A Tangled Magic
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jul 28, 2026
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Rapunzel meets Six of Crows in this darkly imagined high fantasy for fans of T. Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone, The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and Disney’s Tangled, as a woman with amnesia—and magical hair—searches for her lost memories while navigating a web of royal intrigue, bone magic, and secret monasteries.
All her life, Netta has only known the Tower—its musty shelves of books she cannot read, ink-splattered quills, and endless scrolls of paper. Her mother, ambitious and analytical, has spent decades perfecting her greatest masterpiece: a spellbook of unspeakable power. Netta’s only companions are her long red Hair, which moves of its own accord, and a telepathic raven named Baldbeak. Her only amusement lies in crafting intricate embroidery from scraps of silk and thread.
When attackers storm the Tower, her mother and the spellbook vanish. Determined to find her, Netta ventures into a kingdom on the brink of civil war. The monarch lies dying, while pious Temple fanatics and the noble elite scheme for the throne, forging secret alliances and building hidden armies. For reasons she cannot yet fathom, all these factions seek Netta—and the dangerous, uncontrollable magic in her Hair.
But whom can she trust? The sharp-eyed pickpocket bent on revolutionizing the use of magic? The elusive black market trader known only as the Book Man? The charming magician who slips between shadow and light? From masked carnivals to opulent ballrooms, from hidden monasteries to catacombs, Netta must untangle a web of lies and intrigue - not only to find her mother, but also to uncover the true nature of the power that has shaped her life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Secluded in a tower in the kingdom of Virelith, Persinette "Netta" Edevane, the heroine of this riveting blend of quest and political fantasy from Eames (A Harvest of Hearts), has spent her life assisting with her mother's "sacred" and "crucial" work creating a powerful spellbook. One day she wakes to find strange men in her home, her mother and the spellbook missing, and a gap in her memory. Netta resolves to leave the only home she's ever known and venture into the world beyond the tower in search of both her mother and answers. While following a scant trail, Netta gets caught up in a long-standing political conflict between the religious authority of the Temple of the One Eyed God, a sickly king struggling to hold onto power, and Virelith's high lords, who take a mysterious interest in Netta. Virelith hosts a complex story line incorporating well-developed magical and political worldbuilding that doesn't strain against the limits of the plot. There's plenty of intrigue to keep the pages flying, and satisfying resolutions to match. Netta makes an ideal lens for readers also encountering this complex world for the first time, and despite her naivety she never loses a sense of agency. Vibrant supporting characters, sturdy prose, and a hint of romance complete the package. It's enchanting.