Nina Varela Livres

Separately, Ayla and Crier escape the palace, but while Ayla joins rebels determined to destroy the Iron Heart, Crier seeks to find and protect her love

In the aftermath of a war where Automae took over the kingdom of Rabu and bent humanity to their will, Ayla takes a job as a servant in the house of the sovereign for one purpose: to get revenge for her family's death by killing his daughter. Lady Crier, the heiress, was Made to be a perfect ruler of the kingdom, but she no longer knows if that is what she wants once she discovers some of her father's cruel secrets. Between this betrayal, and a betrothed that she does not trust, when Crier and Ayla finally meet, nothing seems certain anymore.

A thrilling fantasy adventure from acclaimed author Nina Varela that explores friendship and queer identity, perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Rick Riordan's Trials of Apollo series! When Juniper Harvey's family moves to the middle of nowhere in Florida, her entire life is uprooted. As if that's not bad enough, she keeps having dreams about an ancient-looking temple, a terrifying attack, and a mysterious girl who turns into an ivory statue. One night after a disastrous school dance, Juniper draws a portrait of the girl from her dreams and thinks, I wish you were here. The next morning, she wakes up to find the girl in her room...pointing a sword at her throat! The unexpected visitor reveals herself as Galatea, a princess from a magical other world. One problem--her crown is missing, and she needs it in order to return home. Now, it's up to Juniper to help find the crown, all while navigating a helpless crush on her new companion. And things go from bad to worse when a sinister force starts chasing after the crown too. Packed with adventure and driven by a pitch-perfect voice, this middle grade debut from Nina Varela is about one tween forging new friendships, fighting nightmarish monsters, and importantly, figuring out who she is and who she ultimately wishes to be.