The Reluctant Queen: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Battle of Power, Nature, and a Mother's Struggle to Save Her Realm. Prepare to be Spellbound (Queens of Renthia, 2)

Filled with political intrigue, violent magic, and malevolent spirits, the mesmerizing second book in Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia epic fantasy trilogy.
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . . 
And those spirits want to kill you.
It’s the first lesson that every Renthian learns.
Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people. 
Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that’s all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin’s ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife’s ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves. 
But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he’s certain he’s done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen’s power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything. 
Sarah Beth Durst established a place of dark wonder in The Queen of Blood, and now the stakes are even higher as the threat to the Queen and her people grows both from within and beyond the borders of Aratay in this riveting second novel of the Queens of Renthia series.

The Reluctant Queen: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Battle of Power, Nature, and a Mother's Struggle to Save Her Realm. Prepare to be Spellbound (Queens of Renthia Book 2)

Literature & Fiction

Durst, Sarah Beth

United States

Harper/Voyager

The Queen of Blood: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Tale of Magic, Spells, and a Young Woman's Fight to Defend Her World from Nature's Wrath. ... Enchanted World! (Queens of Renthia Book 1)

The battle between vicious spirits and strong-willed queens that started in the award-winning The Queen of Blood and continued in the stunning The Reluctant Queen comes to a gripping conclusion in the final volume of Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia trilogy . . .
Queen Daleina has yearned to bring peace and prosperity to her beloved forest home—a hope that seemed doomed when neighboring forces invaded Aratay. Now, with the powerful Queen Naelin ruling by her side, Daleina believes that her dream of ushering in a new era can be realized, even in a land plagued by malevolent nature spirits who thirst for the end of human life.
But then Naelin’s children are kidnapped by spirits.
Naelin would rather watch the world burn than see her children harmed—and she is ready to start a war with the north to secure their return.
But defeated Queen Merecot of Semo has grander plans than a bloody battle with her southern neighbors. Taking the children is merely one step in a plot to change the future of all Renthia, either by ending the threat of spirits once and for all . . . or by plunging the world into chaos.

The Queen of Sorrow: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Final Clash of Queens, Nature Spirits, and Unyielding Resolve in the Epic Conclusion to the Queens of Renthia Trilogy

Winner of a 2017 ALA Alex Award!A Tor.com Best of 2016 pick!Set in the magical world of Renthia, The Queen of Blood is Sarah Beth Durst’s ambitious entry into adult epic fantasy. With the danger of Peter Brett’s The Warded Man, heart of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, and lyricism of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, this is the first chapter in a series destined to be a classic.Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms. With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . .  before it’s bathed in blood.

The Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia

Genre Fiction

The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst’s beloved world of Renthia. Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aid the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.

The Deepest Blue: Tales of Renthia

Product Description 
"Durst consistently defies expectations."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) 
From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, a standalone epic fantasy set in a brand-new world of towering mountains and sparkling cities, in which a band of aging warriors have a second chance to defeat dark magic and avenge a haunting loss. 
Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. 
Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less. 
She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives. 
But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all. 
Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should be dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.” 
 Review 
"The Bone Maker is an early contender for my favorite fantasy novel of the year. In a shelf-filled with multi-volume fantasies it is not only refreshing to see and enjoy a single-volume Epic Fantasy novel, but truly something special for the book to be this amazing. I can probably count on one hand other single volume Epics that have enthralled me as much and that have been as high quality as this novel. Highly, highly recommended." -- SFFWorld\n"Exquisite worldbuilding and inventive, macabre magic system... Durst’s fans will be delighted." -- 
Publishers Weekly\n"Durst displays a mastery of emotional resonance throughout the book, bringing each character’s scars to the surface even in moments of levity...There’s power in these bones." -- 
BookPage\n"This was a fast paced and action packed standalone fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed...I loved all of the characters as they had big personalities and had their own distinct voices...Overall, I’m pretty chuffed with this standalone." -- Adeel Reads\n"Sarah Beth Durst is an amazing author. She is, hands-down, my favorite current author—and 
The Bone Maker shows me why once again...you’ll find yourself whisked away to a world worth visiting, filled with heroes worth admiring in all their imperfect glory." -- Geek Girl Riot 
 About the Author 
Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of over twenty fantasy books for adults, teens, and kids, including The Queens of Renthia series, Drink Slay Love, and The Stone Girl’s Story. She won an ALA Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. For more information, visit her at sarahbethdurst.com.

The Bone Maker: A Novel

The natural magic of the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins meets the danger and courage of The Hunger Games in this dazzling, intricate stand-alone fantasy novel set in award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst’s beloved world of Renthia.\nLife is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force. 
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her. 
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aid the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.

DEEPEST BLUE (Tales of Renthia)

Literary

The Lake House

Yellowjackets&nbsp;meets&nbsp;One of Us Is Lying&nbsp;in this masterful survival thriller from&nbsp;award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst. Claire's grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It's just how she's wired--her worst-case scenarios never actually come true. Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge--and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana. When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows. Something that refuses to let them leave.

Teen & Young Adult

Harpercollins

Spy Ring: An Exciting Midde-Grade Adventure in which Two Best Friends Decode Clues Left by a Real-life Female Spy from the American Revolution

Children's Books

Clarion Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Durst, Sarah Beth. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Durst, Sarah Beth

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Durst, Sarah Beth. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Reluctant Queen: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Battle of Power, Nature, and a Mother's Struggle to Save Her Realm. Prepare to be Spellbound (Queens of Renthia Book 2)

The Queen of Blood: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Tale of Magic, Spells, and a Young Woman's Fight to Defend Her World from Nature's Wrath. ... Enchanted World! (Queens of Renthia Book 1)

The Queen of Sorrow: From the Author of The Spellshop Comes a Final Clash of Queens, Nature Spirits, and Unyielding Resolve in the Epic Conclusion to the Queens of Renthia Trilogy

The Queen of Blood: Book One of The Queens of Renthia

The Deepest Blue: Tales of Renthia

The Bone Maker: A Novel

DEEPEST BLUE (Tales of Renthia)

The Lake House

The Lake House

Spy Ring: An Exciting Midde-Grade Adventure in which Two Best Friends Decode Clues Left by a Real-life Female Spy from the American Revolution