The Darkening

Only she can face the Storm . . .

Vesper Vale is the daughter of revolutionaries. Failed revolutionaries. Since the Queen sentenced her mother to death by a deadly Storm that curses everyone it touches, Vesper and her father have been on the run.

So when the queen's soldiers — led by paranoid Prince Dalca — catch up to them, Vesper will do whatever it takes to keep her father from sharing her mother's cruel fate.

Even arm herself with her father's book of dangerous experimental magic. Even infiltrate the prince's elite squad of soldier-sorcerers. Even cheat her way into his cold heart.

But when Vesper learns that there's more to the story of her mother's death, and that her home is in dire peril, she has little choice: trust the devious prince with her family's secrets, or follow her mother's footsteps into the Storm . . .

‘An enchanting and wildly clever debut, Mara's The Darkening delivers on every promise. From its storm-tossed world, to its lyrical prose, to its propulsive, electrifying plot, readers will find themselves utterly ensnared by this book — it is a true masterclass in young adult fantasy’ — Ayana Gray, New York Times-bestselling author of Beasts of Prey

ISBN: 9781529354904 | Published: 25 July 2023 (first published 2022) | Paperback | 400 pages