Second Death of Locke (2026)

This is how you do chemistry. The Second Death of Locke is a masterful epic that combines classic fantasy worldbuilding with an addictive love story. Alternately charming and hauntingly dark, this one will stay with you long after the last page, says Heather Fawcett, author of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Love, loyalty and sacrifice lie at the heart of this devastatingly romantic epic fantasy. Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector, and the deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to use. Grey would do anything for Kier, and be anything for him, if he would only ask. When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom draws them into the dangerous heart of their nation’s war, Grey and Kier must decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret. Grey is no ordinary magical well, however, but the heir to the lost island of Locke, the source of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her. This epic story of belonging and romance, centred on the undying bond between a knight and their mage, is recommended for fans of The Knight and the Moth and The Everlasting. Samantha Shannon calls it an epic quest for belonging and a romance for the ages, while Tasha Suri describes it as gritty, romantic, and breathlessly fierce. Megan Whalen Turner praises its exploration of the complicated ties of love and friendship, Olivie Blake highlights its themes of devotion, betrayal, courtly politics and yearning, and Georgia Summers calls it a gloriously haunting story with a searing, bittersweet chivalric romance.