BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL: On Sale Now
Congratulations to Mara Fitzgerald on the publication of her debut YA novel, BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL!
A dark, queer YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series and Wicked Saints. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst.
Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she's about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn't care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn't want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she'll have it all.
But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She's kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.
When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back . . . and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea's magic and find a way to save their people — no matter what it takes.
Praise for BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL:
"Perfect for fans of Holly Black's The Cruel Prince and Emily A. Duncan's Wicked Saints...a must-purchase for YA collections." —School Library Journal
"A fast-paced debut that reaches spectacularly bloody heights." —Kirkus
"Fitzgerald populates her story with fierce women who rule cities and seek glory." —Booklist
"Wicked sharp and queer as hell, Mara Fitzgerald's Beyond the Ruby Veil takes you on a breathless ride through a world of blood magic and terrifying secrets, with writing as vicious, provocative, and darkly witty as anti-heroine Emanuela herself." —Nina Varela, author of the Crier's War duology
"With a plot just as intelligent, ruthless, and unpredictable as its heroine, Beyond the Ruby Veil is a YA fantasy debut that will leave readers demanding the sequel." —Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray duology
"Beyond the Ruby Veil explores the themes of power, ambition, and the thin line between hero and villain in one of the most ingenious fantasy worlds I've seen in YA. Emanuela is both darkly funny and utterly terrifying, and I was compelled to follow her until the bitter, bloodthirsty end." —Julie C. Dao, author of The Rise of the Empress duology
"Beyond the Ruby Veil is a chaos filled, utterly bonkers, rollercoaster of a journey. Emanuela is a ruthless delight, and with each disastrous mistake she makes you cannot help but root for her all the more. One of my absolute favorite books and a must read for all fantasy fans." —Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints
"Like its singular heroine, Beyond the Ruby Veil demands every bit of your attention. A dark, vicious gem you won't be able to put down." —Katy Rose Pool, author of Morris Award finalist There Will Come A Darkness