The Debtor's Game

by Isabelle Mongeau

In a world where faeries are born with tattoos of debt to the High Fae, one servant must navigate a game of dangerous, sensual court politics between her mistress and the king—the first installment in a dark fantasy series.

As a palace faerie, Avery is busy preparing Lady Kassandra, a High Fae of the House of Illusions, for the upcoming coronation. Both of their freedoms rely on Kassandra, to escape her violent brother, and Avery, to pay off rings of debt tattoos she has inherited from her family, which force her to serve the High Fae.

After a series of tragic events, Avery is forced to split her loyalties between Lady Kassandra and the newly crowned King Maxian, an alluring High Fae of staggering power. Avery agrees to spy on the King in exchange for liberating her family from debt, forming a triangle that proves more dangerous by the minute—further complicated by Avery’s warring desire and resentment for both Maxian and Kassandra.

But freedom from her debt grows further out of reach when she’s forced to test her loyalties, leading her to uncover secrets about the High Fae with earth-shattering implications. Soon, Avery must find out whether the faeries—and herself—are really as powerless against the High Fae as they seem...or whether she just might hold the key to freeing them all.

Genres: Fantasy

528 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 3, 2026

Reviews

[Zoe Stallings · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Debtor's Game by Isabelle Mongeau is a gripping and immersive read that weaves together suspense, ethical dilemmas, and psychological tension. From the opening chapters, the pressure is palpable, and Mongeau’s writing draws you into a world where every choice has serious consequences.

The characters are vivid and multifaceted, each shaped by ambition, fear, and hidden intentions. The protagonist’s path, torn between survival, remorse, and the lure of risky decisions, kept me engaged from start to finish. While a few sections felt slower, the story always regained momentum and delivered impactful twists.

Overall, The Debtor's Game is a thought-provoking, character-focused thriller that stays with you long after reading. A great pick for those who enjoy morally layered stories filled with secrets and unexpected turns.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the eARC.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNFed at 47%. This had potential, but I felt like a lot of world building was missing. We’re kind of thrusting into this world without much explanation about what a “genius” is, what a “plane” is and how it works, how people in their respective Houses get the magic that they have, etc. Some things I was able to figure out, but I felt like more was needed. I also wasn’t really sure what the plot was almost half way through the book. Then I read the description and was like “huh, I feel like I missed something”, which could have been my fault. But either way, I wasn’t totally interested by the story so I’ll go find something else to read.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Publishing for the eARC.

This book left me hoping for more. I struggled to feel fully immersed in the story, as some of the exposition and world-building felt rushed or
underdeveloped. The setting and characters had interesting foundations, but the background remained fairly surface-level, and the characters came across as somewhat one-dimensional. Halfway through I realized I wasn’t fully invested in their relationships or personalities.

Overall the premise was very interesting but it would have benefited from a deeper dive into character development and richer world-building.

[Michaela Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.
(I don't know what's going on with the review system on Goodreads, but it's weird and unhelpful to folks trying to review) this is a 2.5 rounded up to a 3 for me.

This really did not work for me, it was long, had a complex magic and caste system, with faeries serving the houses of High Fae, and living under a system of inherited debt, rings that they carry from generation to generation. Plus they can pay off but gain new debt at any time if they displease a High Fae.
Avery is a faerie serving under the House of Illusion, serving the Heart of the house (each house has a Head (male heir) and Heart (female heir, to marry into another High House), she carried decades, maybe 100 years of debt rings on her body. Instead of calling the magic (magic or power) it's called a Genius. Faeries have lower geniuses while the Houses high Fae had bigger more powerful magic.

Avery had always been told that her genius is stronger, but the explanation and reveal isn't fully explained, its hinted but not revealed. Her Mistress Kassandra - Heart of Illusion although higher up, is held by a familial abuse cycle and her only use within this world seen as a wife for another house. When she may be more powerful than the King. Again many things were alluded to but never exactly revealed, but after 500+ pages of this- I'm not sure I'm interested enough to keep going into the world.

The writing style was off-putting in its descriptions, editing could have made this plot more concise and cut down the slough of page numbers, it truly did not need all these scenes. And it didn't really pick up until after the 80% mark, I truly didn't know where this book was going up till this point.
I did read the entire book.

[hannah | bookshelvish · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️ Gotta be honest, this was not it, team. First of all - so long for no real reason. Characters gave me whiplash and not in a cute twisty way, more in a “wtf is wrong with these people” way. The magic system was very complex but not very well explained. People who should straight up genuinely hate each other were falling in love and banging occasionally? It was a whole mess. I did not enjoy myself.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc - out 3/10

[Stephanie Eidler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relentless, high-stakes, and razor-sharp, The Debtor’s Game is a brutal ride from start to finish. Every choice carries a cost, every alliance feels dangerous, and the tension never lets up. With morally gray characters, clever twists, and a game where survival is never guaranteed, this story grips you fast and doesn’t loosen its hold. Perfect for readers who love dark competition, psychological tension, and stories where winning may be worse than losing.

[Kat]

I received a free copy from Ballantine via Netgalley in exchange for a free review. Publish date March 3rd, 2026.

Review held until February 17th by request of the publisher.