First published 2026
Sixteen-year-old Burr watches an ominous castle arrive in his peaceful village. Above in the clouds, divine Players treat the Kingdom of Thaletal as their board game. They shift castles across the realm like chess pieces while villagers become pawns in their cosmic contest. Burr refuses to accept this fate. He launches what begins as a village rebellion, but the castle gets torn away to a distant corner of the kingdom. There, rumors spread about the Magpie Maiden, an ancient figure whose birds enforce debts that cost more than gold. Burr teams up with his sisters, loyal friends, and a mysterious heiress who offers unexpected aid. Together they must decode the Magpie Maiden's secrets and discover why the Great Game began. The stakes climb higher than castle towers as each decision could mean life or death. Burr races to end the Players' deadly competition before it claims him and everyone he loves.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, young-adult, dark-fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, epic, high-stakes, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, mystery-unraveling, reluctant-hero
Setting: Kingdom of Thaletal
400 pages · Hardcover · Harry N. Abrams
Content warnings: death, violence