A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.
But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.
When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?
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Trigger & Content Warnings:
- Ableism and ableist language
- Racism and racial slurs (fictional race)
- Colonialism themes
- Refugee experiences
- Riots and stampede
- Police brutality
- Emotional child abuse
- Physical child & parental abuse
- Cheating mentioned
- Anxiety (mc)
- Panic attacks (multiple, described in detail op)
- Hallucinations
- Depersonalisation and derealization
- Self-harm and self-harm ideation
- Alcohol consumption
- Emesis (multiple)
- Blood depiction
- Grief depiction (central theme)
- Death of a father recounted
- Death of a mother (op)
- Death of a sister recounted
- Death in a fire recounted
- Hostage situation
- Kidnapping and attempted kidnapping
- Knife violence & stabbing
- Murder and attempted murder
- Regicide
- Whipping (of feet) mentioned
- Animal cruelty
- Animal death (including animal sacrifice)
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