Savedra Severos is no stranger to intrigue. Mistress to the King of Selafai and daughter of a rival noble house, she navigates the treacheries of court with every breath.
On the eve of delicate peace talks, the court mage is found murdered. As Savedra investigates, she stumbles further into a web of secrets that enmeshes three kingdoms--entangling spies and sorcerers, lovers and enemies, strangers and kin. Among those secrets are Savedra's own, dangerous enough to destroy her king and her family if they come to light.
Traitors walk the palace halls, but the danger is more than political. Spirits prowl the city. Once a force of justice, now they seek only retribution--and they prey on those with blood on their hands. In a court fueled by schemes and secrets, not even Savedra is safe from their venomous touch.
"...some of the best fantasy politics/intrigue/spies/murder I have ever had the pleasure of reading." ~ Liz Bourke, Sleeps With Monsters
"Amanda Downum spins political intrigue and gorgeous prose with grace and style. Get this book into your eyeballs." ~ Marshall Ryan Maresca, author of the Maradaine Sequence
"Luxurious elegance and gloriously sharp dangers fill Amanda Downum's The Poison Court. As with every Downum book, readers will revel in beautifully rendered characters and elegant court machinations. What sets The Poison Court above the rest of its kind is the depth of feeling and intrigue in a setting where the past returns to betray the present; where entire fortunes can crumble on a simple taste, a slight glance, or a mere regret. Such a deft touch requires great skill and Downum never falters, nor does she ever turn her searing gaze away from the innermost secrets of The Poison Court." ~ Fran Wilde, author of Riverland and the Bone Universe novels