Deep in the desert, Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise is keeping a secret: she can grow crystalline armor from her own body, a gleaming second skin as beautiful as it is forbidden

Darkly whimsical, this gorgeous epic fantasy combines the political leanings of The Goblin Emperor and the intricate magic system of Warbreaker

Long before Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise was born, her people staged a coup. They tried to murder their queen. They failed.

Twenty years later, Breeze lives in banishment with the rest of her people in the Aureate Desert, all having sworn an oath to never again use the power that led to their downfall. But as she grows older, it becomes impossible for Breeze to conceal her secret: thanks to a symbol her mother inked on her body, Breeze possesses the forsaken, forbidden magic of the Skinmakers. She can grow a layer of crystalline armor from her very flesh, sparkling, beautiful, powerful—and dangerous.

Setting out to find a way to destroy the crystals budding from her body in the hopes of proving she deserves a place among her people, Breeze tangles with taciturn linguists, world-weary historians, and steely-eyed generals with histories as complicated and traumatic as her own. On her journey, she struggles to reconcile the role of power unwillingly forced upon its bearer; a nuance that grows all the more pertinent as—despite Breeze’s best efforts—her people once more become embroiled in the politics and wars of the land they once betrayed.

Epic and intricate, nuanced and gorgeously written, Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a sumptuous dark fantasy perfect for fans of Katherine Addison and Lois McMaster Bujold.

Before Breeze-Felt-at-Moonrise was born, her people staged a coup. They tried to overthrow their queen. They failed.

Twenty years later, Breeze lives in exile with her people, all having sworn an oath to never again use the power that led to their downfall. An oath impossible for Breeze to keep: thanks to a symbol marked upon her body as an infant, Breeze possesses the forsaken magic of her ancestors, crystalline armor growing from her very flesh. Sparkling, beautiful, powerful. And as forbidden as it is dangerous.

Determined to prove she deserves a place among her kin, Breeze makes a bargain with an enigmatic linguist—a man searching for a lost word, who claims to know a way to destroy the crystals budding from her body. 

A quest that, despite Breeze’s best efforts, may see her people drawn back into the politics, conflicts, and greed of the land they once betrayed.

Nuanced and intricate, Breeze Felt at Moonrise is a gorgeous new epic fantasy that combines the political leanings of The Raven Scholar with a fascinating, unique magic system—a darkly whimsical journey, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Samantha Shannon.