A fantasy standalone combining the gaslamp fantasy of C. L. Polk’s When a king calls a hunt for a phoenix in a deadly, magical forest, wizard Sy jumps at the chance. Years ago, he indentured himself to pay for his magical education, binding him by unbreakable spell to the wicked king. The prize is just enough to pay off his debt. He can’t split it. Neither can he survive the forest alone. He seeks Anya, a skilled huntress who lives on the forest’s edge, and lies about splitting the money. But Anya is lying, too. Cursed by a vengeful witch after killing her familiar, Anya must find the phoenix and bind it to her before the summer solstice. Until then, she will suffer a gruesome transformation. With the forest swarming with wizards, she needs one on her side – for now. Neither can split the prize. Neither can win alone. Betrayal is their only option. But anything can happen in the wood. And the wood is hungry.

Autorentext

S.E. Kiser is a trans, non-binary Missouri writer with an M.A. in English literature and a deep love of fairy tales, the Gothic, and life in all its forms

Klappentext

A gothic standalone combining the gaslamp fantasy of C. L. Polk’s Witchmark with the slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance of Isa Agajanian's Modern Divination and the whimsy of Howl's Moving Castle.

When a king calls a hunt for a phoenix in a deadly, magical forest, wizard Sy jumps at the chance. Years ago, he indentured himself to pay for his magical education, binding him by unbreakable spell to the wicked king. The prize is just enough to pay off his debt. He can’t split it. Neither can he survive the forest alone. He seeks Anya, a skilled huntress who lives on the forest’s edge, and lies about splitting the money.

But Anya is lying, too. Cursed by a vengeful witch after killing her familiar, Anya must find the phoenix and bind it to her before the summer solstice. Until then, she will suffer a gruesome transformation. With the forest swarming with wizards, she needs one on her side – for now.

Neither can split the prize. Neither can win alone. Betrayal is their only option.

But anything can happen in the wood.

And the wood is hungry.