The Dagger and the Flame

Gr 9 Up–In the picturesque kingdom of Fantome, every shadow crawls with danger. Two rival factions control the city through their use of Shade. The thieving Cloaks dust themselves in it to creep through shadows, vowing to steal from all but harm no one. The Daggers, however, have no such qualms. As paid assassins, they ingest the substance, slowly poisoning themselves and killing those they touch in just 10 heartbeats. However, when Seraphine’s Shade-smuggling mother is murdered by a Dagger, she risks everything to join the Cloaks. Her secret plan to use them for vengeance is just the spark to ignite a larger war between factions. But with mysterious shadow monsters raging upon the city, she just might have to work with a Dagger to save the kingdom. Dripping with tension, this series opener follows equally compelling main characters Seraphine and Ransom as they fight each other and their undeniable chemistry. Readers will be transported back to a time of cobblestones and catacombs as the underlying religion and history of Fantome hints at larger battles to come. While some secondary characters edge close to being caricatures, they nevertheless lighten the heavy tone with plenty of banter and charm. Seraphine and Ransom’s cycle between lethal battles and steamy romance is sure to delight adult and teen romantasy fans alike.