Author: Hana Lee

Hana Lee's gritty, queer Mad Max-inspired fantasy duology continues with more high-stakes political intrigue, monsters of all kinds, and a high-speed motorcycle adventure to find a refuge for humanity beyond the wasteland.

Jin-Lu should be happy. Princess Yi-Nereen of Kerina Rut and Prince Kadrin of Kerina Sol have reunited after twelve long years, having survived a near-apocalypse. They are safe and in love--thanks to Jin--and they want her to join them for their upcoming nuptials in Kerina Sol.

But their happy ending came at the cost of Jin's.

Jin lost everything in the fallout of saving the world. Now she's Talentless, scrabbling to eke out a living in the lowest echelons of society. All she wants is to be left alone with her shameful secret, but the storms that sweep the wastes have other plans.

When refugees from a fallen city flood into Kerina Sol, the delicate balance between Talented and Talentless shatters. With tensions rising and civil war looming, Yi-Nereen, Kadrin, and Jin must join forces again to save their own people and the refugees.

Now their salvation lies beyond the wastes, in the mythical home of the gods: the First City.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 06/10/2025
Pages: 464
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.04oz
Size: 8.25h x 5.31w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781668035702

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/14/2025

About the Author
Hana Lee is a biracial Korean American writer who also builds software for a living. She has an undying love for fantastical stories in all their forms, especially video games, and a habit of writing to moody indie rock playlists. Her short writing has appeared in Fantasy Magazine and Uncanny Magazine. She lives in California with her partner and two beloved cats.