Hawk & Sparrow
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Sep 1, 2026
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Sparks fly in this Gilded Age novel of mystery, magic, and romance by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Beasts of Prey.
Nineteen-year-old Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of The Basalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.
While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking scene: the murdered body of an inventor whose new machine promised to bring the benefits of sorcery to everyone. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.
Max soon makes Vesper a tempting offer: Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one catch: In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.
Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gray (Beasts of War) weaves Gilded Age intrigue, Sherlockian mystery, cunning fantasy, and scintillating romance into a dazzling tapestry. Brown-skinned Vesper Evans, 19, uses her sharp eyes and unassuming demeanor to excel as a newspaper reporter at The Basalton Globe. While attending a technological exhibition, she witnesses ivory-skinned inventor Francis Gladwell reveal a machine capable of instantly replicating spellwork that would take a person years of study to achieve. She then finds Gladwell dead shortly after his presentation. Vesper's primary suspect is 20-year-old sorcerer Maximilian Kite, described with "milk white" skin, who chafed against Gladwell's invention. Following a rocky introduction, Max, in a bid to prove his innocence, hires Vesper to investigate the murder, offering her an exorbitant sum that could keep her financially struggling newspaper afloat. To infiltrate and interrogate Max's upper echelon peers, the pair pose as a courting couple. As Vesper grows closer to Max and delves deeper into her inquiry, she realizes the city's elite are hiding dangerous secrets. Alluring prose captures the grandeur of high-society life, but the heart of this spirited mystery lies in its discerning consideration of feminism, class differences, and marginalized individuals. It's a fun, wily, and profound interrogation of sociological systems. Ages 14–up.
