National Network for Equitable Library Service

An international bestseller. Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches and Serpent & Dove—this mesmerizing dark academia romantasy debut delves into a dangerous supernatural society hidden within our own, where forbidden love and immortal hunters collide, and a dark truth may unravel the entire world. Nicole Palmer and her family have been in hiding for years from the Wake—a shadowy organization that governs all supernatural creatures. If the Wake discovers that Nicole is an Empyreal—a rare kind of creature that can shapeshift into any creature's natural predator—they'll force her to join them or kill her for resisting. Like they did her mother. Nicole is close to uncovering a secret message hidden in a supernatural art collection—a message from her mother about how to destroy the Wake for good. But when the collector is murdered and a key painting stolen, the Wake sends their best Empyreal assassin to track down the dangerous creature on the loose. Kyan McCarter is handsome, perceptive, and the last person Nicole wants to work with to find the stolen painting. Their search sparks a powerful connection between them, but if Kyan finds out that Nicole is a rogue Empyreal, he'll have no choice but to hunt her next. After all, no one disobeys the Wake and survives.