Radiante / Raybearer

What if you've sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy? Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. When Tarisai comes of age, The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire from Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of Eleven. If she's picked, she'll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won't stand by and become someone's pawn -- but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraoridinary world-building and breathtaking prose written by an incredible new talent, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we're willing to go to for the ones we love. --