When eighteen-year-old Lillian enters the deadly King's Guard Trials, she's on a mission to assassinate the monarch—a final act of rebellion before her mysterious illness claims her life. But the competition is ruthless, the magic darker than she imagined, and the people around her are hiding secrets that could unravel everything she believes about herself and the world. As she bonds with unlikely allies and finds herself dangerously drawn to her enigmatic commander, Lillian discovers that her reasons for seeking revenge might be based on lies, and the true stakes of her quest are far larger than she ever understood. Packed with high-stakes fantasy action, found family warmth, and the kind of romantic tension that makes your heart ache, this is a story about what it means to fight for something when the ground beneath you keeps shifting.

Reading soundtrack

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etherealyearningdarktensebittersweet

Haunting orchestral fantasy with whispered vocals and slow-burn romance. Think ethereal indie folk meets dark atmospheric synths—cinematic, mysterious, tinged with bittersweet longing. Florence + The Machine, Hozier, and instrumental scores that feel like magic and danger colliding.

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