Except Mariq Ashai Meidani, Princess of Kuriza and Star-Blade spider-thief, has been poisoned. She knows exactly what the Joythief will take from her-her thieving skills, the one thing that makes her more than a simple pawn in her father’s court.

Trying to discover who poisoned her, and why, leads Mariq to discover plots far more intricate than the blackmail of a single spider-thief. The Star-Blades would use her as a tool in their war against magic, a war that would leave thousands dead and the land devastated. A war Mariq cannot allow to happen.

Battling the Joythief is futile. Battling the Star-Blades seems even more so. Yet if Mariq wants to be anything besides a delicate, useless princess or a catalyst of destruction, she’ll have to fight both—and, somehow, win.

★ 2023 Foreword INDIES Finalist: Fantasy (Adult Fiction)

“Perfect and satisfying in its final moments, Joythief is a stunning magical story about people who find their true places in the world, freeing themselves from emotional chains.” – Foreword Reviews, starred review

“The plot twists will keep readers on edge as Mariq and her allies face unexpected difficulties and explore the depths of abilities to resolve them.” – Booklist

Ryanne and Kole beg relief from the Guardian, a sometimes-doubted mythical being who watches over the world, but this is beyond even his mighty powers. This is an invasion, a parasitic race determined to make humanity their next meal. In order to free their people from the monsters’ hunger, the Guardian, Ryanne, and Kole will have to pool all their abilities… and decide what’s worth sacrificing to save the whole of mankind.

Witness the birth of the legendary Bok’Tarong and the beginnings of the Entana war in this prequel to Soul of the Blade!

Together, they could free humanity from these parasites forever. But doing so will require them to put their trust in dangerous new allies—and each other, which might be asking too much of them both.