by Cindy Pham
First published 2026
Corin makes her living stealing in the ruins of Gyldan, a kingdom that fell to poverty after its last princess entered eternal sleep a century ago. She considers the old stories nonsense until her younger sister Elly runs away to find the sleeping princess, hoping for escape from their harsh life. Corin tracks Elly through underground tunnels to an ancient castle where magical guardians protect a portal into Princess Amelia's subconscious mind. She leaps through the portal to follow her sister's voice, sealing herself inside. Within Amelia's dreamscape, Corin reunites with Elly in a world of ice palaces, sunflower labyrinths, and starlit seas. They encounter Briar Rose, the princess's cheerful dream self, and Malicine, a demon skilled in magic. As the sisters explore this seemingly perfect paradise, Corin grows suspicious that Briar Rose conceals troubling truths beneath the beautiful surface, secrets that even the unconscious mind struggles to suppress.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, young-adult, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, portal-fantasy, sisters
Setting: Gyldan, Amelia's Dreamscape
Period: Century Ago
400 pages · Hardcover · Kokila