning bloody. And only Crispin can stop an enthusiastic Dimity from death by vampire.

In a battle for survival (and wallpaper), Dimity must learn that not all that sparkles is good, while Cris discovers he likes honey a lot more than he thought.

"This intoxicatingly witty parody will appeal to a wide cross-section of romance, fantasy and steampunk fans." Publishers Weekly, starred review (Soulless)

Spinning off from the Finishing School series, featuring deadly ladies of quality, this story stands alone, but chronologically follows Poison or Protect before the start of the Parasol Protectorate Series. It's Cold Comfort Farm meets Queer Eye meets What We Do In The Shadows from the hilarious author of the Parasol Protectorate books, perfect for fans of Julia Quinn, Jodi Taylor, or Meljean Brook.

Delicate Sensibilities?

Contains fraternizing vampires and one very curious young lady, who asks about seduction, sometimes in detail but mostly in retrospect. May also involve excessive use of velvet, melodramatic poetry, and the strategic application of interpretive ballet.

Also by Gail Carriger set in the Parasolverse

The Curious Case of the Werewolf that Wasn't

The Finishing School series (start with Etiquette & Espionage)
The Delightfully Deadly stories
The Parasol Protectorate series (start with Soulless)
The Supernatural Society stories
The Custard Protocol series (start with Prudence)
The Claw & Courtship stories (try How to Marry a Werewolf)

As G L Carriger

The San Andreas Shifter series (start with The Sumage Solution)
The 5th Gender

About the Author
Carriger, Gail: - Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and sexy queer joy as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, and Supernatural Society series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.