To Play the Lady (Sevalian Chronicles Book 1)

Most girls in the Kingdom of Sevalia would be thrilled to receive an invitation to become one of the Queen’s Ladies, but for tomboy Jenna Mallory, it was her worst nightmare. While the other Ladies would only worry about making a proper match, especially with three young princes up for grabs, for Jenna the stakes would be much higher. Not only would she need to suppress her natural ‘boyish’ tendencies in order to meet her family’s expectations and impress the nobility, but as the first girl invited to court without noble blood, any failure could jeopardize the future rights of other commoners in the Kingdom. Jenna knew it would not be easy. She would need to overcome not only her lack of social status, but her mixed heritage. Jenna received the invitation because her father was a wealthy merchant, but since her mother was from the desert across the sea, Jenna had inherited both her mother’s darker coloring and two magical abilities—abilities that would seem odd to Sevalian nobles that all have magic of their own.

Any hopes to lead a quiet life at court are quickly dashed after Jenna gets sucked into the world of court intrigue and becomes the subject of palace scandal when her magic is discovered. Worse, Sevalia’s old enemy to the east, though now seemingly peaceful, lays claim to a powerful mage whom Jenna discovers hiding in the eastern mountains—a mage that takes a keen interest in Jenna’s magic. While she had expected being a Lady would be challenging, Jenna learns she will need all her wits and all her magic… just to survive.