Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Sapling Cage

A Novel

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

In the gripping first novel in the Daughters of the Empty Throne trilogy, author Margaret Killjoy spins a tale of earth magic, power struggle, and self-invention in an own-voices story of trans witchcraft.

Lorel has always dreamed of becoming a witch: learning magic, fighting monsters, and exploring the world beyond the small town where she and her mother run the stables. Even though a strange plague is killing the trees in the Kingdom of Cekon and witches are being blamed for it, Lorel wants nothing more than to join them. There's only one problem: all witches are women, and she was born a boy.

When the coven comes to claim her best friend, Lorel disguises herself in a dress and joins in her friend's place, leaving home and her old self behind. She soon discovers the dark powers threatening the kingdom: a magical blight scars the land, and the power-mad Duchess Helte is crushing everything between her and the crown. In spite of these dangers, Lorel makes friends and begins learning magic from the powerful witches in her coven. However, she fears that her new friends and mentors will find out her secret and kick her out of the coven, or worse.

  • Creators

  • Series

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 15, 2024
      Killjoy (Escape from Incel Island) gender-bends an old-fashioned fantasy of witches, knights, and brigands in the intriguing if uneven first book of her Daughters of the Empty Throne trilogy. A rot called the colddead decimates the forests of Cekon, bringing famine and unrest, and it’s up to an ancient order of witches to stop it. But armies of knights allied to the ruthless Duchess Helte, who covets Cekon’s vacant throne, spread malicious rumors that the witches are to blame for the blight and begin a merciless hunt that threatens to ruin Mother’s May, the springtime holiday when witches go door-to-door gathering new “whelps” to train in the arts of war, diplomacy, and magic. Trans teen Lorel yearns to join the Order but worries the sex she was assigned at birth will prevent her. When the order comes for her best friend, Lane, Lorel dons Lane’s clothes and takes her place. Petrified the coven will discover her secret, Lorel keeps her distance from her peers as the witches, favoring weapons over spells, train the whelps to fight and unravel the mystery of the colddead. Killjoy conjures an abundance of song and ritual as this sacred order fights for its survival, but the sword-clashing muffles Lorel’s inner turmoil, making it hard to connect to this swashbuckling story on an emotional level. Still, there’s plenty of potential here.

    • Booklist

      September 1, 2024
      Lorel has two problems: she wasn't born a witch, and she wasn't born a girl. But when her best friend, Lane, announces her intent to become a knight, Lorel has an opportunity. Lane has a witch's birthright, so the two swap places, and Lorel joins the Order of the Vine. The witches travel the countryside, meeting with other covens and seeking opportunities to help others. A terrible plague, which turns the trees and grounds cold, has set upon the land just as a power-hungry duchess has begun taking other regions for her own. Lorel and her new friends in the coven train with both magic and swords as they search for the source of the blight, which is certain to serve the duchess's plan. Along the way, they fight demons, forge alliances, and escape danger until they come across the evil that truly feeds the blight--and all the while, Lorel struggles to keep her secret. This engaging fantasy builds an intriguing and multifaceted world. Lorel is a complex character with a strong voice whom readers will root for.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading