The Hemlock Queen

In this second entry of the Nightshade Crown series, Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler with the power to raise the dead—is elevated to the right hand of Prince Bastian after the death of the corrupt King August. As Bastian prepares to take the throne, the pair aim to reform a troubled royal court, but face dissent among the nobles, the threat of an invading empire, and the strain on old alliances. Bastian himself seems to be changing, growing colder and more reckless, while a haunting voice begins to reveal hidden truths about Lore's power and a dark force stirring beneath the court.