Road to ruin

Jin is one of the best couriers and Sparkriders in the wastes. She rides her magebike between cities, swerving around raiders and avoiding the vicious storms that she couldn't survive without a city shield. Her biggest job is ferrying letters between the Talentless, sweet Prince Kadrin and the intelligent shieldcaster Princess Yi-Nereen, who knew each other as children but can now only love each other from afar. Jin might be in love with both of them, but as long as she keeps her feelings under control, it's a good gig--at least until Yi-Nereen demands help escaping the city, and they end up tangled in a plot to overthrow the current system, leaving the biggest storm they've ever seen to rage over the land, and deliver power away from the mana-charged magic gifted to the marginalized Talentless. Lee's action-packed, Mad Max: Fury Road--inspired fantasy is a breathless, polyamorous adventure that will delight fans of well-built, fast-paced, queer sf/fantasy. She drops readers straight into a convincing world populated by real-feeling characters with sparkling chemistry. Readers will latch on to Jin and her big heart and love--for her megabike, for the prince and princess, and for her family--and look forward to the next book.

Savage, sexy, and deliciously screwed up, Lee's apocalyptic fantasy debut is sure to draw comparisons to Mad Max but sets itself apart through an inventive magic system and a thorny bisexual love triangle. Jin makes a living as a magebike courier, constantly risking her life in the face of mana storms, human raiders, and saurian predators to transport messages and illegal luxury goods across the wasteland between city-states. Her most lucrative gig involves carrying secret love letters between Prince Kadrin of Kerina Sol and Princess Yi-Nereen of Kerina Rut, neither of whom realizes Jin has developed feelings for them both. When Yi-Nereen asks Jin to help her escape an arranged marriage, the two flee into the wasteland, pursued by both Yi-Nereen's betrothed, who can read minds, and Jin's bounty hunter ex-girlfriend. Forced to take refuge during a mana storm, they discover a hidden community and uncover dark secrets about the nature of their world and the magical Talents which, in this highly stratified society, determine a person's worth. As danger mounts, Jin is forced to call upon Kadrin for help. The twisty plot, complex emotional entanglements, and perilous landscapes keep the pages flying. Examining power, privilege, and passion, this dynamic adventure thrills. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)

Chapter One: Rock and a Hard Place Second Age of Storms, 48th Spring Dear Princess Yi-Nereen, I don't know if you remember me. My name is Kadrin, and I hail from Kerina Sol. Ten years ago, my father was sent as a diplomatic envoy to your city, Kerina Rut. I only remember bits and pieces of the crossing; I was nine years old and rode in a knight's sidecar. But I recall very well the year we spent in Kerina Rut, especially the friend I made there: the daughter of the Shield Lord, our host, who did so much to make us feel at home. After all this time, I have finally worked up the courage to write her. Do you remember me half as fondly as I remember you? My father's time in Kerina Rut was shorter than planned, and our sudden departure must have taken you by surprise. I hope you will accept my long overdue apology and farewell. I shall end this letter now, in case I am a stranger to you after all. But if you do recall the boy who collected colorful beetles and taught you to wish on falling stars, it would bring me no greater pleasure than to receive your reply. Please take care, Prince Kadrin, Third Heir to the House of Steel Heavens Excerpted from Road to Ruin by Hana Lee All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.