A Thief's Gambit
Steal a relic. Save a sister. Destroy a world.
In a fractured realm where magic is siphoned from dying stars, Lyra, a cunning thief with a gift for celestial lock-picking, faces an impossible heist. Her sister Elara is dying-her body ravaged by unstable stardust magic-and only the Starborn Scepter, a relic holding the last breath of a collapsing star, can cure her. But the scepter lies within the Sky Citadel, a fortress guarded by lethal astral traps and the tyrannical Star Sovereign, whose greed for magic is devouring their world.
To infiltrate the Citadel, Lyra partners with Kael, a disgraced royal guard haunted by his role in the Sovereign's exploitative magic trade. Kael's knowledge of the Citadel's secrets is unmatched-but so is his disdain for thieves. As they forge a reluctant alliance, they navigate crumbling star temples, outwit rebel factions, and confront the Sovereign's sadistic enforcers. But the deeper they delve, the clearer the stakes become: using the scepter to save Elara could unleash its apocalyptic power, accelerating the stars' extinction-and their world's collapse.
Haunted by cryptic visions from the dying star itself, Lyra must choose between loyalty to her sister and the fate of millions. Meanwhile, Kael battles his growing feelings for Lyra and a past that threatens to destroy them both. With time running out and the Rebel Astrologers pushing Lyra to weaponize the scepter, the greatest heist of her life becomes a gambit that could cost her soul-or rewrite the stars forever.
Perfect for fans of Six of Crows (high-stakes heists and morally gray alliances) and The Priory of the Orange Tree (epic stakes and lush worldbuilding), A Thief's Gambit weaves a tale of sacrifice, redemption, and the crushing weight of impossible choices.