The Jasad Heir

In a world of scorched kingdoms, forbidden magic, and cunning royals, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her fallen kingdoms greatest enemy and soon finds herself embroiled in a political game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever in this stunning debut epic fantasy.

At ten years old, the Heir of Jasad flees a massacre that takes her entire family.
At fifteen, she buries her first body.
At twenty, the clock is ticking on Sylvias third attempt at home. Nizahls armies have laid waste to Jasad and banned magic across the four remaining kingdoms. Fortunately, Sylvias magic is as good at playing dead as she is.

When the Nizahl Heir tracks a group of Jasadis to Sylvias village, the quiet life shes crafted unravels. Calculating and cold, Arins tactical brilliance is surpassed only by his hatred for magic. When a mistake exposes Sylvias magic, Arin offers her an escape: compete as Nizahls Champion in the Alcalah tournament and win immunity from persecution. In exchange, Arin will use her as bait to draw out the Jasadis hes hunting.

To win the deadly Alcalah, Sylvia must work with Arin to free her trapped magic, all while staying a step ahead of his efforts to uncover her identity. But as the two grow closer, Sylvia realizes winning her freedom as Nizahls Champion means destroying any chance of reuniting Jasad under her banner. The scorched kingdom is rising again, and Sylvia will have to choose between the life shes earned and the one she left behind.

The Jasad Heir takes familiar fantasy plot elements-a destroyed kingdom; a hidden heir to the lost throne-and gives them a thrilling extra layer of political complexity. The slow burn between protagonist and antagonist will have you turning pages in a frenzy. Sara Hashem is a talent to watch!
Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun