The River She Became
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jun 30, 2026
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A high stakes, action-packed romantasy from bestselling author Emily Varga where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers—and her heart.
This limited luxe edition features gorgeous foil design on the cover and case, a dazzling edge design and an exclusive map―available while supplies last!
I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.
Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.
Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.
With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.
To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of all: losing their heart to each other.
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Young rebels find love while fighting to save their respective kingdoms in this enchanting romantasy duology opener from Varga (For She Is Wrath). Astolans depend on the life magic that emanates from buried fae relics to keep their soil fertile, so when invading Angrezian soldiers start hunting down and sending off those relics to their greedy empress, Astola's crops fail and famine spreads. Yaseema—an Astolan who can use magic to locate objects—believes that if not for the enchanted wall separating Astola from the fae realm, Peristan, life magic would flow freely into the kingdom. Beating Angrezian soldiers to a relic that grants passage to Peristan, Yaseema travels to the fae world seeking Queen Azari's crown, an item powerful enough to destroy the wall. She's not the only one looking, though; Kiyan, deposed prince of the River Court fae, hopes the crown's magic can help him end the tyrannical occupation of his people's land by the Salt Court fae. Tension mounts across Yaseema and Kiyan's alternating narration, along which mutual trust and affection develop despite the high-stakes nature of their competition. Varga's nuanced, intersectionally diverse characters illustrate the power of empathy, resistance, and sacrifice while entertaining readers with witty banter and feats of derring-do as they navigate an intricate, Pakistani mythology–inspired world. Ages 13–up.
