Description
[Wattys 2021 Shortlist] Imagine if Belle wasn't a princess but a thief running from a shadowy past. Imagine if the Beast wasn't a creature scorned but a young king losing a war he can't win without her. After spending two years as a thief on the streets of Neyle, infamous thief Lyra Willowood is in danger of being discovered. The Royal Guard of Opolon is on her tail, and they would love nothing more than to find her...and then kill her. Because a forbidden power courses through her veins, marking her as an enemy of the empire. But when she finally comes face to face with the Opolonian king, Davian Edgemoor, instead of killing her, he demands information which could help him win a war that is brewing in the South---information which Lyra doesn't have. Caught in a web of lies and deception, Davian takes her to the Onyx Palace, where she has to navigate politics and betrayal. But she isn't alone. The king's second in command, Neven Markus, becomes an unexpected ally, and quickly, something more. However, when unexpected tragedy strikes the palace, it becomes clear that someone is slipping privileged information into the hands of the Fated, a rebel group who is threatening to plunge the continent into war. Can Lyra figure out who the traitor before she loses her own life? As the pieces start to fall into place, Lyra finds herself caught between rationality and passion. And when clues from her past begin to emerge, she realizes that she will have a bigger role in this war than she ever thought-or wanted.
Chapter 1
