Witch Queen Rising
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Apr 21, 2026
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A reclusive witch who fled the burden of her bloodline rises to be the greatest among them in this lush and haunting fantasy debut.
For New Orleans witchkin, there is no greater honor than to become the Prime—chosen to rule. But the title is meant to pass between two rival Houses of magic, not to the wayward daughter of the former Prime who died under mysterious circumstances.
As a girl, Seraphine Barreau was dubbed the Tick Witch for her ability to feed on magic and make it her own. Even among those who alter fate and manipulate reality, she was a powerful outcast feared and misunderstood by her people. Now dragged back to continue the legacy that nearly destroyed her, Phine has her work cut out for her. She must earn the respect of her people, navigate the politics of the paranormal communities residing in her city, and heal a broken heart, all the while battling a parasitic curse poisoning witchkin. Between her werewolf ex, power-hungry vampires, and the skeletons in her family’s closet, Phine must learn to make peace with her past to save her—and all of witchkin’s—future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stephens's middling debut and duology launch sets classic urban fantasy tropes against the backdrop of a contemporary New Orleans teeming with the supernatural. Seraphine "Phine" Barreau has spent a decade hiding from the magical world when she wakes to a magical shock signaling that she has been chosen to succeed her mother as the Prime, most powerful of all witchkin. Her inheriting this position breaks the mold, as the role traditionally alternates between the heads of the two witchkin magical Houses. This, combined with Phine's special ability as a Syphon, one capable of draining people's essence or stealing their powers, makes many in the magical world mistrustful of her. But with a mysterious magical blight threatening witchkin, Phine must rebuild relationships with New Orleans's supernatural communities—encompassing shape-shifters, vampires, and Sidhe—while reestablishing a connection with her older sister, Josephine, the family's golden child. Not much feels fresh, and the narrative struggles to balance personal and world-altering stakes. Stephens sets up some powerful alliances for Phine and lays the groundwork for a climactic confrontation in the second volume, but readers may be left unsure whether the route there will be enough to hold their interest.
