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    Drown the Bones

    Author Alexandra Kennington
    Ebook (EPUB)
    Penguin Young Readers | Berkley XO
    On sale Nov 03, 2026 | 432 Pages | 9798217240111
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    The spare heir must work with an enemy prince to discover who murdered her twin in this gripping slow-burn romantasy.

    As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.

    When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.

    The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.

    But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.
    “Drown the Bones entwines grief and longing in this high-stakes romantasy where desire reaches across the unyielding barrier of death. Kennington renders Merridan and her charming, ghostly prince with exquisite tension and aching restraint, and fans of enemies-to-lovers and slow burn romance are in for a feast. A haunting, unforgettable romantasy!”—Logan Karlie, New York Times Bestselling Author of Dream by the Shadows

    "Kennington interweaves a high-stakes quest for justice with a heartfelt and poignant story of grief, healing, and finding your place in the world. I loved watching the bond develop between Phoenix and Merridan, complete with plenty of if-only-we-could-touch angst, fun enemies-to-lovers banter, and crackling chemistry. Readers are sure to fall for this determined princess reckoning with her faith, her charming undead counterpart, and their vibrant supporting cast. Drown the Bones is written with so much heart you can feel it beating on the page."—M. Stevenson, author of Behooved

    "Death gains new dimensions in Kennington’s lush romantasy where a holy war’s creeping tide threatens to engulf two nations and goddesses lurk too close to the surface. Compellingly paced and brimming with captivating romantic tension, Drown The Bones ponders justice, mercy, and religious deconstruction with tenderness and depth. This beauty has no Counterpart. I had the time of my life."—Shalini Abeysekara, #1 Sunday Times (UK) bestselling author of This Monster of Mine
    © Haili VanDerEems
    Alexandra Kennington has been writing fantasy stories since she was young. Now, she’s living her dream as an author of fantasy and science fiction novels. When she’s not knee-deep in a world of her own creation, you’ll find her reading a book with the enemies-to-lovers trope or obsessing over Star Wars. She lives in Utah with her spouse and child. View titles by Alexandra Kennington

    About

    The spare heir must work with an enemy prince to discover who murdered her twin in this gripping slow-burn romantasy.

    As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.

    When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.

    The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.

    But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.

    Reviews

    “Drown the Bones entwines grief and longing in this high-stakes romantasy where desire reaches across the unyielding barrier of death. Kennington renders Merridan and her charming, ghostly prince with exquisite tension and aching restraint, and fans of enemies-to-lovers and slow burn romance are in for a feast. A haunting, unforgettable romantasy!”—Logan Karlie, New York Times Bestselling Author of Dream by the Shadows

    "Kennington interweaves a high-stakes quest for justice with a heartfelt and poignant story of grief, healing, and finding your place in the world. I loved watching the bond develop between Phoenix and Merridan, complete with plenty of if-only-we-could-touch angst, fun enemies-to-lovers banter, and crackling chemistry. Readers are sure to fall for this determined princess reckoning with her faith, her charming undead counterpart, and their vibrant supporting cast. Drown the Bones is written with so much heart you can feel it beating on the page."—M. Stevenson, author of Behooved

    "Death gains new dimensions in Kennington’s lush romantasy where a holy war’s creeping tide threatens to engulf two nations and goddesses lurk too close to the surface. Compellingly paced and brimming with captivating romantic tension, Drown The Bones ponders justice, mercy, and religious deconstruction with tenderness and depth. This beauty has no Counterpart. I had the time of my life."—Shalini Abeysekara, #1 Sunday Times (UK) bestselling author of This Monster of Mine

    Author

    © Haili VanDerEems
    Alexandra Kennington has been writing fantasy stories since she was young. Now, she’s living her dream as an author of fantasy and science fiction novels. When she’s not knee-deep in a world of her own creation, you’ll find her reading a book with the enemies-to-lovers trope or obsessing over Star Wars. She lives in Utah with her spouse and child. View titles by Alexandra Kennington

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