Riddlers of the Thorn Wood

The estranged heiress of a magical crime family returns home after five years, seeking justice for the horrible accident that drove her from the syndicate, in this dark fantasy perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon and Fonda Lee.

The formidable Meyon family is among the strongest magical crime syndicates locked in an endless blood feud for control over their province. In an otherwise arid desert, they live luxuriously in the Thorn Wood: an unnatural stretch of orchards sustained by a magic called riddling. Five years ago, the sheltered Meyon heiress Kasse was caught in the crossfire of an enemy attack, leaving her scarred permanently. Aggrieved, Kasse withdrew from the family to study magic with her research partner, Oly Phorso, on a seashore far from family obligations.

Today, as a new occupying lord rises to power, Kasse apprehensively answers her cunning mother’s call home. She agrees to ally their family with the lord—in exchange for revenge against those who wronged her. Unbeknownst to them all, Oly’s twin sister Arinna is supplying magical contraband to a burgeoning resistance, determined to play her role in the fall of the occupation from within the system and outside of it.

As the factions vie for power, Kasse, Oly, and Arinna will soon learn who they can trust—and if the cost of vengeance is worth paying.

• “Intricate, twisty, and suffused with deadly magic, Riddlers of the Thorn Wood became my instant obsession from the first page. A winning combination of political intrigue and emotionally evocative characters, it is perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon. Charles pulls no punches about colonization, generational trauma, and corruption. A masterful debut.”
  Taylor Grothe, author of Lethal Kiss