'A captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition' Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

'Brilliantly told and immediately engrossing, filled with magic, mistakes, and their merciless consequences' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

'An exciting new voice in epic fantasy' SFX

'This is one of the best debuts I've ever read' Novel Notions

My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur.

All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: my father's, whose family trace their roots back to the right hand of the Emperor. My mother's, whose family want to bring the Empire to its knees.

I can choose between them - between the safety of empire or the freedom of rebellion - or I can seek out a better path . . . one filled with magic and secrets, unbound by suffocating legacy, but one which could shake my world to its very foundation.

For my quest will bring me face to face with the gods themselves. And they have been watching. Waiting to make their move . . .

The first book in the Pact and Pattern series. Fans of Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War will love the magic running through every page.

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'J.T. Greathouse is about to take Patrick Rothfuss's crown' Mike Shackle

'A coming-of-age narrative with the energy of a modern fantasy and the gravity of a classic' M.L. Wang

'Entertaining, richly imaginative and full of conflict' Anna Stephens

'An absolute triumph' The Fantasy Hive

'A staggering fantasy debut' FanFiAddict

This debut fantasy kicks off the epic Pact and Pattern trilogy. Combining the intricate magic of Brent Weeks and the emotional heft of Robin Hobb, this is a novel about family and loyalty in the face of adversity.

This is an elegantly written, dramatic story of the terrible cost of unexamined ambition and the impossibility of opting out from a conflict you've been born into.