A Stage Set for Villains

In the world of Theatron—the setting of this dark, propulsive fantasy homage to theater—citizens living to the south are loyal to the Playhouse, whose immortal performers, or Players, use magic and theatricality to strike fear and awe into their audience. Those to the north, wary of the Playhouse’s power, protect themselves via a treaty that decrees Players stay in the south. When the treaty expires, however, 18-year-old Riven—cursed in childhood by a Player to die a slow death—enters the Playhouse seeking a cure to her enchantment. After she’s captured by Lead Player Jude, Riven agrees to a deal: Jude will heal her if she wins an upcoming event during which mortals have the chance to kill a Player and take their place in the Playhouse. Privately, Riven resolves to use the opportunity to destroy the organization from within. But she soon realizes that the Playhouse is a mercurial place, and as she learns more about the Players and their craft through Jude’s charming tutelage, her convictions waver. Debut author Spann skillfully leverages scriptlike dialogue and punctuated drama structures to flesh out the Playhouse’s vivid world, which is rife with political intrigue and power imbalances. Riven and Jude’s sharp banter and slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance dials up the novel’s showmanship. Riven cues as white. Ages 16–up. Agent: Ellen Goff, HG Literary. (Feb.)