Thorn Season

Eighteen-year-old Lady Alissa Paine is a Wielder, one of a group of enchanters facing persecution in the kingdom of Daradon. She is also the heir to a family of Wielder Hunters. As such, she must keep her specter—an invisible, thread-like force that marks her as a Wielder—hidden or risk capture. When she learns that her family’s missing magic compass, which identifies specters, is being used to track and kill other Wielders, Alissa accepts the king’s invitation to participate in the Rose Season at the royal palace, hoping the theatrics surrounding the annual tradition will conceal her investigation into the compass’s whereabouts. But being a guest at the palace means she must also navigate myriad social engagements with Erik, the fearsome Daradon king who’s eager to court her, and Keil, a charming ambassador to Ansora, a place where Wielders live freely. Using lush, polished prose, Azar balances high stakes with tight pacing to present steadily unfolding political intrigue and slow-burn romance. Across Alissa’s impassioned first-person narration, the debut author deftly explores themes of suppressed identity, friendship, love, and loyalty in the face of violent persecution, making for a confident fantasy trilogy opener. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, RCW Literary. (Sept.)