Inkmistress

In Coulthurst’s immersive second novel, set in the world of 2016’s Of Fire and Stars, 17-year-old demigod and healer Asra uses her blood magic to help her love, Ina, find her “manifest,” the animal she will magically bond with and change into at will. To Asra’s horror, the creature turns out to be a fearsome dragon. After Ina’s village and its people are destroyed by bandits, she vows to kill the king, whom she blames for her village’s vulnerability. Asra sets off to stop Ina, aided by Hal, a boy who burns bright with magic and awakens a spark of attraction in Asra. He may also hold the answers to Asra’s mysterious parentage and birthright, but his sister, a former assassin, is hot on their trail. Coulthurst emphasizes self-reliance, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love in this satisfying tale of a lonely young woman, stung by betrayal, who must reconcile her ability to write the future in her own blood—and its price—with her desire for peace and a family to call her own. Ages 13–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM. (Mar.)