by C. L. Clark
First published 2025
Agnir has spent her life as both ward and hostage among the enemy clan, keeping peace between warring factions in the fens. She has learned their customs and grown up beside their children, but everything changes when she falls for the chieftain's daughter. Their secret meetings at a hidden spring awaken a powerful magic within them both. They discover they can work their will into leather, weaving misfortune for their enemies like the legendary Fate's Bane. This newfound ability could unite all the clans under one banner, but it might also shatter the fragile peace Agnir was meant to preserve. As their fathers harbor growing ambitions and old grudges resurface, outside enemies circle the borders seeking to claim the fens. Agnir and her love must decide whether to use their dangerous gift to protect their families, knowing that the legend which granted them this power demands a terrible price.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, fantasy
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Fens
Period: Ancient
176 pages · Kindle Edition · Tordotcom
Content warnings: violence