by Alex Aster
First published 2026
Aris watches flames consume her village and everyone she loves. A goddess lit the fire. Now grown, the orphaned blacksmith's apprentice enters the Culling, a brutal competition where the king selects fifty challengers. Every fifty years, these chosen few cross from mortal Stormside into magical Starside, seeking the divine pool that grants healing, wealth, or extended life. Aris wants none of these rewards. She plans to murder the gods themselves. During the Culling, she claims a powerful sword that makes her a true contender and marks her for death. Surviving the competition proves easier than navigating Starside itself. Ancient beasts roam the immortal realm while something worse rises from the ground each night. Aris must avoid Harlan Raker, the king's guard who betrayed her years before, even as he becomes crucial to her survival. She trusts no one with her blade that others would kill to possess. But Aris carries a secret about her family's death that could unleash consequences beyond even divine power to control.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, fantasy-romance
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Setting: Starside, Stormside
Period: Ancient
512 pages · Hardcover · Avon
Content warnings: violence