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Verity Guild
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 18:04:17
5 copies available
U.S. only
The Traitors meets A Court of Silver Flames in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers with secrets, deception, and blood magic by the New York Times bestselling author of Five Broken Blades.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 5, 2026
8498 people want to read
About the author
Mai Corland
7 books1,326 followersMai Corland is a Korean American attorney and writer, born in Seoul and adopted into New York. From there, she ran away from winter and studied in Florida at Rollins College and the University of Miami. Due to a variety of questionable decisions, she currently lives in the cold again with her partner, children, and a goldfish who will outlive them all. When not writing, you can find her asleep or clutching her latte machine. Mai writes award winning children’s and young adult books under Meredith Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Want to read
January 21, 2026mai writes and i read (setting reminder for publication date rn)
February 13, 2026
I reviewed an ARC received via the Edelweiss platform.
Wow. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Without a doubt, a 5-star read for me.
I absolutely fell in love with Mai Corland’s storytelling when I read Five Broken Blades (and then immediately rushed to binge the next two in the series), so when I heard she was combining two of my favorite genres, murder mystery and fantasy, I was ecstatic! Verity Guild did not disappoint. Genuinely, if I tried to conceptualize a book tailored to everything I personally love in a story, I don’t think I could come up with something this good.
Our protagonist, High Priestess Kerasea Vestal, finds herself entangled in the mystery surrounding the death of a senator. The case is investigated by Praetorian Torren Morvane, who has a complicated relationship with Kerasea. I loved both of these characters and the way we slowly peel back their layers, revealing their shared history and their true selves, not just the versions the rest of Pryor believes them to be. One of my favorite things about Mai’s writing is how real her characters feel, and how intimately we come to know them by the end.
The story takes place primarily in a former palace, with a fraught political past. It’s such a perfect setting for a locked-door mystery—opulent and lush, yet tinged with something forgotten and eerily secluded. You can feel the emptiness of a massive, impressive space occupied by only a handful of guests. The scale and maze-like layout make for some incredibly tense moments.
I also loved the political intrigue and strategy woven throughout. I was constantly guessing at motives and trying to assess who might have secret alliances. The cast of characters is so well drawn, you suspect one person in one chapter and completely second-guess yourself in the next. It’s a genuinely twisty tale, and I absolutely did not expect for the story to take me where it did.
This book has everything: mystery, magic, murder, and just the right kind of spice. With the recent rise of romantasy, I think some authors fall into the “more is better” trap. Different strokes for different folks, but for me, I want spice when it makes sense. When it deepens relationships and serves the story. When it feels forced or gratuitous, it can pull me right out of the narrative. Mai absolutely nails the balance here.
Now excuse me while I go spread the good word of Mai Corland to anyone who will listen!
Wow. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Without a doubt, a 5-star read for me.
I absolutely fell in love with Mai Corland’s storytelling when I read Five Broken Blades (and then immediately rushed to binge the next two in the series), so when I heard she was combining two of my favorite genres, murder mystery and fantasy, I was ecstatic! Verity Guild did not disappoint. Genuinely, if I tried to conceptualize a book tailored to everything I personally love in a story, I don’t think I could come up with something this good.
Our protagonist, High Priestess Kerasea Vestal, finds herself entangled in the mystery surrounding the death of a senator. The case is investigated by Praetorian Torren Morvane, who has a complicated relationship with Kerasea. I loved both of these characters and the way we slowly peel back their layers, revealing their shared history and their true selves, not just the versions the rest of Pryor believes them to be. One of my favorite things about Mai’s writing is how real her characters feel, and how intimately we come to know them by the end.
The story takes place primarily in a former palace, with a fraught political past. It’s such a perfect setting for a locked-door mystery—opulent and lush, yet tinged with something forgotten and eerily secluded. You can feel the emptiness of a massive, impressive space occupied by only a handful of guests. The scale and maze-like layout make for some incredibly tense moments.
I also loved the political intrigue and strategy woven throughout. I was constantly guessing at motives and trying to assess who might have secret alliances. The cast of characters is so well drawn, you suspect one person in one chapter and completely second-guess yourself in the next. It’s a genuinely twisty tale, and I absolutely did not expect for the story to take me where it did.
This book has everything: mystery, magic, murder, and just the right kind of spice. With the recent rise of romantasy, I think some authors fall into the “more is better” trap. Different strokes for different folks, but for me, I want spice when it makes sense. When it deepens relationships and serves the story. When it feels forced or gratuitous, it can pull me right out of the narrative. Mai absolutely nails the balance here.
Now excuse me while I go spread the good word of Mai Corland to anyone who will listen!
Want to read
December 16, 2025Just impatiently waiting patiently for my next obsession. 🥲
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is basically the fantasy version of a locked room mystery with murder, posturing and maneuvering for political power with steamy sex thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed Corland’s previous series and will, no doubt, enjoy the remainder of this one.
December 19, 2025
The book is good
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews