A richly crafted debut from a strong new voice in fantasy. Book one in The Orphan's Code gives us fierce, relatable characters, and a noble quest to root for. You will remember C.R.R. Hillin.

For years, the infamous vigilante known as the Beggar's King terrorized the city of Bermeia. Under his reign, every crooked crime lord, corrupt official, and greedy nobleman feared for their lives, and the poor and abused of the city seemed ready to break into outright rebellion. Finally, he comes for the king himself.

And he fails.

With her hero gone, and the city crushed under the king's boot once again, Rose-a lifelong street urchin-doesn't know what to do. But then the Beggar's King himself falls through the roof of her hiding place. He convinces him to follow him back to his hideout, where other orphans like him live in secret. And then they won't let her go.

When his brother dies, Kayo borrows the disguise of the Beggar's King, but he has no intention of stealing more than what his family needs to survive. He doesn't know what possessed him to bring Rose back to his home, but she knows too much for him to let her go. And the longer she stays, the more he suspects she may be exactly what they need to survive.