by Penn Cole
Part of Kindred's Curse
First published 2025
Diem stands at the epicenter of war after her coronation crumbles into disaster. The Descended pull her toward one future while the Guardians demand another, and both sides will accept nothing less than total loyalty or her death. Her new allies and Luther, the man capturing her heart, occupy one camp. The mortals she swore to shield occupy the other. As clues about her strange bloodline surface, Diem and Luther traverse multiple realms seeking answers that might tip the war's balance. The truth forces Diem to confront devastating revelations about her mother and the destiny written in her blood. The Crowns now hunt her, some offering alliance while others plot assassination. Diem must identify which faces hide friends and which conceal enemies. She needs an army to topple their crushing rule. In the northern territories, a mysterious power broker moves pieces across the board, threatening to upend every plan Diem makes.
Genres: romance, adventure, fantasy, young-adult, epic-fantasy, fantasy-romance
Vibes: dark, emotionally-intense, epic, fast-paced, high-stakes, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers, found-family, hidden-identity, political-conflict
Setting: northern-territories
838 pages · Paperback · Atria Books
Content warnings: death, violence, war