No Better Than Beasts

A dark and captivating new take on the beloved Nutcracker story, Z. R. Ellor's YA fantasy debut, No Better Than Beasts, is a perfect standalone novel for fans of folklore, cursed kingdoms, fraught romance, and fairy tales with sharp teeth. Nabik, a soldier, owes his loyalty to his elder brother Fydir, who lifted him and their sister, Drakne, from poverty. But when Fydir orders him to quell unrest among the city's beastfolk, the magic Nabik had long buried begins to stir. A wintery voice urges Nabik to desert his post--and his brother's watchful eye --to journey north into Kolznechia, a frozen, enchanted kingdom ruled by the mercurial Rat King. His power may hold the key to breaking an ancient curse and ending the Rat King's terrible reign. Drakne will do whatever it takes to break free of Fydir. As Nabik follows all of their eldest brother's commands, her best hope of escaping is to seek the protection of the Rat King. And the tyrant king has been looking for Drakne too. She has a gi