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"I love this book so very much."-Robin LaFevers, New York Times bestselling author of the His Fair Assassin trilogy

Romantic high fantasy from the bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka and Exit, Pursued by a Bear.

It´s been a year since the mysterious godsgem cured Cadrium´s king and ushered in what promised to be a new golden age. The heroes who brought home the gem are renowned in story and song, but for two fellows on the quest, peace and prosperity don´t come easily.

Apprentice Knight Kalanthe Ironheart wasn´t meant for heroism so early in life, and while she has no intention of giving up the notoriety she´s earned, reputation doesn´t pay her bills. Kalanthe may be forced to betray not her kingdom or her friends, but her own heart as she seeks a stable future for herself and those she loves.

Olsa Rhetsdaughter was never meant for heroism at all. Beggar and thief, she lived hand to mouth on the streets until fortune--or fate--pulled her into Kalanthe´s orbit. And now she´s reluctant to leave it. Even more alarmingly, her fame has made her profession difficult, and a choice between poverty and the noose isn´t much of a choice at all.

Both girls think their paths are laid out, but the godsgem isn´t quite done with them and that new golden age isn´t a sure thing yet.

In a tale both sweepingly epic and intensely personal, Kalanthe and Olsa fight to maintain their newfound independence and to find their way back to each other.

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"I love this book so very much. It´s an epic quest, with female knights and female camaraderie and companionship. I so love how Kate took all the epic´s tropes, then not so much subverted them as she did reinvent them in her own female centric image." -Robin LaFevers, New York Times bestselling author of the His Fair Assassin trilogy

"The Afterward features a band of lady knights, a lovely F/F romance, and a unique look at what happens after the heroes save the world. High fantasy lovers, you´ll love this."-Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

"Absolutely delightful. The Afterward is a queer fantasy that evokes series like The Belgariad and The Mallorean but puts a modern twist on them. I adored everything about this book."-Shaun David Hutchinson, author of We Are the Ants

★"Both the world-building and the LGBTQ romance are well done and appealing.... Delightful."-SLJ, starred

"A compelling fantasy world in which meticulously crafted female characters slip easily between chain mail and dresses."-Kirkus Review

"If there´s a Bechdel test for male representation, this book does not pass it."-Rach H., Goodreads.com

"By the time I turned to the last page, I was basking in that warm, tingly glow of having spent worthwhile time with some great new friends."-Forever Young Adult

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E. K. Johnston is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several YA novels, including the L.A. Times Book Prize finalist The Story of Owen and Star Wars: Ahsoka. Her novel A Thousand Nights was shortlisted for the Governor General´s Award. The New York Times called The Story of Owen "a clever first step in the career of a novelist who, like her troubadour heroine, has many more songs to sing" and in its review of Exit, Pursued by a Bear, The Globe & Mail called Johnston "the Meryl Streep of YA," with "limitless range." E. K. Johnston lives in Stratford, Ontario. Follow her on Twitter at @ek_johnston

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