This Dark Descent

Every ten years, the people of Veradell gather for the Illinir, a horse race known for its large prize money and the number of riders who die on the course. Mikira Rusel, the last of a family of respected horse breeders, intends to win this year's race whatever it costs her.

Getting to the starting line is the first obstacle. Mikira needs allies, and she has to stay out of reach of old enemies. The people around her include a rogue enchanter with a hidden past whose power is only now emerging, and a young lord who is fighting a bitter battle over who will succeed to his title.

The company also takes in a clever, prickly loner who is loyal to his friends alone, and the cat that travels with him. Against them stands an aristocrat who will do whatever it takes to protect his family's standing and its considerable power.

Each of these characters carries a secret and a grudge. Each has reasons to back Mikira's bid or to work against it. This is a fantasy adventure built around a deadly race and a cast of uneasy allies and rivals, with the question of who survives to cross the finish line driving the story.