The Queen of the Tearling

In this epic debut, which blends magic, adventure, mystery, and romance, a young princess must learn how to govern, retake her mother's kingdom, and vanquish the Red Queen, a formidable and cunning sorcerer out to destroy her.

Raised in exile, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn embarks on a treacherous trip to return to her natal castle on her eighteenth birthday in order to take her rightful place at the throne. Simple and grave, a bookworm at heart, Kelsea is quite different from her conceited and ostentatious mother, Queen Elyssa. Kelsea is not helpless, despite her inexperience and shelter: the Tearling sapphire, a gem with great magical power, hangs around her neck, and the Queen's Guard, a group of valiant knights under the mysterious and devoted Lazarus, are with her. In order to avoid being crowned, Kelsea's opponents will use every means at their disposal, ranging from black magic to crimson-clad assassins. Therefore, she will need the support of all of them.

Even though Kelsea is descended from royalty, she feels more like an awkward young woman appointed to govern a people and a nation that she hardly understands about. However, what she finds in the capital will completely turn her world upside down and expose her to unspeakable atrocities. A lone act of bravery will cause chaos across Kelsea's realm and unleash the wrath of the despotic Red Queen, a sorceress with the worst power, who rules over neighbouring Mortmesne. Kelsea will now start to learn who she can trust—the aristocrats, the servants, and her own guard.

She is about to go on a remarkable voyage of self-discovery and a trial by fire that, if she survives, will make her a legend as she embarks on her mission to preserve her country and fulfil her destiny.

This book will come in a gorgeous box with ribbon marker, map of the Tearling, and illustrated endpapers.