Book excerpt: Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this gorgeously imagined fantasy about a dark forest besieged by monsters—and the wild queen who has sworn to drive them out. A fierce young queen, neither human nor lynx, who fights to protect a forest humans have long abandoned. An exhausted young soldier, last of his name, who searches for the brother who disappeared beneath those trees without a trace. A Golden Dragon, fearsome and vengeful, whose wingbeats haunt their nightmares and their steps. When these three paths cross at the fringes of a war between monsters and men, shapeshifter queen and reluctant hero strike a deal that may finally turn the tide against the rising hordes of darkness. Ren will help Lukasz find his brother...if Lukasz promises to slay the Dragon. But promises are all too easily broken. This Eastern European fantasy debut, inspired by the Polish fairy tale "The Glass Mountain," will take you on a twisting journey full of creeping tension, simmering romance, and haunting folklore—perfect for readers who loved An Enchantment of Ravens and The Hazel Wood.