Debt or death. In a world where faeries are born with their debt tattooed on their bodies, High Fae gamble with lives over games on the lawn, and secrets and favours are traded as currency, things have never been fair. But right now, things are feeling particularly unfair to Avery. Tensions are high among the Houses of Reign, Illusion, Healing and Death, and she has found herself at the centre of the precarious court politics. As a palace faerie and handmaiden to Lady Kassandra of the House of Illusion, Avery is busy preparing for the coming Coronation and announcement of her mistress' betrothal to the new king. Both of their freedoms rely on it: Kassandra, to escape her violent brother, and Avery, to pay off rings of debt tattoos that blacken her shoulders. But after a series of sudden and fatal events, Avery is forced to serve both Lady Kassandra and the new King of the House of Reign. Torn between two masters, her loyalties are tested as she uncovers secrets, both given and stolen, and sees past the façades the ruling Fae have crafted. Though their kingdoms are eternal and their ruling powers strong as a fortress, the cracks are beginning to show. Whether it means subterfuge or sexual promises, blood oaths or blood baths, Avery will use skill at her disposal, every part of her being, to free her growing circle of loved ones. And once she ultimately uncovers the truth of the High Fae and the key to all faerie freedom, she must make the hardest choice. For what is liberation, if not for all. The Debtor's Game is the first book in a lush, gritty and subversive fantasy romance series, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Tasha Suri.
