The Book of the Damned (Tanith Lee)

Stained With Crimson is the story of Andre St. Jean, a poet in 19th-century Paradys, who is given a ruby scarab ring by a mysterious stranger and falls in love with Antonina, a sinister noblewoman who only comes out at night. Following the death of Philippe, Andre's friend and occasional lover, Antonina and Andre begin an affair, and Antonina bites Andre. Antonina falls sick and dies mysteriously, and her brother Anthony arrives demanding the scarab ring from Andre and challenging him to a duel, where Andre is killed by a silver bullet. Andre soon awakens, as Anna Sanjeanne, leaves Paradys for the countryside following Anthony—who is revealed to be Antonina, similarly transformed by the scarab ring. They renew their affair in different bodies; Anthony dies; Antonina returns; the cycle continues.

Malice in Saffron presents a story during the medieval times era of violence and the abuse of women. The main character, Jehanine, is brutally raped by her stepfather, Belnard. One of her brothers goes after her and tries to rape her so she fights back and knocks him out under a tree where he is left naked. She flees to the city of Paradys along with a dwarf named Fero and finds her brother, Pierre, who does not believe her after she tells him what her stepfather did to her. Seeking shelter in a nunnery, Jehanine leads a dual life: by day she is Jehanine/Jhane, while by night she disguises herself as a boy, Jehan, a murderous burglar who works with a gang of thieves. She uses the group of thieves to get revenge on Pierre who gets mugged by them. Here, Jehan steals a crucifix necklace with a yellow topaz embedded in it. It is the only prize kept by the character during their plunders. Osanne, a novice nun, realizes that there is evil in Jhane (Jehanine) and tries to help her. Later, Osanne's corpse is found disemboweled inside a well. Jehan, then, confronts Master Motius, an artisan and Pierre's teacher. Master Motius recognizes Jehan as a sibling of Pierre and showed Jehan Pierre's his works, but Jehan sets his works on fire along with Master Motius while escaping from a window. After numerous murders, sexual assaults and an encounter with a demon, Jehanine repents her violent ways as the city falls to a demon-inflicted plague. Tending her plague-stricken brother, she rips off her arm and feeds it to him to save his life and finds a sort of redemption. When Pierre wakes up, he has a vision that mankind is doomed.

Empires of Azure is narrated by St Jean, a journalist. The story is about Louis de Jenier, a celebrated female impersonator in early 20th-century Paradys who discovers a spider-shaped sapphire earring in his new house and becomes haunted by a ghost named Timonie, all the while imprisoned by his manager and bodyguard. Louis' friends, Curt and Vlok, attempt to save Louis by moving him away from the Paradys. Louis is in the hospital, but it is too late for anyone to save him. The sorceress turns out to be Tuamon/Tiyamonet, who possesses Louis. Jenier then dies. St Jean confronts Tuamon and in the end Tuamon has to finish the journal that Jenier started.

• Andre St Jean/Anna Sanjeanne: A poet from Paradys, he is given a crimson scarab ring by a mysterious stranger, falls in love with the elusive Antonina, is killed by her brother Anthony (actually Antonina herself), and returns as Anna Sanjeanne.
• Philippe: Andre's best friend from childhood and secret lover. After death, he is turned into an infant.
• Anna Sanjeanne: The female reincarnation of Andre.
• Antonina: A noblewoman in Paradys. She is seen only at night, has pitch black eyes, and later bites Andre. She is plagued with illness and dies. She is revived as her male counterpart, Anthony.
• Anthony: Male reincarnation of Antonina after she becomes ill and dies.

• Jehanine: A young peasant girl who is raped by her stepfather, she runs away to Paradys to be with her brother but is abandoned and left alone and hides in a convent.
• Jehan: Jehanine in male disguise; only comes out at night and is a savage thief and killer.
• Pierre: Jehanine's brother, he refuses to help Jehanine when he hears about her rape, is later beaten by thieves at her behest, and nearly dies of plague.
• Osanne: A nun from the convent Jehanine comes across, who takes her in and gives her a saffron crucifix.
• Dwarf: A dwarf who leads Jehannine to the nunnery when her brother abandons her.

• Louis: A writer who is assigned to record what happens in a house haunted by past spirits.
• Timonie: One of the spirits who haunts the house in Paradys where Louis is working.
• Tiyamonet/Tuamon: The other spirit who haunts the house where Louis is working; an ancient Egyptian sorceress.
• Manager: Kurt

• Takes place in the 19th-century French city of Paradys. The city is based on Paris, and has carriages that are a source of transportation. It also contains a pub where its people can grab a drink and talk.

• Takes place in the city of Par Dis, France, in the early 1300s. The book begins on a farm and later moves into the city.

• Takes place in the city of Paradis in the 1930s or 1940s. Just as in the other books, the city is based on Paris in the early 20th century. It features automobiles, a police force, trains, and hospitals.