On the merciless African savanna, where morals are fortuitous, a small lion pride persists under their young Matriarch, Nyathera. She and her three sisters live on after the tragic loss of their mother and father, navigating a new reality without their precious guidance. Nyathera’s unwavering desire to protect her Pride is constantly challenged by her brute sister, Mkali’s short temper. But when the Pride is suddenly overthrown by the crazed lion Mandla and his coalition, they suffer the most devastating tragedy yet: the deaths of their cubs. Conquered again by new Protectors, the lionesses’ resilience is shattered under the claws of Pride Law.
While Nyathera struggles to find her destiny as the Matriarch, an old promise and treasonous secrets threaten to tear away all she’s ever known. Mkali, grief-stricken and haunted by the shadows within her mind, exiles herself onto a vulnerable and unpredictable path of independence. As the sun sets on the savanna, both sisters must confront the unforgiving laws of survival or risk losing everything to darkness, including themselves.
Hello Tumblr, delighted to share with you (and simultaneously doxx myself with) the breathtaking UK and Commonwealth cover of my debut novel, Mirrorwoven, out July 2 2026 from Harper Fire! (Update Feb 26: North Americans, see my reblog below)
Art by the incredible @eliotbaum.
Mirrorwoven is a sapphic young adult fantasy in a Renaissance Venice-inspired setting, pitched as The Priory of the Orange Tree meets Gossip Girl. The blurb and further info below the cut:
You are cordially invited to the Dragon Masquerade…
Del has two rules. One: stay away from royalty. Two: don’t fall in love.
The first – because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.
The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway.
When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret.
As Del grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister-in-law, it will only take a push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.
Like, for example, breaking Rule Two.
You can expect:
✨ A Renaissance Venice-inspired setting
✨ A sapphic love triangle
✨ A protagonist who is very good at music and very bad at everything else
✨ Court intrigue
✨ Mirror magic
✨ True love's kiss breaks the spell
✨ ...which must be avoided at all costs
✨ Angst, angst and more angst
✨ Two (2) good jokes
✨ One hundred and fifty-seven (157) bad ones
✨ That clip of Marie Kondo saying 'I love mess'; that's it, that's the whole book
Preorders are live for the UK and Europe from your preferred retailer; North America and ANZ watch this space. If you're interested in the book I would be extremely grateful if you preordered a copy or asked your library to buy it - preorders are really important for debut authors in particular as they signal to a publisher that readers are excited for the book, which can matter a lot for how the publisher chooses to allocate resources. (Waterstones and B&N both have preorder sales a few times a year with very nice discounts.) Alternatively you can add the book on Goodreads if you like, or follow me on Instagram @/sorrynotbori for book updates and cat pictures.
Those of you who were following along with my writing may remember that I initially reworked my fic A Fistful of Stars and tried for publication with it - this is obviously not that (it had structural issues that made it unsuitable for tradpub, which I do one day intend to see if I can fix) but a completely new story that's wholly mine from the ground up.*
I'm so excited to announce this book here. Fandom communities were my very first writing communities, and the encouragement and enthusiasm I received on my early ventures into writing via fanfiction are a big part of what gave me the confidence to pursue traditional publishing. Thank you so much to anyone reading this who ever left me a comment or a kudos or just silently read and enjoyed my fics - this book exists in large part because of you.
- B xx 🐸🌈✨
* eagle eyed TES readers however may spot the influence of a character or two 😏
Hi, I’m Jyrah! I’m an aspiring author, set to release my debut novel in October 2026. My greatest hope is that this book will reach someone who needs it ❤️
🔗 Twisted Childhood Friends to Lovers
🔗 Dual POV
🔗 Preppy Ballerina, Star Athlete
🔗 College Setting
🔗 Southern Culture
Set in Atlanta, Strings follows Bria Childs, a dedicated dancer, and Miles Chapman, a college basketball player haunted by his forgotten past. Their paths cross again when Bria’s cousin, Maya, mysteriously disappears from campus.
What begins in grief grows into a journey of resilience, identity, and uncovering truths buried by power. Bria and Miles must navigate family legacies, university politics, and a society built to protect its own.
Strings is a novel about love, loyalty, and what it truly means to fight for what you care about. Here, the invisible string theory takes on Forever, Swagger, and All American: Homecoming but in mystery form.
I am proud to present my finally-finished novel: Flame-Keeper; Frost-Daughter! It's a YA fantasy on the darker side of the spectrum with queer sensibilities at its heart. It's a story inspired by my native America rather than yet another "fantasy Europe," and I've drawn heavily from my Choctaw heritage (with a fantastical twist, because I'm not writing a historical novel) to inspire the world and its main character. It's also, perhaps not unsubtly, about burnout and the crushing weight of expectations we tend to put on our young people.
Tamarack leaves home believing she can save everyone from the ghostly shades threatening her village if she just tries hard enough to be what her people need her to become.
Instead, in seeking answers to embrace her destiny, she finds a kingdom threatened by monsters, filled with impossible choices, and marked by the mysterious Princess Ryndine--another young woman who may understand the weight of Tam's expectations better than anyone.
Together, the two of them must discover just how much they are willing to sacrifice in the name of living up to the expectations of their respective peoples... and whether the heroism is truly worth the cost.
If you love:
Books like Sweet & Bitter Magic and Cinderella Is Dead
Stories rooted elsewhere than Fantasy Europe
Slow burn queer romances
Monsters and magic
And more!
...then you'll no doubt like this one. I really hope you do!
I'm running a special sale for "Back-To-School-Mas"! The eBook is now .99 on all platforms until August 13th :]
