New Titles

A mastery of monsters

Sambury, Liselle,


When August's brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him. But August knows her brother would never have left her voluntarily, especially not after their mother so recently went missing. The only clue he left behind was a note telling her to stay safe and protect their remaining family. And after August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, she realizes that her brother might be in more danger than she could have imagined. Unfortunately for her, the only person with a connection to the mysterious creature is the bookish Virgil Hawthorne-- and he knows about them because he is one. If he doesn't find a partner to help control his true nature, he'll lose his humanity and become a mindless beast-- exactly what the secret society he's grown up in would love to put down. Virgil makes a proposition: August will join his society and partner with him, and in return, he'll help her find her brother. And so August is plunged into a deadly competition to win one of the few coveted candidate spots, all while trying to accept a frightening reality: that monsters are real, and she has to learn to master them if she's to have any hope of saving her brother.
Date Published:2025

When August's brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him. But August knows her brother would never have left her voluntarily, especially not after their mother so recently went missing. The only clue he left behind was a note telling her to stay safe and protect their remaining family. And after August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, she realizes that her brother might be in more danger than she could have imagined. Unfortunately for her, the only person with a connection to the mysterious creature is the bookish Virgil Hawthorne-- and he knows about them because he is one. If he doesn't find a partner to help control his true nature, he'll lose his humanity and become a mindless beast-- exactly what the secret society he's grown up in would love to put down. Virgil makes a proposition: August will join his society and partner with him, and in return, he'll help her find her brother. And so August is plunged into a deadly competition to win one of the few coveted candidate spots, all while trying to accept a frightening reality: that monsters are real, and she has to learn to master them if she's to have any hope of saving her brother.

Date Published:2025

Godly heathens : a novel

Edgmon, H. E.,


Seventeen-year-old Gem Echols hides their mental health challenges and mysterious dreams in the small town of Gracie, Georgia, but when a newcomer reveals a shocking claim of being reincarnated gods together, Gem's life takes a perilous turn as they embark on a deadly adventure, where their past and present collide.
Date Published:2023

Torchfire

Buffini, Moira,


Sequel to: Songlight. Lark has fled Northaven with her mother and is urgently seeking a safe haven. Nightingale is being held captive and forced to use her songlight against her own people. Piper has been promoted up the ranks, where nothing but bloodshed is demanded of him. Rye has stumbled across an incredible airship, the likes of which has never been seen before... All four are united by their desire for peace. But peace feels more fragile than ever.
Date Published:2025

Sequel to: Songlight. Lark has fled Northaven with her mother and is urgently seeking a safe haven. Nightingale is being held captive and forced to use her songlight against her own people. Piper has been promoted up the ranks, where nothing but bloodshed is demanded of him. Rye has stumbled across an incredible airship, the likes of which has never been seen before... All four are united by their desire for peace. But peace feels more fragile than ever.

Date Published:2025

Among serpents

Gregson, Marc J.,


Tormented by tragedies of war and by betrayal from his own family, Conrad must prove his worth to all of the Skylands. Led by an unhinged Explorer, Conrad embarks on a secret expedition to turn the tides of battle--before another island falls at the jaws of the gigataun. It's a journey fraught with peril: Deadly monstrosities. Sabotage. Stowaways. And with friendships pushed to the brink and gentle romance stirring, Conrad will have to muster more than courage to weather the raging storms ahead.
Date Published:2025

Tormented by tragedies of war and by betrayal from his own family, Conrad must prove his worth to all of the Skylands. Led by an unhinged Explorer, Conrad embarks on a secret expedition to turn the tides of battle--before another island falls at the jaws of the gigataun. It's a journey fraught with peril: Deadly monstrosities. Sabotage. Stowaways. And with friendships pushed to the brink and gentle romance stirring, Conrad will have to muster more than courage to weather the raging storms ahead.

Date Published:2025

Sky's end

Gregson, Marc J.,


Includes excerpt from book two of the Above the black trilogy, Among serpents. Under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when sky serpents attack and devour his mother, Conrad cuts a deal to rescue his sister from his uncle's clutches. He enters the Selection of the Twelve Trades and endures rigorous training, manipulative peers, and a brutal final challenge.
Date Published:2025

Includes excerpt from book two of the Above the black trilogy, Among serpents. Under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when sky serpents attack and devour his mother, Conrad cuts a deal to rescue his sister from his uncle's clutches. He enters the Selection of the Twelve Trades and endures rigorous training, manipulative peers, and a brutal final challenge.

Date Published:2025

A curious kind of magic

Rutherford, Mara,


Seventeen-year-old Willow Stokes gets by selling fraudulent charms and magical items at her father's shoppe, but when outlander Brianna unintentionally turns her fake wares real, the girls' paths intertwine as they search for a missing grimoire and try to break Brianna's curse. Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father's shoppe hasn't sold anything magical in decades, and it's only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon's teeth Willow sells as charms, along with "enchanted" ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools' gold. Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow's fakes into exactly what they're purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri's help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities. Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse. Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world-a quest that risks almost-certain death-she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.
Date Published:2025

Seventeen-year-old Willow Stokes gets by selling fraudulent charms and magical items at her father's shoppe, but when outlander Brianna unintentionally turns her fake wares real, the girls' paths intertwine as they search for a missing grimoire and try to break Brianna's curse. Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father's shoppe hasn't sold anything magical in decades, and it's only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon's teeth Willow sells as charms, along with "enchanted" ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools' gold. Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow's fakes into exactly what they're purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri's help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities. Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse. Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world-a quest that risks almost-certain death-she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

Date Published:2025

A dark forgetting : a novel /

Ciccarelli, Kristen,


No matter how far she runs, the forest always comes for Emeline Lark. She is haunted by its mysterious disappearances and the tales of fae magic lurking in its depths. But when her grandfather goes missing, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, brutally try to dissuade her from searching, even as a magnetic spark ignites between them. Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself in the court of the fabled Wood King. She makes a deal, her voice for her grandfather's freedom. Little does she know, she's stumbled into a curse that threatens the existence of this eerie world she's now trapped in, as well as the fiery Hawthorne, who she's so helplessly drawn to. In Kristen Ciccarelli's devastatingly romantic fantasy, A Dark Forgetting, everything has a cost, especially love.
Date Published:2025

No matter how far she runs, the forest always comes for Emeline Lark. She is haunted by its mysterious disappearances and the tales of fae magic lurking in its depths. But when her grandfather goes missing, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, brutally try to dissuade her from searching, even as a magnetic spark ignites between them. Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself in the court of the fabled Wood King. She makes a deal, her voice for her grandfather's freedom. Little does she know, she's stumbled into a curse that threatens the existence of this eerie world she's now trapped in, as well as the fiery Hawthorne, who she's so helplessly drawn to. In Kristen Ciccarelli's devastatingly romantic fantasy, A Dark Forgetting, everything has a cost, especially love.

Date Published:2025

Mercy

Ward, Patricia Sarrafian, 1969-


"Fifteen-year-old Mercy must dig into her familys past to break a generational curse after the unthinkable happens."-- Provided by publisher.
Date Published:2025

Sisters in the wind

Boulley, Angeline,


A title in the Indigenous Collection at VPL. Ever since Lucy Smith's father died five years ago, 'home' has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a 'ward of the state'. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe. Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his 'friend-not-friend', a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has -- had -- a sister, and more siblings, a grandmother who'd look after her and a home where she would be loved. But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of? When the past comes for revenge, it's fight or flight.
Date Published:2025

A title in the Indigenous Collection at VPL. Ever since Lucy Smith's father died five years ago, 'home' has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a 'ward of the state'. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe. Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his 'friend-not-friend', a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has -- had -- a sister, and more siblings, a grandmother who'd look after her and a home where she would be loved. But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of? When the past comes for revenge, it's fight or flight.

Date Published:2025

The others

Isaacs, Cheryl,


A title in the Indigenous Collection at VPL. Sequel to: The unfinished. Only weeks ago, Avery pulled her best friend Key from... deadly black water. The cycle from her family's Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk) stories is finally broken, the black water is now a harmless lake, and her problems are far from supernatural. All Avery wants is a normal summer with Key, her now-boyfriend. The trauma, however, casts a long shadow over the town. Some victims never returned. Terrifying memories threaten to resurface, but Avery pushes them down. Who she's really worried about is Key. The two are supposed to be closer than ever-- so why does he feel so distant? Wracked by anxiety, Avery begins to see a chilling reflection in every mirror, one that moves on its own-- and she's not the only one.
Date Published:2025

A title in the Indigenous Collection at VPL. Sequel to: The unfinished. Only weeks ago, Avery pulled her best friend Key from... deadly black water. The cycle from her family's Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk) stories is finally broken, the black water is now a harmless lake, and her problems are far from supernatural. All Avery wants is a normal summer with Key, her now-boyfriend. The trauma, however, casts a long shadow over the town. Some victims never returned. Terrifying memories threaten to resurface, but Avery pushes them down. Who she's really worried about is Key. The two are supposed to be closer than ever-- so why does he feel so distant? Wracked by anxiety, Avery begins to see a chilling reflection in every mirror, one that moves on its own-- and she's not the only one.

Date Published:2025

Red in tooth and claw

McBride, Lish,


Now orphaned, sixteen-year-old Faolan, who has been disguised as a boy by her grandfather for most of her life, is deemed unfit to stay on her homestead, so the mayor hires a gunslinger to send her to the mysterious Settlement, where ominous secrets and deadly creatures compel her to escape for survival.
Date Published:2024

Very dangerous things

Muñoz, Lauren,


Everyone in town knows about the game. For decades, J. Everett High has staged an annual murder mystery to put its criminology students to the test. And this year, crime junkie Dulce Castillo is dead set on winning. Soon, the game kicks off, and the student playing the victim, Xavier Torres, is found poisoned in the school's greenhouse-- except his death is not pretend. It's murder. When the authorities open an investigation, all the evidence points to Sierra Fox, Xavier's ex-girlfriend and Dulce's ex-best friend. Claiming innocence and desperate to clear her name, Sierra begs Dulce to look past their bad blood and find the culprit. After all, Dulce knows this school better than any investigator ever could, but she must use caution to solve this mystery. Because these historic halls are full of suspects with no shortage of motives. And in this game of cat and mouse, the other player kills.
Date Published:2025

Everyone in town knows about the game. For decades, J. Everett High has staged an annual murder mystery to put its criminology students to the test. And this year, crime junkie Dulce Castillo is dead set on winning. Soon, the game kicks off, and the student playing the victim, Xavier Torres, is found poisoned in the school's greenhouse-- except his death is not pretend. It's murder. When the authorities open an investigation, all the evidence points to Sierra Fox, Xavier's ex-girlfriend and Dulce's ex-best friend. Claiming innocence and desperate to clear her name, Sierra begs Dulce to look past their bad blood and find the culprit. After all, Dulce knows this school better than any investigator ever could, but she must use caution to solve this mystery. Because these historic halls are full of suspects with no shortage of motives. And in this game of cat and mouse, the other player kills.

Date Published:2025

A steeping of blood

Faizal, Hafsah,


Arthie Casimir must rally her fractured crew and confront the ghosts of her past as White Roaring descends into chaos, vengeance looms, and love threatens to complicate everything. White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration. Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time - and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it. In Ceylan.
Date Published:2025

Arthie Casimir must rally her fractured crew and confront the ghosts of her past as White Roaring descends into chaos, vengeance looms, and love threatens to complicate everything. White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration. Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time - and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it. In Ceylan.

Date Published:2025

Brigands & breadknives

Baldree, Travis, 1977-


"Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern. Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller's life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend's coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her! If only things were so simple... It turns out that fixing your life isn't a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint. A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover. As together they fend off a rogue's gallery of ne'er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when nothing seems inevitable."--
Date Published:2025

"Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern. Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller's life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend's coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her! If only things were so simple... It turns out that fixing your life isn't a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint. A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover. As together they fend off a rogue's gallery of ne'er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when nothing seems inevitable."--

Date Published:2025

The House Saphir

Meyer, Marissa,


While attempting to banish the spirit of an infamous murderer from his ancestral home, Mallory, a witch with the ability to see ghosts, finds herself at the center of an investigation for a new murder.
Date Published:2025

All the stars in the daylight sky

MacGregor, Maya,


Eighteen-year-old Cam bounces between houses in Texas and Scotland and has always thought that's why they don't feel at home in either place. A recent Autism diagnosis followed by a fight with their Mothers add an extra layer of real-life stress, only amplifying their struggle to belong. However, things take an unexpected turn when they cross paths with members of the fae deep in a Scottish forest. With the Gaelic wisdom from their Granaidh (Grandma), Cam understands that they have been noticed by the fae, and that this means that their life is suddenly in grave danger. Cam must make a choice: face the danger or join the fae and never see their family again. With their human ties fraying even further, the allure of the fae's acceptance tugs at Cam's heart, but are they ready to say goodbye to their family forever? From the acclaimed author of The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, this is a lush, lyrical romantasy novel set at the crossroads of belonging and the magical realm of the unknown.
Date Published:2025

Eighteen-year-old Cam bounces between houses in Texas and Scotland and has always thought that's why they don't feel at home in either place. A recent Autism diagnosis followed by a fight with their Mothers add an extra layer of real-life stress, only amplifying their struggle to belong. However, things take an unexpected turn when they cross paths with members of the fae deep in a Scottish forest. With the Gaelic wisdom from their Granaidh (Grandma), Cam understands that they have been noticed by the fae, and that this means that their life is suddenly in grave danger. Cam must make a choice: face the danger or join the fae and never see their family again. With their human ties fraying even further, the allure of the fae's acceptance tugs at Cam's heart, but are they ready to say goodbye to their family forever? From the acclaimed author of The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, this is a lush, lyrical romantasy novel set at the crossroads of belonging and the magical realm of the unknown.

Date Published:2025

When devils sing

Kaur, Xan,


In a small Southern town, four unlikely allies investigate the disappearance of a local teen, uncovering a dark and ancient evil lurking beneath their community, far more sinister than they ever imagined.
Date Published:2025

If looks could kill

Berry, Julie, 1974-


It's autumn 1888, and Jack the Ripper is on the run. As London police close in, he flees England for New York City seeking new victims. But a primal force of female vengeance has had enough. With serpents for hair and a fearsome gaze, an awakened Medusa is hunting for one Jack. And other dangers lurk in Manhattan's Bowery. Salvation Army volunteers Tabitha and Pearl discover that a girl they once helped has been forced to work in a local brothel. Tabitha's an upstate city girl with a wry humor and a thirst for adventure, while farmgirl Pearl takes everything with stone-cold seriousness. Their brittle partnership is tested as they team up with an aspiring girl reporter and a handsome Irish bartender to mount a rescue effort, only to find their fates entwine with Medusa's and Jack's.
Date Published:2025

It's autumn 1888, and Jack the Ripper is on the run. As London police close in, he flees England for New York City seeking new victims. But a primal force of female vengeance has had enough. With serpents for hair and a fearsome gaze, an awakened Medusa is hunting for one Jack. And other dangers lurk in Manhattan's Bowery. Salvation Army volunteers Tabitha and Pearl discover that a girl they once helped has been forced to work in a local brothel. Tabitha's an upstate city girl with a wry humor and a thirst for adventure, while farmgirl Pearl takes everything with stone-cold seriousness. Their brittle partnership is tested as they team up with an aspiring girl reporter and a handsome Irish bartender to mount a rescue effort, only to find their fates entwine with Medusa's and Jack's.

Date Published:2025

Thorn season

Azar, Kiera,


Series information from publisher's website. "In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre--a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted. Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she's escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father. Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal--and caught between two equally dangerous men: one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth--and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own. With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner--and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation--Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It's Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she'll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . ."--
Date Published:2025

Series information from publisher's website. "In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre--a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted. Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she's escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father. Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal--and caught between two equally dangerous men: one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth--and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own. With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner--and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation--Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It's Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she'll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . ."--

Date Published:2025

Coldwire

Gong, Chloe,


"A dystopian story following a young soldier who is framed for a political assassination and must team up with her country's most wanted terrorist to clear her name"-- "The future is loading ... To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives "upcountry" in glistening virtual reality, while those who can't afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling "downcountry." But upcountry isn't perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua--and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy. Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp's private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua's most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she's given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason. Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy--and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision"--
Date Published:2025

"A dystopian story following a young soldier who is framed for a political assassination and must team up with her country's most wanted terrorist to clear her name"-- "The future is loading ... To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives "upcountry" in glistening virtual reality, while those who can't afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling "downcountry." But upcountry isn't perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua--and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy. Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp's private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua's most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she's given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason. Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy--and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision"--

Date Published:2025