From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built--and toppled--empires. November is as good as dead. She just doesn't know it yet.
At the Academy Absconditi, there's no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? Silver-spoon descendants of the world's most elite strategists--all training to become asassins, spies, and master imporsonators.
One is a virtuoso of accents--and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November's weaknesses. And then there's the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda. November doesn't know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school's complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she'll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned or her...or she becomes the killer's next victim.
On sale: February 25, 2020
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 416 Pages
ISBN: 9780525579113
Reading level: Lexile: 800L
In addition to her novels
How to Hang a Witch and
Haunting the Deep, Adriana Mather is also a full-time producer and actor. She owns a production company called Zombot Pictures, which has produced the award-winning
Honeyglue, among other films. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Follow her at @AdrianaMather or @adrianamatherauthor.
"Full of
danger and intrigue, this series opener establishes a
fascinating premise with an international cast of tenuous allies and ambiguous adversaries that will keep our heroine, and her readers, on a knife’s edge." --
The Bulletin
"Anything is possible in this world of cloaks and daggers. A strong beginning that
will leave readers hungry for more." --
Kirkus Reviews