A kingdom for a stage
Description
Caught in a war between the rebels and the invading colonizers, Jetta must make an impossible choice—save her people or protect her sanity.
The second book in Heidi Heilig’s acclaimed Shadow Players trilogy blends traditional storytelling with ephemera to weave an enthralling fantasy that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir will sink into.
Jetta is a wanted criminal. The army wants her for treason against the crown, for the sabotage of Hell’s Court temple, and for the murder of General Legarde. They also want her for the power in her blood—the magic that captures wandering spirits to give life to puppets, to rocks, to paper . . . to weapons. They’re willing to trade the elixir that treats Jetta’s madness for the use of her blood. The rebels want her, too, to help them reclaim their country. Jetta may be the one who can tip the scales in this war.
But Jetta fears using her power will make her too much like Le Trépas, the terrifying and tyrannical necromancer who once held all Chakrana under his thumb—and who is Jetta’s biological father. She’s already raised her brother from the dead, after all. And scared off Leo, the only person who saw her as she truly is. With Le Trépas at large and a clash between the army and the rebels becoming inevitable, Jetta will have to decide if saving her country is worth sacrificing her soul.
Acclaimed author Heidi Heilig creates a rich world inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and French colonialism. Told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view, as well as with chapters written as play scripts and ephemera such as songs, maps, and letters, A Kingdom for a Stage is a vivid, fast-paced journey that weaves magic, simmering romance, and the deep bonds of family with the high stakes of epic adventure. It will thrill fans of Stephanie Garber and Renée Ahdieh.
More Details
9780062965011
Similar Series From Novelist
Similar Titles From NoveList
Similar Authors From NoveList
Published Reviews
Kirkus Book Review
Jetta Chantray plunges deeper into the battle for Chakrana in the sequel to For a Muse of Fire (2018).Jetta has destroyed an Aquitan prison, rescued her father, and brought her brother back from the dead. Now both rebels and Aquitans know her secrets: She can ensoul objects with her blood, and her biological father is the feared necromancer Le Trpas. Captured once more by the arme, Jetta agrees to cooperate in exchange for an elixir that treats her malheur. When the general uses Jetta's blood to animate his own warbirds, she escapes, aided by Leo, the general's Chakran half brother and Jetta's love interestbut the rebels' leader insists on bringing along Le Trpas. The group embarks on a long journey toward the rebel camp, punctuated by fiery encounters with avions. While the stakes mount, intrarebel intrigue and various romantic subplots muddy the waters. Action often takes a back seat to Jetta's fears that her growing mastery of blood magic and her malheur, without treatment, will make her as monstrous as Le Trpas. Some readers may relate to aspects of Jetta's bipolar disorder and appreciate mention of a ruler who has successfully managed his illness; others may be troubled by repeated references to madness and insanity. Chakrans have dark hair and eyes while pale Aquitans are blond and blue-eyed.Not as vivid or fast-paced as the first installment, but the cliffhanger finale may leave fans eager for more. (cast of characters, author's note) (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.