At the end of the second book in Heidi Heilig’s Shadow Players trilogy, the Aquitans were stripped of control of their former colony of Chakrana. The people oppressed by colonial rule should be reveling in their sudden freedom, but with the murderous necromancer Le Trépas using blood magic to manipulate the living and the dead, things are about to get much worse. Le Roi Fou, the “mad king” of Aquitan, is not happy about losing a big source of his income and will take whatever exploited resources he can grab, even when those resources are people. Raik, the Boy King, would rather be a puppet than give up his throne, even to his brother. Camreon the Tiger has the stronger claim to the throne, but his time with the rebels puts him at odds with not just his brother but with many of his people as well. Le Trépas sits at the center of this growing hurricane, fueling the winds with his ego and obsession with power.
In the aftermath of
A Kingdom for a Stage, everything is at stake. Jetta’s homeland, colonized by outsiders years ago, is on the brink of a civil war, and her nemesis, Le Trépas, wants to take control for his own nefarious purposes. Her ability to bind souls to objects will go up against his dangerous blood magic, but she has something he doesn’t: friends and allies.
The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani (Dauntless Path #2) March 23, 2021; HarperTeen
This standalone companion to
Thorn, centers on Amraeya ni Ansarim, aka Rae, a young woman from the village of Sheltershorn. Being born with a clubfoot hasn’t been easy, especially after her magically gifted sister Niya was sent to the royal Circle of Mages to train. When her sister’s childhood friend is kidnapped, Rae jumps at the chance to visit Niya at court to try and find answers. With the help of Princess Alyrra, Rae discovers a dark web of secrets that threaten the kingdom of Menaiya.