Author: Jessie Mihalik Fantasy romance | Myth & legend told as fiction | Romance | Fiction: special features Published on 29th January 2026 by HarperCollins Publishers (Magpie) in the United Kingdom.Hardback | 448 pages 240mm x 159mm | 620g On a deadly mission to kill the mythical beast that has been haunting her woods, a desperate mage finds her fate intertwined with the handsome and powerful man who saves her in this dark and sexy romantasy – perfect for readers of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Callie Hart, and Holly Black. There’s something in the woods… When a vicious beast begins attacking her fellow villagers, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forbidden forest and kill the monster as she’s the only mage available – or so she thought. Untrained and barely armed, Riela is quickly overwhelmed when one beast turns into two. She fears her death is at hand until the unexpected arrival of a scarred, strikingly handsome man with gleaming moonlit magic changes her fate – and provides a rare opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power. After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. She soon learns Garrick is both more powerful and far deadlier than a mere mortal mage –he’s a dangerous Etheri who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening. Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets and lies connecting Riela’s past to Garrick’s, the tenuous threads of trust between them start to fray. Because Riela’s life –or her death – might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.
