First published 2018
Nona Grey has reached the Mystic Class at Sweet Mercy Convent, and the deepest secrets of the universe are finally opening to her. But knowledge cuts both ways. Before she can leave the convent she must commit to one of four paths: the red of a Warrior Sister, the grey of a Sister of Discretion, the blue of a Mystic Sister, or the plain black of the Bride of the Ancestor and a life of prayer. She does not get to make that choice in peace. A failed assassin still carries her wounded pride. A candidate for empress has her own designs. The empire's wealthiest lord wants blood and has the power to demand it. The circle around Nona tightens. Her enemies use the very institution she swore to serve as a weapon against her. Friendship pulls one way. Revenge pulls another. Ambition and loyalty pull in directions that do not overlap. Nona has survived worse odds before, but survival and choice are different things. Whatever she decides, someone will pay for it.
Genres: adventure, coming-of-age, fantasy, young-adult, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, gritty, intense, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, coming-of-age, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Sweet Mercy Convent
407 pages · Paperback · HarperVoyager
Content warnings: death, violence