Embark on a dark fantasy quest featuring gothic gladiators and necromancers, snarky banter, swordfights against eldritch monsters, and enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education.

After Hal and Alastair's triumph in the arena, their places at St Penderghast's seem secure. However, Alastair's dramatic reunion with his father and a brutal betrayal threaten Hal's place at the elite college. When Alastair disappears, she must hunt down her ex-partner and bring him to justice. To have any chance of survival in a land crawling with monsters, Hal needs allies. She is forced to work with the son of the woman who recently tried to kill her, cruel savant necromancer Kiel, and Alastair's maddening older brother, gladiator prodigy Tieran. If it means she gets to punch Alastair in the face, Hal's game for anything. This reluctant partnership follows Alastair's trail to the grimmest corners of Preyburn, only to find that something much grimmer is brewing. When Alastair's dark secrets are revealed, and a sudden end to the war could mean the very opposite, Hal may need her old nemesis for more than revenge. But could she ever bring herself to trust him again?