by M. L. Wang
First published 2024
Sciona has spent twenty years clawing her way through magical academia to break an ancient barrier. She becomes the first woman ever admitted to Tiran's High Magistry, but her male colleagues make their hostility clear from day one. They assign her Thomil, supposedly just a janitor, as her lab assistant instead of giving her qualified help. Thomil carries secrets of his own. Ten years ago, he crossed Tiran's magical barrier as a nomadic hunter, watching his family die in the process. Now he mops floors for the mages who destroyed his tribe and drove him from his homeland. Working alongside Sciona gives him his first real chance to understand the magical forces that keep the Tiranish in power. Their uneasy partnership leads them to uncover an ancient secret about magic itself. The discovery could reshape their world forever, but it might also get them both killed. Sciona has built her entire life around pursuing truth, but this truth forces her to weigh knowledge against the survival of civilization itself.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Tiran, Bright Haven
Period: 20 Years Ago, 10 Years Ago
428 pages · Hardcover · Del Rey