RISE OF THE VICIOUS PRINCESS

A princess weighs her heart against her duty.

Charis Willowthorn (17 and implied White) was raised to be queen. At her mother’s side she has learned the ins and outs of Calera’s politics and what it means to govern during a seemingly endless war against a ruthless foe. Charis can fight, dance, hide her true feelings behind a smile, and play power games, but she retains the capacity for kindness and compassion. When a near-successful assassination attempt leaves Charis with lingering trauma, the resulting executions of several of her staff leave her isolated. Enter bodyguard Tal, also cued as White, assigned by Charis’ kindly father, and the start of a friendship that gradually becomes a slow-burn, forbidden romance, blossoming even as Charis sacrifices her future happiness for Calera’s good. The first in a duology, this entry in many ways serves as an extended setup for what promises to be an action-packed second volume but manages to maintain a brisk pace while establishing the players, geography, and concerns of a political fantasy. Calera is multiracial, and women and men serve on equal footing, with female characters depicted as a guard and an admiral as well as political leaders. With a promising opening—featuring a protagonist reminiscent of those in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse—plus a zinger of an ending, this should have no trouble finding an audience.

An engaging introduction to a female-forward fantasy world.