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Lucifer Rising
Lucifer Rising is a novel about love and fear.
It is the story of fallen DEA angel Jude Lucien and the Miami Herald reporter determined to unearth Jude's secrets. When an apparently happenstance meeting introduces Jude to reporter Liz Gardener, the dark ex-agent is both intrigued and aroused by the young woman. A sniper shot intended for Jude strikes Liz, and the two women are thrown together in a race to discover who is intent on killing her. As their lives become more and more intertwined, Jude finds herself unexpectedly falling for the reporter, and Liz discovers that the agent-turned drug-dealer is both more and less than she seems.
In eloquent language, author Sharon Bowers paints a dazzling portrait of a woman driven to the darkest extremes of the human condition-and the journey she makes to cross to the other side.
It is the story of fallen DEA angel Jude Lucien and the Miami Herald reporter determined to unearth Jude's secrets. When an apparently happenstance meeting introduces Jude to reporter Liz Gardener, the dark ex-agent is both intrigued and aroused by the young woman. A sniper shot intended for Jude strikes Liz, and the two women are thrown together in a race to discover who is intent on killing her. As their lives become more and more intertwined, Jude finds herself unexpectedly falling for the reporter, and Liz discovers that the agent-turned drug-dealer is both more and less than she seems.
In eloquent language, author Sharon Bowers paints a dazzling portrait of a woman driven to the darkest extremes of the human condition-and the journey she makes to cross to the other side.
326 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 5, 2025
Loved, loved, loved this. One of my best reads so far this year. Too bad this is the only work in this author's portfolio. The writing, characters, story all ties up into one big masterpiece.
May 16, 2014
There aren't any spoilers here, per se, but more info than just the blurb provides.
I thought it was time to review one of the most cherished books I own: Lucifer Rising by Sharon (SL) Bowers. To me, this is one of the stories that set a high standard for lesbian fiction. Though technically an Uber X/G, this story was originally posted online and eventually went into print. It remains, to this day, one of the most exquisitely written books in both lesbian fiction and mainstream fiction. It is a beautiful blend of romance and action; love and betrayal; good versus evil; and enough twists and turns to keep the pages flipping until the end. So, let’s get into it.
Lucifer Rising. Huh? I think a lot of people who hear this title think this might be a book about supernatural stuff or a religious tale. Nope, not even close. This is the story of a drug lord. THE drug lord, actually. Her name is Jude Lucien. At one point in time, Jude was the brightest, hottest star employed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). But a horrible betrayal turned her away from the agency and was the catalyst that thrust her into a high stakes, high powered, highly dangerous world. As the author herself put it, in Lucifer Rising, Jude bites back viciously at the hand that used to feed her. She is sexy, ruthless, and uncompromising. Did I mention sexy? Purrrrrr….
Ahem, anyway. Jude is, quite literally, the queen of all she surveys and her reach is long and lethal. Many times the authorities have attempted to bring her down and every time she manages to, unapologetically, slip through their fingers. During a particular trial, Jude becomes the obsession of an eager journalist named Liz Gardener. The young reporter is convinced that there is much, much more to the ruthless drug lord than meets the eye. When her editor refuses to give credence to her suspicions, she decides to go out and find the proof herself. You could say that Liz walked up to the gates of Hell, knocked on the door, and found herself face to face with El Diablo. Actually, that’s precisely what she did.
Liz and Jude’s first meeting and the scenes that follow are, hands down, my favorite words ever put into print. Who even writes like this anymore? And I mean that in a good way. I’m just saying that I have never, ever read anything like it before or since in any genre. It is such a delicious combination of imagery, innuendo, language, dialogue and prose. It’s just...YUMMY!
So, what happens next? Well, I’m obviously not going to give it all away, because believe me it will take all the fun out of it. But I will tell you that Liz begins a dangerous journey. She misrepresents herself to Jude, goes home with her, and finds herself under Jude’s “protection”. What started off as a night of potential passion for both women, ends up being much more complicated. For both of them. Liz becomes less and less concerned with proving her suspicions and more intrigued by the woman behind the gun. Jude, due to Liz’s influence, once again takes up the fight against the demons she’s been battling her whole life. It all culminates in one moment when Liz finds herself on the precipice of either saving Jude’s soul or losing her life.
Whew! Are you intrigued? Let me just say that this book will knock your socks off. It truly is, in my never to be humbled opinion, the perfect balance of prose and dialogue, violence and tenderness, suspense and romance, sex and love. It’s sexy, thrilling, and flows amazingly well for as complicated as the story is. Rarely have I seen such a perfect blend. Especially of the thriller/romance tale.
Everything about this book just works. From the main characters to the supporting characters...even the dogs! The only thing that I would wish for regarding this book would be a sequel. One was started, but unfortunately was never finished. I wish that this author would pick this up again, but I don’t think she will. Having said that, it is a masterpiece as it is. Yes, there are a few loose ends that I’d like to see tied up, but again, she was unable to continue with the sequel so I will just let me imagination wander on those. I hope you will too.
Please, please. If you have not read this book then you should. I am not a huge fan of the whole “toe the line Uber” mindset, but as an Uber, Lucifer Rising is just about as close to X and G as you can get without reading a straight-up fanfiction. If you are like me and enjoy reading engaging and provocative fiction, you need to read this book. You won’t be disappointed.
Oh, yeah, one more thing. The formatting on the online version is a little wonky when you follow the link. I recommend that if it bothers you, you copy and paste the story into a document and reformat it to suit you. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
I thought it was time to review one of the most cherished books I own: Lucifer Rising by Sharon (SL) Bowers. To me, this is one of the stories that set a high standard for lesbian fiction. Though technically an Uber X/G, this story was originally posted online and eventually went into print. It remains, to this day, one of the most exquisitely written books in both lesbian fiction and mainstream fiction. It is a beautiful blend of romance and action; love and betrayal; good versus evil; and enough twists and turns to keep the pages flipping until the end. So, let’s get into it.
Lucifer Rising. Huh? I think a lot of people who hear this title think this might be a book about supernatural stuff or a religious tale. Nope, not even close. This is the story of a drug lord. THE drug lord, actually. Her name is Jude Lucien. At one point in time, Jude was the brightest, hottest star employed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). But a horrible betrayal turned her away from the agency and was the catalyst that thrust her into a high stakes, high powered, highly dangerous world. As the author herself put it, in Lucifer Rising, Jude bites back viciously at the hand that used to feed her. She is sexy, ruthless, and uncompromising. Did I mention sexy? Purrrrrr….
Ahem, anyway. Jude is, quite literally, the queen of all she surveys and her reach is long and lethal. Many times the authorities have attempted to bring her down and every time she manages to, unapologetically, slip through their fingers. During a particular trial, Jude becomes the obsession of an eager journalist named Liz Gardener. The young reporter is convinced that there is much, much more to the ruthless drug lord than meets the eye. When her editor refuses to give credence to her suspicions, she decides to go out and find the proof herself. You could say that Liz walked up to the gates of Hell, knocked on the door, and found herself face to face with El Diablo. Actually, that’s precisely what she did.
Liz and Jude’s first meeting and the scenes that follow are, hands down, my favorite words ever put into print. Who even writes like this anymore? And I mean that in a good way. I’m just saying that I have never, ever read anything like it before or since in any genre. It is such a delicious combination of imagery, innuendo, language, dialogue and prose. It’s just...YUMMY!
So, what happens next? Well, I’m obviously not going to give it all away, because believe me it will take all the fun out of it. But I will tell you that Liz begins a dangerous journey. She misrepresents herself to Jude, goes home with her, and finds herself under Jude’s “protection”. What started off as a night of potential passion for both women, ends up being much more complicated. For both of them. Liz becomes less and less concerned with proving her suspicions and more intrigued by the woman behind the gun. Jude, due to Liz’s influence, once again takes up the fight against the demons she’s been battling her whole life. It all culminates in one moment when Liz finds herself on the precipice of either saving Jude’s soul or losing her life.
Whew! Are you intrigued? Let me just say that this book will knock your socks off. It truly is, in my never to be humbled opinion, the perfect balance of prose and dialogue, violence and tenderness, suspense and romance, sex and love. It’s sexy, thrilling, and flows amazingly well for as complicated as the story is. Rarely have I seen such a perfect blend. Especially of the thriller/romance tale.
Everything about this book just works. From the main characters to the supporting characters...even the dogs! The only thing that I would wish for regarding this book would be a sequel. One was started, but unfortunately was never finished. I wish that this author would pick this up again, but I don’t think she will. Having said that, it is a masterpiece as it is. Yes, there are a few loose ends that I’d like to see tied up, but again, she was unable to continue with the sequel so I will just let me imagination wander on those. I hope you will too.
Please, please. If you have not read this book then you should. I am not a huge fan of the whole “toe the line Uber” mindset, but as an Uber, Lucifer Rising is just about as close to X and G as you can get without reading a straight-up fanfiction. If you are like me and enjoy reading engaging and provocative fiction, you need to read this book. You won’t be disappointed.
Oh, yeah, one more thing. The formatting on the online version is a little wonky when you follow the link. I recommend that if it bothers you, you copy and paste the story into a document and reformat it to suit you. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
July 5, 2019
Captivating read to the very end. Rogue, police and mafia chase all entagled with love and a reporter.
I felt it was a tad long but perhaps that was because I had to resume reading a number of times due to other distractions. All the same an enjoyable read
I felt it was a tad long but perhaps that was because I had to resume reading a number of times due to other distractions. All the same an enjoyable read
Read
April 2, 2018DNF 20%
Tried but didn't quite like the narration :( might pick it up from time to time to just see how it goes bc the story itself is promising...just...agh...too fanfic-y narration kills the mood.
Tried but didn't quite like the narration :( might pick it up from time to time to just see how it goes bc the story itself is promising...just...agh...too fanfic-y narration kills the mood.
October 2, 2024
7/10 sometimes the plot was too boring and the ending was not as spectacular as it could have been but still its good
July 15, 2023
I love a good Uber story so I had high hopes for this novel, which it.. mostly met? Overall, it wasn't bad, but it just didn't feel quite as emotionally impactful as other Ubers I've recently read. Also, Jude's just gave me the heebie jeebies, especially when she said
March 6, 2022
One of the first lesbian fiction books I ever read and still a fave. Taught crime thriller woven with a romance that has just the right amount of angst. Good girl/bad girl romance with anti-hero twist.
May 4, 2019
If you have known someone for a few weeks and you have hit them in the face/ strangled them, you are not in love with them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2020
Una muy buena historia. Tiene de todo, romance, acción, suspenso, etc. El final me decepcionó bastante porque quedaron un par de cositas sin resolver.
October 6, 2025
I had high hopes for this one but it was quite dissapointing.
August 17, 2007
This book is intense and extremely interesting, with lots of twists and turns. I have so many favorite moments I couldn't begin to name them all, though I especially loved the bet Jude made to win the bike, and the moment when Jude catches Liz on her computer.
I learned about this story once when I was exploring Uber Xena/Gabrielle fic, and that's still how I picture these characters looking even now. The article I read was "Xena & Gabrielle in Your First Period Psychology Class: Trends in Uber Fan Fiction" which is at [http://www.whoosh.org/issue53/gordon5...]
One of my favorite quotes:
"The Night Crawl?" Elizabeth echoed, sipping her own gin and tonic somewhat more sedately.
Jude nodded. "Betty always said that it was the thing that makes you sweat when it isn't hot. It makes your dogs twitchy and your girlfriends mean, and it sends you out into the night looking for something you don't have. She would say that it's what sends nice girls like you to places like this."
"So..." Elizabeth asked with a small smile. "You think I'm suffering from the Night Crawl?"
Glittering sapphires arrogantly roamed Elizabeth's svelte form once more. "Oh yeah," Jude drawled.
Another favorite quote:
I told Nickie I wanted the Triumph... Told him I'd work nights, weekends, whatever, but I wanted that bike... He just laughed at me and told me pretty girls like me didn't need things like that between their legs."
"Ooh-- bet that pissed you off."
"That's putting it mildly. So I suggested a small wager to determine what ended up between my legs- the bike or his cock."
I learned about this story once when I was exploring Uber Xena/Gabrielle fic, and that's still how I picture these characters looking even now. The article I read was "Xena & Gabrielle in Your First Period Psychology Class: Trends in Uber Fan Fiction" which is at [http://www.whoosh.org/issue53/gordon5...]
One of my favorite quotes:
"The Night Crawl?" Elizabeth echoed, sipping her own gin and tonic somewhat more sedately.
Jude nodded. "Betty always said that it was the thing that makes you sweat when it isn't hot. It makes your dogs twitchy and your girlfriends mean, and it sends you out into the night looking for something you don't have. She would say that it's what sends nice girls like you to places like this."
"So..." Elizabeth asked with a small smile. "You think I'm suffering from the Night Crawl?"
Glittering sapphires arrogantly roamed Elizabeth's svelte form once more. "Oh yeah," Jude drawled.
Another favorite quote:
I told Nickie I wanted the Triumph... Told him I'd work nights, weekends, whatever, but I wanted that bike... He just laughed at me and told me pretty girls like me didn't need things like that between their legs."
"Ooh-- bet that pissed you off."
"That's putting it mildly. So I suggested a small wager to determine what ended up between my legs- the bike or his cock."
June 25, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The romance part of it was handled well, in my opinion. It wasn't right away but didn't take forever to get there. It wasn't rushed but wasn't sluggish either, The drama/crime was constant and throughout the book you're getting Jude's back story which helps you figure things out yourself too but still leaves you in shock on what was going on. All around the book was great. Recommended for sure.
P.S. If you're a fan Ali Vali's work, the Cain Casey Series, you'll enjoy this. I found a couple of similarities between.
P.S. If you're a fan Ali Vali's work, the Cain Casey Series, you'll enjoy this. I found a couple of similarities between.
October 26, 2015
One the best books of Xenaverse, and this is the reason because all this authors came to the editorials. Yep, this is the first uber to call attention. All need read this.
Jude Lucien is a drug lord, a very complicated character, sexy, lethal, rich, intelligent. You choice she is like a angel or a devil. Liz isn't a typical silly blonde, is a curious woman obsessed with Jude, enough to be at risk to know more about the woman with that mesmerizing look.
It's perfect AND really original.
Jude Lucien is a drug lord, a very complicated character, sexy, lethal, rich, intelligent. You choice she is like a angel or a devil. Liz isn't a typical silly blonde, is a curious woman obsessed with Jude, enough to be at risk to know more about the woman with that mesmerizing look.
It's perfect AND really original.
October 14, 2014
Would've given it 5 stars if the author had been a little nicer to Colombia and its people. Other than that, I absolutely loved it. It's a good thing I read it on a weekend because I couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend it.
"Give me one good reason why I don't kill you right now."
#NeedFreshUnderwear
"Give me one good reason why I don't kill you right now."
#NeedFreshUnderwear
April 10, 2015
This is one of those books that will keep you up all night waiting to see what happens on each and every page. A great "mystery" as you learn and become absorbed with the main characters and a love story to boot!
January 16, 2012
Read this when it was first published to the web and loved it then. Was thrilled to be able to have it in hand rather than on screen. Still one of my favorites.
December 24, 2013
Really enjoyed this book, shame she hasn't written any more. Great find.
April 22, 2015
Thriller, mystery, romance. Great vocabulary. Seemed a bit fractured at times. A bit to much sex, perhaps. A good read.
April 16, 2016
An exceptionally well written lesbian fiction novel that started life as a Xena uber. In my opinion this should be in everyone's top 5 ubers and happens to be my number one choice.
February 27, 2017
Está mas que bien, tanto Jude como Liz muy bien definidas, me gustan los matices de ambas, sobre todo que Liz no sea ninguna santurrona ni burra.
April 9, 2017
One of the best books I've ever read. I hope there'll be another book like this one in the near future.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews