Series: Crossroads Queen # 9
Format: Kindle, 290 pages
Release Date: April 17, 2025
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Queen of the Crossroads Lorelei Clay has the fight of her life ahead of her in this final, must-read installment of the bestselling urban fantasy series.
Lorelei never believed she would have a place to call home. She’d grown accustomed to hiding, to putting up walls and avoiding interaction with the world around her.
Until Fairhaven.
Lorelei has grown to love the small town with its multirealm crossroads and the residents who welcomed her with open arms, as well as those who were slow to warm up. She’s fallen in love with a demon prince, and befriended ghosts, a cursed vampire, the werewolf pack, and the Assassins Guild. She’s overcome her grudge against witches, and brought the local police into the fold. Now those residents are under threat, and Lorelei is the only one who can save them.
But first she has to save herself.
The stakes have never been higher. If she fails, she’ll have played a pivotal role in destroying the very place she swore to protect.
Good thing Lorelei is no stranger to sacrifice. Whatever the price, she’s ready and willing to pay it.
Dead End, by Annabel Chase, is the Ninth and final chapter in the author's Crossroads Queen series. This urban fantasy saga has captivated readers with its supernatural intrigue and fiercely compelling protagonist, Lorelei Clay. The narrative picks up where Half Dead (Book 8) left off, with higher stakes than ever. Lorelei confronts formidable foes in a climactic showdown that tests her strength, resolve, and the bonds she’s forged throughout the series.
After losing a challenge to Lucifer to keep Kane from being tortured and held as a prisoner, Lorelei must find allies to escape Paradise and the Corporation and get back to Fairhaven, which is now controlled by Lucifer and his demons. The Corporation is even more destructive and dangerous than thought of and is moving into a new avatar creation project using supernaturals like those Lorelei has become friends with, and maybe even family found. Thankfully, there are those who don't like the path the Corporation is taking.
Meanwhile, the fate of Kane Sullivan hangs in the balance, as does everyone else who has become part of Lorelei's circle of friends and supernatural allies who have chosen to stand with her against those who would try to harm Fairhaven and those who live there. Lorelei Clay remains a standout protagonist—complex, relatable, and fiercely independent. Her journey from a reclusive supernatural figure to a leader who embraces her community is fully realized in Dead End.
If you have read this series from the beginning, congratulations! If you haven't, I suggest you do before jumping into this book. Every supernatural and human character, like Chief Garcia, who has been introduced throughout this series, appears in this book, including Hestia and the Furies, who have tried to get Lorelei to pick up her station as Queen of the Underworld. Even though this book is short, a whole lot happens, including one truly emotional scene featuring Nana Pratt, Ray, and Lorelei. There are scenes in Paradise and scenes in the Underworld, and readers are finally told what really happened to Hades and Persephone, which should satisfy those like me who were hoping for a satisfactory conclusion to the story. This urban fantasy has an original story, action, adventure, a slow-burning romance, funny moments, and many surprises.