Rule

Miller’s strong conclusion to her Unraveled Kingdom trilogy (following Fray) balances personal and political conflicts as the 18th-century Europe-esque nation of Galitha takes its first steps from monarchy to democratic republic. Galithan Sophie Balstrade, a “sartorial sorceress” working to weaponize her spell-casting skills for use against the Royalist forces, travels with her ally, Alba, leader of the Order of the Golden Sphere Convent, on a short sea voyage to gather supplies from manufacturers in Fen, a neighboring country where magic is illegal and relationships between factory owners and their workers have been influenced by news of the reformation in Galitha. Back home, the leaders of the Reformist Army, among them Sophie’s rabble-rousing brother, Kristos, and her charming fiancé, Theodor, who’s left the gentry, face internal difficulties as they struggle to construct a new government, debating issues of representation and whether to lead with idealism or pragmatism. Miller does not shy away from battle and bloodshed as the political conflict comes to a head, but also refreshingly portrays the intimate, personal impacts of sweeping social changes. Series fans will be pleased with this satisfying, sophisticated fantasy. Agent: Jessica Sinsheimer, Sarah Jane Freymann Literary. (May)