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I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix

I Killed the King

Rebecca Mix, Andrea Hannah

HarperCollins · Hardcover · September 16, 2025

One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out—with beasts, murder, and magic—in this first book in a thrilling locked-room whodunnit YA fantasy duology by Andrea Hannah and New York Times bestseller Rebecca Mix.

YA MysteriesYA FantasyThrillers & Suspensemystery
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fantasyromance
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Who it’s for
A castle murder mystery pairs suspect-swapping intrigue with beasts, magic, and a storm-bound masquerade.
Themes
Murder investigation, Fragile peace between kingdoms, Suspicion among suspects
Pacing
Fast

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About this book

One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out—with beasts, murder, and magic—in this first book in a thrilling locked-room whodunnit YA fantasy duology by Andrea Hannah and New York Times bestseller Rebecca Mix. After a decade of war, the kingdoms of Avendell and Istellia have finally agreed to peace.

Continue reading

As nobles and magic wielders from both countries arrive at remote Castle Avendell for a historic all-night masquerade to celebrate, King Costis summons an unlikely group to his chambers: the crown prince, his Istellian bride-to-be, his personal guard, a wild beast tamer, and the palace’s questionable new healer. But before Costis can reveal why he has gathered them, the castle goes dark. When the lights come back, the king is dead—murdered with the princess’s knife, in a weak spot only his guard knew of, and with venom from one of the beast tamer’s monsters lacing the blade. With no clear killer—and everyone a suspect—they make a risky pact: Tell no one until the treaty is signed. But when a winter storm seals everyone inside and someone aware of the king's untimely death begins to pick off guests one by one, the six suspects must work together to discover who killed the king . . . before one of them is next.

A Locked-Room Spell

A castle murder mystery pairs suspect-swapping intrigue with beasts, magic, and a storm-bound masquerade.

Come here for

  • A whodunnit where every suspect brings a different clue—and danger.
  • Fantasy intrigue sharpened by a treaty, a storm, and a killer.

Expect

  • A tense, immersive YA mystery with magic in the mix.
  • Six suspects forced into an uneasy pact as danger closes in.

Where it sits

YA Mysteries82%
YA Fantasy57%
Thrillers & Suspense30%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Mythical Creature Stories
  • YA Fantasy
  • Medieval YA
  • YA Mysteries
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Europe for Teens
  • YA Romance
  • Royalty Stories for Teens
  • Death & Grief for Teens
Authors
Rebecca Mix, Andrea Hannah
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
September 16, 2025
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Murder investigation · Fragile peace between kingdoms · Suspicion among suspects
Reading lane
YA Mythical Creature Stories