A Crown of Ivy and Glass

In her debut adult novel, YA author Legrand (Extasia) offers a fantasy world brimming with passion, magic, and secrets. Lady Gemma Ashbourne is the beautiful youngest daughter of a wealthy family that’s been Anointed by the gods. Unlike the rest of her family, Gemma has no magic; in fact, her body reacts to magic like poison. Narrator Evelyn Rose sensitively describes Gemma, who is often overwhelmed by sadness and loneliness, resulting in panic and self-harm. Meanwhile, Talan d’Astier, a dashingly handsome man with secrets of his own, seeks to regain his family’s honor after a demon ruined them. When Gemma meets Talan, they join forces to find the Man with the Three-Eyed Crown, who has pitted Gemma’s family against another Anointed family for centuries. Rose ably brings out Gemma and Talan’s evident chemistry as they become a lifeline for each other, despite the secrets that threaten to tear them apart.