First published 2024
The protagonist has crossed her Safety Line and now faces a coupling with a stranger who wants to possess her completely. She enters a volatile political arena where she must obtain ships to stop murderous beasts that continue ravaging the continent. One misstep could trigger the very war she has fought to prevent. She puts on the required dress, cupla, and shoes, maintaining her smile because everyone observes her every move. He watches too, searching for cracks in her cold armor, trying to peel away her defenses to expose what lies beneath. He has become unyielding and transformed. She carries secrets that could destroy everything, burdened by past mistakes that demand payment. Fear once controlled her, but now she controls it. This sequel to To Bleed a Crystal Bloom continues the dark Rapunzel retelling with political intrigue and personal stakes that could cost her life.
Genres: fantasy, dark-fantasy, political-thriller, fantasy-romance
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
528 pages · Paperback · Plaza & Janés
Content warnings: violence