The Jasad Heir

Hashem weaves a complex tapestry of magic, danger, and violence set against some vividly atmospheric worldbuilding in her mesmerizing debut. Essiya is a fugitive, the last surviving royal of the purged Jasad kingdom. Now going by Sylvia, she ekes out a furtive existence in Mahair, a city ruled by the militant Nizahlians, who burned her homeland to the ground. Torture and death await anyone accused of being a Jasadi magic-user, so Sylvia must rely on her fighting skills, feral nature, and survival instinct to get by. Hounded by ghosts of her traumatic past, she deceives and ultimately kills to keep her identity secret. However, when Sylvia catches the eye of her worst enemy, Arin of Nizahl, the heir to the Nizahlian throne, her tight grip over her own fate loosens. Arin, who doesn’t know of Sylvia’s royal blood, wants her help rooting out Jasadi rebels, who, meanwhile, seek to rally behind their queen. An angst-inducing game of cat and mouse begins when Arin declares Sylvia his champion in the Alcalah, a deadly tournament of fighters from all the known kingdoms. Meanwhile, an attraction as fierce as their enmity blossoms between the pair. Caught in the center of a tumultuous whirlwind, Sylvia must choose between her own safety and the lives of the people she loves. This nail-bitingly suspenseful romantasy will keep readers on tenterhooks. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (July)