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The Cruelest Mercy by Natalie Mae

The Cruelest Mercy

Natalie Mae

Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · June 15, 2021

In this sequel to The Kinder Poison—which People magazine proclaimed a "delicious high-stakes adventure"—the magical kingdom of Orkena is on the brink of war, and the only person who can save it is Zahru, the girl they once doomed to death.

YA Fantasy RomanceEpic YA FantasyRoyalty Stories for Teenshistorical
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fantasyancienthistory
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Who it’s for
A throne claim and looming war push Zahru toward an unsettling question of power.
Themes
War and its threat, Competing claims to power, Moral compromise
Pacing
Fast

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For older readers: The Ashes & the Star-cursed King, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk, The Blood Trials

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About this book

In this sequel to The Kinder Poison—which People magazine proclaimed a "delicious high-stakes adventure"—the magical kingdom of Orkena is on the brink of war, and the only person who can save it is Zahru, the girl they once doomed to death. After surviving the Crossing, Zahru has sworn off adventures. While Crown Prince Jet navigates the looming threat of war, she's content to simply figure out what the future holds for them.

Continue reading

But they're dealt a devastating blow when prince Kasta returns with a shocking claim: he's the true winner of the Crossing and the rightful heir, and he bears the gods' mark as proof. Even more surprising—he's not the only one. Somehow, Zahru possesses the very same mark, giving her equal right to the throne. The last thing she wants is to rule beside her would-be executioner, but she can't let Orkena fall into his merciless hands. So Zahru, Jet, and their allies must race against the clock to find a way to stop Kasta, because once he's crowned, there's no telling what horrors he'll unleash to win the war. Zahru will do whatever it takes to keep Kasta from taking the throne...but to stop a villain, is she willing to become one herself?

The Cost of Power

A throne claim and looming war push Zahru toward an unsettling question of power.

Come here for

  • A contested throne with personal stakes
  • Fantasy intrigue under the shadow of war

Expect

  • Hard choices about power and loyalty
  • A heroine confronting how far she’ll go

Where it sits

YA Fantasy Romance96%
Royalty Stories for Teens49%
Epic YA Fantasy39%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Historical YA Fantasy
  • Historical YA - Ancient Worlds
  • YA Romance
Authors
Natalie Mae
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
June 15, 2021
Format
Hardcover
Theme
War and its threat · Competing claims to power · Moral compromise
Reading lane
Historical YA Fantasy