Kealaokaleo Petrova is an unlicensed spell smith in an alternate California where each language is its own school of magic. Content to raise her cousins and chickens near the seaside, Kea’s life is violently upended when a politician in nearby LA is killed--with Hawaiian magic. As the only smith on the West Coast that specializes in the obscure language, all signs point to Kea. But she doesn’t write death spells. Not that anyone believes her. To prove her innocence, Kea is given an impossible task: track down the assassin and reverse-engineer their spell, or LA’s governing Board will dissolve her clan and seize their land. Worse, she’s been saddled with a guard dog in the form of LA’s most dangerous (and most alluring!) man. Fearful for her family’s safety, Kea scours the city to stop a killer who’s wielding her language and culture for their own selfish ends. When the evidence leads her back home to her Hawaiian community, Kea will need to unite the rival clans and fight back before they''re swallowed up by LA.

Autorentext

Shay Kauwe was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu and grew up on the Hawaiian Homelands in Waimānalo. She worked in Russia as an English teacher but was eventually drawn back home. While she has a corporate job in telecommunications, Shay continues to educate with the Hawaii Literacy Project. She resides in Honolulu with her husband, Denis, and their poi dog, Iris. Learn more about Shay at www.shayzykova.com and on Instagram as shayzykova.

Klappentext

An urban fantasy debut of murder, mystery, and language magic for fans of Rebecca Roanhorse and RF Kuang.

Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble.

At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of the five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles, following catastrophic flooding that destroyed their islands.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping rent together through odd jobs and selling the Hawaiian-language spells she crafts. Life is difficult enough, but the murder of Angelo Reyes—a prominent LA activist—turns her world upside-down.

Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that can only be created in Hawaiian—so Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her unique spellwork. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful players, all while under the supervision of a dangerously attractive guard. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?