THE NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER!
"A thrilling fantasy about power and patriarchy" - The Bookseller, featured as Book of the Month "Riveting, romantic and thought-provoking" - The Guardian
The first book in a searing new romantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS and THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE.
If he has the ability to wield magical powers, everyone will rejoice especially the girl who loves him. But what happens when they realize she has the gift?
Éadha (A-ya) has grown up in a deeply flawed society. In Domhain, power is drawn by elites from the life force of other, lesser people called Fodder. Those with this innate ability, the Channellers, have reshaped society to ensure their own high status and obscure the exploitative nature of their powers. Éadha, a lowly servant girl, is in love with her close childhood friend Ionáin, the son of the keeps ruling family. But the fate of his familys position rests on whether Ionáin has inherited a Channellers ability everyone is tense, waiting to see the result of the assessment on his 17th birthday.
However, in a twist of fate, Éadha discovers that she herself contains this power and Ionáin doesnt. Its unheard of and dangerous for a servant, especially a woman, to be a Channeller.
Instead, Éadha tricks everyone into believing her to be gifted only as a Keeper, a Channellers assistant who is less powerful but can manipulate the threads of power from Fodder. She is allowed to attend the Channeller training academy alongside Ionáin, who is unbeknownst to him being empowered by Éadhas own gift. Here, she is caught up in a whirlwind of patriarchy and heartache, torn between her lifelong devotion to Ionáin and her undeniable attraction to the enigmatic Gry. She also learns a devastating lesson: the human cost of the Channellers power and the lengths they will go to keep it.
"A complex web of magic, feminism, sexual desire, Irish folklore and, of course, dragons this will leave fans desperate for the next in the trilogy." - Daily Mail
*Nielsen Bookscan TCM Children's YA Hardback Sales, Week 11 2026
