A Kingdom for a Stage

Caught in a war between the rebels and the invading colonizers, Jetta must make an impossible choice—save her people or protect her sanity. The second book in Heidi Heilig’s acclaimed Shadow Players trilogy blends traditional storytelling with ephemera for a lush, page-turning saga of escape and rebellion. This thrilling fantasy will captivate fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
Jetta is a prisoner. A prisoner of the armée, a prisoner of fate, and a prisoner of her own madness. Held captive in Hell’s Court—now the workshop of Theodora, the armee engineer and future queen—Jetta knows she needs to escape. But Theodora has the most tempting bait—a daily dose of a medication that treats Jetta’s madness.

The cost is high. In exchange, Jetta must use her power over dead spirits to trap their souls in flying machines armed with enough firepower to destroy Chakrana. Jetta fears using her powers will make her more like Le Trépas—the terrifying, tyrannical necromancer who once held all Chakrana under his thumb, and who is Jetta’s biological father—especially now that she has brought her brother back from the dead.

But the rebels—including Leo, the handsome smuggler who abandoned her—are eager to use Jetta’s magic, too, against the invading colonists. And Le Trépas himself is still at large. Soon, Jetta will have to decide if saving her country is worth sacrificing her soul.

Acclaimed author Heidi Heilig creates a rich world inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and French colonialism. Her characters are complex and nuanced, including a bipolar heroine and biracial love interest. Told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view, as well as chapters written as play scripts, and ephemera such as songs, maps, and letters, A Kingdom for a Stage is a vivid, fast-paced journey that weaves magic, simmering romance, and the deep bonds of family with the high stakes of epic adventure. It will thrill fans of Stephanie Garber and Renée Ahdieh.