Release date: May 30, 2018
Subgenre: Urban Fantasy, Dystopian YA
About Ruthless Magic:
In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die... or kill.
Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages' Exam.
Disadvantaged by her parents' low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.
Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.
Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?
The first in a new series by USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe, Ruthless Magic combines the magic of Harry Potter with the ferocity of The Hunger Games alongside a poignant romance. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, look no further for your next urban fantasy fix.
Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages' Exam.
Disadvantaged by her parents' low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.
Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.
Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?
The first in a new series by USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe, Ruthless Magic combines the magic of Harry Potter with the ferocity of The Hunger Games alongside a poignant romance. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, look no further for your next urban fantasy fix.
Excerpt:
The fog roared around me. I
spun, and my wet hair smacked my face. Finn had been right here next to me a
second ago. I couldn’t leave him in this gale.
I stumbled one way and then another. My groping
hand collided with a shoulder. I clutched it, yanking us together. Finn’s arm
slid across my back to hold us in place. He said something—I heard his voice by
my ear—but the screech of the storm stole the words. Hail pelted us, and the wind lashed
at us from all sides. I could hardly breathe.
The only solid thing was Finn. I
curled my fingers into the damp fabric of his shirt and sang into the stiller
space between us. “Como veían que resistía.”
Magic hummed from the vicious air
into me. An image swam up of the grate I’d come across in the courtyard,
between the buildings. A grate that led to something below.
I knelt down, pulling Finn with me,
and pressed my free hand to the spongy ground. The wind tried to steal my next
lyrics from my lips, but the magic raced through me all the same—through me and
down, down, into an open space I sensed below us like a gasp of fresh air.
I did gasp then, and forced out a
verse. I’d never magically transported another person with me before, but I had
to. I had to.
The magic rushed up around us with
the thrust of my words. I clung to Finn, singing the energy around him as
tightly as I could. Then I propelled us downward with a lurch.
We surged through rough blackness
that rasped over my skin and landed with a feet-jarring thump. I exhaled in a
rush, dizzy in the sudden quiet. My eardrums ached from the pounding of the
storm we’d escaped and the effort of the conjuring.
We crouched in total darkness. The
surface beneath me felt like concrete. Cold dank air hovered around us with a
faintly salty flavor that reminded me of the ocean.
My fingers were tangled in Finn’s
shirt. His arm was still around me. In the dark, I was abruptly aware of the
rise and fall of his rasping breath, the warmth of his chest, and the answering
warmth it sent through me.
He was alive—we were
alive—and in that moment, it felt like a miracle.
Amazon | Print Amazon | Print B&N
About Megan Crewe:
USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe lives in Toronto, Canada
with her husband and son. She's been making up stories about magic and
spirits and other what ifs since before she knew how to write words on
paper. These days the stories are just a lot longer. Her YA novels
include the paranormal GIVE UP THE GHOST, post-apocalyptic the Fallen
World series, the sci fi Earth & Sky trilogy, the contemporary
fantasy A MORTAL SONG, and the supernatural thriller BEAST.
No comments:
Post a Comment