Publisher Description

The witches, beasties, goblins, and Royals return in this spellbinding conclusion to New York Times best-selling author Megan Shepherd's Grim Lovelies duology. Ever since she discovered her affinity for magic, seventeen-year-old Anouk has been desperate to become a witch. It's the only way to save her friends who, like Anouk, are beasties: animals enchanted into humans. But unlike Anouk, the other beasties didn't make it out of the battle at Montelimar in one piece. With her friends now trapped in their animal forms, Anouk is forced into a sinister deal involving a political marriage with her sworn enemy, a wicked plot to overthrow London's fiercest coven of witches, and a deadly trial of fire to become a witch. The price for power has always been steep in the world of the Haute. Now, it will cost Anouk everything. Wicked and delightful, this spellbinding sequel and conclusion to Grim Lovelies is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazelwood Wood. AGES: 14 plus AUTHOR: Megan Shepherd is the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy, The Cage trilogy and the middle grade novel, The Secret Horses of Briar Hill.

Author Biography

Megan Shepherd is the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy, The Cage trilogy and the middle grade novel The Secret Horses of Briar Hill. She lives and writes on a 125-year-old farm outside Asheville, North Carolina.
Twitter @megan_shepherd
Instagram @meganshepherdauthor

Review

"Exciting action scenes and unexpected personal revelations and character relationships combine to form a tantalizing conclusion to Shepherd's duology." --Booklist "Readers familiar with the first volume will enjoy this final leg of Anouk's journey in which enemies become family and the powerless become powerful.... A satisfying conclusion." --Kirkus "One heart-stopping scene after another... a satisfying conclusion to this duology."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books? --

Review Quote

"Readers familiar with the first volume will enjoy this final leg of Anouk's journey in which enemies become family and the powerless become powerful.... A satisfying conclusion." -- Kirkus

Excerpt from Book

Chapter 1 There was blood everywhere, even in her hair. Anouk tripped through fallen leaves in gold-studded Goblin boots two sizes too small, the laces undone, the novelty tread leaving bloodstained prints in the smeared shape of hearts. Her leather shorts were ripped. Her velvet jacket was punctured once in the sleeve and twice near her ribs. Blood oozed down her side. The birds were right behind her. One crow swept down from a lamppost in a flurry of black wings, going for her ear. Its beak sliced her cheek. She swatted at it, but its talons snagged in her hair or, rather, in the blue wig she wore. The wig slid forward over her eyes, blinding her. She pulled it off and threw it--tangled crow and all--into a sewer grate and raced ahead. Toward 18 Rue des Amants. The former residence of a witch, the townhouse was now hers. Her home. Her haven. Or, since Prince Rennar had set his winged spies on her, more like her prison. Her hair had become a sweaty mess beneath the wig, clinging to her neck and face. Another crow launched itself at her back. Talons ripped at her clothes. She grabbed the railing to the stairs. Just a few more steps. The Goblins were inside, faces pressed against the townhouse windows, motioning for her to hurry. A crow landed on her shoulder, its talons piercing through the velvet jacket. Pain exploded in her arm. She faltered on the steps. She would have used a spell against it, except that her bag of ingredients was the first thing the crows had gone for, knowing that without it, she was no more powerful than the Pretty tourists strolling down the street, magically oblivious to Anouk''s distress. Gasping, she grabbed the crow by its wing and yanked with all her strength. "Let go! " She hurled the crow against the steps and, before it could take wing again, yanked open the townhouse''s front door, threw herself inside, and slammed it closed behind her. She collapsed against the door, breathing hard. The townhouse was protected with a spell so ancient that it hadn''t been broken at Mada Vittora''s death, unlike most of her other enchantments. It was the only thing keeping Rennar and his crows out, which unfortunately meant that to be safe, Anouk had to stay in . Over the past six weeks, she and Viggo and the two dozen Goblins who had survived the siege of Mont

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