Unlock the Dark
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 25, 2025
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Lexi Ryan, this debut romantasy stand-alone novel blends an immersive world, unique magic system, and swoon-worthy romance to create an unputdownable read that explores the great and terrible lengths to which love compels us to go.
Elia Tallis’s key conjuring abilities, when used with her father’s magic, allow her to open a path to any location. But Papa is dying, and Elia has been forced to painfully tether him to life so she can siphon his magic to provide for her siblings. The god of death, angry to be denied his due, punishes her by claiming her youngest brother as a servant.
Desperate to save her brother, Elia accepts a potentially deadly commission from Trys, a kindhearted prince with his nose stuck in a book. Trys wants Elia to help him find a legendary scroll. In exchange, he’ll give her his hand in marriage, securing her and her siblings’ futures and allowing her to release Papa to the afterlife.
Despite the danger of their quest, Elia and Trys find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. But when Trys finally reads the scroll, it transforms him into a monster beyond comprehension. Elia will have to wield her power in ways she never thought possible, braving a world of endless darkness and the nightmares dwelling within it to bring home the prince she’s growing to love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A teenage key conjurista scrambles to save her family in this imaginative romantasy debut. Elia Tallis, whose power is capable of unlocking almost anything, is determined to keep her gravely ill father alive using magic until she turns 19 and can legally take over guardianship of her younger siblings. Then Morthanos, the god of death, claims her youngest brother as an acolyte as punishment for delaying her father's death. Hoping to find a way to release her brother from Morthanos's clutches, Elia reluctantly makes a bargain with Prince Trystoferian Lightdragon, ninth in line for the throne. In exchange for the prince's resources and protection for her remaining siblings, Elia must accompany him to a land that's closed to outsiders in search of the Scroll of Peace, which is said to have the power to end the relentless war ravaging their kingdom. The duo successfully obtain the scroll, but its effects are not what the prince imagines and Elia, narrowly escaping with her life, must now find a way to rescue him. Lengthy buildup and expository worldbuilding make the high-adrenaline plot points of this complex and exciting adventure feel rushed, occasionally stunting the narrative's emotional impact. The protagonists cue as white. Ages 13–up.
