Master of One - by Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (Hardcover)

About the Book

Rags is a thief--an excellent one. He's stolen from nobles' coffers, picked soldiers' pockets, and even liberated a ring or two off the fingers of passersby--until he's caught by the Queensguard and forced to find an ancient fae relic for a sadistic royal sorcerer. But Rags could never have guessed this "relic" would actually be a fae himself--a distractingly handsome, annoyingly perfect, ancient fae prince called Shining Talon. Good thing Rags can think on his toes, because things just get stranger from there.

Book Synopsis

Sinister sorcery. Gallows humor. A queer romance so glorious it could be right out of fae legend itself. Master of One is a fantasy unlike any other.

Rags the thief has never met a pocket he couldn't pick, but when he's captured by a sorcerer with world-ending plans, he realizes even he is in over his head. Forced to use his finely honed skills to nab pieces of an ancient fae relic, Rags is stunned to discover that those "relics" just happen to be people:

A distractingly handsome Fae prince,

A too-honorable Queensguard deserter,

A scrappy daughter of a disgraced noble family,

A deceptively sweet-natured prince,

A bona fide member of the Resistance,

And him. Rags.

They may all be captives in the sorcerer's terrible scheme, but that won't stop them from fighting back. And, sure, six unexpected allies against one wicked enemy doesn't make for generous odds, but lucky for him, Rag's not generous--he's smart. And he has a plan that just might get them out of this alive.

With the heist and intrigue of Six of Crows and the dark fairy tale feel of The Cruel Prince, this young adult fantasy debut will have readers rooting for a pair of reluctant heroes as they take on a world-ending fae prophecy, a malicious royal plot, and, most dangerously of all, their feelings for each other.

Review Quotes

"By the end, readers will be itching for more... A captivating and satisfying queer fantasy." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Dazzling and creative... This sterling start to a high fantasy series features creative world-building, nuanced and witty characters, good versus evil, a perilous quest, and a touch of romance for both queer and straight characters. Recommended for most fantasy lovers." -- School Library Journal

"Masters of character-driven stories, Jones and Bennett yet again deliver with a foul-mouthed thief, an enchanting fae prince, a headstrong woman, and an ex-Queensguard, to name only a few...Though the dreamy fae-mortal romance doesn't flourish until the latter half, fans of the authors will happily subsist on the story's consistent sharp-witted voice alone." -- Booklist

"Classic YA fantasy tropes break into a fast-paced fantasy revolution whose heart, grit, and consequences are more than the sum of its parts... A smart, stakes-loaded LGBTQ fantasy well worth sticking with, for fans of Six of Crows and Megan Whalen Turner." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett: "Havemercy is an absolute charmer of a book: at once exciting, romantic, and funny." -- Kirkus Reviews

"These ladies write like a house on fire, delivering fantasy's most pleasant surprise since Temeraire himself took wing in 2006...An impressive debut." -- SFReviews.net

"Delicious! The characters are unique, entrancing and believable: dinner-party guests you never want to see go home. I will gladly walk again in this city, now that I know my way around." -- Ellen Kushner, author of The Privilege of the Sword

"A dazzling cast memorable characters! Havemercy is a wonderful debut from two talented new authors." -- Lynn Flewelling, author of Shadows Return

"[The authors] vividly convey the testosterone-saturated world of fantasy fighter pilots in this fast-paced debut." -- Publishers Weekly