Blessed by a rare gift from the fairies themselves, Princess Salara spends more time inspiring painters and poets with her beauty than learning to rule. As heir to the throne of Salaria, her namesake kingdom, Salara knows there must be more to affairs of state than sitting like a pretty bird in a gilded cage.

But when fate gives her a chance to escape her shallow existence, she discovers that her beloved kingdom is not only in need of a proper queen… It is in peril. Torn between pirates raiding the Salarian Seas, a mysterious thief targeting the royal family and the sinister salt curse threatening to plunge her kingdom into famine, Salara struggles to save the day. On the run from her own soldiers and unaccustomed to life outside the castle, the Princess of Salaria has no choice but to form an alliance with The Shadow, a thief who has sworn to see her family in ruin.

Can Salara use her fairy blessing to set things right? Or will it take much more than beauty to save her people?

Rook and Shadow is a young adult fantasy novel with humor, romance and a strong female lead. If you like magic, adventure and surprise twists, you will love A. G. Marshall’s debut novel.