The Dagger and the Flame

July 29, 2024
Upon finding her mother murdered and her farmhouse set ablaze, 18-year-old Seraphine Marchant seeks asylum in the city of Fantome with the Order of Cloaks, one of the two feuding guilds that rule the city using Shade, a dangerous and contraband magical powder. As Seraphine settles into her new life, she plots to avenge her mother by deposing Gaspard Dufort, the power-hungry leader of the Daggers and her mother’s assumed murderer. This quest is complicated by 19-year-old Ransom Hale, the attractive heir apparent of the Daggers who has been tasked with killing Seraphine. Sparks fly throughout as Seraphine and Ransom clash in a cat-and-mouse chase across the city and as threads connect a spate of Shade-powered monster attacks, buried family secrets, and an unprecedented magic that could change Fantome forever. Using alternating third-person perspectives, Doyle (Pirates of Darksea) kicks off a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance set in an intricate world full of magic and mystery that checks all the boxes for romantasy lovers looking for the next series to sink their teeth into. Seraphine has tan skin and Ransom has olive skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White.

August 15, 2024
A forbidden attraction and explosive secrets set a city aflame. Eighteen-year-old Seraphine Marchant's mother manufactures Shade, a dust sourced from the boneshade plant that's imbued with the power to manipulate shadows. Shade magic is used by the rival guilds that rule the city of Fantome's underworld--Cloaks swathed in Shade-infused garments blend into the shadows to commit thievery while Daggers ingest it and acquire the ability to kill with a single touch. When her mother is murdered, Seraphine flees from the countryside to Fantome, seeking sanctuary among the Cloaks. But she's the Daggers' newest mark, tailed by talented Ransom. The two are recklessly drawn to one another as a new danger emerges from the darkness and surprising discoveries upend the rules of Shade and shadows. The lush worldbuilding of cobblestones, catacombs, and saints includes a richly crafted history that's deftly introduced and ripe for continued exploration in the next installment. While the first third of the novel is well paced and tenderly developed, the quality of the remainder is uneven. The juvenile, innuendo-filled taunts lack charisma, although the more sincere exchanges and reflections achieve sultry depths. The repetitive overuse of expletives becomes tiresome, cheapening the dialogue. A steamy encounter that lacks verbal consent and contains power dynamic-coded language feels reminiscent of romances written for adults. Main characters are cued white; the strong supporting characters add racial diversity and elevate the narrative development. A promising series opener that's sure to please adult readers of young adult novels. (map, character list)(Fantasy. 16-adult)

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September 13, 2024
Grades 8-11 In the city of Fantome, there are Cloaks, and there are Daggers--Cloaks are a quiet organization of thieves, and Daggers are assassins for hire. Both guilds keep their sneaky businesses alive with a magical chemical called Shade, an illegal substance that gives the user power over darkness and shadows. When Seraphine's mother, a well-known Shade smuggler, is murdered in a massive house fire, Sera must seek out the thieves' guild for her own safety. Meanwhile, Ransom, initiated into the Daggers at the age of nine, toes the precarious line between being a murderer for hire and slowly rotting away due to ingesting the magic of Shade. When Gaspard Dufort, head of the Daggers and the man who called for Sera's mother's death, commands Ransom to kill Sera, he's forced to reckon with the facts: she's much younger than his previous targets, and he's inexplicably drawn to her. Doyle, best known for her Twin Crowns trilogy, is at her epic best here, crafting a thoughtful city and culture as the backdrop. Recommended for any library experiencing the YA romantasy boom.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 6, 2024

Gr 9 Up-In the picturesque kingdom of Fantome, every shadow crawls with danger. Two rival factions control the city through their use of Shade. The thieving Cloaks dust themselves in it to creep through shadows, vowing to steal from all but harm no one. The Daggers, however, have no such qualms. As paid assassins, they ingest the substance, slowly poisoning themselves and killing those they touch in just 10 heartbeats. However, when Seraphine's Shade-smuggling mother is murdered by a Dagger, she risks everything to join the Cloaks. Her secret plan to use them for vengeance is just the spark to ignite a larger war between factions. But with mysterious shadow monsters raging upon the city, she just might have to work with a Dagger to save the kingdom. Dripping with tension, this series opener follows equally compelling main characters Seraphine and Ransom as they fight each other and their undeniable chemistry. Readers will be transported back to a time of cobblestones and catacombs as the underlying religion and history of Fantome hints at larger battles to come. While some secondary characters edge close to being caricatures, they nevertheless lighten the heavy tone with plenty of banter and charm. Seraphine and Ransom's cycle between lethal battles and steamy romance is sure to delight adult and teen romantasy fans alike. VERDICT A series opener that will leave readers aching for the next installment. Not to be missed, this is one enemies-to-lovers trope that lives up to the name.-Elisha Sheffer

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