The Education of Nut and Em (Nut and Em Trilogy) by Daniel Flaspohler

In the early years of the duchy, the Grand Duke realized the danger of noble houses consolidating their control over the Mystery. Lineages formed where wizarding houses held onto their secrets, passing the art only to family. To break this control, the duke issued an edict where any noble being trained in wizardry must also be accompanied by a lowborn trainee. In doing so, the duke inadvertently created a nation spanning empire. The young Lady Emberlina Tilby has been possessed by the Mystery. Her parents want the best for Em but are also budget conscious. Instead of finishing school, they send her to Lord Edwin Derby to learn divination. Owing to the Edict of Mystery, Lord Derby selects the streetwise Nut from the alleys of Palas by virtue of the fact that he is smallest and would eat the least. Edwin is a lazy teacher and his employees run roughshod over his household. Em begins to suspect he is a fraud or at least incompetent. Nut is forced to do housework. When the divinators of Palas begin to get assassinated, everything changes.

Adult • Fantasy • Fantasy/Contemporary