I Killed the King Andrea Hannah 9780008782139

One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out - with beasts, murder, and magic - in this first book in a thrilling locked-room whodunnit YA fantasy duology by Andrea Hannah and New York Times bestseller Rebecca Mix.

After a decade of war, the kingdoms of Avendell and Istellia have finally agreed to peace. As nobles and magic wielders from both countries arrive at remote Castle Avendell for a historic all-night masquerade to celebrate, King Costis summons an unlikely group to his chambers: the crown prince, his Istellian bride-to-be, his personal guard, a wild beast tamer, and the palace's questionable new healer. But before Costis can reveal why he has gathered them, the castle goes dark.

When the lights come back, the king is dead - murdered with the princess's knife, in a weak spot only his guard knew of, and with venom from one of the beast tamer's monsters lacing the blade.

With no clear killer - and everyone a suspect - they make a risky pact: tell no one until the treaty is signed. But when a winter storm seals everyone inside and someone aware of the king's untimely death begins to pick off guests one by one, the six suspects must work together to discover who killed the king ... before one of them is next.

'A thrilling locked room murder mystery with twists as vicious as they are clever, I Killed the King will be your next obsession.' Erin A. Craig, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

'I Killed the King breathes new life into the classic whodunit story, coupling clever schemes and a riveting cast with bold, fantastical flair. Together, Hannah and Mix craft a story that manages to be as compelling as it is intriguing. Readers will delight in King's endless twists and turns, swept up into an impulsive thrill-ride that ends with the satisfaction of a puzzle piece clicking into place.' Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author

'An intricate puzzle box of a novel whose vibrant characters and intensifying locked-castle mystery kept me tearing through the pages far past my bedtime, desperate for the next reveal.' Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns

'I Killed the King is a thrilling, snowed-in mystery where no one is innocent. Every character has a dark secret and a rival just across the room who could reveal it. Packed with forbidden romance, delicious tension, and brilliant twists, this book is completely addictive.' Sydney J. Shields, USA Today Bestselling Author

'I Killed the King is filled with edge-of-your-seat thrills, political intrigue, angsty romance, and a lovable ensemble. I have not emotionally recovered." - Kaylie Smith, USA Today bestselling author of Phantasma

"Hannah and Mix serve up a sharp, slick, and genre-bending magical murder mystery of epic proportions and twists. While vengeful gods and glittering beasts dazzle, what steals the show is the depth and vividness with which each character is crafted in the ensemble cast of this pacey, darkly humorous read. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough." - Amelie Wen Zhao, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Scorpion and the Night Blossom