The Winged Game

Former rivals in a magical game must learn to work together in this light and humorous blend of sports romance and contemporary fantasy from Kim (The God and the Gwisin). Two years ago, Taissa Cho was caught using magic to cheat by Kion Locke, effectively banning her from carriwitchet, a sport played on the backs of dragons, wyverns, and other flying beasts, collectively called Wingeds. Now Kion’s team, the Stymphs, are on the verge of dissolution due to a generational losing streak. To save them, he recruits Taissa. She knows she’s an excellent player and the Stymphs were once a good team, so when things don’t improve after she joins up, she becomes convinced their abysmal performance can only be explained by a curse. Meanwhile, Wingeds fall into comas, confirming that curses abound in the carriwitchet circuit. Taissa and Kion’s largely antagonistic relationship is magnetic and frequently hilarious, and investigating two major mysteries buoys their slow-burning romance. Somewhat clunky worldbuilding (the magic system is never properly explained) holds this underdog story back a bit, but it’s still easy to root for the chaotic and diverse Stymphs and their snarky mounts. Readers in it for the romance will be well pleased. Agent: Emily Forney, BookEnds Literary. (June)