Gothic Fantasy published by Orbit 27 Sep 22
The kingdom of Blunder is infected by deadly mist magic. A king bartered his soul centuries ago to make magic cards that grant their users unique abilities. The only way to cure the kingdom is to unite all 12 cards.
Elspeth has a secret – her mind isn’t her own. The infection she had as a child left her with a dark, mysterious presence in the corners of her mind. The darkness helps her locate the cards, but now it’s slowly taking over her mind. It’s a race against time to collect the cards and save the kingdom, before the Nightmare in her head wins out.
This book is so good. I could not put it down. The magic system is very unique and the characters are all so interesting. I was mesmerized from the beginning and loved every twist and turn. I can’t wait for the sequel! It ends on a huge cliff hanger, but it’s so good I wasn’t even mad. I can’t recommend this book enough!
Grade: A
Summary:
Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.
But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason.
He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
Two Twisted Crowns – 19 Oct 23
