Princess Bitterblue and her country were saved from the vicious King Leck, but her cruel and mind bending father still remain. Bitterblue realizes her country’s own past is obscured, and she begins to investigate on her own, uncovering horrible truths along the way. Bitterblue’s love interest is a bisexual man, and there are many queer side characters.
Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace.
But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck’s death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck’s reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea’s past has become shrouded in mystery, and it’s only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle – curious, disguised and alone – to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past.
Whatever that past holds.
Two thieves, who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, who possesses an unidentified Grace, may also hold a key to her heart . . .
Genre: Fantasy
Those two men from GRACELING are now an explicit couple. Also, there’s an explicit woman-woman couple, an explicitly bi man who is new to the series, and an explicitly gay man whom readers will remember from GRACELING, though his sexuality didn’t come up there.
Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Saf, Bann and Raffin
Sexual Orientation:
Bisexual: Saf
Gay/Queer: Bann and Raffin (side characters)
Romantic Orientation:
Biromantic: Saf
Homoromantic: Bann and Raffin (side characters)
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Saf
Disability:
PTSD
Trigger warnings: Abuse, mental illness, PTSD, sexual assault/ rape, self harm, alcoholism