Royal Bastards

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children. At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax's floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father's side, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits at the Bastards' Table. But when Tilla and Jax is lead the visiting Princess Lyriana on a late-night escapade with their fellow bastards, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness--a brutal coup. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries. The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart-if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . .

“"We cannot wait for this high-stakes, edge of your seat fantasy." -- Bustle”

"Jon Snow won't be the only 'bastard' whose name readers will remember."
--Entertainment Weekly
"Shvarts combines mystery, romance, and fantasy with dynamic and diverse characters of different ethnicities to create a book that is difficult to put down. This story has something for everyone; readers will be clamoring for the sequel."
--VOYA
"Shvarts creates a diverse world with distinct geography and subcultures for this series opener. Adventure-loving fantasy readers will eat it up."--Kirkus Reviews
"Shvarts' action-packed debut champions diversity, counsels perseverance, and highlights the human cost of war. The pace is zippy, Shvarts' mythology is rich, and...the conclusion packs thrills and a serious emotional wallop."
--Publishers Weekly

Andrew Shvarts is an author of novels and video games. He has a BA in English Literature and Russian from Vassar College. He works for Pixelberry Studios as a designer, making mobile games like Choices, High School Story, and more. Andrew lives in San Jose, California, with his wife, son, and two kittens. Find him on Twitter @Shvartacus.

"Jon Snow won't be the only 'bastard' whose name readers will remember." --Entertainment Weekly Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children. At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half-brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax's floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father's side, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who's been in love with Tilla since they were children. Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards' Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness. The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart -- if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey . . .

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