An epic fantasy filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance from the New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Plain Jane, perfect for fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. Ten years later, Wil and the other noble children who escaped are ready to fight back and reclaim Wil’s throne. To do so, Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom palace with hopes of gathering information that will help them succeed. But Wil has a secret—one that could change everything. Although magic has been illegal for a century, she knows her ability could help her save her kingdom. But magic creates wraith, and the deadly stuff is moving closer and destroying the land. And if the vigilante Black Knife catches her using magic, she may disappear like all the others.... Forbidden Magic: Wil’s power could save her kingdom, but every use creates the deadly wraith that is destroying the land—and draws the attention of those who hunt magic users. - Found Family: As part of the Ospreys, a band of fellow noble orphans, Wil is not alone in her fight. But is their loyalty enough to win back a kingdom? - Political Intrigue: To gather intelligence, Wil and her best friend Melanie must navigate the glittering but treacherous courts of the enemy palace, where one wrong move means death. - A Mysterious Vigilante: The vigilante Black Knife is a threat to her secret and her life. But in a court of enemies, the greatest danger might be the one she’s most drawn to. Gr 7 Up—Wilhelmina—more frequently known as Wil—is a princess. However, she's a royal who's more used to stealing food than curtsying in a palace. Wil's homeland of Aecor was conquered 10 years earlier by the Indigo Kingdom and Wil and a band of other orphaned children of Aecor nobility have been living secretly as refugees in Skyvale, the capital of the Indigo Kingdom. The teen and the other refugees have plans to take back their home by infiltrating the palace. As Wilhelmina's mission inside the palace proceeds, it is complicated not just by her secret ability to practice magic—which has been forbidden for almost a century—but also by her connection to the vigilante Black Knife, a masked figure who helps the poor and the weak in the streets of Skyvale. Fans of Katniss and the Sisters of St. Mortain from Robin LaFevers's "His Fair Assassin" series (Houghton Harcourt) and other strong, vengeful female heroines will root for Wil, as she plots revolution, struggles with her conflicted feelings for Black Knife, and discovers more about wraith, the toxic by-product of magic. Although this series opener starts off with poorly executed exposition to provide the necessary background, the plot quickly picks up pace, and the highlights of this novel are the subtle lessons in the sacrifices and responsibilities of leadership, as well as the unique way in which magic use and wraith are echoes of our own world's debate about environmental justice.—Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC Praise for INCARNATE: “The romance is captivating, as are the questions raised by the reincarnations. […]This would be a thought-provoking choice for anyone who is looking to move beyond vampires, werewolves, and angels.” - School Library Journal (starred review) “An absorbing fantasy.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “INCARNATE has an eerie and intriguing premise and I am looking forward to seeing where Jodi Meadows takes it next.” - Robin McKinley, bestselling and Newbery Award winning author of The Hero and the Crown, Spindle’s End, Dragonhaven, and Pegasus “Lyrical and thought-provoking, INCARNATE is the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. I loved it!” - Rachel Hawkins, New York Times Bestselling author of Hex Hall and Demonglass “One word: Breathtaking. More words: Heart-melting. Soul-feeding. Mind-blowing. INCARNATE captured all of me and won’t let go.” - Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of the Shade trilogy THE ORPHAN QUEEN casts its spell from the first page. Exquisite, captivating and romantic ―Jodi Meadows’s world forbids magic, but THE ORPHAN QUEEN is brimming with it. I loved this book! - Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die One of the most compelling fantasies I’ve ever read. Fans of strong heroines, secret identities, and terrifyingly dangerous magic should put Jodi Meadows at the top of their ‘to read’ lists. - C.J. Redwine, author of the Defiance trilogy Hidden identities, allusions to environmental concerns, a clever heroine with a worthy potential love interest, and some monster-mashing fight scenes elevate this romantic series opener. A cliff-hanger ending will have many readers exclaiming aloud their impatience at having to wait for the sequel. - Booklist Fans of Katniss and the Sisters of St. Mortain from Ro