The Brilliant Death

In a kingdom shrouded in secrets, a young woman struggles to hide her powers until forbidden love challenges everything she thought she knew.

“A highly original magic system and a protagonist who is as ruthless as she is fiery make for a fast-paced adventure.”—School Library Journal, starred review

“A wild adventure full of old magic, new love, and dark delight.”—Alison Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Eon and Eona

Love isn’t simple . . . but it can be brilliant.

Teodora di Sangro is used to hiding her magical ability to transform enemies into music boxes and mirrors. Nobody knows she’s a strega—and she aims to keep it that way.

Then she meets Cielo—and everything changes.

A strega who can effortlessly swap back and forth between female and male, human and animal, Cielo shows Teodora what her life could be like if she masters her powers—and how much more she’s capable of. And not a moment too soon: the ruler of Vinalia has poisoned the patriarchs of the country’s five controlling families, including Teodora’s father, and demands that each family send a son to the palace. If she wants to save her family, Teodora must travel to the capital—not disguised as a boy, but transformed into one.

But the road to the capital, and to bridling her evolving powers, is full of enemies and complications, including the one she least expects: falling in love.