The Third Daughter

A prophecy poisoned. A queendom at stake. A magic vial of tears holds their fates.

A sweeping fantasy about betrayal, sisterhood, and deadly quests for power, with a stunning, slow-burn sapphic romance.

For centuries, the citizens of Velle have waited for their New Maiden to return. The prophecy states she will appear as the third daughter of a third daughter. When the fabled child is finally born to Velle's reigning queen all rejoice except for Elodie, the queen's eldest child, who has lost her claim to the crown.

The only way for Elodie to protect Velle is to retake the throne. To do so, she must debilitate the Third Daughter - her youngest sister, Brianne.

Desperate, Elodie purchases a sleeping potion from Sabine, who sells sadness. But the apothecary mistakenly sends the princess away with a vial of tears instead of a harmless sleeping brew. Sabine's sadness is dangerously powerful, and Brianne slips into a slumber from which she will not wake.

With the fates of their families and country hanging in the balance, Sabine and Elodie hurry to revive the Third Daughter while a slow-burning attraction between the two girls erupts in full force.

PRAISE FOR ADRIENNE TOOLEY

'Majestically dark' Morgan Rhodes

'Would recommend this book so hard' NetGalley Reviewer,

'Emotionally gripping and devastating' Leslie Vedder

'I don't think I'll ever come out of an Adrienne Tooley book feeling anything other than awed and emotionally vulnerable' NetGalley Reviewer,

'Subtly vicious and achingly tender' Allison Saft

“ PRAISE FOR ADRIENNE TOOLEY Thoughtful, ambitious, and unexpected - Kirkus ReviewsHigh stakes and a wonderfully developed romance - School Library Journal”

PRAISE FOR ADRIENNE TOOLEY
The Third Daughter is subtly vicious and achingly tender, with a charming cast and delightful twists to boot. In the queendom of Velle, divinity and royalty clash, romance and intrigue simmer, and betrayals abound-but at the novel's gentle heart is a story about the healing magic of being known. This is Adrienne Tooley at her most powerful Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
Spectacularly emotional and majestically dark, The Third Daughter is a glittering jewel of a novel certain to win over even the most hard-hearted readers Morgan Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series
Political intrigue and emotional intimacy balance on a knife's edge, teetering constantly, precariously between the two in this story of sisterhood, love, and duty. Elodie's journey held me captive in this stunning series starter and I cannot wait to see where she takes me next Courtney Gould, author of The Dead and the Dark
Emotionally gripping and devastating-I held my breath the whole way. Adrienne Tooley deftly weaves prophecy, mystery and intrigue into a deeply intimate story. I ached with Elodie and Sabine, and I utterly fell in love with this exquisite sapphic fantasy. I'm already yearning for the sequel! Leslie Vedder, author of The Bone Spindle
Thoughtful, ambitious, and unexpected Kirkus Reviews
High stakes and a wonderfully developed romance School Library Journal
This sprawling fantasy features romance and charismatic, take-charge heroines Publishers Weekly
Great for book clubs ... I am looking forward to seeing how these characters develop in the next book, especially after the dramatic plot twist and great cliffhanger ending ReadingZone

Adrienne Tooley grew up in Southern California, majored in musical theater in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife, eight guitars, a puppy, and a banjo. In addition to writing novels, she is a singer/songwriter who has currently released three indie-folk EPs.

The Third Daughter is a sapphic, dual POV fantasy that blends the complex family politics of Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns and the sweeping lore of Marie Rutkoski's The Midnight Lie in an examination of power, the roles we are born into, and the impact of our emotions. For centuries, the country of Velle has waited for their highest deity, the New Maiden, to return. The prophecy tells not when, but how she will appear: as the third daughter of a third daughter.When the fabled child is finally born to Velle's reigning queen, the only citizen who does not rejoice is Elodie: the queen's eldest daughter who has lost her claim to the crown. When her mother unexpectedly passes and her young sister takes the throne, Elodie's future in Velle is threatened by a vindictive chaplain and a church wielding ultimate power. The only way to preserve her mother's legacy is to retake the throne. To do so, she must eliminate the Third Daughter - her own sister. Desperate, Elodie slips away to the Midnight Market to purchase poison from an apothecary. Instead, she finds Sabine.Sabine sells sadness. Just a single tear added to one of her mother's potions enhances the brew tenfold. But Sabine mistakenly sends Elodie away not with the poison she requests, but with a vial of her tears. Sabine's sadness does not kill the young queen. Instead, the maiden slips into a slumber from which she will not wake. As the church hunts down the person responsible for the Third Daughter's condition, Sabine and Elodie must work together to find a way to wake her before Elodie's siblings learn the truth and Sabine loses her magic - and herself - to the darkness that threatens to consume her.

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