A trickster Fox god challenges a quick-witted (but underachieving) acolyte to save herself by saving her own ancestors. But are Nesi and her new friends from the past prepared to defeat the ferocious Wolfhounds of Zemin?
Fox-fleet and brazen, merry and mischievous.
C. S. E. Cooney, author of Saint Deaths Daughter
Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to Tsidaan, the Fox of Tricks.
In folk tales, the Fox is a lovable prankster. But despite their humor and charm, Tsidaan, and their audition, is no joke. They throw Nesi back in time three hundred years, when her homeland is occupied by the brutal Wolfhounds of Zemin.
Now, Nesi must learn a tricksters guile to snatch a fortress from the disgraced and exiled 100th Pillar: The Wolf of the Hunt.
Fall 2025 Lead titleIn this much-anticipated novella, a trickster fox god challenges a quick-witted acolyte to save her ancestors, rallying them to a crucial rebellion. Quick-paced and emotionally resonant, this timely story delves into social bonding, bold action, inevitable sacrifice, and well-plotted subterfuge in the face of tyranny Will appeal to a wide range of readers of fantasy, mythology, and/or history within an immersive world of inventive magic and political intrigue National marketing plan to include author participation at New Voices, New Rooms and ALA
