“A modern day Outlander. . . .  filled with adventure and danger. . . . a breathless tale that only Morgan Rhodes could tell.”—Hypable  New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES,  an epic contemporary saga perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.   The lives of Toronto teens Crystal and Becca Hatcher revolve around helping their mother out at the family's used bookstore, the Speckled Muse. It's a relatively uneventful after-school job, until a package arrives addressed to their mother, Julia. Thinking it's nothing more than run-of-the-mill inventory, Becca opens it and removes the book inside, unwittingly triggering an ancient magic and intertwining their fates with the powers that flow from the mysterious leather-bound book. Two parallel worlds collide, and Becca is left in a catatonic state after her spirit is snatched from modern-day Toronto back to the ancient world of Mytica. Crys is guilt-ridden, having witnessed the entire event, and vows to do whatever is necessary to save her. Written in alternating perspectives that shift between modern-day Toronto and the ancient kingdoms of Mytica, Rhodes delivers a rich and suspenseful series opener that will leave readers breathless.  “ ... Many intriguing twists and turns with a downright fantastic plot.”  — VOYA "...a compulsively readable, epic time-travel soap opera." — The Globe & Mail "Rhodes always tells a smashing story, and this is no exception. Magic and romance combine in a page-turning adventure. Can’t wait for more!” —Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Darkest Powers series "Magical, smart and swoony, A Book of Spirits and Thieves is the most fun I've had reading a book in a long time.” —Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of the Hex Hall and Rebel Belle series “Strong writing yields a story that feels like a roller-coaster ride, filled with rich and suspenseful anticipation.” — School Library Journal   Morgan Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series. Under another pen name, she's an award-winning author of more than two dozen novels. Morgan lives in Southern Ontario, where she’s currently hard at work on the next Falling Kingdoms book. Follow her on Twitter @MorganRhodesYA. Chapter 1 “Be careful where you point that thing, young lady. It’ll get you in trouble one day.” The old man Crys had been stalking for twenty minutes glared at her through the lens of her camera. The deep wrinkles she’d found so fascinating now gathered between his eyes as he creased his forehead. She snapped a picture. “Thanks for the advice,” she said, flashing him a grin before she quickly made her escape. It would be a great shot, one of her best yet. Eyes that had seen at least eighty years of life. A face, weathered and aged, with a thousand stories to tell. Definitely portfolio-worthy. Crys passed a bank with a digital clock in the window and winced when she saw the time. Becca’s going to kill me , she thought. The last class had let out at three o’clock, but because she hadn’t gone to school today, she’d completely lost track of time. She could smell spring in the air, finally, after such a long, cold winter. The cool breeze felt fresh and clean and full of possibilities, even beneath the scent of cement and dust and exhaust fumes. It was five minutes to six when she finally made it to her destination. Five minutes to closing. The Speckled Muse Bookshop was located on the west edge of the Annex, a Toronto neighborhood adjacent to the U of T campus and the Royal Ontario Museum. Busy streets, a young crowd—thanks to the proximity to the university—lots of restaurants and little independent shops. Crys paused and snapped a shot of the weathered sign out front—she’d taken the same pic from nearly every angle possible over the last couple of years. Along with the name of the shop written in quirky, painted letters, there was an illustration of a little girl with big glasses, pigtails, and a sprinkling of freckles, sitting on top of a stack of books. It was a caricature of Crys from when she was five years old, before she even knew how to read. Before she got contacts for her annoying nearsightedness and used her thick glasses only when she absolutely had to. Back when the Hatchers were a whole family, not just three-quarters of one. Something warm brushed against her leg, and she lowered her camera with a frown. “Who let you out, Charlie?” Charlie, an adorable black-and-white kitten, replied with a tiny mew that seemed to have a question mark attached to it. “Come on.” Crys leaned over and picked him up, pressing him against her chest. “You’re way too close to the street out here, little guy.” A month ago, when it was early March and still freezing cold, she’d found the kitten next to a garbage can a block away from the store and