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The Immortal Conquistador
Carrie Vaughn
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.” —Kelley Armstrong
From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, comes the vampire origin story of Kitty’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila’s life met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, the last full tale in the series:the vampire origins of Kitty’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avilamet a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.” —Kelley Armstrong
Ricardo de Avila would have followed Coronado to the ends of the earth. Instead Ricardo met with the end of his mortal life—and a new one, as the renegade vampire, Rick.
For over five hundred years, Rick has infuriated the demon world. He has ferociously protected his found-family from marauding vampires, joined forces with a legendary gunslinger, appointed himself the Master of Denver, and called upon a church buried under the Vatican. Of late, Rick has even made a famous friend: everyone’s favorite werewolf talk-show host, Kitty Norville.
Now, whether you are new to Vaughn’s fan-favorite novels, or a longtime reader, you’ll be riveted by the final full-length tale of the series.
About the Kitty Norville series: Carrie Vaughn’s series, about a werewolf who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged, began with Kitty and the Midnight Hour. The series will end with The Immortal Conquistador, and the forthcoming collection Kitty’s Mix-Tape. For more about the Kitty Norville books, go to https://carrievaughn.com/kittybooks.html.
Praise for The Immortal Conquistador
“Vaughn presents a gratifying origin story for Ricardo “Rick” de Avila, vampire Master of Denver and partner to the popular werewolf heroine of her Kitty Norville series. Compelled by the vampire Order of Saint Lazarus of the Shadows in Rome, Rick recounts a series of menacing and melancholy stories from the past 500 years of his life spent striving to be a bad vampire and a good man. In the 16th century, Rick, then the living teenage son of a Spanish nobleman, accompanies Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his search for gold in Mexico and the American west, where a betrayal leads to Rick’s transformation into a demon. Repulsed by his condition and ignorant of his newfound powers, Rick traverses the desert territory for centuries, encountering the formidable vampire Mistress Catalina of Mexico City, confronting the devilish Carlos de Luz, and meeting with American gunfighter Doc Holliday. Fans will wish that the short vignettes of Rick’s adventures, which take place between books in the Kitty Norville series, received greater development but will nevertheless admire Rick’s clever battle tactics and compassion toward his companions. This fun character study works as a standalone but will hold special appeal for series fans.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The path from conquistador to bartender is filled with battles and death, protection and hope. Vaughn weaves a beautiful tale of a devout man who faces the Devil and wins. VERDICT This fast-paced novella, filled with action and emotion, offers a satisfying entry back into the ‘Kitty Norville’ series.”
—Library Journal
“The Immortal Conquistador was a captivating read that finally shed some light on one of the most interesting and secretive characters from the Kitty universe. This book is sure to please all the Kitty Norville fans out there!” —Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.”
—Kelley Armstrong, author of Wherever She Goes and Led Astray
“No surprise to anyone, but Carrie Vaughn can write the sixteenth century up through the Old West as well as it’s been done. And it just feels so good to sneak back into the Kittyverse through the vampire door.”
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians
“Carrie Vaughn’s The Immortal Conquistador is an excellent addition to her Kitty Norville books, and gives us a closer look at one of her most fascinating characters.”
—Stephen Blackmoore, author of the Eric Carter Necromancer series
“What I love about Vaughn’s writing is that she takes you on a fun adventure and secretly sneaks in layers of complexity to her characters where you find yourself thinking about them for days on end. I can’t wait to see where this series is heading!”
—Infinite Text
“The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn was fantastic.”
—Random (But Not Really)
“I love the way this story challenges the usual trope of vampires as (a) intrinsically evil; (b) forever separated from humanity. Ricardo, who is anything but a bloodthirsty fiend, makes the world a better place by his compassion and kindness.”
—Deborah J. Ross, author of the Lace and Blade series
“I love this story and highly recommend it.”
—Tor.com
“A cool bonus of this [book]—you can read it totally independent of the Kitty Norville series . . . I’m very glad I got it.”
—The Irresponsible Reader
“Rating: 9/10. What I love most about Rick / Ricardo is he is quite unlike any other vampire I’ve read. He never wanted to be a vampire, and refused to allow his changing to turn him into a monster.”
—Random Reading
“Vaughn has created a rich world full of magic and mayhem that could support thousands of stories. Sign me up for all of them!”
—One Book Two
Biography
New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn is best known for her fourteen volume Kitty Norville series. The series, about a werewolf who hosts a talk radio advice show for supernatural beings, includes fourteen novels and a collection of short stories. She is also the author of the superhero novels The Golden Age saga. Vaughn is a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared-world novels edited by George R.R. Martin, and also writes the Harry and Marlowe steampunk short stories about an alternate nineteenth century that makes use of alien technology. She has a master’s degree in English literature, graduated from the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop in 1998, and returned to the workshop as Writer in Residence in 2009. She is the winner of the RT Reviewer Choice Award for Best First Mystery for Kitty and The Midnight Hour, won the WSFA Small Press award for best short story for “Amaryllis,” and she has been nominated for the Hugo Award.
A bona fide Air Force brat (her father served on a B-52 flight crew during the Vietnam War), Vaughn grew up all over the U.S. but managed to put down roots in the area of Boulder, Colorado, where she pursuers an endlessly growing list of hobbies and enjoys the outdoors as much as she can. She is fiercely guarded by a miniature American Eskimo dog named Lily.
Praise for Carrie Vaughn
On Bannerless
2017 Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award
“Bannerless is both a fine murder mystery and a multi-layered look at a different kind of society.”
—Analog Science Fiction & Fact
“Vaughn skillfully portrays a vastly altered future America that’s almost unrecognizable decades after its total collapse; the . . . focus on sustainability and responsibility is unusual, thought-provoking, and very welcome.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[A]n intimate post-apocalyptic mystery . . . a deft portrait of a society departed so completely from the complexities of the now-destroyed civilization . . . that survivors don’t even understand what it is they’ve lost. . . . [A] well-crafted and heartfelt effort.”
—Kirkus
“Amazing and compelling, Vaughn brings her deft characterization and humanity to bear on a post-apocalyptic world that is all too real.”
—Tobias S. Buckell, bestselling author of Arctic Rising
On The Wild Dead
“This thrilling postapocalyptic mystery, which demonstrates the author’s wide range of style, will please Vaughn’s many fans.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Enid is a capable, honest, relentless seeker of answers, and her investigation is reminiscent of classic hardboiled mysteries. Despite an almost palpable air of claustrophobic foreboding, this tale still manages to convey a sense of hope and optimism.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Structurally, this is a standard police procedural; it’s the environment, the carefully constructed future society, that gives it a unique flavor. Beautifully executed.”
—Booklist
“Carrie Vaughn may still be best known for her Kitty the Werewolf series, but Bannerless and The Wild Dead show that her talents are versatile. I really enjoyed these novels. I would very much like to read more of them. ”
—TOR.com
“The Wild Dead is a highly enjoyable and captivating sophomore entry in the Bannerless series.”
—Geeks of Doom
On Kitty Saves the World
“Longtime readers will enjoy the sense of payoff—especially when certain characters meet much-deserved fates and others get their happy-for-nows—and they’ll be eager to see where Vaughn goes next.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The open nature of Kitty’s character and the way Vaughn makes her such a likeable character make this the only urban fantasy world where I want to read every book of the series.”
―The Denver Post
“A great series for fans of the recent werewolf-vampire craze who want to move beyond Stephanie Meyer or Charlaine Harris.”
―The Daily News (Galveston County, TX)
“Kitty Saves the Worldwas a fun, fast . . . The ending feels like a new beginning and I’m good with that.”
—Vampire Book Club
“None of these books are ever repetitive and they always have a great obstacle that the characters must overcome. This was no different and quite a fast paced read.”
—Under the Covers
“Kitty Saves the World is probably my favorite final book in any series that I’ve read. I highly recommend [it].” —All Things Urban Fantasy
RICK SLUNG HIS BAG over his shoulder, descended the steel staircase from the plane to the tarmac, and set foot in Europe for the first time in five hundred years.
He paused a moment, taking a deep breath and wondering why this should feel so strange. It was only the ground, it was only the air. But this air did not have the crisp touch of mountain and plain that made Denver special. This air smelled of oil and urban sprawl, hummed with the underlying whine of aircraft engine. Orange sodium lights gave everything a burnt glow, and the night sky was all haze.
This was not home. Hadn’t been for a long time. He’d left Avila when he was seventeen, such a small fraction of his life now. He barely remembered it. Now when he thought of home he thought of the desert, the American prairie, yucca and sagebrush standing fast in the wind, bright stars splashed across a wide night sky.
This ancient city Rome wasn’t home. Everything about coming here felt unnatural. Maybe Kitty was right and he shouldn’t have left Denver. Kitty the werewolf, the alpha of the Denver pack, blond and quintessentially modern, so earnest and unlikely, not at all suited to the world of monsters and yet there she was. Time was, Rick hadn’t cared much for werewolves. Turned out he just hadn’t met the right ones. Maybe he should have listened to her.
But he’d insisted. “I have to tell them what happened to Father Columban.”
“Can’t you call? Write a letter?” she’d said, some of her inner wolf coming through, as if she had a tail to wag even in her human form.”
“I thought it best that I tell them in person.”
“You think you have to replace him in the Order of Saint Lazarus of the Shadows.”
Kitty hosted a talk radio show where she dispensed advice to the lovelorn and others with supernatural problems. She was good at it. Good at cutting through messes to the heart of the matter. Yes, when the vampire priest Columban had been destroyed, Ricardo had felt like something had been taken from the world and that he must replace it.
“You’ll be back?” she had asked as he left.
He didn’t know. He had lost so many friends. Her, he’d walked away from. He didn’t know where he was going, who he was meeting with. He’d sent a message ahead to say he was coming. He was riding into the unknown and didn’t know what would happen. But then, hadn’t he spent most of his existence doing that?
The Immortal Conquistador
Carrie Vaughn
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.” —Kelley Armstrong
From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, comes the vampire origin story of Kitty’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila’s life met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
The Immortal Conquistador
by Carrie Vaughn
ISBN: Print: 978-1-61696-321-7; Digital: 978-1-61696-322-4
Published: March 2020
Available Format(s): Trade Paperback and Digital
From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, the last full tale in the series: the vampire origins of Kitty’s famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.” —Kelley Armstrong
Ricardo de Avila would have followed Coronado to the ends of the earth. Instead Ricardo met with the end of his mortal life—and a new one, as the renegade vampire, Rick.
For over five hundred years, Rick has infuriated the demon world. He has ferociously protected his found-family from marauding vampires, joined forces with a legendary gunslinger, appointed himself the Master of Denver, and called upon a church buried under the Vatican. Of late, Rick has even made a famous friend: everyone’s favorite werewolf talk-show host, Kitty Norville.
Now, whether you are new to Vaughn’s fan-favorite novels, or a longtime reader, you’ll be riveted by the final full-length tale of the series.
About the Kitty Norville series: Carrie Vaughn’s series, about a werewolf who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged, began with Kitty and the Midnight Hour. The series will end with The Immortal Conquistador, and the forthcoming collection Kitty’s Mix-Tape. For more about the Kitty Norville books, go to https://carrievaughn.com/kittybooks.html.
Praise for The Immortal Conquistador
“Vaughn presents a gratifying origin story for Ricardo “Rick” de Avila, vampire Master of Denver and partner to the popular werewolf heroine of her Kitty Norville series. Compelled by the vampire Order of Saint Lazarus of the Shadows in Rome, Rick recounts a series of menacing and melancholy stories from the past 500 years of his life spent striving to be a bad vampire and a good man. In the 16th century, Rick, then the living teenage son of a Spanish nobleman, accompanies Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his search for gold in Mexico and the American west, where a betrayal leads to Rick’s transformation into a demon. Repulsed by his condition and ignorant of his newfound powers, Rick traverses the desert territory for centuries, encountering the formidable vampire Mistress Catalina of Mexico City, confronting the devilish Carlos de Luz, and meeting with American gunfighter Doc Holliday. Fans will wish that the short vignettes of Rick’s adventures, which take place between books in the Kitty Norville series, received greater development but will nevertheless admire Rick’s clever battle tactics and compassion toward his companions. This fun character study works as a standalone but will hold special appeal for series fans.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The path from conquistador to bartender is filled with battles and death, protection and hope. Vaughn weaves a beautiful tale of a devout man who faces the Devil and wins. VERDICT This fast-paced novella, filled with action and emotion, offers a satisfying entry back into the ‘Kitty Norville’ series.”
—Library Journal
“The Immortal Conquistador was a captivating read that finally shed some light on one of the most interesting and secretive characters from the Kitty universe. This book is sure to please all the Kitty Norville fans out there!”
—Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
“A must have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn’s worlds.”
—Kelley Armstrong, author of Wherever She Goes and Led Astray
“No surprise to anyone, but Carrie Vaughn can write the sixteenth century up through the Old West as well as it’s been done. And it just feels so good to sneak back into the Kittyverse through the vampire door.”
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians
“Carrie Vaughn’s The Immortal Conquistador is an excellent addition to her Kitty Norville books, and gives us a closer look at one of her most fascinating characters.”
—Stephen Blackmoore, author of the Eric Carter Necromancer series
“What I love about Vaughn’s writing is that she takes you on a fun adventure and secretly sneaks in layers of complexity to her characters where you find yourself thinking about them for days on end. I can’t wait to see where this series is heading!”
—Infinite Text
“The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn was fantastic.”
—Random (But Not Really)
“I love the way this story challenges the usual trope of vampires as (a) intrinsically evil; (b) forever separated from humanity. Ricardo, who is anything but a bloodthirsty fiend, makes the world a better place by his compassion and kindness.”
—Deborah J. Ross, author of the Lace and Blade series
“I love this story and highly recommend it.”
—Tor.com
“A cool bonus of this [book]—you can read it totally independent of the Kitty Norville series . . . I’m very glad I got it.”
—The Irresponsible Reader
“Rating: 9/10. What I love most about Rick / Ricardo is he is quite unlike any other vampire I’ve read. He never wanted to be a vampire, and refused to allow his changing to turn him into a monster.”
—Random Reading
“Vaughn has created a rich world full of magic and mayhem that could support thousands of stories. Sign me up for all of them!”
—One Book Two
Biography
New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn is best known for her fourteen volume Kitty Norville series. The series, about a werewolf who hosts a talk radio advice show for supernatural beings, includes fourteen novels and a collection of short stories. She is also the author of the superhero novels The Golden Age saga. Vaughn is a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared-world novels edited by George R.R. Martin, and also writes the Harry and Marlowe steampunk short stories about an alternate nineteenth century that makes use of alien technology. She has a master’s degree in English literature, graduated from the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop in 1998, and returned to the workshop as Writer in Residence in 2009. She is the winner of the RT Reviewer Choice Award for Best First Mystery for Kitty and The Midnight Hour, won the WSFA Small Press award for best short story for “Amaryllis,” and she has been nominated for the Hugo Award.
A bona fide Air Force brat (her father served on a B-52 flight crew during the Vietnam War), Vaughn grew up all over the U.S. but managed to put down roots in the area of Boulder, Colorado, where she pursuers an endlessly growing list of hobbies and enjoys the outdoors as much as she can. She is fiercely guarded by a miniature American Eskimo dog named Lily.
Praise for Carrie Vaughn
On Bannerless
2017 Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award
“Bannerless is both a fine murder mystery and a multi-layered look at a different kind of society.”
—Analog Science Fiction & Fact
“Vaughn skillfully portrays a vastly altered future America that’s almost unrecognizable decades after its total collapse; the . . . focus on sustainability and responsibility is unusual, thought-provoking, and very welcome.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[A]n intimate post-apocalyptic mystery . . . a deft portrait of a society departed so completely from the complexities of the now-destroyed civilization . . . that survivors don’t even understand what it is they’ve lost. . . . [A] well-crafted and heartfelt effort.”
—Kirkus
“Amazing and compelling, Vaughn brings her deft characterization and humanity to bear on a post-apocalyptic world that is all too real.”
—Tobias S. Buckell, bestselling author of Arctic Rising
On The Wild Dead
“This thrilling postapocalyptic mystery, which demonstrates the author’s wide range of style, will please Vaughn’s many fans.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Enid is a capable, honest, relentless seeker of answers, and her investigation is reminiscent of classic hardboiled mysteries. Despite an almost palpable air of claustrophobic foreboding, this tale still manages to convey a sense of hope and optimism.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Structurally, this is a standard police procedural; it’s the environment, the carefully constructed future society, that gives it a unique flavor. Beautifully executed.”
—Booklist
“Carrie Vaughn may still be best known for her Kitty the Werewolf series, but Bannerless and The Wild Dead show that her talents are versatile. I really enjoyed these novels. I would very much like to read more of them. ”
—TOR.com
“The Wild Dead is a highly enjoyable and captivating sophomore entry in the Bannerless series.”
—Geeks of Doom
On Kitty Saves the World
“Longtime readers will enjoy the sense of payoff—especially when certain characters meet much-deserved fates and others get their happy-for-nows—and they’ll be eager to see where Vaughn goes next.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The open nature of Kitty’s character and the way Vaughn makes her such a likeable character make this the only urban fantasy world where I want to read every book of the series.”
―The Denver Post
“A great series for fans of the recent werewolf-vampire craze who want to move beyond Stephanie Meyer or Charlaine Harris.”
―The Daily News (Galveston County, TX)
“Kitty Saves the World was a fun, fast . . . The ending feels like a new beginning and I’m good with that.”
—Vampire Book Club
“None of these books are ever repetitive and they always have a great obstacle that the characters must overcome. This was no different and quite a fast paced read.”
—Under the Covers
“Kitty Saves the World is probably my favorite final book in any series that I’ve read. I highly recommend [it].” —All Things Urban Fantasy
Visit the Carrie Vaughn website.
RICK SLUNG HIS BAG over his shoulder, descended the steel staircase from the plane to the tarmac, and set foot in Europe for the first time in five hundred years.
He paused a moment, taking a deep breath and wondering why this should feel so strange. It was only the ground, it was only the air. But this air did not have the crisp touch of mountain and plain that made Denver special. This air smelled of oil and urban sprawl, hummed with the underlying whine of aircraft engine. Orange sodium lights gave everything a burnt glow, and the night sky was all haze.
This was not home. Hadn’t been for a long time. He’d left Avila when he was seventeen, such a small fraction of his life now. He barely remembered it. Now when he thought of home he thought of the desert, the American prairie, yucca and sagebrush standing fast in the wind, bright stars splashed across a wide night sky.
This ancient city Rome wasn’t home. Everything about coming here felt unnatural. Maybe Kitty was right and he shouldn’t have left Denver. Kitty the werewolf, the alpha of the Denver pack, blond and quintessentially modern, so earnest and unlikely, not at all suited to the world of monsters and yet there she was. Time was, Rick hadn’t cared much for werewolves. Turned out he just hadn’t met the right ones. Maybe he should have listened to her.
But he’d insisted. “I have to tell them what happened to Father Columban.”
“Can’t you call? Write a letter?” she’d said, some of her inner wolf coming through, as if she had a tail to wag even in her human form.”
“I thought it best that I tell them in person.”
“You think you have to replace him in the Order of Saint Lazarus of the Shadows.”
Kitty hosted a talk radio show where she dispensed advice to the lovelorn and others with supernatural problems. She was good at it. Good at cutting through messes to the heart of the matter. Yes, when the vampire priest Columban had been destroyed, Ricardo had felt like something had been taken from the world and that he must replace it.
“You’ll be back?” she had asked as he left.
He didn’t know. He had lost so many friends. Her, he’d walked away from. He didn’t know where he was going, who he was meeting with. He’d sent a message ahead to say he was coming. He was riding into the unknown and didn’t know what would happen. But then, hadn’t he spent most of his existence doing that?