By Sasha Peyton Smith
Harper / HarperCollins, 2025
386 pages
978-0-06-337252-8
Age 14 and older
It’s 1848, and cruel fae queen Mor has ruled London for centuries, allowing each of her subjects to make a single bargain with her. Most young women do so during their debutante season, trading something of value—a body part, a memory, a talent—in exchange for a quality that will boost their marriageability. Ivy (white) hopes to marry rich and restore her family’s reputation, which was ruined after her older sister disappeared and, upon returning home, had no memory of where she had been. Then, a surprise: Queen Mor announces a competition for the hand of her fae son, Prince Bram, in marriage. The catch? The losers will never be permitted to marry. With nothing to lose, Ivy is one of six women who throw their hats in the ring. But she is the only one to be approached by human Prince Emmett, who has discovered a loophole in the terms of the enchantment that keeps Mor in power; Ivy’s victory would break the spell. Ivy is determined to win Bram’s heart and free England… making the growing romantic and sexual tension between her and Emmett rather inconvenient. This twisty romantasy, the first in a duology, excels in its depiction of complicated relationships both romantic and platonic; each of the young women is afforded a point-of-view chapter, giving the reader insight into their individual motives and the evolving group dynamic as they go from vicious competitors to fierce allies and friends. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center