The Last Great Heir (Feast and Famine #1)

Finn’s fantastical debut draws readers deep into a world of demons, social justice, and legacy. On their 13th birthdays, the chosen heirs of the houses of Feast and Famine have for generations been forced to duel to determine who will rule the land of Fauret and act as the Guardian of the Scion. Twelve-year-old Rue Famine has spent her whole life safely cocooned in the austere Wormwood Hall under the tutelage of her mothers as she attempts to learn everything she needs to know to rule. She often questions their way of life: “Why should she have to sacrifice everything to protect someone she’d never seen?” Meanwhile, Merriment Feast has lived in the lap of luxury—when she’s not buckling under her Guardian aunt’s grueling training. The girls’ growing maturity as they learn more about the world outside their house’s influence poignantly tackles class dynamics. Though the meandering narrative—evenly split between the tweens—is haphazardly plotted, it’s punctuated by sincere moments of character interaction that ruminates on the weight of familial expectation and the strength it takes to carve one’s own path. Main characters default to white. Ages 10–13. Agent: Linda Epstein, Emerald City Literary. (Jan.)