The Last Empress - (Monsters and Magic) by Emily Elizabeth Baker (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In a world where the Gods have gifted only women with the most powerful magic, the Council will do anything to keep that hidden. But when Ophelia June discovers the truth, she becomes the only person with the power to change everything.

Centuries after the defeat of the Last Empress, the Council is still scared. To prevent the rise of another female leader, they have enacted strict laws to control them. All women are barred from running for government, owning property, and even reading and writing. Ophelia June is a maid in the Academy, an elite school for the sons of Councilors and other elite families. Known to most as Lia, she has a secret that only her best friend, Bear, destined to lead the Council one day, knows. Though Bear and Lia have long harbored feelings for each other, they could never act on it due to Bear's status.

But when Lia's secret is discovered, she is imprisoned, awaiting execution. The Last Empress, still alive, rescues her from the Capytal and offers her a chance at a new life in which women have power instead of men. Lia is forced to choose between her love for Bear and a future for all women that she never knew existed.