Now an Indie Next pick! A Most Anticipated Pick for BookRiot | FanFi Addict | The Nerd Daily | io9 | We Are Bookish | BuzzfeedBook of the Year for Kirkus Reviews, Book of the Year for Gizmodo, Must Read for Book Riot, Best of pick for Bustle"A delicious tangle of romance, fealty, and dangerous politics."—Tasha SuriThe Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century" in Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, where a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire.Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen's new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation.To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a...

A young storyteller must embrace his own skills—and the power of stories—to save a nation from economic ruin, in the standalone sequel to A Conspiracy of Truths. Three years ago, Ylfing watched his master-Chant tear a nation apart with nothing but the words on his tongue. Now Ylfing is all alone in a new realm, brokenhearted and grieving—but a Chant in his own right, employed as a translator to a wealthy merchant of luxury goods, Sterre de Waeyer. But Ylfing has been struggling to come to terms with what his master did, with the audiences he's been alienated from, and with the stories he can no longer trust himself to tell. That is, until Ylfing's employer finds out what he is, what he does, and what he knows. At Sterre's command, Ylfing begins telling stories once more, fanning the city into a mania for a few shipments of an exotic flower. The prices skyrocket, but when disaster looms, Ylfing must face what he has done and decide who he...

By the King's Edict, men have been banned from performing on stage.Everyone else is still out for blood. Sabajan Hollant, director and co-founder of the celebrated Lord Chancellor's Players, has one resolution: This time they're going to do it right. If they want to keep their noble patron—hell, if they want to stay in the theater business at all—they're going to have to keep their hands clean. No accidents, no rising to other troupes' provocations and taunts, and certainly no more duelling in the streets. But their arch-rivals have different plans, and soon enough, Saba and her troupe are caught up once again in an escalating drama of revenge, betrayal, and outright sabotage. The men may have started this war—but Saba and her remaining players are going to end it.

At the center of the great forest of Avaris lies the sacred wood of Ystrac, god of the hunt and the wilderness—and the wild terror of hunted things. This fear emanates so powerfully from the godwood that most travelers who would pass along its winding road can barely step past the boundary marker. All that keeps the fear at bay are the lanterns, lit by mysterious, ever-burning flames and tended faithfully by the priests of Talesyn, the god of poets. Aneth is a dedicate of Ystrac, and as part of her service to him, she is charged to face the godwood's fear and open her heart to it, guiding travelers along the road and seeing them safe on their way on the other side. Corentin is a priest of Talesyn, and for his service, he has sworn to walk the lantern path and do what needs must to ensure the lanterns' flames burn bright for years to come—whatever the cost to himself, whatever oaths or sacrifices he must make. Neither of them...

A wrongfully imprisoned storyteller spins stories from his jail cell that just might have the power to save him—and take down his jailers too. Arrested on accusations of witchcraft and treason, Chant finds himself trapped in a cold, filthy jail cell in a foreign land. With only his advocate, the unhelpful and uninterested Consanza, he quickly finds himself cast as a bargaining chip in a brewing battle between the five rulers of this small, backwards, and petty nation. Or, at least, that's how he would tell the story. In truth, Chant has little idea of what is happening outside the walls of his cell, but he must quickly start to unravel the puzzle of his imprisonment before they execute him for his alleged crimes. But Chant is no witch—he is a member of a rare and obscure order of wandering storytellers. With no country to call his home, and no people to claim as his own, all Chant has is his wits and his apprentice, a lad more interested in...