Publishers Weekly
07/29/2024
Upon finding her mother murdered and her farmhouse set ablaze, 18-year-old Seraphine Marchant seeks asylum in the city of Fantome with the Order of Cloaks, one of the two feuding guilds that rule the city using Shade, a dangerous and contraband magical powder. As Seraphine settles into her new life, she plots to avenge her mother by deposing Gaspard Dufort, the power-hungry leader of the Daggers and her mother’s assumed murderer. This quest is complicated by 19-year-old Ransom Hale, the attractive heir apparent of the Daggers who has been tasked with killing Seraphine. Sparks fly throughout as Seraphine and Ransom clash in a cat-and-mouse chase across the city and as threads connect a spate of Shade-powered monster attacks, buried family secrets, and an unprecedented magic that could change Fantome forever. Using alternating third-person perspectives, Doyle (Pirates of Darksea) kicks off a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance set in an intricate world full of magic and mystery that checks all the boxes for romantasy lovers looking for the next series to sink their teeth into. Seraphine has tan skin and Ransom has olive skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Oct.)
Sarah Rees Brennan
"Gorgeous and ruthless: stand back everyone, the true rivals to lovers has arrived."
NYT bestselling author of Powerless Lauren Roberts
Sizzling romance, stunning world-building, spectacular writing.
Kirkus Reviews
2024-07-19
A forbidden attraction and explosive secrets set a city aflame.
Eighteen-year-old Seraphine Marchant’s mother manufactures Shade, a dust sourced from the boneshade plant that’s imbued with the power to manipulate shadows. Shade magic is used by the rival guilds that rule the city of Fantome’s underworld—Cloaks swathed in Shade-infused garments blend into the shadows to commit thievery while Daggers ingest it and acquire the ability to kill with a single touch. When her mother is murdered, Seraphine flees from the countryside to Fantome, seeking sanctuary among the Cloaks. But she’s the Daggers’ newest mark, tailed by talented Ransom. The two are recklessly drawn to one another as a new danger emerges from the darkness and surprising discoveries upend the rules of Shade and shadows. The lush worldbuilding of cobblestones, catacombs, and saints includes a richly crafted history that’s deftly introduced and ripe for continued exploration in the next installment. While the first third of the novel is well paced and tenderly developed, the quality of the remainder is uneven. The juvenile, innuendo-filled taunts lack charisma, although the more sincere exchanges and reflections achieve sultry depths. The repetitive overuse of expletives becomes tiresome, cheapening the dialogue. A steamy encounter that lacks verbal consent and contains power dynamic–coded language feels reminiscent of romances written for adults. Main characters are cued white; the strong supporting characters add racial diversity and elevate the narrative development.
A promising series opener that’s sure to please adult readers of young adult novels. (map, character list)(Fantasy. 16-adult)
