A Single Spark by Mandy Burkhead

SPFBO9

After her father is murdered by witch hunters, nineteen-year-old Mackenna loses control of her fire magic, burning down part of her village and killing two soldiers. Exiled and wanted for murder, she flees her village, pursued by witch hunters. She is rescued by a Wanderer named Foulan and his pet wolf, Myst. The Wanderers are refugees without a permanent home, roaming between the small countries of the Realms of Etylania. The rising tensions between Etylania and Srahinza—the lands they once called home—mean that they are unwelcome and unwanted by many. Seeing a kindred spirit in Mackenna, they invite her to travel with them. Despite his clan welcoming her, Foulan doesn’t trust the girl he rescued. His suspicions are confirmed when bounty hunters come for her. After escaping together, he finds himself roped into assisting her as she seeks out the elusive Fae, who may have a cure for her fiery curse. However, Mackenna and Foulan are stalked by the nonbinary, shapeshifting bounty hunter Kazumi. Looking to prove their worth, Kazumi believes that capturing Mackenna will finally help them make a name for themselves. While Mackenna and Foulan are reluctant traveling companions at first, over time they begin to open up to each other and fall in love. What they hoped would be a short journey takes them across a colorful continent to the arctic sea, searching for an entrance to the hidden world of Faerie. Meanwhile, each trial Kazumi faces in their attempt to capture Mackenna just makes them more determined and obsessed. This young adult/new adult fantasy novel is perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Dawn Cook, Kristen Cashore, and Holly Black. Themes: LGBTQ+ characters, immigration and refugees, religious and racial conflict, mental health

The Black Lily (The Arestea Chronicles, #1) by Mandy Burkhead, G.D. Burkhead

SPFBO6

Courtesan. Spy. Assassin. Across the Kingdom of Arestea, the shadowy league of professional killers known simply as the Guild has long since earned its terrifying reputation. And none of its current members are more infamous than the Black Lily. No one knows who the Lily is, but everyone recognizes the efficiency with which he or she brings down even the most guarded targets. There is no one, it is said, who is safe from this fiend once they have caught the assassin’s attention. Now Lily herself is about to discover if her reputation has been inflated or not, for she has just been assigned the most daunting mission of her career: infiltrate the royal palace and eliminate the entire Arestean line of succession to make room for the Guild’s puppet ruler. It’s a challenging job, but one that will secure her place in the history books should she succeed. But when unplanned circumstances take the king from his country to help secure the front lines in his latest war of expansion, Lily is left trapped in her assumed persona behind the palace walls and forced to stall for time. And when a particularly bad stroke of luck reveals her cover to the king’s brother, Crown Prince Adrian, Lily finds herself ensnared in her own web, forced to use all her skills of subterfuge and manipulation if she is to stay one step ahead of the naïve but righteous young man and finish her mission — or die trying.