Passion Play

Ilse Zhalina is the daughter of one of Melnek’s more prominent merchants. She has lived most of her life surrounded by the trappings of wealth and privilege. Many would consider hers a happy lot. But there are dark secrets, especially in the best of families. Ilse has learned that for a young woman of her beauty and social station, to be passive and silent is the way to survive.

When Ilse finally meets the older man she is to marry, she realizes that he is far crueler and more deadly than her father could ever be. Ilse chooses to run. This choice will change her life forever.

And it will lead her to Raul Kosenmark, master of one of the land’s most notorious pleasure houses... and who is, as Ilse discovers, a puppetmaster of a different sort altogether. Ilse discovers a world where every pleasure has a price and there are levels of magic and intrigue she once thought unimaginable. She also finds the other half of her heart.

Lush fantasy. Wild magic. Intrigue, seduction, and treachery, with a kingdom at stake. Passion Play is the journey of a woman who must master her passions in order to win all that she desires. Passion Play is sure to appeal to fans of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series.

“Passion Play, indeed. Passionate, articulate, clever, this book sings right along. Byzantine politics seldom combine so well with great characters. A marvelous debut novel.” — Patricia Briggs

“Passion Play is, in my estimation, a brilliant debut novel — the author details her environment and terrain with a sure hand and an excellent vocabulary. All is linked to the two protagonists who give us a poignant love story. Please write a sequel, Beth Bernobich!” — Anne McCaffrey