Seventeen-year-old Karasi Shujaa ain't afraid of no ghosts - although technically they are called roho mbaya - and poachers. Blessed by the gods of her tribe with the magic to mimic the powers of animals, Karasi hunts both down without a sense of fear-not an easy task with her 9 PM curfew. The only thing Karasi does fear is getting caught kissing her girlfriend, as being a lesbian is illegal in Kenya.
When a sacred lion cub-the source of Karasi's magic-is stolen by a poaching syndicate influenced by the demonic serpent Kifonyoka, it endangers the natural balance. However, before Karasi can rescue it, her father, a tribal man who neither believes in the gods nor their magic, ships her off to live in Washington D.C.
Although her magic draining away, Karasi will fight for what she views as her birthright. With the support of her gods, Karasi must outwit Kifonyoka and his deadly disciples to rescue the cub. Or else Karasi would lose her magic, her mother's legacy, and the love of the girl of her dreams.
A magic-addicted spy trapped in the queen's service must track a princess-turned-assassin in order to earn her freedom, but things get complicated when she falls for the princess she's supposed to capture.
*****
Weak. Cursed. That's how seventeen-year-old Kayden Branimir, the realm's deadliest assassin, views herself. Some believe she could save the world with her rare healing magic, but she gave up on her powers long ago after failing to save her best friend. Her life changes when she receives a letter from her supposedly dead twin brother, Alaric, begging to be rescued from rival territory Leodia. For the first time since her friend's accident, Kayden is determined to be the hero, but she must learn to embrace her magic--and herself--along the way.
Strange. Unnatural. Those are the words whispered about eighteen-year-old Zara Tait, a Leodian spy addicted to soul-stealing magic. Forced into the queen's service, Zara wants to escape and return home, but she has nothing to offer the queen in exchange for her freedom. When Kayden arrives in Leodia, Zara sees the quiet girl with unique magic as the bargaining chip she needs. But the more she learns of Kayden, the more her feelings grow. Now, Zara must choose between her freedom and the dangerous assassin she hadn't meant to fall for.
[2020 Watty Award Winner]
Content warning: This story contains mature themes of violence, addiction, abuse, self-harm, and mental illness.
Cover by Faera Lane