Romadie Agriso has always lived in the shadow of her twin sister, Lemonade. Wanting to break away from her, as well as earn the acceptance of her wealthier peers, Maddie saves a young aristocrat’s life - at a hefty cost. Word of Maddie’s necromancy travels back to an academy that collects students they believe are “chosen ones.”
Maddie, Lemonade, and their friend Zia are purchased by one of the academy’s representatives. He tells them of a dark, horrifying tale; one where a tyrant king brutalized his subjects for twenty-eight years. After a long, harrowing reign, he was defeated by the priestess Sacrona Aemma. To Maddie’s dismay, the academy believes that she is the priestess’ reincarnation - and that a cult is determined to use her blood in a resurrection ceremony.
After arriving at the academy, Maddie learns that her new life isn’t the happy reverie that she was promised. Not only is she a full-time student, but now she must also learn to use a sword and cast magic – while fending off bullies, cultists, and the relentless ghosts of her childhood trauma. Worst of all, she's stepped out of her sister’s shadow only to find herself in the shadow of a much larger figure: that of the revered priestess herself. If Maddie can’t forge her own identity, separate from both Sacrona and her sister, it’ll only be a matter of time until the cultists capture her and resurrect the long-dead tyrant king.
Blood of the Priestess is an adult dark fantasy novel. It's a deconstruction of the YA protagonist and magical school tropes, asking the question: what if the YA protagonist with a tragic past had the priorities and mindset of an actual teenager in that circumstance? The fate of the world would not be in the most secure hands.
I'm Ashe Hallow, a dark fantasy writer from the PNW. I write stories that take place in a Victorian fantasy world called Atorium.
After being sold to a strange old man, a helpless farm girl named Maddie must attend an academy of “chosen ones” and learn how to harness the power of her past life. When a nefarious cult sets their sights on her, Maddie must learn how to forge her own identity before the cultists sacrifice her to their god.