When her parents are overthrown, Lisette is demoted from princess to servant. Refusing to stop caring for her people simply because she's no longer royalty, Lisette cooperates with the new royal mistress, Emeline, to smuggle people out of the castle.
She also befriends the champion of the deathfights, and finds herself in the impossible situation of falling in love with both of them. Before she can sort the matter out, however, an assassination attempt sends Emeline fleeing for her life—with the new queen's fearsome huntsman close on her heels...
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(Proud to announce that when this book was previously published, it made the Long List for the Otherwise Award, which is an "annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender".) **
Description:
When her parents are overthrown, Lisette is demoted from princess to servant. Refusing to stop caring for her people simply because she's no longer royalty, Lisette cooperates with the new royal mistress, Emeline, to smuggle people out of the castle.
She also befriends the champion of the deathfights, and finds herself in the impossible situation of falling in love with both of them. Before she can sort the matter out, however, an assassination attempt sends Emeline fleeing for her life—with the new queen's fearsome huntsman close on her heels...
--------------
(Proud to announce that when this book was previously published, it made the Long List for the Otherwise Award, which is an "annual literary prize for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore one's understanding of gender".) **