A Swindler's Song

A rollicking romantasy debut in which a mischievous barmaid, her crew of misfits, and a broody bounty hunter set out to rob a vicious warlord. In Nettle Ridge, the kind of town where dreams go to die in a puddle of cheap ale, Lennie is just another barmaid with a voice that melts men’s hearts and empties their pockets—until a tavern brawl drops a heist plan right into her lap. The target is a vault belonging to one of the three warlords ruling the country of Renier, rumored to hold mythical healing crystals that could save her grandmother’s life. The plan? Stolen, half-baked, and in desperate need of revision. But Lennie has spent years eavesdropping on Renier’s seedy underbelly from the shadows of the bar, and decides a heist couldn’t be that hard . . . with the right friends. Riding the high of her crimes, Lennie releases steam in the form of an impulsive one-night stand with Kesper, a mysterious bounty hunter employed by another warlord, in town to hunt down a gang of thieves. After Kesper discovers his fair barmaid is none other than his target, instead of turning her in, he joins the crew—keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Between staged weddings, repressed emotions, and very real dungeons, Lennie, Kesper, and their merry band of swindlers realize they’re in for more than they bargained for, as the vault may hold something even more precious than life-saving crystals. Full of wit, heart, and quite a few criminal shenanigans, this energetic debut is perfect for fans of A Fate Inked in Blood and the novels of T. Kingfisher.