★Guanzon, Thea. The Hurricane Wars. Harper Voyager. (The Hurricane Wars, Bk. 1). Oct. 2023. 480p. ISBN 9780063277274. $30. FANTASY

DEBUT Talasyn has spent most of her life fighting the Night Empire in the Hurricane Wars and hiding her light magic that the emperor wants to eradicate. While on the battlefield, she fights Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only child, and he finds that he cannot kill her with his shadow magic. On a secret mission that she hopes will save her nation, Talasyn finds Alaric there too, and something unexpected happens—their magic merges into one. Talasyn and her compatriots must flee after the Night Empire’s latest attacks, which sets events in motion that will change everything. Talasyn and Alaric soon discover that the Hurricane Wars are not the only threat they face, and they have to learn to put their differences aside to save both their nations. They still have competing goals, but they each feel an undeniable pull towards the other that they cannot ignore. VERDICT Guanzon brings a fresh voice and vivid world into the fantasy landscape, and this story will be incredibly popular. Readers will look forward to the next book in this new trilogy.