Gentlest of Wild Things

'Joyous, wonderous and healing' - GRACE LI'Delightful' - BEA FITZGERALD'A shimmering thread of love between women' - SAMANTHA SHANNON¿'Dazzlingly imaginative' THE GUARDIAN'Wild and tender' AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO'Exquisitely written and poignantly romantic' - PASCALE LACELLEOn the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire-love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire's thrall. Until Leandros' wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly-something hungry-stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood ...

A stunning fantasy romance, inspired by Greek mythology.¿'A dazzlingly imaginative sapphic reimagining of the Cupid and Psyche story' The GuardianOn the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire-love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire's thrall. Until Leandros' wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly-something hungry-stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood . . .

A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope's twelve hanged maids.'A lavish epic of power, vengeance, love and fate.'YA Book of the Month in The Observer (2/4/2023)'A lovely, lyrical fantasy which takes the fate of the hanged maids of the Odyssey and weaves something brand new. A story overflowing with emotion and full of magic.'Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne and ElektraIn the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there's only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca . . .In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca.A reclamation of a story from thousands of years ago, Lies We Sing to the Sea is about love and fate, grief and sacrifice, and, ultimately, the power we must find within.'Gorgeous, tragic, and timeless, Underwood's LIES WE SING TO THE SEA makes an age-old story feel new again. This is Greek tragedy at its best: sweeping in scope yet deeply intimate in characterization. This book will break your heart.' - Grace Li Sunday Times bestselling author of Portrait of a ThiefThe hardback ofLies we Sing to the Sea reached number 9 in the New York Times bestseller chart week commencing 13/2/2023 and was the bestselling YA book in the Young Adult Fiction chart week ending 18/3/2023.

Die Insel Zakynthos ist ein gefährlicher Ort. Vor allem für junge Frauen, die seit geraumer Zeit unter mysteriösen Umständen immer wieder verschwinden. Hat Leandros etwas damit zu tun? Der machthungrige Nachfahre des Liebesgottes Eros, der auf Zakynthos lebt, Gefühle in Flaschen abfüllt und an den Höchstbietenden verkauft? Den Schwestern Eirene und Phoebe ist es bislang gelungen, sich von Leandros und seinen Machenschaften fernzuhalten. Doch als Leandros' Frau stirbt, richtet sich sein Augenmerk auf Phoebe - als seine neue Braut. Fest entschlossen, ihre Schwester zu beschützen, geht Eirene einen folgenschweren Handel mit Leandros ein: Sollte es Eirene gelingen, vier aufwendige Aufgaben für Leandros zu erfüllen, wird er sich eine andere Braut suchen. Doch schon bald wird klar, dass die Aufgaben Teil von etwas viel Größerem sind; etwas, das mit Lamia zu tun hat, der seltsamen, vernachlässigten Tochter, die Leandros vor den Augen der Welt verborgen hält. Lamia weiß, dass ihr Vater sie zu ihrem eigenen Schutz versteckt, doch als sie und Eirene sich näherkommen, spürt sie eine wachsende Sehnsucht nach der Außenwelt. Aber der Preis der Freiheit ist hoch, und da etwas Tödliches - etwas Hungriges - in der Nacht lauert, muss dieser Preis in Blut bezahlt werden ...

"A tapestry of mysteries, myths, and machinations, all held together by a shimmering thread of love between women." —Samantha Shannon, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange TreeThis stunning Greek mythology–inspired sapphic fantasy blends the story of Eros and Psyche with legends of the enthralling, vampiric empousa—from the New York Times bestselling author of Lies We Sing to the Sea!Desire binds them. Hunger compels them. Love will set them free. . . . On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire—love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendant of the god Eros.Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire’s thrall—until Leandros’s wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: If she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly—something hungry—stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood. . . .Tropes:- Sapphic romance- Myth retelling- Hurt/comfort- Friends to lovers- Not like other girls (cannibal)- Animal companion

A stunning fantasy romance, inspired by Greek mythology.¿'A dazzlingly imaginative sapphic reimagining of the Cupid and Psyche story' The GuardianOn the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire-love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire's thrall. Until Leandros' wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly-something hungry-stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood . . .