An orphan girl must face untold danger and an ancient evil to save her kingdom’s prince in this “dark, sensuous...queer and lush” (Kirkus Reviews) fantasy perfect for fans of Girls of Paper and Fire and Tess of the Road.
How can you live without your heart?
In the vast palace of the empress lives an orphan girl called Nothing. She slips within the shadows of the Court, unseen except by the Great Demon of the palace and her true friend, Prince Kirin, heir to the throne. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince’s bodyguard suspect that Kirin may have been taken by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful woman who has plagued the land for decades. The sorceress has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing has uncovered many secrets in her sixteen years in the palace, including a few about the prince.
As the empress’s army searches fruitlessly, Nothing and the bodyguard set out on a rescue mission, through demon-filled rain forests and past crossroads guarded by spirits. Their journey takes them to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the sorceress wields her power. There, Nothing discovers that all magic is a bargain, and she may be more powerful than she ever imagined. But the price the Sorceress demands for Kirin may very well cost Nothing her heart.
Tessa Gratton wanted to be a paleontologist or a wizard since she was seven. She was too impatient to hunt dinosaurs, but is still searching for someone to teach her magic. After traveling the world with her military family, she acquired a BA in gender studies and went to graduate school, but halfway through ditched the program to focus on writing fiction. She doesn’t have a master’s degree, but did translate her own version of Beowulf. She lives in Kansas with her partner.
Mary Helen Gallucci is a narrator, musician, and linguist who is passionate about bringing characters to life. She holds a degree from Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music and two graduate degrees in a literary field. Before narrating audiobooks full-time, she taught middle school literature, and directed teens in drama and musical theater. She is especially drawn to books which represent LGBTQ+ narratives or themes.