OWL KING

Half sisters Lyla and Ilsette fear Cato, the tyrannical Owl King of the Realm of Never Moon, who takes faeries as brides only to steal their feathers and strength, leaving them empty husks.

For years, they’ve cared for each other, Lyla with her stories and Ilsette with her songs. When Ilsette’s voice accidentally attracts Cato’s attention, and he recognizes her half-human parentage—putting her at risk of execution for trespassing—Lyla sacrifices herself to protect her sister. With Lyla now pale-skinned Cato’s bride, Ilsette’s only chance of saving her sister is to recover an ancient talisman from a faraway realm. As Ilsette ventures through different lands, armed only with stories and songs, she encounters interesting characters, some familiar to fans of the series opener, Nettle (2025). Meanwhile, Lyla must rely on her powerful tales of anger, love, heartbreak, and betrayal—each of which is complemented by a beautiful black-and-white avian illustration from Shutterstock—to distract the Owl King and delay his theft of her magic. But as Cato returns to her night after night seeking new stories, she finds she may stand to gain and lose more than she ever imagined. The sisters must decide where they belong and how much they’re willing to sacrifice for love. This enthralling narrative features robust worldbuilding although the story moves so quickly that the romantic relationships feel underdeveloped. Brown-winged Ilsette and black-winged Lyla are racially indeterminate.

An enchanting, fast-paced folkloric fantasy that champions the power of stories.