The Defiant Heir
{4.5/5} “Take this with you, and when you’re thinking of doing something dangerous, I want you to hold this button and think what I would say to you… Then you can tell the button to be quiet and go and do it anyway, but at least you’ll be thinking of me.”
The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso, published in 2018
When Zaira is out practising her magic with Amalia and Marcello they stumble across a murdered Falconer. At a party Marcello’s sister Istrella, an artificer, is almost assassinated. Amalia finds that her name and Zaira’s are on the assassin’s list — and the assassin belongs to the lady of Thorns, one of the Witch Lords of Vaskandar. When Amalia agrees to court the mysterious Kathe, he reveals that he is also a Witch Lord, the Crow Lord.
This is the sequel to The Tethered Mage. It’s delightful from the first page, and will bring a smile to your face.
It’s about making deals, learning about people you’ve thought of as your enemy, and coming to terms with decisions that get people killed.
You’ll want to have the next one on hand when you finish this one.
I’ve read 2 books by Caruso, and I will read at least 1 more.