My secret is out! THRILLED to announce that my debut fantasy, THE ORDER OF MASKS, will be published this September by Pan Macmillan Australia and December by Hodderscape UK. I am so incredibly grateful for my amazing editors, Claire and Molly, and their respective teams. It is a dream come true to have such passionate people championing this duology.

THE ORDER OF MASKS is a luscious romantasy filled with forbidden love, morally grey characters, magic and deadly court politics. It alternates between two ambitious young women who are determined to improve their lot in life – no matter the sacrifice.

What you can expect:

ROMANCE (and some spice). Tropes: forbidden love and enemies-to-loversA brutal roman-style world with a scheming royal family, devious court politics and deadly TrialsBadass (and morally grey) female protagonistsFIGHTING: swords, daggers and magicComplicated family dynamicsA dark edge (think Game of Thrones and the Hunger Games).

In honour of this publication post, I’ve included some early feedback from editors below:

“I am absolutely buzzing with enthusiasm for this vicious, backstabbing, torturous, HUGELY pacey, shocker of a debut. I did not expect THE ORDER OF MASKS to thrill me so utterly and completely – nor to be so unapologetically steeped in deadly courtly games. The politics! The romance! The vibes! I loved, loved, loved reading this gem, and whipped through it at almost breakneck speed. Mira and Scarlett are so morally murky, and so flawed as protagonists, and I was enthralled by their relationship, and how edged with danger and deceit it was. Also, those twists. And that ending! I must have book two.”“As you know, there’s enormous in-house excitement about The Order of Masks. The richly imagined Ravalian Empire with its brutal Emperor, its scheming royal family, and its merciless Court has really captured our imagination. So too have the three magical Orders. It’s an exciting and thrilling world filled with political intrigue, relentless scheming, and alluring sorcery. I loved the constant jostling for power and favour, the plotting and double-crossing and the seemingly endless depths to which these characters sink, but I also loved that this is a world in which, for women especially, power and living well are inextricably linked: Mira and Scarlett are characters we understand even if we sometimes despair of their choices. I love that Mira and Scarlett are both adversaries and allies on this journey and while they seek power, they are also just trying to survive and through it all, they are resourceful, capable and incredibly tough. Definitely kickass heroines!

Can’t wait to see THE ORDER OF MASKS out in the world, and to share Mira and Scarlett’s stories with you

Love,

Alina

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