The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome, Book 1)

Seraphine Marchant has always lived a life of secrecy alongside her mother, an alchemist and smuggler of Shade, a magic powder. Shade gives anyone the power to bend shadows to one’s will, which is perfect for spying, stealing and killing.

When Seraphine finds her home in flames and her mother assassinated, she flees for her life and finds refuge with the Cloaks, a guild of thieves. For their protection, she must devote her life to their cause and be used as a tool for any robberies and heists commissioned by their wealthy patrons. But Sera will not let her mother’s killer go so easily. In her investigation, she meets Ransom. He’s heir to the Daggers, a guild of assassins who are bitter rivals with the Cloaks. The Cloaks and the Daggers are always at each other’s throats, both using Shade for their own advantage, and vying for ultimate power in the city of Fantome’s underworld.

Sera is certain Ransom killed her mother. But with strange sightings of monsters roaming the city, secrets are unleashed, new powers are discovered, and Sera and Ransom find themselves drawn to each other in inexplicable ways that make them question everything they’ve ever known.

Combining both the enemies-to-lovers and star-crossed lovers tropes, this swoon-worthy and bloodthirsty reimagining of Romeo and Juliet will have you yearning for more. With magical world-building, a loveable cast of found family and an intricate political system, this beginning to a new romantasy series is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Chloe Gong. For ages 15+.