"An absolute triumph?Weymouth expertly blends politics, romance, and deep, profound meditations on motherhood into an intricate tale." ?Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author The Priory of the Orange Tree meets Black Sun in the thrilling launch of a political fantasy duology following three people?a refugee, a heretic queen, and a priest?as they attempt to shape the fortunes of a continent shattered by war. Two hundred years ago, the warmongering Inver clan conquered the nation of Honoria, suppressing its pacifist goddesses, and ushering in an era of blood and battles. Now, after a brief but fraught peace, a king's whims threaten to reignite the engines of war. At the sun goddess Raea's cloister, the last stronghold of Honoria's matriarchal religion, Fia and her infant daughter are in search of a safe haven. Fia aims to offer her child more than the poverty and abuse she was raised with, but the price of the cloister's protection will tear her from what she loves most and thrust her into a game more complex than she could imagine. Within the Invers' mountain fortress, Ariana is known as the apostate queen. Once a follower of the goddess of stars, she left her faith for the sake of a king. But old loyalties are not easily severed. Ariana treads a dangerous path, striving for peace in a court made for conquest. Deep in the heart of the mountain, the Inver Priest bides his time, presiding over his people's brutal religion. Blinded in the fight for the throne, he harbors a bitter grudge?one that could lead to Honoria's ruin or renewal. Amid a treacherous landscape of enemies, allies, and intrigue, three lives will intertwine. Each will have to risk the wrath of gods and kings alike to alter the course of nations. "At once achingly sweet and lavishly dark, Weymouth deftly weaves a tale of war, love, sacrifice and devotion." ?H. M. Long The Daughters of Light
The Castle & the Cloister