This Dark Descent

Mikira’s family raises horses but their debt surpasses their income so they are facing complete ruin. The only way to pull them out of the hole is for Mikira to enter the Illinir, a horse race so fraught with peril that most end up damaged or dead at the end. If she can just win, the prize money would fix all her problems. She combines forces with Ari, an enchanter who would like to strengthen her magic but seems to be falling into darkness. Damien, a lord and heir, has his own reasons to see Mikira win. They all have a lot riding on this race, but together they may be able to take it all, or die trying.

Combine Ashlords and Scorpio Races with Jewish lore to get this first in a duology. Dual points of view and individual gender expression fuel this queernorm world. However, the multiple plotlines tend to get tangled, creating a story not quite meshed out as well as the author’s Ravenfall series. Hopefully the sequel, Our Deadly Designs, coming in 2024 will flesh out some of the remaining questions and create a more cohesive set.