This sequel to Blood Scion called an “explosive, powerful debut” and “a triumph of a book” by New York Times bestselling authors Stephanie Garber and Roseanne A. Brown follows Sloane as she escapes Avalon and seeks to free the Orisha gods themselves to save her people.
WAR WIDOW
by Deborah Falaye
HarperTeen, June 2023
WAR WIDOW brings the same elements that so enthralled readers in Blood Scion—the magic and world building of Kingdom of Souls and Children of Blood & Bone, the high militaristic stakes of An Ember in the Ashes, and the intense personal and familial drama of Daughter of Smoke and Bone but takes them to a completely new level, with the fate of Sloane’s entire world in balance, and the simmering threat of all out war edging into an inferno.
Blood Scion received a plethora of early and on publication praise from bestselling authors and trade reviews, with bestselling authors Stephanie Garber (Caraval), Roseanna A. Brown (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin), J. Elle (Wings of Ebony), and Kat Cho (Wicked Fox) calling it “explosive,” “a triumph of a book,” “an unflinching masterpiece,” and “a thrilling debut.”
Les droits de langue française pour Blood Scion sont toujours disponibles.
Deborah Falaye is a Nigerian Canadian young adult author. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where she spent her time devouring African Literature, pestering her grandma for folktales, and tricking her grandfather into watching Passions every night. When she’s not writing about fierce Black girls with bad-ass magic, she can be found obsessing over all things reality TV. Deborah currently lives in Toronto with her husband and their partner-in-crime yorkie, Major. She is also the author of Blood Scion.
Bitsy is no one’s ideal princess. She’s heard it all: that it’s a shame she’s so plain, so lacking in grace. That the best thing for her to do is hope some prince will grant her a happy ending. Then Bitsy pricks her finger on a spindle and falls into a world where cutthroats and con artists are more common than curtsies. As fate spins her deeper into this unknown place, she discovers that there’s much more to her than meets the eye, too.
Mistake number one: Fun-loving Jake tells his girlfriend Jessica that they have to go to Tegan’s end of summer party in their tiny California beach town. Jessica doesn’t like parties and she doesn’t like Tegan, who has an obvious, obsessive crush on Jake. But Jessica agrees to go, to make Jake happy. 
Twelve years after the events of House of Salt and Sorrows, the Thaumas sisters are scattered across Arcannia. Camille rules over Highmoor as an efficient duchess. Annaleigh, Keeper of the Light, runs Old Maude with husband Cassius. Lenore is long gone, wandering throughout Arcannia. Honor is a governess in Foresia and Mercy lives at court, a companion to the two princesses. Despite dreams of adventures, almost-eighteen year old Verity has remained at Highmoor. She has no memory of the tragic events or her part within them. She spends her days filling hundreds of sketchbooks and canvases with portraits and paintings. Unfortunately, not all her subjects are alive. Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it. When Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance. Verity is also quickly drawn to Alexander Laurent. Though a childhood accident left him without the use of his legs, Alexander roams the estate in a wicker wheelchair, taking Verity on adventurous and romantic outings as they grow closer. When he proposes she joyfully accepts. Even the constant revelry can’t hold back a new series of nightmares from plaguing Verity. She longs to confide in Alex but finds him much changed since the engagement. When she spots him walking through the halls of Chauntilalie one night, she fears that nothing is as it seems.