The Black Knife

Skyvale is on the verge of becoming a battleground. Told from the perspective of Tobiah, the crown prince with a dangerous secret, and set two years before the heart-racing action of The Orphan Queen, this 100-page digital novella brings to life one of Jodi Meadows’s most beloved characters.

Tobiah Pierce has been beaten and broken and has lost two people he cares about. His worst enemy knows his deepest secret. What he thought he knew about his family has fallen apart. And his parents push harder than ever for him to court Lady Meredith. But with the imminent threat of firefly, the newest and deadliest version of a magical drug, Tobiah doesn’t have time to sort through his problems. If he doesn’t act immediately, firefly will suffocate the city and everyone in it.

The Black Knife is the final of four prequel novellas that offer existing fans a deeper insight into a favorite character and the complex city of Skyvale, while new readers will find a stunning introduction to this rich world and the heart-pounding fantasy of the Orphan Queen series.

Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.

He is the city’s only hope. And its greatest secret.

• Secret Identity: By day, Crown Prince Tobiah Pierce endures the schemes of a corrupt court. By night, he prowls the rooftops as a masked vigilante known only as the Black Knife.
• Vigilante Justice: When the law fails to stop the spread of a deadly drug, Tobiah takes matters into his own hands, becoming the city’s only, and most brutal, line of defense.
• Forbidden Magic: Discover the terrifying origins of firefly, a magical drug that promises euphoria but creates monstrous glowmen and threatens to consume Skyvale.
• The Orphan Queen Prequel: Set two years before the beloved series begins, this action-packed novella reveals the backstory of a fan-favorite character.