Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel
An Instant USA Today & Indie BestsellerAn Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022
An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award NomineeFrom Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an original and subversive fantasy adventure.*The very special hardcover edition features a gold foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.*This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince.
It's the one where she kills him.Marra — a shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter — is relieved not to be married off for the sake of her parents’ throne. Her older sister wasn’t so fortunate though, and her royal husband is as abusive as he is powerful. From the safety of the convent, Marra wonders who will come to her sister’s rescue and put a stop to this. But after years of watching their families and kingdoms pretend all is well, Marra realizes if any hero is coming, it will have to be Marra herself.
If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, a witch will grant her the tools she needs. But, as is the way in stories of princes and the impossible, these tasks are only the beginning of Marra’s strange and enchanting journey to save her sister and topple a throne.
“Wholly entertaining."—Buzzfeed
“A modern classic.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway
“Pure delight. T. Kingfisher uses the bones of fairy tale to create something entirely her own.”—Emily Tesh, award-winning author of Silver in the WoodAlso by T. KingfisherThornhedgeA Sorceress Comes to CallWhat Moves the DeadWhat Feasts at NightA House with Good BonesAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.