QSFer Nicola Zhang has a new MM YA fantasy book out, Celestia Trilogy book 1: Prince of Dawn.
An exiled prince searching for the truth.
A curious squire desperate to prove himself.
An epic romance that will change the world.
Sixteen-year-old Prince Anden has spent eight years in the shadows – banished, forgotten, blamed for the death of a king.
When he returns to his tense and divided kingdom, he meets River: an eager squire with a talent for trouble and a smile that disarms Anden’s guarded heart. As their friendship grows into something deeper, Anden begins to believe he might deserve more than vengeance. He might even deserve love.
But treason runs deeper than either of them imagined. As assassins close in and war brews across the continent, Anden must rally allies, confront buried truths, and risk everything – not just for the crown or his family, but for the boy who believes in him.
Set in a world without overt magic, Prince of Dawn is the spellbinding first volume in a queer fantasy trilogy about loyalty, legacy, and the courage to choose your own future.
Grab your copy now before the price changes!
Get It At Amazon
Excerpt
River Fox tripped over his feet and fell into the palace temple face-first.
He scanned the dim chamber from his spread-eagle sprawl, his cheek burning against the cool red marble. The priests had finished the morning rites, but the scent of incense lingered, and a bank of votives flickered at each of the three altars punctuating the triangular floor.
Thank the Goddess, no one was about. River was eight years old, almost a man by his own estimation, and he was not going to embarrass himself on his third day at Vindra Castle.
It had been bad enough at the armoury yesterday. ‘It’ll be an age before you grow into this thing,’ the quartermaster had said, giving River the smallest mail hauberk available, which still fell to somewhere around his ankles. River had used his most formal voice to insist that a new palace page in service to the king was not to be laughed at, and had tried to walk away in a dignified manner, but the hauberk was surprisingly heavy, and he found himself pinned in place until the quartermaster freed him, laughing himself hoarse.
His eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, catching a glint of yellow metal beneath the Sun’s god-figure. Sir Hazard’s lost spur! River leapt to his feet and skidded across the floor to grab the spur. Then he gave a startled yelp.
He wasn’t alone after all. A boy knelt before the Guest, his fair head dipped in prayer. The gold painted god-figure rose above him, its old man’s face looking outwards today, eyes and ears bound with dark cloth.
‘What are you doing?’ River demanded, his voice echoing in the small chamber. ‘You’re not supposed to be here.’
The other boy turned with a scowl, still on his knees. He was about River’s age, wearing a fine dress tunic in black velvet, but it was torn and soiled as though he had been fighting in the mud.
‘Sir Hazard told the pages to gather in the outer ward.’ River pushed his dark hair out of his eyes. ‘Wait. I haven’t seen you before.’
‘Well, I haven’t seen you before.’ The fair boy turned back to the altar, dragging the back of his hand across his eyes. ‘Go away.’
‘You’re not supposed to be here,’ River repeated. ‘Don’t let’s get into trouble… oh.’
Lying on the altar was the wood effigy of a knight, clad in gilt-edged armour. Steel gauntlets clasped a longsword with a single ruby set into its pommel, golden threads shooting from it in the shape of a starburst.
Celestia. River licked his dry lips and walked closer, making the sign of the gods, touching three fingers above his heart. ‘Is that… him?’
‘Just his armour,’ the fair boy said stiffly. ‘They burned his body moons ago.’
Now River saw the three white candles before the altar, each thicker and longer than a man’s arm. Only the central one still burned; the priests would douse it before the next turn of the moon.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘I’m River Fox. You?’
The fair boy didn’t look at him. ‘You’re from Thornbury, then. Son of Lord Wagan Fox. Are you here for page training?’
River blinked, impressed. ‘Most people haven’t heard of us. Thornbury’s only small.’
‘I’m not most people.’ The fair boy rose and approached the effigy. He wrapped his hand around the sword hilt. ‘You should go.’
‘Are you moon-addled? That’s Celestia. They’ll beat you senseless…’
The fair boy’s gaze was the shade of the midsummer sky at noon, and sharp as a knife.
‘Who are you?’ River asked, suddenly nervous. ‘Why haven’t I seen you at hall?’
‘I’m no page.’
River’s eyes slid from the boy’s haughty expression to his tunic. Glinting through the mud was a faint outline rendered in gold thread: two lions rampant.
His stomach plummeted to the soles of his boots. ‘You’re Prince Anden,’ he murmured. ‘The King of Dawn is your father.’
He wanted to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness for his insolence. But he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to look away from the other boy’s pale face, the way he clenched his jaw to stop it from trembling.
‘Was my father,’ the prince said. ‘I don’t have a father now.’
Author Bio
Nicola Zhang spends most of her time dreaming up fantasy worlds, which is much more fun than running, hiking, or doing anything that requires breaking a sweat. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, a cat who believes he rules the household, and a dog who is blissfully unaware that he does not. When she isn’t writing, Nicola can be found watching films, baking cakes, or indulging in too much takeout.
| Author Website | www.nicolazhang.com |
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