Blade of Hope - Babin S. E.

Treachery rots the Kingdom of Thornwilde from within. A teenage girl may hold the key to its salvation.

Harlow grew up without magic, banned in the kingdom when she was only a child. Spoken of in hushed whispers by her sister, Nova, she knows it exists and knows having it is a death sentence.

When Nova abandons her and her foster parents die of fever, Harlow finds a strange stone and a brief note directing her to find work in the castle. When she arrives, Harlow is thrust into a world of glittering court politics and ruthless machinations.

After unwittingly catching the eye of the future princess, Desminda, and her lethal but loyal guard, Shade, Harlow is invited to train for the Virago-an elite all-female guard tasked with protecting the royal family. She agrees only as a path to find Nova, her only goal to reunite their family.

But things aren't easy for Harlow. Betrayal and secrets abound, and as she struggles to fit in, a foreign, dangerous power awakes within her. When she meets a strange bard in the market, Harlow's life is thrown into chaos. She finds out everything she knew about her life might be a lie, and everyone she ever loved might have betrayed her.

When she and Shade uncover a plot to overthrow the queen, they must work together to save the princess and smuggle her from her homeland, leaving the kingdom in the hands of a vicious despot, one who wants to restore magic only to control it.

As they struggle to bring the last royal heir to safety, secrets will unravel, leading Harlow to realize who she really is and what exactly is sleeping in her veins.

Found family, romance, magic, and betrayal collide as she fights her way back to her sister, intent on reclaiming her life. But when the truth is finally revealed, Harlow's world will never be the same.