THE LURE OF WOLVES AND WHISPERS

One sister offers her life in exchange for the other’s.

Maeve Fallon has spent all of her 19 years under the tyrannical reign of the High King, who slaughters those he deems traitors. Two decades ago, he banished the Martyr—the mages’ leader—and after an uprising five years ago, the gardai were sent to kill any remaining mages and the Seven Wells were drained of their magic, which once flowed through the isle of Eireann. Now the isle is shrouded in violence, its people starving and living in fear of the High King’s ruthless guards. When Maeve’s older sister, auburn-haired Finn, is gravely injured, Maeve offers herself in exchange for healing magic from the Whisperers. Maeve assumes the role of the peasant girl in the Assay—a deadly contest among noble women for the chance to become the High Queen. She’s there with a secret mission: to kill the king. What follows are brutal trials and games that leave Maeve near death more than once, dependent for survival on intense, green-eyed Wolf, the man who bound her to this bargain. This trilogy opener infused with Irish lore is a fast-paced, bloody story of cruelty, fear, and the fragile power of hope. The action begins on the first page and holds strong through the end. The characters are complex, and the romantic tension is steamy. Main characters are cued white.

A sizzling, high-stakes debut launching a series that readers will greedily devour.