The short version
A political contest reunites Locke with Sabetha while earlier chapters trace their shared history in the Gentlemen Bastards.
What it's about
A spoiler-light premise
With Locke dying from poison, a Bondsmage offers treatment in exchange for helping one faction win a city election. The opposing faction has hired Sabetha, Locke's former companion and rival, while a second timeline follows their earlier work together in a theatrical company.
The reading experience
What to expect on the page
- Point of view
- Third person across interleaved present and past storylines
- Story focus
- Political manipulation, rivalry, shared history, and identity
You'll probably like it if
Pending.
Maybe skip it if
Pending.
Story profile
Themes & familiar elements
Themes
- Love and rivalry
- Memory
- Identity
- Manipulation
Tropes
- Rivals reunited
- Election intrigue
- Dual timeline
- Theatrical disguise
Before you start
Content considerations
Spoiler-light subjects that may matter when choosing this book.
- Fantasy violence
- Poisoning and illness
- Death and grief
- Strong language
Ways to read
Formats & editions
Print edition
Del Rey US trade paperback (2025)
- Publisher
- Del Rey
- Length
- 672 pages
- Edition date
- Jul 8, 2025
- ISBN-13
- 9780593984666
Edition details verified Aug 17, 2026. Page count and cover can differ between editions.
Audiobook
Edition details pending
Narrator, runtime, and regional availability have not been verified yet.
At a glance
Fantasy Index scorecard
Continue in order
Gentleman Bastard Sequence
This series is still ongoing.
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