To the Death
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 10, 2026
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Two teens are pitted against each other in a magical duel for revenge, but they’ll have to fight their growing attraction first, in this YA fantasy thriller from the author of These Deadly Prophecies.
Eighteen-year-old Samantha Chan wants only one thing: revenge for her brother’s death in an illegal magical duel. Ever since that terrible day, she’s been quietly working with legitimate dueling champion Lysander Rook and biding her time until she can take down her brother’s killer: Mateus Blackwood.
Tamsin Blackwood is trapped. She wants to make a name for herself in the magical dueling circuit, but she can’t get away from the legacy of her father—and coach—Mateus Blackwood. When she receives a challenge from the undefeated Lysander and his assistant Sam, she jumps at the chance to earn enough fame and glory to finally escape her father’s influence.
Tamsin has no idea about Sam’s scheming, and Sam plans to keep it that way. Despite herself, though, she can’t help liking Tamsin, and the two girls quickly grow closer to each other than anyone else in their lives. But Sam won’t let anything get in the way of her revenge—not even her heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tang (These Deadly Prophecies) explores cycles of corruption, emotional abuse, and grief in this complex and high-stakes sapphic romantasy. Tamsin Blackwood, 18, seeks to escape from the shadow of her father, Mateus, a retired magical duelist who views Tamsin only as an extension of his legacy. When 18-year-old Samantha Chan—the training partner of Tamsin's rival, Lysander Rook—challenges her to a duel with a hefty cash prize, Tamsin immediately accepts, intending to use the reward money to strike out on her own. Unbeknownst to Tamsin, however, the duel is part of Sam's plan to avenge her late older brother, who was killed by Mateus. But Sam's strategy to befriend Tamsin and exploit her weaknesses in preparation for the duel goes awry as she starts developing feelings for her competitor. Similarly, loner Tamsin's single-minded focus begins to falter when faced with her and Sam's seemingly genuine connection as well as the discovery of her father's secret history. Quickly paced dual POVs rendered via confident prose deftly unpack both teens' individual challenges alongside their steadily growing attraction, ensuring a satisfying action-adventure narrative that's enriched by heart-fluttering romance. The protagonists are Chinese American. Ages 14–up.
