Best Selling Books by Marie Rutkoski

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria''s crown prince is the event of a lifetime, but to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making, so as she aches to tell the truth about her engagement, she becomes a skilled practitioner of deceit and as a spy passes information and gets close to uncovering a shocking secret.

A page-turning, irresistible novel of class, ambition, and love, this is the breathtaking story of a woman risking everything for a second chance at the one who got away • "A brilliant examination of queerness, friendship, motherhood, longing and ambition. It’s funny and moving and sexy. Above all, it’s a stunning love story.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author of The Cliffs Emily has, by all appearances, a perfect life: a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, two healthy children, and a husband who showers her with attention. But the truth is more complicated: Emily’s marriage is in trouble, her relationship with her parents is fraught, and she is still nursing a heartbreak from long ago. When Emily runs into her high school girlfriend at a cocktail party, that heartbreak comes roaring back. But Gen Hall is no longer the lanky, hungry kid with holes in her shoes who Emily loved in her youth. Instead, Gen is now a famous Olympic athlete with sponsorship deals and a string of high-profile ex-girlfriends. Emily and Gen circle one another cautiously, drawn together by a magnetic attraction and scarred by their shared history. Once upon a time, Gen knew everything about Emily. And yet, she still abandoned her. Can Emily trust Gen again? Can they forgive each other for the mistakes they made in their past? Should Emily risk her children, her privacy, and the fragile peace she has found to be with a woman she loved long ago? A sweeping romance, Ordinary Love is the beautiful, wrenching, completely seductive story of two people trying to forge a path toward hope, bound by a love they discovered when they were too young to understand its power.

Intrigue, romance, and magic abound in The Hollow Heart, the heart-stopping conclusion to Marie Rutkoski’s Forgotten Gods duology. At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the god of thieves in order to restore her people’s memories of their city’s history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city’s wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid, has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty. In the Herrani court, rumors begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel, black-haired queen who can push false memories into your mind, so that you believe your dearest friends to be your enemies. Sid doesn’t know that this queen is Nirrim, who seeks her revenge against a world that has wronged her. Can Sid save Nirrim from herself? Does Nirrim even want to be saved? As blood is shed and war begins, Sid and Nirrim find that it might not matter what they want...for the gods have their own plans.

An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that might overthrow her world as well as her heart.

First in the Kronos Chronicles from the bestselling author: "[Readers] who enjoy literary fantasy are likely to savor Marie Rutkoski''s debut novel." — The Wall Street Journal Bank Street Best Children''s Book of the Year Petra Kronos has a simple, happy life. But it''s never been ordinary. She has a pet tin spider named Astrophil who likes to hide in her snarled hair and give her advice. Her best friend can trap lightning inside a glass sphere. Petra also has a father in faraway Prague who is able to move metal with his mind. He has been commissioned by the prince of Bohemia to build the world''s finest astronomical clock. Petra''s life is forever changed when, one day, her father returns home—blind. The prince has stolen his eyes, enchanted them, and now wears them. But why? Petra doesn''t know, but she knows this: she will go to Prague, sneak into Salamander Castle, and steal her father''s eyes back. Joining forces with Neel, whose fingers extend into invisible ghosts that pick locks and pockets, Petra finds that many people in the castle are not what they seem, and that her father''s clock has powers capable of destroying their world. "A heady mix of history and enchantment . . . Infusions of folklore (and Rutkoski''s embellishments of them) don''t slow the fast plot but more deeply entrance readers." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "For those who like their fantasy with a splash of history, or their history with a twist of magic, this book is ideal." — School Library Journal

Petra and friends fight to save her father and stop a villainous prince and his army of monsters in this fantasy trilogy finale by the New York Times –bestselling author. "Bittersweet, yet hopeful, with an understated romance, this is a fitting finale for a distinctive series." — Booklist Petra Kronos''s father has been transformed into one of Prince Rodolfo''s monstrous Gray Men, and Petra is determined to save him. She and her friends Tomik and Neel swiftly formulate a plan. But when a long-held secret is revealed, Neel finds himself bound to his country. Petra, Astrophil, and Tomik must embark on their quest without him. The friends are quickly swept up in an epic battle for power. Worse still, Prince Rudolfo is close to becoming emperor, ruling half of Europe. As she struggles to be free of Prince Rudolfo''s evil plots, Petra learns just how strong the bonds of friendship can be—and just how much she is willing to sacrifice—in this riveting final volume of the Kronos Chronicles. "A slambang finale to a refreshingly different fantasy trilogy. . . . Thrilling, heartrending, and unexpectedly sweet, Petra''s adventures could not have had a more satisfying conclusion." — Kirkus Reviews

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn''t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people--and certainly more than she did for him. At least, that''s what he thinks. In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they''ve done to her. But no one gets what they want just by wishing. As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

This anthology includes short stories from six fierce young adult authors! Inside, you''ll find a futuristic zombie tale from Ann Aguirre, a science fiction thriller from Gennifer Albin, a nautical mermaid story from Elizabeth Fama, a story full of unicorns from Lish McBride, a postapocalyptic story from Caragh O''Brien, and a paranormal alternate future from Marie Rutkowski. This free anthology will give you an exciting taste of the fierceness of these YA authors'' novels. For more information about Fierce Reads, visit our Facebook page.

Sixteen-year-old Darcy Jones knows little about her past except that she was abandoned outside a Chicago firehouse at age five, but when the mysterious Conn arrives at her high school she begins to discover things about her past that she is not sure she likes.

A STYLIST BEST NEW RELEASE OF 2025 ''An exquisitely tender portrayal of enduring love'' OBSERVER ''A sweeping, decades-spanning tale of queer desire'' MARIE CLAIRE ''Profoundly moving'' EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL, bestselling author of STATION ELEVEN ''Almost unbearably beautiful'' EMILIA HART, bestselling author of WEYWARD ''Had me hooked from the first page'' JENNIE GODFREY, bestselling author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS _________________________________________________________________________ There''s no such thing as an ordinary love story When Emily catches sight of Gennifer Hall at a party, she is transported back to the moment they fell in love as teenagers. Their connection was electric, and they thought it was forever. Twenty years later, Gen is an Olympic runner, the career she strived for, while Emily is living a picture-perfect life: Manhattan townhouse, two young children and a wealthy husband, Jack. But Jack''s controlling behaviour is spiralling, and Emily has lost sight of who she once was. Now, despite Emily''s fracturing marriage and the pressures of Gen''s career, they are drawn back together by a magnetic attraction. After years of heartbreak, missed chances and misunderstandings, will they finally get a second chance at first love? A sweeping love story about desire, friendship, mistakes and the possibility of second chances, for fans of The Paper Palace and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow _________________________________________________________________________ ''I''m obsessed with this novel. It demands obsession'' HOLLY BRICKLEY, author of DEEP CUTS ''Funny and moving and sexy'' J. COURTNEY SULLIVAN, bestselling author of THE CLIFFS ''A gorgeously written love story'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ''I loved this moving, tender story about lost love and second chances'' RED ''Immersive and insightful'' LISA OWENS, author of NOT WORKING ''[A] raw, gorgeous debut'' THE i PAPER ''A tender romance'' WOMAN & HOME ''Shining with rare clarity'' SAINSBURY''S MAGAZINE READERS ARE RAVING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''So raw and so real . . . If there''s one book you read this year, it should be this one'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''I absolutely devoured this . . . Clear your afternoon to read this one straight through'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''The characters were so real that I miss them now the book''s over. This novel is one for the ages'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Boy did this pack a punch, have a box of tissues by your side - you will need these'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Sexy and sensual . . . I found myself not wanting to stop reading'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''So emotionally wrecked by this book [that I''m] still thinking about it obsessively months later'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''I fell in love with this story and these characters right from the beginning''

When Prince Rodolfo''s monsters attack her, Petra Kronos is spirited away to London. As she struggles to escape, Neel and Tomik sail the high seas, in search of her. Though separated by many miles, the three friends draw closer together in this sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders, called "astonishingly accomplished" by Publishers Weekly. Readers will not be disappointed in this adventure-filled novel that includes man-made monsters, the unraveling of a murder mystery, and the hunt for the Celestial Globe, which the prince of Bohemia will do anything to own.

Bringing to mind Gillian Flynn and Tana French but completely unique, Marie Rutkoski''s Real Easy is a compulsive, tenacious, and unexpectedly hopeful thriller. "[R]iveting...An adrenaline ride filled with grit and compassion." —People, Book of the Week It’s 1999 and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to mixing work and friendship—after all, between her jealous boyfriend and his young daughter, she has enough on her plate. But the newest dancer is so clueless that Samantha feels compelled to help her learn the hustle and drama of the club: how to sweet-talk the boss, fit in with the other women, and make good money. One night, when the new girl needs a ride home, Samantha agrees to drive: a simple decision that turns deadly. Georgia, another dancer drawn into the ensuing murder and missing person investigation, gathers information for Holly, a grieving detective determined to solve the case. Georgia just wants to help, but her involvement makes her a target. As Holly and Georgia round up their suspects, the story’s point of view shifts between dancers, detectives, children, club patrons—and the killer. Drawing on her experience as a former dancer, Marie Rutkoski immerses us in the captivating world of the club, which comes alive with complicated people trying their best to protect themselves and those they love. Character-driven and masterfully plotted, Real Easy gets to the heart of the timeless question: How do women live their lives knowing that men can hurt them?

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Winner''s Trilogy comes Marie Rutkoski''s Tor.Com Original short story, "The Bridge of Snow." Here readers are introduced to Arin during more innocent times. In his childhood, before the war, there was still time to tell stories. This story is set in the same world of the author''s stunning YA trilogy, which begins with book one, The Winner''s Curse. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download the first five chapters of THE WINNER''S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski! Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... As a general''s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin''s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It''s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner''s Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Few know that the Great Chicago Fire was started deliberately, as a genocide of deadly creatures called Shades. Fewer still know that they didn''t die, not quite...but one human will confront the truth when an ominous beauty makes him gamble for his life. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

''Rich characterization, exquisite worldbuilding and rock-solid storytelling make this a fantasy of unusual intelligence and depth . . . Breathtaking, tragic and true'' Kirkus on The Winner''s CurseSet in the world of the NYT-bestselling Winner''s Trilogy, The Midnight Lie is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us - and the lies we tell ourselves.Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society''s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colours. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest.But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveller from far away, who whispers rumours that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Petra Kronos has a simple, happy life. But it''s never been ordinary. She has a pet tin spider who likes to hide in her hair and give her advice. And her brilliant father has been commissioned by the prince of Bohemia to build the world''s finest astronomical clock. When the prince steals her father’s eyes to wear them as his own, Petra sets off for Prague to steal her father''s eyes back. And that is only the beginning of this series brimming with magic and adventure that Publishers Weekly called a "heady mix of history and enchantment." Includes all three books in the series, The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe, and The Jewel of the Kalderash.