The King Must Die
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Splinter in the Sky comes a pulse-pounding science fiction adventure following the daughter of rebel instigators and the heir of a power-drunk ruler who team up to save their empire…or destroy it in the process.
Fen’s world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers—her last remaining tether to hope—are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate.
With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents’ rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign’s army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign’s heir—a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire’s last chance at survival…or the final push to its doom.
Perfect for fans of fast-paced dystopian adventures, intergalactic intrigue, and morally complex heroes, The King Must Die weaves an unforgettable story of rebellion, survival, and impossible choices. Will Fen save her world—or ensure its destruction?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Revolution has come to the far-future planet of Newearth in this captivating new spin on the hero’s journey from up-and-coming futurist Kemi Ashing-Giwa. Since her childhood, Fen has been held as a political prisoner, forced to work as a bodyguard to a powerful magistrate while her fathers are held captive. When she intercepts a letter ordering her death, an unlikely ally helps her escape and join up with a group of rebels determined to overthrow the ruling family. The King Must Die has everything we love: visionary world-building, intriguing tech, plucky rebels, and a reluctant but likable heroine thrust into an adventure that may determine the fate of her people. We became so immersed in the dark mysteries of Ashing-Giwa’s world, we never wanted the story to end. Whether you grew up on Star Wars and Dune or you’re totally new to the infinite possibilities of science fiction, this is a trip you won’t want to miss.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ashing-Giwa (A Splinter in the Sky) wows in this brilliantly immersive novel set 500 years after humanity left an overpopulated Earth to begin again on Newearth, an exodus enabled by the help of mysterious aliens known as the Makers. Despite the new lease on life offered by this opportunity, impatient settlers recklessly sped up the terraforming process, leading to dire environmental consequences felt in the present day. As ecological catastrophe looms, Newearth's autocratic leaders, who have adopted the theory that criminal tendencies are genetic, stifle dissent. When heroine Fenyyang "Fen" Mekantai was just six, her fathers, both ambassadors, were arrested for encouraging citizens to air concerns about the future. Their arrest doomed Fen to a life of involuntary servitude to a nobleman, Onath, who trained her as a bodyguard. Years later, her fathers are assassinated in prison and Onath is ordered to kill Fen. Instead, he enables her escape, faking her death and giving her directions to reach the Broken Masks, a rebel force. What she finds when she does so is unexpected, and complicates her hopes for the future. Ashing-Giwa's dystopian sci-fi worldbuilding is staggering, and her heroine proves easy to root for. Readers will be enthralled.
