Kalyna The Soothsayer

In the book "The Wolf and the Woodsman," a plucky, sardonic con artist must "prophesize" her way out of peril, discovering that the keys to power and politics are nothing more than the stories we can sell as truth. Kalyna's family has the Gift to see the future, but Kalyna is pressed into service by the spymaster to Rotfelsen to uncover threats against the king. She uncovers a larger threat to the Tetrarchia, but she cannot tell if her manipulations are helping prevent its destruction or if her lies will bring about its prophesized downfall.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 26 March 2024
Publisher: Erewhon Books

In a realm of political intrigue, a deceitful character takes center stage, where the sharp wit of K. S. Villosos The Wolf of Oren-Yaro collides with a rich Eastern European-inspired world reminiscent of Ava Reids The Wolf and the Woodsman. A spirited and sardonic con artist finds herself trapped in a dangerous predicament, forced to navigate her way out using her prophetic abilities.

Born into a family with a unique Gift—the ability to glimpse the future—Kalyna's family has traversed the four kingdoms of the Tetrarchia, offering their services as soothsayers for generations. However, Kalyna, unlike her siblings, lacks this Gift. To make ends meet, she has resorted to using informants and deceitful tactics to falsify prophecies, scraping together a meager existence for her father and abusive grandmother.

Kalyna's reputation as a skilled prophet precedes her, but her poverty turns into a perilous reality when she is coerced into serving the spymaster of Rotfelsen. Tasked with using her "Gift" to uncover threats against Rotfelsen's king, her family is held hostage as a guarantee of her obedient behavior. However, the realm of politics is intricate, and Kalyna's skills in investigation and deception are put to the ultimate test. As she delves deeper into the conspiracy, she uncovers a far more significant danger that threatens not only Rotfelsen but the entire Tetrarchia.

Driven by a fierce determination to protect her family and the newfound friends she has made, Kalyna embarks on a mission to unravel the truth. However, as she becomes increasingly entangled in palace intrigue, she struggles to discern whether her manipulations are truly aimed at preventing the Tetrarchia's destruction or if her lies will ultimately bring about its prophesized downfall. The stakes have never been higher, and Kalyna must navigate through a web of lies and treachery with unwavering courage and resilience to safeguard the future of those she cares about.

Weight: 466g
Dimension: 140 x 216 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781645660729