The Thief and the Traitor Bride with V. L. Bovalino, in conversation with Soraya Bouazzaoui

We’re delighted to welcome Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling novelist V. L. Bovalino to Mr B’s to talk about her brand new novel, The Thief and the Traitor Bride!

A standalone romantic fantasy, set in the world of The Second Death of Locke, Bovalino’s new novel features a ruthless spy, a deadly mission, and a thief who could ruin it all… Enemies-to-lovers posing as a fake married couple? Sign us up! We can’t wait to return to Bovalino’s incredible fantasy world, and fall in love with a whole new set of characters!

V.L. Bovalino will be in conversation with the brilliant Soraya Bouazzaoui, author of Aicha, a fierce and devastatingly powerful romantic fantasy – perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and She Who Became the Sun! We can’t wait to hear this pair in conversation, as they discuss world-building, writing romance, and all things epic fantasy.

Can’t make it to the event? Pre-order a signed & dedicated copy of The Thief and the Traitor Bride here, and Aicha here!

About the books:

The Thief and the Traitor Bride:

A ruthless spy. A deadly mission. A thief who could ruin it all.

The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a standalone romantic fantasy set in the world of the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Second Death of Locke. Nore Gordon is a woman of many talents: she can speak a variety of languages, disguise herself in plain sight, and has made a name for herself as a successful wine merchant. But unbeknownst to those closest to her, it is all a front for Nore’s true role as the favoured spy of the Lindle crown.

Tasked with infiltrating enemy lands in search of a powerful relic, Nore is forced to engage the services of a great thief. Unfortunately, the only person for the job is her estranged husband Caspian. Both Nore and Caspian bear the scars of the disastrous end of their marriage, but if they are to survive their deadly new assignment, they must pose as a happily married couple to avoid detection.

As danger closes in, Nore finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit-and though Caspian is at the centre of it all, she may not hate him as much as she once did. But Caspian has betrayed her before, and trust can be far more deadly than deception.

Aicha:

The ultimate female rage fantasy, Aicha is a fierce and devastatingly powerful romantic epic fantasy perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and She Who Became the Sun. The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.

Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha’s soul.

Only Aicha’s secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco’s freedom reaches it violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha’s skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.

About the authors:

V. L. Bovalino is the pseudonym of Tori Bovalino, the author of three YA horror novels, including My Throat an Open Grave, and editor of the Indie-bestselling anthology, The Gathering Dark. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in the UK with her partner, cat and puppy. Tori loves scary stories, obscure academic book facts and impractical oversized sweaters. 

Soraya is a born and bred Londoner with a day job in book editing. She has written for publications like Stylist, Bad Form, Metro and Aurelia. Aicha is her debut novel.