Between Sun and Shadow

Kori is sixteen and the heir to the Daylands, a society that survived a cataclysm by depending on chip implants to hold its memories. Her days are tightly scheduled, and her mother worries over her constantly. Her only real friend is Aspect, an industrial robot she has rebuilt for her own purposes. Kori is set on giving Aspect true sentience, and when she goes looking for a memory that might make it possible, her flight ends in a crash landing in enemy territory.

That territory is the Shadowlands, where a meteorite's radiation changed the people into beast-like mutants with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has taken the throne from her bloodthirsty parents, but plenty of her court doubt she can rule. Capturing a foreign princess and demanding a ransom looks like a good way to show strength.

The plan goes sideways. Kori wants connection as badly as Adria does, and what began as a political move turns into a real attraction. With the run of Adria's fortress, Kori finds something that could shake the Daylands to its foundations. Rebellion is spreading, Adria's grip on her crown is slipping, and the two of them have to work together to stop a full-scale war. The question is whether a queen of shadows and a princess of sunlight can bridge the distance between their peoples.

This is a science fantasy retelling of Hades and Persephone, set on a tidally locked planet and also echoing Beauty and the Beast. It is told from both girls' points of view, with plenty of action, a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, surprising twists and a slow-burning sapphic romance.