Antinous is destined to die. Envied by the gods and despised by his rivals, the Greek youth from Bithynia is the most beautiful boy in the Roman Empire, summoned to the Eternal City where the emperor, Hadrian, makes him his lover. Just when Antinous thinks he has outrun destiny, he meets Leonides, a bold young soldier who conquers his heart. He desires the soldier but belongs to the emperor. If he gives in to temptation it may cost them their lives. His rivals are always talking and the gods always watching.

I had only seen her face before on a poster my father had brought home about a year ago. When I questioned him on her identity, he flew into a rage. "This," He has pointed at the woman with enough force I was sure he would rip the poster in two. "Is the scourge of our economy! This morceau de merde could ruin France with enough people. Her crew runs less than twenty and yet she is able to steal from merchants all across the Côte d'Azur! This, Madeleine, is the salope who calls herself The Lady Captain!" xxx Madeleine Louise Durand is the daughter of a wealthy merchant in the coastal Toulon, France. She enjoys the quiet things, like sewing, commerce, rejecting suitors, and looking at the stars. One night is the wrong night for astronomy; The Lady Captain has a raid planned.

virtues are for fools, darling.

impossible heists, lawless youths, and centuries-old paintings that hold immeasurable power. ✧ cover art by Louise Delfin