Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance. In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten. But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre. Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move. But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep. Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over. First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room. Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre. But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen. But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her. Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…

Une lourde responsabilité pèse sur les épaules d’Evie. La reine Everleigh Blair de Bellona a survécu au massacre de la famille royale avant de devenir une guerrière redoutable entraînée par une troupe de gladiateurs d’élite, déchaînant sa capacité à détruire la magie. Après avoir échappé à une nouvelle tentative d’assassinat orchestrée par le perfide roi de Morta, Evie en a plus qu’assez. Il est temps pour elle de renverser la situation et d’engager les hostilités. Les Jeux de la Regalia sont l’occasion parfaite de frapper. Les guerriers, nobles et souverains des quatre coins du continent y seront réunis pour s’affronter au cours de divers événements sportifs. Grâce à l’aide de ses fidèles amis, Evie passe à l’attaque, mais les choses ne se déroulent pas vraiment comme elle l’avait imaginé. Très vite, elle doit faire face à une nouvelle menace terrifiante, et il lui faudra puiser au fond d’elle-même pour en apprendre davantage sur sa magie grandissante si elle souhaite avoir une chance de vaincre ses ennemis. Car, afin de rester sur le trône et d’assurer la survie de son royaume, Evie devra penser comme une vraie Bellonienne et se montrer plus rusée que ses adversaires pour espérer écraser le roi.