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Biographical Note:
F.T. Lukens is a
New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels
Spell Bound,
So This Is Ever After, and
In Deeper Waters (2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection), as well as other science fiction and fantasy works. Their contemporary fantasy novel
The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction and won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.
Review Quotes:
Lukens skillfully blends a cozy adventure with a pensive exploration of perception and heroism in this tender romantasy.--Publishers Weekly
Review Quotes:
"Immensely enjoyable, constantly funny, and friendship-filled. A thoroughly entertaining escape that beautifully illustrates the boons of leaning on loved ones."--Shelf Awareness for Readers
Review Quotes:
"A lively, heartfelt fantasy anchored by humor and queer community."--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Review Quotes:
This novel has an ooey-gooey, delectably sweet queer romance, complete with rivals-to-lovers banter that crackles with chemistry.--BCCB
Review Quotes:
The plot moves at a rapid clip without feeling rushed, hitting all the expected beats of an epic quest without sacrificing hilarious originality. The stakes are high, but the tension is low in this wholesome yet engaging tale, making it a perfect fit for the nascent cozy romantasy market in YA spaces.--Booklist, STARRED
Publisher Marketing:
A fraudulent teen quester must team up with a brooding, royal rival on a perilous adventure to save her brother's life in this
"
witty
...
lively, heartfelt
"
(School Library Journal, starred review)
young adult romantasy full of mythical creatures by the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.
Seventeen-year-old Ellinore has the best questing record in the kingdom. Not even Aven--the infuriatingly charming royal who's become her fiercest rival--can compete. But every one of Ellinore's triumphs is a lie. The monsters she's slain? Staged. The treasures she's claimed? Planted. Tired of the charade, she shocks the realm by retiring during a royal feast.
Her hopes for a quiet life vanish when her reckless twin brother, Zig, bets his life on her ability to retrieve the horn of the mythical Elder Beast--a creature no one believes is real. To save him, Ellinore must return to the spotlight for one final quest. She's joined by Zig, eager to prove himself; Aven, determined to finally outshine her; and a ragtag crew of unlikely questers with big dreams, questionable skills, and a knack for trouble.
As the stakes rise, Ellinore must decide who she really wants to be: the fraud the kingdom celebrates, the hero it needs, or someone entirely new.
Review Citations:
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Publishers Weekly 02/23/2026 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover)
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School Library Journal 03/01/2026 pg. 74 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
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Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2026 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover)
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Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2026 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover)
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Shelf Awareness 12/30/0001 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover)
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Booklist 05/01/2026 (EAN 9781665950978, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
Contributor Bio:Lukens, F T
F.T. Lukens is a
New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels
Spell Bound,
So This Is Ever After, and
In Deeper Waters (2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection), as well as other science fiction and fantasy works. Their contemporary fantasy novel
The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction and won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.
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